It's Time To Get Professional!

         As much as we all want the school year to end to free ourselves of the endless amounts of work from classes, the summer does also count itself to working as well. This time though, you’re getting paid at least! The summer is a time to relax nonetheless, but also gain experience and money by having a job! At this age, jobs start consisting more and more of internship and career experience. As I stated in one of the last posts, dressing yourself appropriately at an internship or field position is extremely important. It makes a good impression on your employer, allows you to feel and act professional, and finally, offers you experience for your future day-to-day apparel when you embark on your career! Granted, not all internships require you to dress a certain way; many may have their own uniform or “look” that does not lend itself to any of the options I may display below. However, it is necessary to understand what kinds of clothing constitute “business-casual” because I guarantee, you will have to dress this way some time or another, whether or not your intended career path could care less about the attire you wear. Interviews, however, are a common opportunity for many people. No matter what the job is, the employer will take you more seriously if you dress in a manner that embodies the “professional” aspect of a job. I figured that dedicating an entire post to professional work attire will be beneficial, and practical nonetheless. This may be the most useful post you will see on my blog thus far! I really encourage you to take some of these pointers into consideration! When an event says “dress ‘business casual’”, it is overwhelmingly ambiguous for most people. What will other people wear? Will I look too casual? Too dressy? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!? Rest assured, I’ve found a few pieces that will leave you drop dead..professional!

Let’s first take a look at some slacks. I know the name sounds ugly, boring, and well, unflattering. However, if you find the right cut and design for your body, slacks don’t look all too bad! Plus, “pants” are the go-to look for an intern or employee. They do not dress you up too much, but still look classy in the office. Also, as I’ve stated before, wear a pear of (walk-able) heels with slacks. The cut of these pants are usually tailored to individuals with height and elongated legs. If you have neither the former nor the latter, trust me, you’ll want to find a pair of heels!

Fletcher by Lyell Pleated Pant; Urban Outfitters; $58 

Halogen 'Whitney' Pants; Nordstrom; $78

Diane von Furstenberg 'Simca' Wide Leg Pants; Nordstrom; $298

Next, we’ll look at tops. A blazer is usually the prime example of professional business attire. Wear a blazer a tank top underneath, maybe a necklace, and definitely with tighter-legged pants. Or you could go for a blouse. The blouse obviously has to match your pants. Usually a cut that isn’t too baggy looks better since the bottoms of slacks are usually flared. Usually most pants are tweed or solid colored. In this case, you can get a little fun with your blouse! Go for a pattern (not overly dramatic) or a solid color with a ruffle design!

Print Journalist Top; Modcloth.com; $54.99

Silence & Noise Blazer; Urban Outfitters; $78

Finally, if you don’t want to wear pants and a blouse, you can always opt for a nice skirt or dress. Obviously, these have to be classy (and long enough) for it to be appropriate to wear to work. Trying wearing these with a pair of flats, so your look isn’t too done-up. 

Washi Wrap Skirt; Anthropologie; $88

Elephant in the Bloom Dress; Modcloth.com; $49.99