New Job, New Clothes

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I start my first “adult” job tomorrow, as a law firm associate. How have I prepared? I went shopping. It sounds silly; I know. But given that so much about this new job seems uncertain—What kind of work will I be doing? Will I like it? Will liking the work be enough to sustain me for many long hours?—the only preparatory thing that seemed certainly helpful was to buy work-appropriate clothing and accessories. While I don’t know how I will take to my new job (or how it will take to me), I do know that it will require a new suit, comfortable pumps, a sensible handbag, and many pairs of stockings. So that’s what I bought. Specifically:

- A sensible pinstripe pants suit from J. Crew: http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/suiting/super120spinstripe.jsp;

- A black velvet blazer to pair with a black skirt or a pair of black pants I already own to form a make-shift suit (my new employer is business formal!). It’s Ralph Lauren from a consignment store, so I can’t link to it;

- Two pairs of sensible Cole Haan pumps, one black, one brown, http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/catalog/product.jsp?catId=100&productId=357012&productGroup=356997&pwpHash=shop,pwp,c-100/f-10001+70016+4294966411/t-WOMEN%27SHEELS;

- Two pairs of shoes in which to walk to work: riding boots, http://www1.bloomingdales.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=485979&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results, and patent leather low-heeled pumps (I need a little heel to wear with pantsuits so that they don’t drag on the ground), http://www1.bloomingdales.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=490099&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results (these are the suede version);

- A black nylon Longchamp bag that can hold a laptop and files when necessary and that is courtroom appropriate, http://www1.bloomingdales.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=482894&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results;

- And as mentioned, many pairs of Hanes Silk Reflections stockings.

I am curious; have other professionelles had this experience, where shopping seems to be the only clear way to prepare for a job? And what new-job purchases have you made?