There are many wardrobe staples that all women must have: the little black dress, the tote bag and the obligatory sun hat. However, one thing that many of us don’t realise is that we spend more hours each week in our work wear and not or fashion favorites. So why is our work wear one of our least favorite wardrobe items? Sometimes it is down to how much they cost; it may be that people believe work wear is bland or it could simply be that you hate the idea of work wear in general. Here is the good news though: work wear no longer has to be tiresome! Here are some top tips for getting those on trend staples without the price tags.

❤❤ Be careful what you spend your money on ❤❤

One mistake that is commonly made is that we spend too much money on items that are not as functional as work wear should be. For example, you may want to wear a pair of wide legged black trousers on a daily basis, with a selection of dipped hem shirts. You would spend more money on the shirts than the trousers, even though these are worn more often - this is where you really need to decide which items are more important to your working wardrobe.

If you are starting your work wear journey from scratch, then you may want to buy multiple items that will serve as the basis for your everyday looks. Skirts, jackets and trousers are all solid work items that are great for laying the foundations. As these will be worn for the majority of the time, then you will want to get the best quality items for the best prices. A great way to do this is through catalogue companies and online shopping. Look for terms like Shoes Online to find great value outfits, accessories and of course – those perfect business heels.

❤❤ Don’t just stick to black ❤❤

Many people are afraid of adding color to their work wear and tend to stick to the classic blacks and browns. Now is the time to change this, especially with summer coming up the bright and the beautiful should be celebrated! This is also where you can grab items for specific trends; by focusing your choices on the seasonal trends you can buy separates which will cost you less than buying complete outfits. This will certainly save you some money in the long run.

For summer 2013 it is all about floral patterns and coral styling. There are many retailers grabbing onto these specific looks, www.littlewoodsireland.ie, for example offers a wide range of tops that would suit your existing skirts and trousers.

❤❤ Suit shopping should be separate from your work wear shopping ❤❤

Suits are by far the most expensive items of work wear and many of us don’t ever need to worry about getting one. However, there are still many reasons why they are a great future investment. A suit is incredibly versatile, it can be worn for meetings, interviews and even for a wedding, so although they can be very expensive, you will get use from them.

As they come with a hefty price tag, many people are turning to buying a blazer, skirt and blouse as separates rather than all in one go. This is great if you love a miss matched look and by adding the right belt and jewelry can look more polished than it actually is. However if you are going to purchase each item separately, then go for items that really don’t match. Sometimes when you try too hard to get all the colours and patterns to blend you can end up with the opposite of what you were going for.