I've mostly been in media roles where what you wore was part of the job (i.e. fashion media, jobs that require a lot of client face-to-face time, on-air reporting jobs). And over time I realized that there is a sort of hidden dress tax with these jobs that can eat up your salary if you don't have the good fortune of getting an allowance or snagging free stuff. I talked with a few women in media who were willing to share how much this 'tax' eats up their paycheck and how they felt about the money they're spending.

Then, I have a scoop on the big layoffs that hit Disney and Nat Geo today, and news of The Cutting Room Floor’s expansion, in Seen and Heard. Plus, we've got another hot topic to debate in I Said What I Said.

xoxo,

Stephanie

I remember when some C-suite person who shall remain nameless complimented my shoes and asked what 'season' they were. When I said I got them at the $10 bargain bin at Buffalo Exchange, she looked at me as if I just fessed up to murdering one of our coworkers. My beat-up Hush Puppies really rattled that woman's soul, one of my greatest achievements while at that job.

For any of us who've worked a media job that required being 'on' all the time: being on camera, meeting with clients all day, or working in fashion, the dress tax that comes with it is just part of the gig. But it can be an expensive one if you don't have the grandeur of a $200,000-a-year wardrobe allowance to blow on new clothes on the regular.

Some of my coworkers in the past would opt into Rent the Runway-type monthly subscriptions, while others got freebies through their personal relationships with brands. When I had to work a lot of black-tie events, I'd borrow whatever swanky samples were in the Fashion Closet and would pray to the Fashion Gods that I didn't bust through like the Hulk in a dress meant for a teenage model half my size. Otherwise, I usually just thrifted all my clothes and made it look put together enough. There are only so many fucks to give to the Buffalo Exchange bargain bin haters that walk among us.

I was curious to know what price of admission others have had to pay to keep up the demands of their jobs, so I asked a few women in various media roles to share — either on or off the record — how much they're spending on work clothes every year and if they felt like the investment was worth it. Also, unintentionally, I ended up getting some decent style tips for work that seem useful and helpful!