The Workwear Staples You Should Have Before You Turn 30

We spend a lot of time planning, pondering, and dreaming about our off-duty wardrobe. Most of this mental meandering, however, happens at our place of work, where our sartorial choices are a little more closely monitored by HR. But since we're spending most of our time there, our office wardrobe should be treated with as much love and care as our weekend wear.

Building the perfect 9-to-5 closet is all about staples: the power blazer, the wear-with-everything button-down, the desk-to-drinks trousers. Our challenge is to make these key pieces feel special and chic, all within the margins of the dress code and our budgets. Well, we've never met a sartorial challenge we didn't like. Ahead, we list 16 office essentials you should probably own as a member of the workforce, with high and low options for splurging or saving.