Internship Attire: 5 Key Words When Shopping

Today I went shopping at H&M for clothes for my internship this summer. Internship clothes shopping can be tricky, so here’s a guide to make it a little easier! Here are the five most important things to consider when shopping for any specific reason:

1. Style

2. Color

3. Occasion

4. Price

5. Season

In my case, I needed to focus on (1) professional/business casual, (2) mostly neutrals since I’ll be in an office, (3) internship in NYC, (4) good quality but inexpensive, because I needed to buy a whole new business wardrobe, and (5) summer!

Posted above are photos of three pieces I bought. When considering what clothes to buy for a summer internship, it’s important to remember that most employees dress a little more casual over the summer. You should focus on buying staples, which are neutrally-colored pieces that you can mix and match other pieces with. It’s also important to remember to buy clothes that are stylish but lightweight, because of the summer heat.

On my shopping spree today, I ended up buying a black linen dress (pictured above), two pairs of high-waisted wide-leg pants (in black and tan), a white button-down shirt with blue pinstripes, a white eyelet-lace skirt (pictured above), a tan cowl-neck shirt with a black tie-belt, a linen dress with a tan bust and flowered skirt, light pink shorts (pictured above), white fitted pants with blue pinstripes, a beige blazer-vest, and some braided bracelets in the color scheme of everything I bought.

Many of the pants and dresses came with a thin brown belt, or a thin braided brown belt, which add a lot to the outfit. I still need to shop for some more collared shirts and definitely a few blazers. My color palette for most of the clothing consisted of blacks, pastels (blue and pink), and tans/beiges. 

Now, we all want to be able to afford a fabulous Theyskens’ Theory blazer, or an extravagant Dolce & Gabbana suit, but since these options aren’t available to the average person, there are tons of other great options. Check out places like H&M, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters, and other fun, less expensive stores! 

Feel free to comment and let me know where you like to shop for professional clothes!  

[Originally posted on my previous blog on 4/23/11]