I'll be the first to admit that I straight up dread having to wear professional wear. So you can imagine how thrilled I was while adjusting to my first APPE and having to wear professional clothes 5 days a week rather than the usual 1 day. Like any of you, I would 100% rather be wearing leggings or pajamas at any given time. Seriously during my didactic years I was a happy camper if I could figure out how to work colored jeggings into my lab outfits in a professional way. You know if you've shopped for professional wear that most of the time you give up comfiness for the style. Since my first APPE (and being that midyear is looming around the corner), I've had to shop around quite a bit for new professional clothes. I've been relieved to find that style doesn't have to be a sacrifice! So here I'm sharing a few tricks and tips I've picked up about where to shop for the best professional wear. Hope this helps!
Pants
Alright so pants have always been my worst enemy. Why? I'm 4'11 and in-store petite sizing is near impossible to find, and if it exists it is always sold out. I've also struggled with pants that fit perfect in the waist, and are large and baggy around the calves. However, there are a few styles I've absolutely LOVED and tried on or bought myself because they were so perfect.
1. The pixie mid-rise ankle from Old Navy
$34.99
These pants are number 1 because they are BY FAR the cheapest pants I own without sacrificing professional style or comfort. They come in an array of colors and prints and multiple sizes (up to size 20, petites and tall). Be warned that despite being size friendly, I have found that they aren't necessarily true to size. I'm a size 0P in most stores but at Old Navy I'm a 2P. Utilize their sizing guide online and you'll be golden. Good news is the pockets are real!!!!!
Pro tip: Old Navy has sales like you can't believe, these are 40% off right now. Other pro tip, they don't sell petite in store but I've found that if you try on the ankle pants in their regular standard sizing, they cut off perfectly like long pants in petite size would!
2. Skinny pants in Marisa fit from Loft
$89.50
We all know Loft has killer professional wear. I'm a huge fan of these pants although I don't own them quite yet. I've tried them on just about every time I've walked into a Loft, just waiting for the opportune moment to jump on them. Huge plus, the material is super soft and flexible. They come in regular and petite sizing and a few basic colors.
Pro tip: Certain colors go on sale sporadically. Loft also does 40-50% sales like every other week. I've also seen $25 off pants sales which seems to be the best deal available on these. I say wait for the next one to roll around!
3. Sloan slim ankle pant from Banana Republic Factory Outlet
$55.99
I have a lot of friends who love these pants and the other styles available at Banana Republic Factory. I love love love that you can shop their outlet styles online. Besides the ankle crop style, they also have longer straight styles, trouser style and a tailored ankle style. The ankle crop are by far my favorite at this store though. There are a ton of cute colors and patterns that these come in too!
Pro tip: because they're an outlet, they are super prone to sales too! I've seen them as low as $30 so I'd wait for holiday sales to jump on these.
Tops
Tops are where I let my creativity flag fly. If you know me, you know that I'm a huge fan of color, specifically highlighter-bright colors. And patterns. I just love fun clothes. Here are a few of my favorite styles.
1. The Essie top from Lilly Pulitzer
$58
These Lilly tops are my go-to for fun professional wear. One of my favorite things about them is that Lilly cycles through new patterns a few times a season so there are always fun new prints to purchase! These are a soft cotton material, they fit loose and are detailed with a cute 3-buttons down the chest. I don't buy a lot of Lilly for full price but I can say for sure that these are worth it to buy.
Pro tip: these tops are always included in their biannual sales in both August and January. Keep an eye out for emails.
Other pro tip: Not a fan of bright colors or patterns? these come in standard navy, pink, black, white etc. too!
2. Sleeveless ruffle top from JCrew
$49.50
Its JCrew. Enough said. When I'm finally done living off the "whenever-I-can-work-I-do-work" student salary I'm gonna be swindling off my new funds at the first JCrew I see. Comes in a few colors and both regular, petite and tall sizes! Seriously recommend their petite sizes in tops because they're a lot shorter.
3. The dusk racer back top from Lilly Pulitzer
$98
Okay I had to throw in another Lilly top because I love this one so much. These silk racerback fits PERFECTLY in a way that is still conservative and professional for a tank top. The straps are even adjustable so you can mess around with them if you need a different fit. I got my first one of these in the last Lilly sale and I'm obsessed with it. Plus they're sooooooo soft.
Pro tip: previous mention of the biannual sale still applies. These are usually included too. Also comes in plain colors for those adverse to patterns!
Dresses
We all know dresses are the go to for when you don't really want to put in the effort to pick out both a shirt and pants.
1. Cap-sleeve sheath dress from JCrew Factory
$70.50
The hardest part about picking professional dresses is both the length and the avoidance of grandma-y styles (sorry grandma). This one from JCrew Factory hits all the check marks for appropriate length, coverage and fit while still being super cute! Check out the site for more colors too!
Pro tip: JCrew factory is also prone to ~40% sales! They have them pretty often to so I'd recommend signing up for their emails.
2. Eliot shift dress
$238
Don't panic over the price of this one. This is my placeholder for the very many Lilly Pulitzer shift dresses that exist, all different styles and colors! The material varies per size but I've found even their tougher cotton material is still comfortable. Their dresses run long and big so I'd size down or peak at the reviews first before purchasing. I'm a 00 in these styles but had to get my Mila shift further tailored after purchase for it to fit better (got it on sale otherwise I'd say its not worth it to get it tailored if you paid full price).
3. Scalloped crepe sheath dress from Adrianna Papell at Nordstrom
Love this one at Nordstrom because its a modern take on the sheath dress! Only comes in two colors, this one and black but its a perfect length and fit! The scallop detailing makes this one a must have in my opinion. Available in both regular and petite.
Blazers
I refuse to spend 90$ for a blazer, plain and simple. So I'm only sharing one blazer top in this section and it was kind of the greatest find of my professional wear shopping.
1. Classic ponte-knit blazer from Old Navy
$39.99
Seriously, you can't beat this price. It's professional, fits awesome and the material is so soft! Not tough and rigid like other blazers I've tried on. This was the hardest article of clothing for me to find in my size and not also $100+. So shout out to Old Navy, they're the real MVP of my residency application season!
Pro tip: this is an additional 40% off right now!
I hope this short guide was helpful! These are the stores I do most of my professional wear shopping and there are still a lot of styles that top my favorites list that I didn't mention for the sake of being concise. I highly recommend signing up for emails so you can get the best deals. I rarely pay full price for my stuff because I'm always checking out their sales. Enjoy!
