Congratulations!  You've just got your first white collar job.  No more asking "do you want fries with that?".  You're now moving up the business ladder, working in an office environment with big hopes for the future. 

After you land that first office job there are several things that you need to do in preparing for your daily trips to work.  Of course you need to learn your job so you can contribute, but you also need to look the part so that people can clearly see that you belong.  Finding clothes for work does not have to be a daunting task, but if you don't spend your money wisely you can go broke before you get your first few paychecks.

Although dress codes in offices have relaxed over the years, it is still not uncommon for professional organizations to require that you wear a suit and tie to work.  For those offices not so formal it is still pretty standard to wear a dress shirt, slacks and dress shoes on a daily basis. 

Your first instinct might be to run to the Mall, find your nearest Nordstrom or Macy's, drop your credit card on the counter, and walk away with a few suit, shirts and pairs of shoes.  This is not the wisest choice.   You just got your job, now is not the time to overspend at high-end department stores and start with debt before you get your first paycheck.  There are plenty of men's stores and other discount shops where you can buy the same quality clothes for a fraction of the price. 

Here are a few options.

Men's Stores

If you need several suits and several pair of shoes, a men's store that offers bulk discounts may be the way to go.  Quality men's stores like JoS A. Bank, The Men's Wearhouse and the Clothing Broker offer deals all the time that reward your for buying multiple items of clothing.  For example, buying 1 shirt at JoS. A. Bank  will cost around $30.  Buying 3 will cost you $50 which represents a 40% discount.  Often these stores will have sales like "buy 1 suit get a second free", or "buy a sportscoat and get a free dress shirt."

Discount Clothing Stores

There are several discount clothing stores that offer the same dress clothes as the major department stores at discounts of 10% to 50%.  These stores usually sell clothes from brand name designers but are able to pass the discounts they receive on to you.  Stores like Burlington Coat Factory and The Clothing Broker are great places to get dress clothes and shoes WITHOUT having to buy multiple items to get the discount.

Mega Stores

There are some stores where you can buy a quart of milk at the same place where you can buy a dress shirt.  These mega-stores have become a viable alternative to the department stores as they can offer clothing and goods at discount prices because they have such a large volume of customers.  Target, WalMart, Kmart and the like are good places to find inexpensive dresswear.  You may not be able to get an Armani suit there, but you can certainly get some respectable work clothes that will allow you to look professional in the office environment.

Outlet Stores

Why buy your clothes at Nordstrom when you can get them for 10% to 70% less at Nordstrom Rack?  Outlet stores are the warehouse version of the department store.  The only difference is that you are buying directly from the manufacturer so you pay a much lower price.  Almost all major brands have an outlet version and these outlet stores are usually grouped together in outdoor strip malls.  OutletBound.com is a great website that list most of the outlet stores available in the country.  To find them directly just type in "store name" + "outlet store" in Google and you can find one in your area.