From looking professional for an for an interview to getting prepared for Winter, we have you covered.
You don’t need to break the bank to look like you work in one.
A ramen noodle budget tends to get in the way of college students trying to look professional, however there are low cost options for professional clothing around spokane, such as Goodwill, The Arc of Spokane, and other thrift stores.
It’s hard to make it very far in interviews, professional events, and presentations in leggings and basketball shorts. There’s a lot of room for expression and creativity while still looking professional.
A good, simple professional outfit should include dress pants or a pencil skirt, a nice shirt, or blouse, and often a blazer, especially for men. While blazers can go for up to 40 dollars for women, and 75-260 dollars for men at JC Penny’s, both men’s and women’s blazers go for 7 dollars at the Arc of Spokane, and 4-16 dollars at Goodwill.
When in doubt, neutral colors like navy blue, grey, white, and black are the most professional, although branching out into patterns, pastels, and colors is acceptable too.
Ties and scarves are a great way to add color, and personal expression to an interview-ready outfit, and both can be found for 3-10 dollars at thrift stores, in a variety of colors and patterns.
In cold weather, trench coats, collared jackets, and longer coats with a belt are generally acceptable to wear in a professional setting, especially in professional, neutral colors.
Ties should be tied in a windsor knot, or another knot, as long as it is done neatly. They should be worn with a collared shirt, buttoned all the way up. Scarves may be harder to fit into an outfit, however thin, professional scarves may be worn with collared shirts or some blouses, so that a small amount is showing under the collar, but not enough to be distracting.
The Arc of Spokane is one of the largest and best organized thrift stores in Spokane. They hire and support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, while also keeping a large inventory well organized and clean in their store.
The Arc of Spokane had a large selection of dress pants and slacks going for 5 dollars for both men and women. Belts can be found for under ten, and ties and scarves cost half that. At the Arc of Spokane, coats, both professional and warm, sell for 12-14 dollars, and are similarly priced at Goodwill.
Goodwill is a very well-known thrift store, with several locations around Spokane.
They also employ the disabled, and have outreaches for them. They have a large, reliable stock of clothing, and household items. They use color coded price tags, so it’s easy to stick to your budget.
For students who are more worried about staying warm than looking nice, outerwear is available nearby for cheap, or even for free. The foodbank on campus, located near the student government office has some gloves and winter accessories for free.
For students looking for something new, Walmart has winter coats for as little as 20 dollars. There are plenty of options nearby to stay safe and warm in the winter.
The Arc of Spokane
Address: 320 E 2nd Ave, Spokane, WA 99202
Phone: (509) 789-2247
Hours: 9am-8pm
Goodwill
Address: 202 E 3rd Ave, Spokane, WA 99202
Phone: (509) 838-4246
Hours: 9am-8pm