5 Cost-saving Tips for Career Clothing for Women

1. Save money by spending your money for the right improvements. Find out what areas need work by soliciting 360 feedback.
2. Build a rotating wardrobe for interview attire. Keep them fresh with a dry cleaning schedule.
3. Select high quality materials for your career clothes to so that these suits will last and give the interviewer a positive impression of your fashion and business savvy.
4. Maintain your weight so that you don't have to buy new interview clothes during your job hunting season.
5. Continue to project confidence and professionalism even after an injury by exercising and paying attention to career clothing details.

Do my thighs look big in this skirt? If you have to ask, the skirt is probably a bad choice for career clothing. Discard or donate faded suits, suit pants with bad zippers and skirts that are too baggy. Keep your belts, earrings, necklaces and other subtle accessories.

In business school, there is this brutal but useful exercise called 360 Feedback. Read more about the 360 through INSEAD. This means you volunteer to have every member of your team or your whole graduating class give you suggestions for improvement. This will help you look your best and also take criticism well. It can be as painful as a comedy roast but this is so useful for accountability and an unfiltered assessment of how you might be perceived by other decision makers. Kim Gross and Jeff Stone's book Dress Smart for Women is another good resource. Being "roasted" won't leave you charred like a poorly toasted marshmallow. Remember the wounds of a friend are better than the kisses of an enemy.

1. Create a 90 second introduction on Moviemaker. Dress as you would for an interview. Use the best lighting and the most professional setting for your background. Answer the prompt, "Tell me about yourself." This is a typical interview question that assesses your social skills, confidence and understanding of the audience. Companies will use this prompt to determine if you are a good fit for their work culture. Select 35 friends or connections on LinkedIn to give you feedback.

2. Create a multiple choice survey on SurveyMonkey or a poll on Facebook. How can you improve as a presenter? What are some annoying habits you have? What are some suggestions for makeup and interview attire?

3. Skype or meet your "focus group" in person. Phone calls only tell 10% of the story.
What are your facial expressions? Do you have any gestures that may be perceived as off-putting? Thank your participants by returning the favor, if asked, or treating them to coffee on another day.

Are you meeting with a funky start up? Are you meeting with the hiring manager who is known for being a fashionista? Will you be meeting with the interviewer in a bank or law firm? Realize that though the big boss made dress casually, you are not the boss yet. It's safer to dress more formally for a job interview. Spice up your outfit the way a man would with a tie bar or luxury watch. Women can wear subtle accessories that show personality and confidence. Just make sure that your accessories aren't so loud that they drown out your visual message of professionalism.

Know that a basic beige suit looks flattering in the warm weather and a black suit looks best when the weather turns cool. Take a cue from InStyle, Lucky or More magazine to find cost-effective ways to dress for interview. I also like Express for women since their blazers are well-made and pencil skirts never go out of style. Don't walk in with worn Anne Klein heels. If you wear flats, make sure your Henry Ferrera ballet shoes are in top condition. If you wear heels, make sure the shoe looks as awesome as you. This means: no scuffs, excellent balance and a bit intimidating. Find deals at brand name outlets and db shoes.

Some try to save money by purchasing suits that are machine washable. Do not try to save money this way. I repeat. Do not do this. Why? Because such wash and wear suits appear cheap. They bunch in an unflattering way and the material is of poor quality. Manage perceptions. Just as men are taught to pay attention to hand-sewing and quality lining in suits, do not settle for poor quality. This is a way that interviewers screen you for good judgment: can you dress yourself? You will lose money in the long run if you skimp on suits because you'll waste gas money and not win an invitation to the second interview.

You may have heard that you can wear your interview attire more than once without dry cleaning but I do not recommend this. Have at least three blazers and four pencil skirts to rotate.

This means change your pantyhose for every meeting. You'll never encounter a run this way. You can handwash these stockings in the shower and air dry. Bring your sweat-dampened blazers, silk blouses, and skirts to the dry cleaners. I like Shine Cleaners of Santa Monica. Find a well-rated dry cleaner on Yelp or IntheMo. You can even arrange for no-cost pick up. Just make certain you have a spare outfit ready to go because you are likely to land more than five interviews per week, sometimes two in one day. You can also look into DIY dry cleaning kits for home use if you do not have sensitive skin.

If you really must wear your blazer, blouse and skirt once more before dry cleaning air it out on a suit stand. This is also called a men's valet. Let the perspiration and stale perfume dry before stuffing the career clothes back into your closet. You'll reduce damage to your clothes through moisture and bugs attracted to body odor.

Borrow another tip from dudes and take care of that ring around the collar with dish soap. Men have been in the workforce longer so more men's magazines have tips on keeping career clothing looking their best.

Professional business wear is most flattering when you are in shape. This does not mean that you have to be a size zero. Instead work with the best your momma gave you. Eat more fruit and vegetables for the weeks leading up to the interview. Drink more water instead of Diet Soda. Use your Sonicare toothbrush even if it tickles your gums. Who knows? You may like how you look and feel, these health habits may become permanent.

If you don't belong to a gym, use the sexy tips from men's fitness magazines. Use a jump rope. Skip rope for just 120 seconds per day and you'll begin to see everything firm up. No more bat wings. This will keep you from fluctuating dress sizes during your 3 month or 5 month job search. You'll stay svelte and exercise will give you endorphins. You'll have a bit of a swagger that will make your career clothes look even better on you.