Summer is obviously a time for rest, relaxation and fun in the sun, but for a lot of college girls, it’s also the perfect time to build up your resume and land the perfect internship. If you’re like most college girls, then your wardrobe is probably a mix between relaxed, casual clothes for class and trendy and maybe revealing clothes for nights out with your friends. However, neither of these are appropriate for most work environments.
The thought of transforming your wardrobe from fun, college girl clothing to professional, working girl wear may seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! Long gone are the days of stuffy, boring work attire and now, more than ever, it is easy to find unique, fashionable and professional clothing that speaks to your own personal style.
The best place to start when dressing for the corporate world is determining whether the dress code is casual, business casual or professional. Most places have a business casual dress code, unless you are working for a very liberal or very conservative company. Business casual is just a less conservative form of professional business attire and is probably better for the working college girl in that it offers a bit more freedom and leeway when buying clothes for your job or internship.
Once you’ve figured out the dress code (and don’t be afraid to ask), then comes the fun part: actually buying new clothes! If this is your first internship, a good place to start is the basics. A blazer is a classic staple in any professional woman’s closet, but stylish college girls might find the standard black blazer to be a bit boring and cliché. For those of you looking for something a bit more exciting, have no fear. Blazers now come in a variety of cuts and styles. You can find them in every color imaginable and in fun, unique prints. This Mossimo blazer from Target takes the idea of a normal blazer and transforms it into a statement piece with its fun print and flattering cut.
Another staple of a professional wardrobe is a great pair of tailored pants. Again, this is a great opportunity to incorporate your own style into these classic pieces. It is easy to find black and khaki tailored pants, but now it is also just as easy to find a great pair of pants in an exciting print or a pop of color. These pants from Gap not only come in both, but also feature a cropped pant leg which sets it apart from the average tailored work pants.
Skirts and dresses are definitely a great addition to your professional wardrobe as well, but they can be a bit tricky. It is important to keep in mind an appropriate length level when it comes to these items. Anything shorter than the top of your knees in length is most likely not appropriate, even for a business casual setting. This is probably the toughest thing for college girls to adjust to given the short hemlines of their casual, everyday clothing. With the rise in popularity of maxi dresses, longer hemlines are very trendy now, so finding an appropriate dress or skirt is pretty easy. This dress from the Loft is a great example of a stylish work dress at just the right length.
While it can be daunting trying to build your professional wardrobe, just remember that you already did the hard part in nailing that internship! So now that you have these tips and tricks, it’s time to take a deep breath, relax and use this opportunity as an excuse to shop ‘til you drop!