Jessica Atmadja: Dressing for Success!
Business attire encompasses a range of formal clothing styles suitable for professional settings. It can be intimidating to start at your internship and be sure whether you are dressed for the role. In the workplace, the two main styles of dress codes are business professional and business casual.
The goal of a business professional outfit is to present a polished and professional appearance suitable for professional environments such as offices, meetings, conferences, and client interactions. This type of attire is more traditional and generally consists of a suit with a button-up shirt or blouse, slacks or a skirt, a tie, and formal shoes such as dress shoes, flats, or closed-toe heels.
As for a business casual outfit, the goal is to maintain a professional appearance while allowing for a more relaxed and comfortable style compared to traditional business professional attire. There are a greater variety of clothes that fit under business casual attire and depending on the workplace, it may lean towards more professional or casual attire. Some common clothing for business casual includes: Blouses or a collared shirt paired with dark jeans, slacks, or skirts, with the option of adding a cardigan or casual blazer. This could be worn with boots, leather shoes or canvas shoes, or loafers!
Dressing up for your first day at the company may seem daunting, however, a good tip to remember is that it’s always better to be overdressed rather than under. Afterwards, you can adjust your outfits accordingly based on the company culture. Also, while it may take some time to adjust to these dress codes, it doesn't mean you can’t or shouldn’t show off your personality through your outfits. Ultimately, the clothes you wear are to help you project confidence and professionalism while dressing in a manner that reflects both personal style and workplace norms.