Money Saving Tip - Borrow Clothes from a Friend

As a follow up to my post earlier this week, I have a lot of hard-working, intelligent friends who are unemployed or underemployed.

One of my friends has been searching for a full-time position for nearly a year now, ever since she graduated from law school last spring. She's a highly qualified candidate who turned down a prestigious job offer with the DOJ because it would have meant relocating out of state and away from her husband. But just this week, she found out that she's managed to land a full-time job with a small law firm in the Chicagoland area. And she was totally caught off guard. Just to give you an idea of how quickly everything happened for her, she had her first round of interviews early last week, went in for a second interview at the end of the week, and then was offered the job the following Monday. She then had a day or two to think it over before she accepted. And now she's scheduled to start her new job this coming Monday.

Here's her dilemma. The law firm requires 'business attire' four days a week. But she only has two suits...just enough to get her through two rounds of interviews with any given employer. So, with only four days' notice, she now has to scramble to put together a decent business wardrobe for the upcoming week. Unfortunately, her weekend is already jam packed with other social obligations that she'd already committed to before she even found out about this job. So, she won't have time to hit the outlet malls.

Chalk it up to Murphy's Law, but if you're anything like me, it's nearly impossible to find a suit or a special occasion dress if you actually need one. I wind up spending hours and hours trying on various items and deciding that they don't fit quite right or are way too expensive. And just as the stores are closing, I wind up grabbing something, anything out of sheer desperation and then regretting the purchase.

Fortunately for my friend, she and I are nearly the same size. And since my employer no longer requires business attire, I offered to lend her some of my suits. That'll hopefully buy her some extra time, so she can shop at a more leisurely pace and find some good deals.

Anyway, if you're in need of a special occasion suit or dress, and you're really pressed for time or on a tight budget, consider borrowing the items from your friends' wardrobes or closets.