What the @#$% do I wear to my office job? - A Love Story

As a young woman who would rather dress like a middle class father of three from Iowa than a twenty year old lady, I can honestly say that figuring out what to wear to my business casual dress code internship every morning has been my very own personal Hell. I am truly very happy that for the remainder of 2015 I will be as a free as a damn bird and be able to dress as casual as I please. That being said, I feel it is my duty to impart some crucial wardrobe wisdom on every poor soul who is about to enter the fiery death pit that is corporate America. The basics I'm about to share are very worth spending good money on, as the use you will get out of them is truly amazing. So... here are five essential pieces that every gyal needs to look and feel good and appropriate for an office job.

1. A nice white, collared shirt. 

This shirt is your new best friend. I cannot even begin to explain how invaluable a good quality white collared shirt is. Layer sweaters and sweater dresses over it, wear it with black pants and boots, wear it tucked into a mid length skirt, roll the sleeves up and wear with jeans and flats, the possibilities are actually infinite. This one is from Zara, the $50 price tag is well, well worth it.

2. A camel or olive colored mid length skirt

Why camel or olive colored, you ask? Because they are colors for every season, and I quickly found that black, while it is my color of choice, gets very old very quickly. I have a skirt similar to the one pictured above, and got showered with compliments. It's basic without being boring or the usual. And a mid length skirt is both work appropriate and can be worn in the fall/winter with tights or in spring/summer alone. This one is from American Apparel, $42.00.

3. A structured, tailored blazer

Blazers have a very bad reputation, and I am here to tell you that they shouldn't. A tailored blazer can be extremely flattering and make any outfit a tad more professional looking. If you'll be working in fall and winter, I would suggest a black or darker brown/bronze option, but the blazer shown above is perfect for summer. Pair with high waisted harem pants or your midi skirt ;) H&M

4. A pair of comfortable black pants

                                                            

Whether it's a more tailored pair like the one above, or a pair of very slightly slouchy black harem pants, you will not survive for longer than two days without a pair of black pants, the most important part being that they are comfortable. If a pair looks great on, but cuts off your circulation, sitting in a desk chair for hours will be more painful than it already inherently is. Opt for a denim-like material as per the image above from Jen7, or a pair of mixed fabric harem pants. Bonus: you definitely don't have to wash them after every wear, and you can wear them consecutive days and it's doubtful you'll look messy. 

5.  A pair of durable flats

While many internships require a lot of sitting at a desk, you will be surprised at how often you are asked to get up and move around the office, go up and down flights of stairs, and make ten trips to the printer and back. Bottom line: you need shoes that are classic but will not break your feet. I have the worst feet in the world : size 10, ingrown toenails, bunions, and a pigeon toed-walk. And having comfortable black flats that could get me to the train and to and from my desk all day for six months is the reason I am here to write this post and not laying peacefully in a coffin. Here's a pair from Nine West that has good reviews for comfortability and is perfectly basic.

I really hope that this list was helpful. Internships are stressful enough already without having to worry about wardrobe issues. Having these basics helped me to spend less time getting ready and more time two stepping it to work to make the most of my day. Hope it does the same for you.