Internship Wardrobe Essentials

This summer I have an internship at a local Country Club, as an Event Planner’s assistant. I have worked in the retail world my whole life, so professional clothes never needed to be a part of my everyday wardrobe. Finally starting out in the professional world is a little scary and intimidating. A simple way to make your first day a little less stressful is to feel great! To ensure you have the best first impression outfit options, there are a few closet essentials every professional needs before starting in the big world.

Here is what I bought to start out my summer internship, along with where I found these items and approximately how much they usually go for:

1. A plain black blazer or sport jacket. A stereotype I’ve seen proven wrong, is that all blazers are formal and stuffy. If you find one in the right store, blazers can be more modern and fashionable. I would suggest finding one with cinched sleeves or a shorter length, it makes it look younger and less formal (Dress Barn $45, New York and Company $60)
2. Plain colored dress pants. I chose a grey pair and a black pair to start out with, and also found a cheap bright pink pair on sale. I decided to splurge a little on the pink pants since the environment at my internship is a little more relaxed and modern (New York and Company $20, Target $30)
3. Solid colored shirts that flatter your body type. You probably will want to stay away from super tight shirts, as they are usually not the most professional option. I chose a few shirts that were flowy but still fun and youthful (New York and Company $20, Target $20, Kohl’s $15)
4. Solid or neutral colored sweaters. You never know what the temperature is going to be like in your office or when you’ll have to run out for coffee or to run an errand. Light cardigans are the perfect thing to throw on over any top (New York and Company $20)
5. 1 or 2 pairs of comfortable flats. Shoes are extremely important to find a pair that are both comfortable and will last a year at the job. I found a black pair and a nude pair that are comfortable for a job that requires you to be on your feet all day and also won’t fall apart in a few weeks (Payless $20, DSW $30)
6. Jewelry to jazz up your outfits. This can vary depending on  your work environment, dress code, and the activity level you’ll be doing at your new job (Charming Charlie $10)

  

I found that once I had some closet essentials, I felt much calmer and more prepared about starting my internship.  I found that if you buy neutral and solid color clothing, you can easily mix and match the pieces for more outfit options until your wardrobe has time to grow!

Here are the websites to the stores I went shopping at for these few wardrobe essentials:

• https://www.dressbarn.com/
• http://www.nyandcompany.com/nyco/
• http://www.target.com/
• http://www.kohls.com/
• https://www.payless.com/  
• http://www.dsw.com/  
• http://www.charmingcharlie.com/

If you are nervous for your first day, check out my “First Day Jitters” blog post (http://carolinemerr.blogspot.com/2016/05/first-day-jitters.html)