u/skillsdontmatter

Doing my budget for the month and realized I have spent an unhealthy amount on "work clothes" this year. I feel like part of me is that it is “justifiable” when I buy stuff for work. However, it might just be a cop-out. I am buying all this mall stuff from Target and what not, the stuff looks fine for like, three washes, and then it pills, loses its shape, what have you.

I need to do an overhaul of my spending, otherwise I am just throwing away money that I am making with my work, while spending more money on it. I really want to build out a smaller capsule and focus on actual CPW (cost per wear). Sure, I'll pay upfront for quality, but I need to know it's actually durable and comfortable enough to last more than a year or maybe even more.

Right now, the only things surviving my laundry pile are a heavy Theory blazer (which is under extreme heavy use, and probably due for a wash too, dry clean only), and this stretchy knit top from OGL. I honestly just keep wearing it every week because the fit and fabric hold up well after washing. Two items tho is not enough for my work rotation obviously. The mall stuff I want to slowly get rid of.

Where are you guys actually putting your clothing budget? Are there brands that you guys swear by (like Eileen Fisher or MM.LaFleur) actually worth the price tag? I just need staples that will last me years so I can escape the replacement cycle. Ideally, something minimal so it doesn’t really go out of style. And the quality needs to be durable.

I'm 8 weeks out from my c section and starting to think about getting back into some clothes that make me feel ME again. Aka not shapeless prenatal and postpartum wear. My incision is healed on the surface but still feeling tender. I keep seeing ads for post c section shapewear but no idea if any of it is safe to use right now or if I'm just supposed to wait longer. My ob kind of waved me off when I asked and just said listen to your body.
I'm not trying to flatten anything. I just want something that holds things together a little without sitting directly on the scar.