In the spirit of SATC…..I’ve decided to post a little something for twenty-somethings who want to make that transition from college graduation to well Carrie! No really, here’s a fool proof way to come out of that state sweatshirt and waltz gracefully into your first job or even simply into real life…..enjoy 
At first glance the office arena might be a little threatening and when your read off the dress code even more boring, but don’t fret, being a working girl doesn’t mean you have to give up being a stylish one. Here are some tips that’ll take you from intern to in-the-door.
Before taking your business attire to the “next level” it’s important to understand exactly where your boundaries are. When in doubt, on the first day dress like your ready to close a very important business deal, who knows you may be! I have found that it is often better to be over dressed than under, it’s also a good way to establish some credibility and your boss will be pleased that you take your position seriously. While you’re learning the ropes and meeting everyone, really observe how everyone is dressed around you, is their attire strictly business and conservative? Business casual? Just plain casual? Trendy? You’ll find this observation very helpful being that different working environments have different dress codes. Don’t simply establish one set belief system about office wear especially not during your intern/entry level stage. Within two months you can go from wearing the hottest trends at a hot pr firm to wearing suits and pumps everyday in a corporate setting. (I know, it happened to me!).
It’s also important to ask questions or at least have a friendly conversation with your new coworkers about what goes and what doesn’t. People are usually nice about this and like the fact that you are interested in making convo with them. It’s easiest when you throw in something like “I was thinking about wearing this blouse that’s a favorite of mine, it looks like _________, but I wasn’t sure”. Whomever your speaking with will usually give you the thumbs up if it’ll work in your new environment, (however, don’t expect them to give you honest fashion advice).
Once you’ve gained an understanding of what works and what doesn’t, go through your closet and try to pick out pieces that you can establish as “work clothes”, not only does it make the getting dressed in the morning process much easier it’ll also give you an idea of what types of things you may need to purchase (or borrow). Also, this gives you the opportunity to incorporate your own personal style into your work attire. It’s a really good idea to make time to put some potential outfits together that you may wear, this also helps in making the planning process shorter when deciding what to wear the next day.
An important thing to keep in mind is that much of a person’s credibility lies in what they wear, after all how much street cred would we have given Lil’ Kim as a female MC if she were to wear business suits and ankle length skirts every day, not much at all. The point is your sense of style is a medium for representing what you’re all about. If your goal is to be a corporate exec well, it only makes sense to dress like one. Even if your goal is to be the world’s greatest chef, you can’t go in without your apron! You’ll need to do this in order to establish credibility from the very beginning. Don’t get me wrong, skills are a definite necessity but it’s always important to look the part!
For those of you thinking, well I didn’t land this job, it just kind of landed on me, well don’t stress. As I mentioned before, find pieces of your clothing that you can incorporate into your new dress code. The fun thing about suits are that when it comes to the blouse, it’s really quite simple to make almost anything go and though it may only be a small piece of your entire outfit, the blouse can play a major role in displaying your style to others. Tell me, who would you think was a tad more sensitive to fashion? The exec wearing a plain white button up under her suit jacket or the one wearing a coral chiffon blouse with ruffles? I’ll leave that answer to you…
As a general rule of thumb denim is NOT your friend in the work place. However there are new denim versions of the pleated trouser that have become workplace acceptable. They look more like a trouser or slack than a jean. Here’s my disclaimer, PROCEED WITH CAUTION. Don’t try any new tricks until you’ve at least worked there at the very least 1 – 3 months, before then your basically still going through a trial period. It’s easy for newbies to embarrass themselves, don’t let it be you.
There are also fun, new approaches to the business suit. It’s not enough to just wear a suit; every working woman/young lady should establish a very healthy relationship with a tailor. If a suit is poorly tailored to your body it can look sloppy and well a tad bit of your credibility just crept out the back door. Unless it’s a three-quarter length jacket make sure your suit jacket is at your wrist, if it is above it may look too small and very awkward, if it is far below it may look too big and similarly awkward. If you are an every day heels wearer (I can relate) make sure your pants stop just under an inch above the bottom of your heel, similar to the jacket, if they stop too far above they can look too small and very tacky, too long and they can not only look odd, but often they get caught under the heel and that’s not fun at all, trust me. If you indulge in flats the same rule applies don’t let your pants fall below the bottom of your shoes nor anywhere near your ankle. Keep this in mind, unless clothes are made to look cropped, baggy, skinny or three-quarter length, do yourself a favor and get them tailored to fit. In the long run, you’ll be thankful you did. And just to throw the cherry on top of the sundae, crisp pleats in your trousers or slacks can take you from looking like the temp to account executive in no time (promise).
Also as a woman make sure that your suit not only fits well but accentuates your best attributes and down plays what you consider to be your worst. Don’t take this advice the wrong way, an excessive display of the breast and buttocks don’t work well in a professional environment (well with the exception of very few professions), be a bit conservative when it comes to these assets even if they are your favorite.
If you’re interested in truly keeping your style unique throw out the idea that all business attire is a mixture of black, gray and navy blue. That is absolutely false! Color is your friend, and a little bit can go a long way. If your wearing a gray suit, try a bright colored blouse, it’s amazing what it can do. Once again, refer to the above mentioned disclaimer.
When it comes to hair and makeup, contrary to poplar belief you don’t have to succumb to a bouffant everyday of your life or a haircut reminiscent of that of Condoleezza Rice (We love you Condee!). If you prefer your hair short, bobs and face framing cuts are always fun to have and they also look mature. There are a million different takes on the bob or any short haircut so try whichever one works for you. If you prefer to wear your hair long you can try a variation of things, a bone straight look, crisp layers, soft waves or loose curls, just try not to do all at the same time. Often you can change your look by simply pinning up the pieces of hair that fall into your face. First and foremost employers want to see you, not your hair. Build a good relationship with your hairstylist and explore options, it’s necessary to decide not only what works for your officemates but what works for you, your style and your face shape. This tends to be somewhat different for everyone. Natural girls, I didn’t forget about you, natural hair does not mean untamed or messy… curls, dreads and braids also work in the workplace however you too should consult your stylist about ways that you can wear this look effectively. A simple touch is to just pin your hair up, it opens up your face and can look very attractive.
Now comes the part where you literally put your best face forward. A general rule of thumb for makeup in the work place is Go Light or Go Home. Back to the credibility portion of this lesson, don’t overpower your face with makeup; it’ll be easy for people to not take you too seriously and after all, why cover that beautiful face? And for those of us who don’t like to wear makeup at all, a little lip gloss and bronzer can amp up the natural attributes you already have without anyone even noticing it’s there. If color is your thing, that’s perfectly fine, but do it one step at a time. If you like to line your eyes with a touch of green shadow (which I don’t necessarily suggest but to each his own) go light on everything else. If you adore blush, don’t do colorful eye shadow or any bright lipstick, the clown look only looks good on, well, clowns and sometimes runways but that’s another story. A great foundation that matches your skin tone to a T, an amazing lip gloss and strong mascara, can go a long way. Sometime it’s helpful if you practice different makeup techniques at home when you’re not going anywhere, you may discover what you like, what you don’t or even something you never even thought of.
Overall the important thing to remember here is in a world where first impressions tend to be the most lasting, it’s important for us to think wisely when leaving our mark. Keep in mind, less is more, crisp and clean in itself is definitely making a fashion statement, look the part and express not only yourself but what you represent. Oh and drink lots of water (just a friendly suggestion). Most of all enjoy the way you look; if you do others will too! And don’t forget to enjoy your new job/career, your new money, new network of potential friends and industry professionals, after all that working your way through all those classes, exams and out of this world tuition, you’ve earned it!
