Many college students are entering the workforce or beginning internships for the first time. As a result, the question of what to wear to the workplace often comes up, especially when the rules of what is and is not acceptable are ever-changing.
So, what do you wear to work?
Short answer: it depends.
With hybrid and remote jobs becoming increasingly popular in the past few years, workwear has become more casual. However, a more lax environment does not necessarily mean that pajamas and stained sweatpants are suddenly acceptable. Many people find getting dressed for work shifts their mindset into one that aligns better with productivity and a professional environment. Alongside this, it also helps separate work from the rest of your life, allowing for a much healthier work-life balance.
For jobs like these, mixing casual and business attire works best. For men, it might include polos, button-ups with a jacket or cardigan and nice sweaters for tops. For bottoms, nice jeans, slacks and khakis would suffice as well. For women, sweaters, blouses, and solid colors or less-flashy patterned tops are best. As for bottoms, capris, nice jeans and skirts will work just fine. For androgynous outfits, any combination of these would look great.
You can also add a bit of your own style to otherwise standard workwear by adding a few personal touches. Adding in your accessories, such as statement necklaces, bracelets and rings, can help make the outfit your own. However, something to keep in mind is that the colors should not be too bright or flashy, and any accessories should not be excessive or gaudy.
However, in-person jobs can look a bit different. Typically, these require a bit more formality. But, the formality in the office looks quite different. With Gen-Z and Millennials becoming more present in the workforce, some fashion rules have become slightly more relaxed.
In the past, office wear was typically a suit and tie for men or a suit or skirt set for women. While these are still welcome and even recommended in many workplaces, the changing attitudes towards fashion and dressing standards have altered the expectations present in work environments.
For example, smart casual has become a prominent type of style in professional environments. While it was first coined in 1924, the post-pandemic era combined with the prominence of Silicon Valley and its casual professional fashion helped make the style explode into the mainstream in recent years.
But what is smart casual, and how is it different from business casual?
Business casual refers to clothing that is stylish but not too flashy. This is the style you would wear during important work events that do not call for something formal.
On the other hand, smart casual is something more toned down in terms of professionalism. It is comfortable and a bit more trendy while still making the wearer look put together.
For many workplaces, smart casual is becoming a new norm. An analysis from LinkedIn found out of 27,000 job postings, 70% of them mentioned relaxed dress codes.
Smart casual environments allow for more room for experimentation in dressing as long as people stick to a few general rules of thumb. Avoid anything distressed, revealing or graphic. Stick to simpler patterns and more modest cuts and styles, and you will likely fit the dress code.
Keeping a few pieces of business professional attire in your closet is important, regardless of your job or internship. These are essential for interviews, conferences and other important work events which often have defined dress codes requiring suits, skirt sets or dresses.
No matter your internship or job, it is always best to ask your boss about the dress code and to find something you feel your best self in.
