10 Items Every Working Mom Needs in Her Closet

This list will vary somewhat depending on your lifestyle and career choice, but these are the basics that most working women need. Once you have these, you can build around them and incorporate a few new trendy items each season.

As a busy, working mom who gets up early to get kids ready and out the door for school, my morning prep routine is pretty efficient and not very glamorous. I’m happy to get a shower, clean office dress and my mandatory two mugs of coffee.datory two mugs of coffee. It’s part of my daily routine.

Related: Working Mom’s Morning Routine

The moment your baby arrives is also the moment your time for yourself dramatically decreases. When the day comes for you to go back to work, time becomes even more limited. The time you used to have in the mornings to stare at your closet, trying to mix and match tops and bottoms will be replaced with feedings, packing, and struggling to look put together for work.

Regardless of how busy you are, it is essential that you always look polished for work. Sporting a new haircut, applying a little makeup, and splashing on a bit of fragrance before you leave the house are easy tricks. When it comes to business casual attire, here are 10 tips to make getting out of the house effortless and stylish.

1. Wrinkle-free pieces: When it comes to buying new workwear, choose pieces that don’t easily crease so that you can spend less time ironing and more time focusing on your priorities. Iron out these time-wasters! Stop doing these seven things when doing laundry.
2. Effortless wear: Invest in workwear that does not require too much fuss like dresses with a zip at the side or a blouse with a keyhole detail rather than a shirt with a number of buttons so you can simply wear and go. If you’re looking for a high quality dress that looks good on every body, try Karina Dresses.
3. Basics: To make your mornings easier, find good basics of a good material – tops and bottoms that fit your body well − so you can mix and match to create a number of different outfits.
4. Statement pieces: Once your basics are set, invest in a statement piece or two to round out your wardrobe essentials.
5. Patterns: But, when you couldn’t avoid that inevitable stain, workwear in patterns can be life savers like these patterned tops.
6. Scarf: Throwing on a scarf is another life saver for any workwear outfit. It will make you look even more chic, can be carried around in your purse every day, and will cover up any stain.
7. Suit: Make sure you have one perfect-fitting suit in your closet to be worn for any style emergency or occasion. Need tips on What to Wear to a Job Interview?
8. Shoes: Heels are usually the go-to shoes for workwear, but if you are running from meetings to preschool, then pointy flats can be just as stylish for your outfit.
9. Bag: Your handbag may be carried around for meetings, picking up your kids, and running errands, so it has to serve multiple purposes. Invest in a bag that is big enough to carry everything you need, but choose one that is structured. You will look formal and elegant while carrying it, no matter how many baby bottles and snacks you may be carrying.
10. Stain removers: Regardless of how many children you may have, your boss and your client expects you to look polished (and spotless), with clothes that don’t have stains from your child’s breakfast.

This list will vary somewhat depending on your lifestyle and career choice, but I’ll assume we’re talking about a non-professional wardrobe here. These are the basics that most women need. Once you have these, you can build around them and incorporate a few new trendy items each season. I recommend making these essentials investment pieces, which you may spend more money for, that will last many years.

I also wrote a post about 10+ Ways to Take Your Outfit from Day to Night if you have somewhere to go after work. If you are worried that buying everything on this list will cost a fortune, see How You Can Easily Save Money On Fashionable Clothes.

This post was contributed to by Regina Due.