This post was sponsored by Swap.com and contains affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting Signed, Logan!

New Year, New You, New . . . Wardrobe! Am I right? At least, that’s how I’ve always felt as soon as the holidays are over and I find myself back at the daily grind. The seasons are changing, I’ve made it my resolution to change, and it feels like a change in my work wardrobe is warranted, too! But after the damage I did buying a bunch of presents for other people last month, there’s no way I could afford to shop at my favorite retail stores and still get all the items I want. So I was on the hunt! For an affordable trendy work wardrobe that looked great but didn’t break the bank.

Now that I’m an adult who works a business-casual 9-5, I find myself constantly wanting to update my work wardrobe to match the latest trends without breaking the bank. It’s why I’ve teamed up with Swap.com, one of the largest online consignment and thrift stores, to show you how to get the most bang for your buck and build an affordable trendy work wardrobe to match your post-holidays budget!

How to Score an Affordable Trendy Work Wardrobe with Swap.com

I’ve never used an online consignment website before and I was a little hesitant about the idea, but the website was so user-friendly that I had racked up quite the shopping cart within the first half hour of browsing around. The listings not only include front and back photos of the items, but they also list out details such as designer, material, color, season, and condition so you know exactly what you’re getting! I was able to find items on their website from Ann Taylor, Express, J. Crew, BCBG, Loft, Aldo, Michael Kors, The Limited, Calvin Klein, and more using their comprehensive search tool that allows your to filter their thousands of items by brand, season, size, color, and even inseam.

With prices that even your local consignment shop couldn’t beat, and frequent sales and coupon codes that allow you to stack your savings, you know you’re always getting the best deal on quality clothing that will bolster your wardrobe for every season! I was able to purchase two blazers, two skirts, two blouses, one vest, and one pair of heeled flats for just $65 after a 40% coupon! All of the items came to me in new or like-new condition, with some of them with the tags still on them!

Swap.com has even provided a special coupon code for my readers to receive 40% off at checkout, and it’s valid through January 31st! Just enter code LOGAN at checkout to receive your discount! And for every friend that you refer to Swap.com? They’ll get $20 to spend, and so will you!

But are you ready to learn how to snag an affordable trendy work wardrobe that will keep you at stylish status in the office without breaking the bank? Read on!

Invest in classic cuts that will never go out of style.

Now y’all, we all know that I love me some trendy clothes. My current obsession is any kind of bell sleeve – I want them all! Cropped bell sleeves, long bell sleeves, on coats, jackets, rompers, blazers, shirts . . . It’s the one trend from 2017 that is really keeping me going!

But if I’m being completely honest, a couple of years ago (when 70s-style fashion was first starting to come back in style) I laughed at this trend and thought it was the ugliest thing! And that’s because these types of “trendy” styles come and go all the time and they’re the first things you get rid of when you do a closet cleanout at the end of each season. Or, you know, maybe each year if you’re a hoarder like me.

An affordable trendy work wardrobe filled with classic cuts will last you longer than the trend-of-the-month that you're obsessed with, saving you money in the long run. Click To Tweet

Opting for a classic cut instead of that perfectly on-trend but almost over the top is the best way to ensure that you get the most wear out of your business clothes — because no matter which way you look at it, they can be expensive.

This KASPER tweed blazer that I purchased from Swap.com is the perfect example of opting for a classic cut over a trendy, seasonal item! The looser fit and straight lapel give it a timeless feel while the metallic sheen of the tweed keeps the look updated. And the best part? I spent less than $7 on it by purchasing it New2You from Swap.com, whereas it would have cost me over $50 had I tried to find a similar item for retail!

Opt for neutral colors that are always in season.

If you take a look in my closet you’ll see a wall of neutrals — I absolutely live for all the navy, gray, black, white, and khaki that I can get my hands on. The other colors that you’ll find can be summarized down to just these three: light pink, army green, and burgundy. And that’s just about it.

When building your business wardrobe it is so important to purchase the essentials — pants, blazers, suits, skirts, business dresses — in neutrals first so that you can get the most bang for your buck out of them. I have business attire that I bought five years ago in navy pinstripe that I still wear to this day because the classic colors will never go out of style!

When building your affordable trendy work wardrobe, always look for items in neutral colors to extend the life of your clothes! Click To Tweet

Buying your essentials in neutral colors also means that you can pair them with stylish colored and patterned tops and accessories so that you’re always up to date with the latest trends! And the added bonus? Those items tend to be the ones that are less of an investment, so you don’t have to feel guilty about not wearing them for as long!

Take this LOFT blush lace shirt I purchased from Swap.com, for example! A little risque for the office? Maybe, but not when paired with a conservative blazer and pants. The unlined-lace is the real show-stopper of this piece, but the blush color keeps it neutral enough that I could wear this regardless of the season, and I have! The best part is that even if the lace goes out of style and I remove blush from my staple colors, I only spend $6 on this shirt!

Limit yourself to only a few “trendy” items to get you through the season, and choose either cut or color.

I’d be lying if I told you that you shouldn’t ever buy yourself some cute, trendy clothes. After all, one of my favorite items in my wardrobe is a cream, bell sleeved shell that I wear with almost everything! For real, I wear it at least once a week (sometimes twice, don’t judge). Another one is a purple, gray, and black plaid boyfriend blazer I purchased from Swap.com (for $6.50!!) that fits me perfectly, quite the feat for someone with a smaller waist but larger hips.

Don't overspend on on trendy items that will be cycled out of your wardrobe in a year. Make sure to opt for either a trendy cut or a trendy color in your affordable trendy work wardrobe so you can wear it as long as possible! Click To Tweet

But the best way to get the most wear out of your trendy items is to choose one or the other: cut or color(/pattern). I get so much use out of my patterned boyfriend blazer because the classic cut allows me to pair it with most of the items in my closet! Including some of my more trendy ones, like my bell sleeved shirt.

Had I purchased a plaid-patterned bell sleeve blazer, though? I can tell you exactly what would have happened. I’d wear it once a week during the winter (so 6 times? Maybe 7?), put it away once Spring got here, and it would be donated by the following winter. Want to know why? Because after one season that pattern would be out of season even if the cut wasn’t. And by the time the pattern was back in season, the cut would be out of style, too!

Shop at online consignment stores like Swap.com to get the best deals on your favorite designer brands.

I may enjoy nice things (I mean, who doesn’t?) but I enjoy nice things on a budget even more! So any time I can snag a sale at my favorite store or purchase a killer item secondhand I generally jump at the chance. After all it’s been less than a year since I graduated from college, I’m not making the big bucks yet.

I’m an avid shopper at your standard Goodwill and Plato’s Closet, but often I find it difficult to really score the professional attire I’m looking for when I’m endlessly searching through their racks. It’s part of why Swap.com appealed to me so much! Their website has the most killer sorting system I have ever seen, allowing you to filter by size, cut, color, pattern, style, brand, season, inseam length, you name it! You can find exactly what you’re looking for, without breaking the bank.

Build your affordable trendy work wardrobe for less while still snagging new or like new designer items by shopping with @Swap on Swap.com! Click To Tweet

After all, an affordable, trendy work wardrobe is what we’re going for, isn’t it? I bought some of my favorite items for work off of Swap.com for less than $7 a piece!

And the best part is that Swap.com is giving you all 40% off your first order with the code LOGAN at checkout! You’ll even get free shipping for every order over $10, meaning you don’t have to whip out the big bucks to sample Swap.com‘s big savings! And for every friend that you refer to the service? They’ll get $20 to spend, and so will you!

Declutter your closet at consignment and resale stores a couple times year.

You know those trendy items that you bought last year that have been sitting in your closet, untouched, for months now? Yeah, it might be time to give some of those items a lovely, new home. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to decrease your carbon footprint, or recycle more to have less of an impact on the environment, then consigning your clothes at Swap.com is the best place to start!

After all, Swap.com, primarily in the form of people throwing away old clothes. Let’s make it a resolution to breathe new life into them instead!

Be a more mindful shopper by consigning or donating your out-of-style clothes a few times a year, so that others can look just as good as you do without breaking their banks, either! Click To Tweet

Swap.com makes it easy to recycle all of those neglected items that have been cluttering up your closets and drawers for the past few months, or, in my case . . . years? And you don’t even have to worry about searching endlessly on Facebook for your local consignment and resale shop, taking time after your long week day or during your precious weekend to drive out there, and then waiting around for what could be hours for them to sort through your items and find out if it’s even worth selling. No, all you have to do is print out a shipping label from Swap.com, box up your items, and let Swap.com take care of the rest!

And the best part? Your old clothes will be earning you money instead of cluttering up space, and you’re giving someone else build their own affordable trendy work wardrobe too!

Don’t forget that Swap.com is giving you all 40% off your first order with the code LOGAN at checkout! You’ll even get free shipping for every order over $10, meaning you don’t have to whip out the big bucks to sample Swap.com‘s big savings! And for every friend that you refer to the service? They’ll get $20 to spend, and so will you!

What are your best tips to building an affordable trendy work wardrobe? Let me know in the comments below, and make sure to share this post with a friend who is on a budget!

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