I volunteer at a job agency, and on occasion, they'll actually place me for real work - So starting tomorrow (for two weeks), I'll be receptioning at a pharmaceutical company, with a "business professional" dress code. Oh my.

I'll just be wearing a dress shirt + blazer + dress pants, and observing from there... Hopefully it isn't too strict - It'll be harder to pull off wearing professional clothes 5x a week, compared to my usual 3x - And with a tighter dress code too!

Hi ladies!

I have 2 pairs of pants from H&M that I want to sell. Both are size 2.. which some of you may know is TINY for H&M. One pair is dark gray which I've only worn once and the other is black (brand new!) Both are the exact same, the only difference is the color. I think they are great for someone super skinny like me who desperately needs a nice pair of pants for work but don't have a lot of $$ to shell out. They are of good quality, I've been wearing a pair of black ones for a long time! The gray ones are hemmed by hand already. by my mum in law =) so they are the perfect length for heels. The black ones are brand new and not hemmed. The waist measures 13" laying flat and for reference, I am only about 83lbs. I am asking for $25.00/pair shipped! Please email me if you are interested or have any questions. =) my email is joannex87@yahoo.com

Thanks!

Jacob is most definitely NOT petite friendly! I was at the outlet, and all the dresses were flops - HUGE arm holes, and at least an extra 4 inches of fabric on each piece I tried. I didn't even have to use the zipper closures when trying them on. All the pants had the new low-rise, where they sit at the hips - huge! A couple stretch tops fit, but that's it. Such a shame; they had 100% silk tops for $24.

Also, my gosh the staff at Chinese boutiques are pushy! :@ Ughhh...

I did end up getting one pair of skinny pants in a dress-pant ish material though, but she kept pushing just about everything else (including tops which were clearly too large), and then insisted that my OWN shirt was too big.

Even at an Asian place though, I was shocked to see sz 31inch pants listed as "XXL".

This is a really good thread with lots of great advice. I have been out of college for 5 years now and I'm still working on a work wardrobe. Here's my advice:

- You don't have to go crazy right away, especially for an internship or a summer job. Build up your wardrobe over time. Don't just blow a bunch of money on things you don't love or things that don't quite fit. There are probably things in your current wardrobe you can mix in until you get a sense of what to buy. I tend to buy classic styles like button-downs, cardigans, or turtlenecks that never go out of style.

- Try on stuff. Lots of stuff. Make sure the fit is exactly right before you buy. (Read the archives and resources for AN's blog and ExtraPetite for some great advice on fit.) After a while you will get a sense of clothing items, necklines, and styles that flatter you. Also you'll begin to find "standby" stores where you can almost always find things that fit.

- I haven't had a real need for a suit. Having one good blazer is enough for me. Cardigans are easier to fit, and I prefer to mix and match anyway. You should buy nice shoes for work though - basic black and brown, if budget allows. I also like to wear girly A-line patterned skirts rather than the solid pencil skirt that is always said to be a staple.

- Mistakes I have made: skirts that are too short (this is common in the juniors department), shirts that are too casual, tanks (these make me look young and like I'm going to the beach), shirts that are too short, continuing to shop in the kids' department, shoes that aren't pumps or aren't nice enough, hair that was frizzy, pants with the wrong rise

- Since you are petite you need to dress "up" - nicer than the people around you so you are not mistaken for a kid. Also as a new employee it's good form to dress at the upper end of the dress code. A lot of people say, "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have."

- Pay attention to what others wear. Things that you like, things that get compliments, things that look appropriate. Chose a fashion icon at work and model after them. (Yes, I know this is dorky, but it works.)

- Buy according to your comfort. Personally, I don't like to wear a lot of polyester. At some point I noticed that I rarely wore my polyester pieces and I really prefer cotton or modal blends, or wool in the winter. I also don't like things that are itchy, skirts that are too short, or clothing that I need to keep pulling around because the neckline is too big.

Good luck to all of you doing this!

Thanks for the tips! I've now been in in work force (on and off) for about a year and a half right now. I've found Aritzia to be my stand-by shop for blazers - I just picked up another one, but in a shorter cut - I got black so I could use it for future interviews, but I'd love to pick up a grey one - It looks more casual, and not so suit-like.

I'm definitely guilty of shopping in the kids department. After owning the items for a little while though, they really do start to look childish to me, so I've been staying away from there lately.

My job is a research assistant at a school board's main office. Not a lot of walking, so I can wear cute heels. The dress is business-casual, with casual Friday's + any time schools are out of session. I definitely dress "up" a little more than most of my colleagues though since I do look so young.

My next work term is late August to December, so it'll be interesting to dress for the rapidly-changing weather. I have plenty of winter-wear from my last work term (January - April), but I'm in need of more professional warm-weather wear.

I don't know if anyone's interested, but I just did a post on my blog about how I put together my just-out-of-college work wardrobe (I just graduated in June), for my business-casual-ish southern California job. I tried to buy the minimum amount of stuff (two pairs of trousers, two pencil skirts, two dresses, three cardigans) and tried to re-style some things already in my closet, for maximum budget-efficiency. If this sounds helpful, you can find it at http://www.petiteonapenny.com/2011/07/putting-together-basic-work-wardrobe.html