Spring Work Wardrobe Building Blocks for a Great Work Wardrobe

Spring Work Foundational Pieces

Huge thanks to Kohl’s and ShopStyle Collective for sponsoring this post

Many of you have expressed a lot of interest in workwear lately, so I want to talk through some pieces for building a spring work wardrobe! (Congrats to those of you who have gotten new jobs lately or who are excited to head back to the office, BTW!) I’m doing this post in partnership with Kohl’s and ShopStyle Collective. Kohl’s has soooo many great items that are also SUPER affordable, so as we talk about spring work wardrobe building blocks, I’ll also share some specific pieces to check out!

Kohl’s has a LOT of good pieces that are available at prices that often blow my mind. You can get everything there, from activewear to special occasion attire and everything between. So many of the pieces at Kohl’s have fantastic reviews, and they offer straight, petite, plus, and tall sizing. Also, Kohl’s offers in-store and curbside pickup so that you can get your order quickly and conveniently.

So, let’s talk through some pieces to build a work wardrobe that will set you up with a great foundation.

SIZING: I’m 5’6″ and usually S/M or 6 in clothes and 8.5 to 9 in shoes.

Spring Work Foundational Pieces

Shop the Pieces:

 

Slacks or Dress Pants

First up is of course, SLACKS! I don’t know how you feel about slacks or dress pants, but there are some pretty comfy pairs out there that sometimes make me wish I needed to dress in business casual outfits more often! 😲 Haha, yep. I said that!

A few notable pairs to try that have pretty good reviews and are fairly affordable are the Simply Vera Wang Modern Ankle Pants which come in 7 colors and have 4.7 stars and are under $34 right now!. These seem to be a huge hit! You can also try the Croft & Barrow Tummy Control Pull-On Pants which have pretty good reviews at 4.4 stars for comfort, quality, and fit. Those are available in 4 neutral colors.

A couple of other pairs to check out that have more colors are the Croft & Barrow Effortless Stretch Pull-On Pants or the Nine West Pull-On Dress Pants. Those each have 4.2 stars with quite a lot of reviews, so sift through the reviews to see if either of those pairs will fit your needs!

Whichever pairs you choose, include a few pairs of slacks in various colors.

Relaxed, Non-Denim Pants

If you have a very relaxed work environment and want pants that are comfy and can be paired with a t-shirt and sneakers but still look good for work, you can try the Nine West Relaxed Pull-On Crop Pants! Reviews say they are comfy and have an elastic waistband. (Woohoo!!). They are currently under $30 and come in 9 colors, including a few subtle prints which you can see HERE. One note is that a lot of reviewers say to size down as they run pretty large.

Solid Basic Tops

It’s always good to have a few solid basic tops in the mix. Whether your style is classic or whether you like to make a louder statement, these are important! For those with more of a classic style, these types of tops are probably what you wear most days. But if you like to shake things up, basic tops are still really important to a wardrobe. They serve as the glue for any statement pieces you want wear. So, either way, they are great to have in your wardrobe!

Examples are a top like this v-neck top in black or white, this pleated short sleeve blouse in black, or this y-neck blouse in white or black.

Printed Tops or Tops With Special Features

Add some tops that go beyond basics to give your outfits some personality! You can include tops with prints, solid tops that have special features, or both! There are plenty of these at Kohl’s, so if you have been searching for some, I included a few in the widget below. Most of them come in multiple prints, so click through to see them all. I think this y-neck blouse in the floral print is especially pretty, and it’s under $23! 🤩

Cardigans

An extra layer is always good to have on hand at work! I know you all love your cardigans for work outfits, and in case you’re looking for some more colors, here are a few, and they’re all under $26 right now!

The Sonoma Goods relaxed cardigan is really affordable and comes in 10 colors, most of which fall into the warmer end of the color groupings.

If you’re looking for some brighter and cooler colors, the Croft & Barrow long cardigan is also very affordable and comes in 8 colors.

For a fitted cardigan, the Croft & Barrow Button Front Cardigan comes in 10 colors, with a mix of neutral colors, bright and fun colors, and even a couple of prints!

Blazer

Blazers are great alternatives for cardigans or for anytime you want to sharpen up your look. I love having both a cropped blazer on hand as a staple and a longer blazer for more relaxed looks.

The Lauren Conrad blazer is very popular with good reviews! It’s a cute fitted blazer that is polished, professional, and sharp, but doesn’t look stuffy. A more relaxed blazer is the Nine West Relaxed Blazer which is stretchy to keep you comfy while looking polished! It comes in 2 solid colors and 3 subtle prints, including a very cute pink and tan checkered print. See them all HERE.

Dresses

Last up, I love the ease of dresses for work. With dresses, you have less to worry about since it’s all one piece. Plus, you don’t have to deal with waistbands with most dresses, so they’re super comfortable. 😆 This Nine West Flutter Sleeve Wrap Dress is a great example of a dress that looks polished but super comfortable. I’m showing you the black and white printed version, but it comes in 8 fun springy colors and prints, HERE!

Of course, other pieces will be included in a great work wardrobe, but these are always the categories I use as the foundational building blocks. I hope it helps you build a wardrobe that’s both functional and fun!


Want some further guidance to build a spring work wardrobe — and help putting it all together into outfits? If so, check out the Starter Kit Wardrobe Guides! You’ll get a list, a plan, and wardrobe strategy to create a super versatile mix-and-match starter kit work wardrobe and an outfit catalog with 35+ outfits that you can create from it! Head over to the shop to check them out, HERE!

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