the interview suit: part one

As thousands of fourth year medical students across the country are putting the finishing touches on their residency applications (we submit on Thursday...eek!), we're all starting to think about the next step...interviews. For the majority of us, we haven't really worn a suit since our medical school interviews, and I know for me, my interview suit doesn't really fit me the way it once did...which lead me to start the task of finding a new suit.

Unlike men, women really have a tougher time finding suits as we don't have full sections of stores dedicated to suits of all sizes, colors, and styles. Even stores like Ann Taylor and The Limited rarely have extended sizes in stores. I went to Ann Taylor last week, and they had one style of blazer in straight sizes, and one style of pants, again only in straight sizes (i.e. no petite or talls). I've been casually checking out stores for the past few months, looking to see what was out there. Using Elyse's and Joyce's guides for interview suits, here is what I personally want for my interview suit.

blazer | pants | top | watch | earrings | purse | shoes

A pantsuit: I feel most comfortable wearing pants, so it only makes sense for me to get pants instead of a skirt or dress. As far as I know, skirts or dresses with blazer is equally as professionally, I just personally really don't want to deal with pantyhose (what if I get a tear?!), and like I said, I feel more comfortable in pants.

In black: Many will advise that black is too dark and too serious, but in my mind, it's timeless and always looks appropriate. I also think it's the easiest when it comes to accessories. If I weren't set on a black suit, I'd go for a navy suit, but those tend to be more difficult to find, and also tend to show a bit more wear and tear (and wrinkles!). I think as long as the suit fits you well and the fabric doesn't show major wrinkling, a suit in black, navy, or grey are all appropriate. I just chose black because I know it's what I will feel most comfortable wearing. I ordered this four pocket blazer, and three styles of pants to try on.

With a non-button up blouse: I have tried everything to stop button ups from gaping at the bust - I've sized up and altered, I've sewn them shut, I've used fashion tape. Nothing makes it lay completely flat, so instead of fighting it, I'm going to completely remove it from the equation! I plan on buying several sleeveless or short sleeved blouses, and will rotate them throughout the interviews. I asked on twitter if anyone ever removed their blazers during the interviews, and feedback shows that no, they didn't, which is why the sleeves of the blouses don't matter as much.

Simple accessories: I plan on wearing my black wedges I've been wearing for years - I can comfortably walk in them and I don't want to buy another pair of black shoes (I don't think my Revas would be a good shoe to wear with my suit). I plan on using my black Mulberry purse, and wearing my simple diamond necklace and pearl earrings.

what to wear on clinical rotations

Although my school had a professional dress code for our first two years of medical school, the transition from classroom to working in a hospital/clinic was not as smooth as I originally thought. Shoes that were fine for walking in and out of the building did not hold up for eight hours on my feet, skirts that were fine for sitting behind a desk aren't always appropriate for patient encounters, and even my hair and make-up routines have changed since starting my clinical rotations. Now that current second years are getting closer to wrapping up their pre-clinical years (you're so close!), I've had a bunch of questions asking about clothes during clinical rotations, so I figured one post discussing all parts would be easiest! Personally I think that third year has been the best year of medical school so far, so get excited!

As a disclaimer, these are just my personal opinions and experiences. What works for me at my hospital may not work for you at yours, what my opinions on appropriateness may not be equal to yours, but I think that overall, these are easily generalized to anyone going into clinical rotations!

medical school dress code: year two

shoes | dress | skirt
shoes
pants | skirt | cardigan 

With the end of my first year of quarterly budgeting, and with school starting in a little over a week, I've been thinking a bit about my closet and budget situation.

I think that the quarterly budget is working really really well for me. I still try to spread it out equally each month, but it's also nice for times like this summer when I did less shopping two of the months so I had more to spend in a month I knew I would be shopping more (more on that on Monday when my budget post goes up). Having the money in a separate savings account means I'm not spending money I don't have, and not touching money set aside for other, more important things (like books and bills). It also allows me to look a little bit more at the big picture. I needed a nice winter coat last year, so I planned around that the month before. I know the quarterly budget doesn't work for everyone, but I think it would work well for anyone who lives on student loans like I do, as we get all of the money up front.

As far as my school wardrobe, I think I'm at a pretty good place with what I own and wear consistently. Big staples for me included these pants from The Limited (I own them in two colors), these wedges from J.Crew Factory (also owned in two colors, and currently on sale if you are interested), and simple v-neck dresses like this one from Madewell. I try to mix it up with different scarves and necklaces, two items I should probably never purchase again (but I can't help it because I just love them so much).

Looking ahead, there are a few items I feel I have been missing out on:

• My black revas have finally died on me after two years of consecutive wear (the elastic is completely worn out), so I am considering replacing them. They are quite pricey though, so I'm hoping to either find a pair on eBay, or possibly ask for them as a birthday present (although noise canceling headphones may be more practical!). I know they aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I love how they add just a little bit of interest, and once they are broken in they are so comfortable.
• I also am considering these bow flats after keeping an eye on them for the past two years. Since I love my wedges so much, I figured a flat pair would also be practical to own. The nude works well on my skin tone, and the quality is hard to beat at that price point. 
• While I love my ankle-ish dress pants I own now, I would really like to have a black pair of slim, full length ankle pants. I love how a similar pair looks on Yasi, and since I'm already such a fangirl of the pants from The Limited, I fully intend on trying on this pair. 
• My skirt collection is a fun little collection of bright colors and patterns (which is unlike the rest of my closet, which is strange). I really need just a nice black, well fitting pencil skirt. I've also been looking for a maroon pencil skirt for the better part of the last year and no luck yet. I'm hoping that the fall roll-out will include some!
• I tried on a red sheath dress last fall, and while I didn't purchase that one because it was too short on me, I have been searching for a similar one since then. I have a similar dress in black that I wear constantly (a lot on test days so I never photograph it), and it's so nice to just throw on with a belt and flats and be out the door. This one is similar and inexpensive, but not exactly what I want either, so another thing I hope someone makes this fall. 
• My black cardigan from Old Navy has needed a replacement for over half a year, but I kind of always forget about it when I'm shopping. I have the tan version of this cardigan and love it, so the black version may have to come my way the next time they have a big sale. It's a boring thing to buy, but also something that will be worn all.the.time.

So that's the plan. I'm on a little bit of a shopping freeze currently until we get our loan money in three weeks, so I may only try some things on while I still have time, but no purchases until the money comes in. I have a bit of mixed feelings about starting school again (all this free time is so nice!), but I am excited to get back into actually getting dressed every day. Jean shorts and v-neck tees are only fun to wear for so long!

If you are new to my medical school dress code, here's a post about what is required of me, and here you can see everything I've worn to school so far. 

not so fun.

 

It's been almost a year since I last wore this dress - I don't know how I completely forgot about it hiding in the back of my closet! I went to see how I wore it last, and I realized that I kind of miss the way I used to dress back when I was working instead of being in school. I had more time to think of how I wanted to pair my clothing, and I felt I could get away with a bit more. Not to say that a stretchy striped dress is the most professional piece of clothing I own now, but I tried to tone it down a bit with neutral colors and less layers. 

If you've had to make the transition from "freedom" to restrictions, how did you handle it? 

Dress: Old Navy [save | splurge]

Cardigan: Gap

Tights: Target [exact]

Boots: Franco Sarto via OnlineShoes.com [exact]

Watch: c/o Daniel Wellington [exact]

Scarf: H&M

Nails: Essie After School Blazer + OPI

Ring: Gorjana Griffin [exact]

linking up with Bri!

clothing budget for graduate students: where's the money go?

Today is Student Loan Monday! It's officially been 2 months since I've had any real money coming in, and boy can I (and my poor credit cards) feel it. I am luckily enough that up to this point to never have dealt with student loans, so this is a whole new thing for me. When I was working, I had a paycheck come in every two weeks, so even if things got tight, I knew an influx of money was just around the corner. Now with student loans, I only receive money twice a year - equal amounts at the beginning of each semester. That means the money has to last me all the way until next August, so some of the money I receive now is actually going to be used next semester. This means a tighter budget, smarter checking account behaviors, and a new clothing budget.

While I was working, I had a $150 a month clothing budget - a little more than 10% of after tax income. I know this number may seem high to some, but I was a non-married, no children working girl who doesn't have any expensive hobbies and someone who doesn't spend a lot on expensive food or drinks. I like to shop, and the money I spent fit into my lifestyle and budget. My job gave me the flexibility to play around with my wardrobe, so I could wear jeans whenever I wanted, or try out different styles. I had time to go thrifting, and to sell no longer worn items on eBay. It worked out pretty well, and I'm proud of how quickly I learned to work with this budget in the span of a year.

Life is a bit different now - less time to shop, and with a whole different set of clothing rules. The dress code means I need nicer items - I feel it's been pretty difficult for me to find dress clothes that fit correctly at reduced prices (I've tried both consignment and thrifting and nothing has worked so far), and so my new budget will reflect that.

My new budget will be $500 every 3 months, or roughly $500 a season. It's really only about $15 a month more than my budget before was. I choose to do it in larger sections than by individual months mostly because of school - my needs change per season now, and so I have the flexibility to buy more at the change of seasons, and then be a bit more frugal in the middle. This budget will of course also include the costs of tailoring - the most important aspect of business clothing is that they fit well, so I feel that many items (at least pants) will have to be tailored to sit correctly and at the right length. I will have a separate savings account with this money in it, and so every time I purchase something, that money has to be removed from the account (just like I did when I was doing my initial school clothing prep). I feel this system worked out really well, and so it will keep me on track again with my new budgeting system.

We're almost half way through August, and I haven't used much of the money yet. I purchased a top at a consignment store for $10, and I ordered these pants in hopes that they work out for school. I ordered this skirt and this skirt, but both will be returned as I don't think they'll be that versatile. I do have plans though, I just have to wait for sales! As soon as J.Crew Factory has another 40% or 50% off the entire store sale, I'm going to order these in black as my nude ones are working out really well. I also am going to order these in the tall size (the maroon color for now) once another sale pops up- if they fit well, I think they'll be a great way to mix it up from black pants. People seem to really love them, so I'm hopefully that they'll work out for me as well! Other than that, I'm probably going to sit tight until the weather cools down a little bit, but I do want to add those three items to my small rotation of school shoes and bottoms soon as I feel a little constricted with my few skirts and dresses.

I will of course still update every month on where I stand, and so that I can see where all of you are at!

closet clean-up: from cluttered to loved

Once I found out in February that I would have to move for school, I slowly started cleaning out my closet. I've lived in Madison for seven years now, and have lived in four different houses. Each time we moved, I just grabbed everything I owned and took it with me to the next place a few streets away. This move though, across several states and by myself, would require me greatly reduce the items I own.

I had clothes in three different places - my main closet that had all of my normal clothes, some coats in our coat closet, and my handful of dresses (which I couldn't wear to work) were in a shared closet in our bedroom - our place has a lot of closets! I started out by pulling all of the "big ticket" items that I knew I could sell on eBay - a few purses, a North Face jacket, and a few J.Crew / Banana Republic items. I'm a pretty beginner eBay seller so I don't have a ton of tips and tricks. I do a lot that is recommended here, and I almost always use the eBay app as you can take pictures, upload, and have a listing within just a few minutes from your phone.

Once those items were gone, I started going through the clothes that I regularly look at. I pulled out the pieces I knew I hadn't worn in years, and put them aside. I tried selling some on poshmark and on here, but those took more effort than it paid out. I basically worked through my closet a little bit at a time. Every time I by passed something and couldn't remember the last time I ever wore it, it went into the pile. About once a month, I would take a pile of clothing to Plato's Closet - a consignment store geared mostly towards teenagers. My experiences were fine there - I've made about $100 from selling clothes there, but I felt because they were so geared toward teens that a lot of my nicer items that just didn't fit were passed because they were "too mature". The items they didn't take I handed down to my mom and sister, and whatever they didn't want, they donated to St. Vinnies.

That was what I did up until this past weekend. I move on Friday, so this last closet clean out was really necessary to get rid of the last unnecessary pieces. I had already packed up all of my blazers, remaining bottoms, skirts, and shoes which hadn't been pulled. My family is shipping those boxes to me at the end of the week as I just didn't have enough room in my car. Next, I went through all of my tops. I pulled each one out of the closet and put it on. If I felt uncomfortable in it, if it fit me wrong, or if I knew I was just never going to wear it again, into the pile it went. I'm only packing the pieces I really wear. As hard as it was to let go of a bunch of relatively nice jeans, tees, and sweaters, I knew I hadn't worn them in so long, and with my restrictive dress code, I knew they weren't going to be worn in the future either. I tried one last time to take a few things to the consignment stores, made about $25, and took everything else directly to Goodwill. I set a side a few things again for my mom and sister, but the rest will find a new home with something who will appreciate them.

When I look at my closet now, and even during the cleaning out process, I felt so much better about getting dressed. I didn't feel guilt looking at all the clothes I spent money on, but didn't wear. My choices were limited, but I liked everything, so I never had "I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR" moments. Since I started working with a budget, I feel like I've been a lot smarter about what I buy, so I'm hoping that in a year/four years from now, I won't be in this same situation. I need to make smart buying decisions, buy items off of my holes in my closet list, and not just buy on a whim. I want to find the balance of buying staple pieces versus more "fun" pieces - maybe do 3/4 of my budget towards purchasing items I will get a ton of wear, and then the rest towards statement/fun pieces? Since I will be living off student loans that I receive twice a year, instead of paychecks I receive twice a month, I may do what Kimmie and Jess do, and have a yearly budget and work with it that way. I'll definitely share what I decide to do!

I can't wait to show you guys by new closet next week! It's going to be beautiful :)

My tips for cleaning out your own closet - no moving 10 hours away necessary! :

+ Pull everything (EVERYTHING) out of your closet, and try each piece on. If it doesn't fit NOW, get rid of it (or if it may fit again for sure, put it into storage)

+  If you haven't worn it within the last year, ask yourself why. Does it just fit wrong? Donate or sell. Not your style anymore? Pass along to friends or donate. Needs alterations? Put into the alterations pile and actually do them.

+ Be prepared to make "the hard" decisions. Yes, it sucks that you spend x number of dollars on that sweater/pant/skirt/shoe....but what good is it doing you in your closet if you haven't worn it in years? Either store it in case it comes back into fashion, pass it along to family members/friends, sell it, or donate it. You'll feel better not looking at it every single time you open your closet.

+ Reorganize your closet so you can see your clothes better. I currently organize by color, but when I move, I'm going to organize by type - blazers, cardigans, sweaters, tees. Seeing your clothes in a different way may inspire you to wear it a different way.

+ Now that you know what you have in your closet, think about what you think needs to be added. Think about what you want your style to be, what colors you should focus on, and what pieces you'd like to add. Make a list, and keep an eye out for them when you shop. If you are unsure, these posts, these posts, and these posts have been a big help to me!

medical school wardrobe: building a foundation

It's been several months since I last wrote about trying to build my wardrobe for medical school. As a refresher, my school has a dress code as follows:

A clean and well-cared-for appearance should be maintained. Women are required to wear 

appropriate dresses of reasonable length or slacks with appropriate blouses. Halter tops, midriff tops, strapless or backless tops or dresses; sundresses, crop pants, capri pants and miniskirts are not permitted. Revealing or tight, form-fitting clothing is unacceptable. Women’s hair must be neat and trimmed at all times, avoiding extreme styles or colors. Excessive body piercing is not acceptable. Women are required to wear shoes or sandals with socks or stockings. Shorts, jeans, T-shirts and sandals with bare feet are not permitted.

In order to have pieces in my closet that I can easily throw on and go to class for 8 hours a day, but still be comfortable and happy with my outfits, I'm dedicating my once "dream purse" fund to add the necessary pieces to my closet. First I'll tell you guys where I stand now, and then I'll discuss the last few pieces that are still needed.

Heels: Black closed toed pumps were going to be a necessity for me. I own very few pairs of heels, and the ones I do own can't be worn more than a short amount of time before I start walking around barefoot (the only time I really have worn heels has been for weddings so...barefooted dancing. Welcome to Wisconsin!). I've heard great things about both the Ann Taylor Perfect Pumps (as recommended by both Mix & Match Fashion and Professionally Petite)  and the J.Crew Miri heel (as reviewed here by Easy Petite Looks) but everyone said that nothing beats Cole Haan shoes. When Chris and I were in Minneapolis, we specifically went to Nordstrom so I could figure out sizing (we don't have a Nordstrom anywhere near Madison). I tried on this shoe, and really liked how they felt on my feet, but if you look at the price, you know that wasn't really in my budget. Knowing my preferred size, I started searching eBay and eventually got lucky when I found this style, brand new, for $90. I've worn them around the house a bit and they feel very nice. As comfortable as walking around barefoot? No, but they are a definite improvement over my plastic Target heels. I've already tried them on with a few skirts/pants in my closet and am happy how they improve my outfits - man, heels really do make everything look better, don't they?

Nude Flats: While I said that I would like a pair of nude flats for my school wardrobe, my current work wardrobe was missing out on them too so I was very excited when I found this Sam Edelman pair at Nordstrom Rack for 60% off of the retail price. They were paid for with the remaining budget money from April, but since I said in March that I would like them for school I figured I should mention them here. These are a great pair of shoes that have required absolutely no breaking in (as opposed to my Revas which took a painful amount of time to get to where they are now) and have extra padding which make them very comfortable. HIGHLY recommend them!

Skirts: I started from absolute scratch here. I own one that is about two sizes too large (but super cute!) and that's it. I thrifted this black A-lineish skirt a few months ago, and then purchased the Fran skirt in April. As much as I want to wear pencil skirts, I'm still unsure about them. Every single one I've tried on hasn't fit right at all - too tight in the rear/thighs and too loose in the waist. I know I could always size up to have it fit comfortably in the seat and then get the waist tailored to fit, but I'm unsure if I want to go through all of that trouble for a style of skirt I'm unsure I even like. I plan on really paying attention to the skirt section in Goodwill in the coming months to see if I can't add a few more cute skirts at a low cost. 

Dresses: Over the years I've accumulated a bunch of cheap dresses from Target and the like. I've sold or donated almost all of them because they just didn't fit me correctly, and now have about 4 dresses left in my closet. I bought this Gap dress a few months ago - I think the color is fun but still in the professional realm, and the fit is very flattering. I got it during a 40% of sale so the price was right over $40. I also bought a light grey faux wrap dress at the Banana Republic Outlet on clearance for just over $20, but it will need to be taken in at the waist. I know both of these dresses will be major staples when I just want to throw something on quick.

Tops: My current tops collection will transition seamlessly from my work wardrobe to my school wardrobe as I'm pretty conservative to begin with. I did purchase two tops with my budget money - a black geometric top which will be an easy way to add interest to an other wise boring outfit, and an oxford popover. The geometric top was around $20 at the Banana Republic outlet, and the popover was around $40 final sale from J.Crew. 

Tights: Because we are required to wear tights when we were skirts or dresses, tights were obviously necessary. I was lucky enough to receive about 6 pairs from Hanes during a recent collaboration so I'm set there! They are comfortable, have held up so far, and best of all, were free ;)  I will need fleece lined and/or sweater tights for the winter but no real need to buy those in May.

I have around $250 remaining in my budget for school clothes. Here is the plan for the rest of that money!

Pants: I needed to wait until I found at least my first pair of heels so I could figure out the length of pants to buy. I would love to find dress pants while thrifting, but I'm 5'9" so most pants off the rack, and especially a thrift store rack, will be too short. I'm hoping that around the Memorial Day sales will be a good time to look for pants at either The Limited (like this pair), Express (this pair), or Banana Republic (this pair) as I don't plan on paying any where near full listed price for them. I have a pair of black pants that are the length to wear with flats, so I need a pair to wear with heels. I would also like a dark grey pair of dress pants.

White Blouse: The perfect white button up is on list of holes in my closet, and I feel it would be beneficial for my school wardrobe especially. I'd love to try the silk version from Everlane or maybe track down the Equipment version on eBay.

Cardigans: I really don't own as many cardigans as I thought, so a few solid colored ones would be nice to have. I plan on buying these mostly thrifted. 

Shoes: a black pair of wedges would be nice to mix up shoes, and would probably be more comfortable than heels. If I find some in the coming weeks I might actually use my monthly budget money to buy these as I think I could probably get away with wearing them at work - I like this Franco Sarto pair. I'd also love to have a pair of maryjane heels. I think they are just so cute (I love them on Future Lint). This Frye pair and this Fitzwell pair are both adorable, and within a reasonable price range.

(Curious to see how this all worked out for me? Here are all the outfits I wore to medical school!)

medical school wardrobe: dress code

Having worked in a very, very casual work environment means that I've had a lot of freedom with what I can wear everyday (except for the safety restrictions of needing to wear pants, flat shoes, and a lab coat). With school starting at the very end of July, my closet needs a some additions that I previously didn't have much use for. My school does have a dress code for any time we are on campus (including lecture and studying in the library) - it's as follows:

A clean and well-cared-for appearance should be maintained. Women are required to wear 

appropriate dresses of reasonable length or slacks with appropriate blouses. Halter tops, midriff tops, strapless or backless tops or dresses; sundresses, crop pants, capri pants and miniskirts are not permitted. Revealing or tight, form-fitting clothing is unacceptable. Women’s hair must be neat and trimmed at all times, avoiding extreme styles or colors. Excessive body piercing is not acceptable. Women are required to wear shoes or sandals with socks or stockings. Shorts, jeans, T-shirts and sandals with bare feet are not permitted.

So - halter tops, midriff tops, strapless or backless dresses, and mini skirt are not going to be a problem for me. I don't even own any of those things! It seems that ankle pants may be considered cropped pants, which is really unfortunate as I consider ankle pants to be dress pants. The other thing is that when wearing dresses or skirts, I'll need to wear tights. I was a dancer for 14 years, so tights for me are like a death sentence (but partially because I just think of shiny shiny tights). The dress code is what it is, so there isn't much use in complaining about it. Instead I'm going to shop for it!

On my 25th birthday I made a list of 30 things I want to do before I turn 30. One of those items was to own a Chanel bag. I started a savings account where for every paycheck, $25 is automatically transferred into it so I could walk into a Chanel store on my 30th birthday and purchase a bag without any guilt. Unfortunately for my handbag collection, my life has gone in a different direction and I now have different priorities. Since I won't have a paycheck for another 4 years, I am going to cash out that account out and use it to buy my clothes for school. By the time I quit my job in the middle of June, I'll have about $500.

So what do I think I need? I plan on finding the following things:

+ Dress pants: I have never been comfortable in dress pants - they always fit wrong, are too short or too long, and always itchy. I would like to buy a pair of black pants and a pair of dark grey pants. I plan on purchasing them larger and longer and then have them tailored to be exactly what I want. Ideally I would like a pair for heels and a pair for flats - maybe I'll find a great deal on pants I really like and then be able to have both.

+ Skirts: Since I haven't worn many skirts (or really any), I don't really know what I'm looking for here. A black skirt that fits correctly is something I shouldn't be able to mess up too much so again I plan on finding one that either fits comfortably off the rack (doubtful) or find something that can be tailored to what I feel comfortable in. A printed version would be fun too. I did purchase this Banana Republic skirt a few weeks ago when it was on sale for $40, but I feel the certain color of blue and the pattern is kind of limiting (what do you do in the winter?) so I returned it. I did like the fit though so I will make sure to try on more skirts at Banana Republic 

+ Cardigans: I'm told our building is pretty chilly, so cardigans for easy layering will be necessary. I realized looking through my closet that I don't have many cardigans. I'd like a few solid colored cardigans that fit well and can easily be mixed and matched with different shirts and bottoms.

+ Printed Blouses: I have a few solid blouses but very few printed (besides my new awesome cat printed blouse). I think a few printed blouses will be easy to mix and match with the solid cardigans and won't be something I have to think a lot about in the morning.

+ Dresses: A few solid dresses that can either be worn alone (preferable with tee-shirt sleeves or long sleeves) or with cardigans/blazers will be something that will be great to have for the warm months and then later to be layered in the winter. I purchased this Gap dress (seen here) this week during the friends and family event - I think it'll be a staple that can go with many different cardigans/blazers.

+ Black Heels: I've mentioned this before, but I don't own any closed toed black heels, and I don't own any heels that I can wear for more than like 20 minutes. A pair with a stable heel (even though my mom hates the thicker heels!) that allows me to walk and be comfortable will be a must.

+ Nude Flats: Goes with everything! Especially with...

+ Tights: ugh. I'm hoping to find a few very thin pairs for the summer and then transition into sweater or fleece lined tights in the fall/winter. Any recommendations for a tall (5'9'') girl?

So. That's the plan. I don't really plan on purchasing many of these things right now unless I happen upon them (like the Gap dress). I will keep a running total in each month's budget recap for the items that are specifically purchased for school. I don't plan on spending all of this money before school starts but I do want a majority of them so I don't have to worry about it once all the studying starts. 

I'd love to hear if you've had to work with a similar dress code, and what ended up being staples for you.

I want to make smart purchases when buying these clothes, so there will be lots of trips to the mall and tailor to make sure I get exactly what I want. Is my search for these items something you guys care to hear about or would you rather just know the end result? I don't want to bore you about finding the perfect black heel...unless you're into it.

(P.S. You can see all of my medical school outfits here!)

taxed

Are you guys sick of me talking about school starting in 5 months? Me either...

But...with school starting and only working for another 4.5 months, I am really working on tucking money away. I'm putting my entire work bonus, a certain percentage of each paycheck, and the money I make from this blog into savings. I am also putting all but $250 of my tax return into savings. With those $250 I was planning on purchasing a few items from "the list". Last Friday I ordered this blazer as it was a color I was looking for, I wear my blue version all the time, and I knew what size I thought I needed. Well I received it today and it just didn't work - it was a little too tight in the shoulders and it felt too short. I think the 2% spandex in my blue version makes enough of a difference in fit that it just wasn't worth the money to keep.

So while I was returning the blazer, the sales associate convinced me I needed to look at the sale section (it took a bunch of convincing...). Another one of my items on my list is a pencil skirt. They had a lot of the black #2 pencil skirts on sale, so I tried a few on. I tried on my normal skirt/pants size, but it didn't even close. I went up one size, and it still didn't look right. Several ladies said that they sometimes have to size up two sizes. I think that's important to remember - it's not about the number on the tag but how it fits. I walked away without a skirt even though the price was good because the size they had in store wasn't going to work. I don't think I'm ready to put a bunch of money down on something I can't wear right now anyway.

What I can wear right now and in the future is this cute striped shirt, so it did come home with me :)

Shirt: Gap*

Blouse: J. Crew Factory {save | exact}

Jeans: Gap  {similar}

Scarf: c/o The Posh'mina

Boots: Steve Madden  {save | splurge}

Watch: Boccia

*I found this shirt hiding in my closet this weekend. I'm certain the last time I wore this shirt was in this picture, taken at a house party my sophomore year of college. so classy.

Linking up with wiww and Bri's Third Thursday Threads (POLKA DOTS!)

20ish days in, and no one has realized that I'm re-wearing something every day. Either I'm really good at TOPIO (not as likely) or people at work aren't paying attention (most likely).