Buying my D a business casual wardrobe today

Parent Cafe
1

<p>My D just accepted a summer internship in a corporate office in the South! Today, I plan to buy her a business casual wardrobe. She has one pair of black pants, one black skirt, one fairly casual khaki skirt, three blouses and absolutely no appropriate shoes (she wore mine to the interview).</p>

<p>The only woman my D saw at her interview wore a skirt, a blouse and espadrilles.</p>

<p>We both hate to shop, so we plan to do this today. I haven’t been to a mall in over a year. The last time I worked in an office, I wore a skirted suit, a long sleeved shirt and a bow tie to work every day, so I recognize that times have changed. My D has been wearing blue jeans and t-shirts for the last two years, so it is high time she had some clothes.</p>

<p>What advice do you have for buying summer business casual clothing, particularly shoes, for a college student in the south?</p>

2

<p>My mid-20s daughter - and her friends - like to wear flats to work. They’re trendy, and far more comfortable than pumps. </p>

<p>One of daughter’s friends found these on sale at Macy’s and bought them in a couple of colors, because the silver toe gave them a somewhat dressier look:
[Lunna</a> | Dolce Vita Official Store](<a href=“http://www.dolcevita.com/lunna/d/1040_c_202_cl_1371]Lunna”>http://www.dolcevita.com/lunna/d/1040_c_202_cl_1371)</p>

3

<p>Here are my suggestions:</p>

<p>One pair of neutral pumps. They don’t have to be granny pumps, they can be peep toe pumps. Avoid strappy shoes because they can be uncomfortable, or straps over back ankles fall off. Not too high heel (again, poor taste for the office and uncomfortable). Honestly, nude color pumps are more ‘stylish’ and modern and go well with everything.</p>

<p>One pair of wedge shoes, either espadrille or sandal style. Not the type of wedge/espadrille that has the long ties around the ankle. More business casual style of wedges</p>

<p>One pair of nice flats - this is probably the most important pair of shoes. Something in quality leather without a lot of decoration on them. </p>

<p>For work clothes I recommend:</p>

<p>Find a good blazer or business style jacket. This can be worn over everything to make it look nicer.</p>

<p>Sleeveless blouses are OK in offices now - NO SPAGHETTI STRAP tops</p>

<p>I would avoid denim or khaki pants until she figures out what the office attire is. A lot of offices do not allow jeans.</p>

4

<p>Kohl’s has button down shirts, business casual pants, cardigans, etc. I would suggest lighter colors for the South such as tan, light brown, light greys. White, light blue, french blue button down, (wrinkle free), shirts, a pencil skirt, a sheath dress, cardigans. What type of internship will this be? Is it in a corporate headquarters where they may have visiting executives and would require 1 suit outfit? If she has 2 skirts, 3-4 pair slacks, 1-2 sheath dresses, (wear cardigan in office), 4-5 blouses, she should be fine. Most women do not wear stockings, 2 pair of pumps and a wedge type shoe/sandal should be more than enough. Congrats on the internship!</p>

5

<p>Well, I guess start with the basics – no cleavage, no straps/bras showing at underarms. Shorts are inappropriate. You will hear varying comments on shoes and sandles vs. closed toe, heels, etc. Would encourage her not to ruin her feet, and flip flops (even nice ones) are not appropriate. Skirts are fine, but not TOO short (if it would be distracting, it is a bad plan for the office).</p>

<p>Washability/maintenance is another consideration. Dry cleaning is expensive, so unless it is a really special piece stay away from it. Consider whether the item will need to be ironed and whether your D will/will want to do that.</p>

<p>When you buy slacks you have to consider the shoes because it affects length. My D found it worthwhile to have her slacks tailored for her shoes.</p>

<p>My D had (and still uses in her “real job”) a selection of skirts, slacks, and tops/blouses. She also has a couple of dresses she wears to work. As much mix & match as possible so she could wear different combos. She did not shy away from patterns and colors as long as the cut was appropriate (although I guess she is not an eye-popping neon color kid in general). She does have some sleeveless blouses, it was okay in her offices.</p>

<p>She did not wear jackets or sweaters often (might have owned one or two?). But a sweater that could go over a few different outfits would be good (cardigan type, but can be stylish without buttons or whatever) in case the AC is high in the office.</p>

<p>One other thing she may need is a coat. Both of my Ds are big fans of the trench coat look, so have tan unlined raincoats in that style. You just need something that looks professional to wear on a rainy day. Also, some kind of bag to carry that is not a backpack. Does not have to be a briefcase, but sometimes some papers or even a laptop have to travel to and from the office. Something stylish with some color is fine. Oh, and my D carries her shoes in them a lot (wears tennis shoes to walk to and from/using public transportation), then switches at the office. Very common, shoes are too expensive to trash walking a long ways in them.</p>

<p>Given that it was just an internship, I think my D started out with just 5 or so outfits and rotated/mixed & matched. She watched sales and picked up more during her 2nd internship, and works in an office now with a nice selection of clothes.</p>

<p>Agree on the comment that few young women wear stockings today. She certainly can if she is more comfortable, but they have really gone by the wayside (wouldn’t catch me dead without them in a skirt, but I am 50 – I realize their generation just doesn’t see it that way).</p>

6

<p>I think you’re better off investing versus looking for cheap / disposable clothing – chances are she’ll use this clothing for years.</p>

<p>You might try J Crew or Ann Taylor or Banana Republic for starters. Light cardigans with a silk shell underneath will always be appropriate. A few pencil skirts and nice pants in basic colors. Everything can mix and match. And I agree, nude pumps are probably a good investment.</p>

7

<p>My daughter’s boss, a woman, impressed upon my daughter that she should avoid ever wearing cardigans-suit jackets only. (DD works in DC)
To that end, you may also wish to purchase a black jacket, and a navy blue jacket for the khaki skirt.
If the budget allows, Brooks Brothers is a classic standard in business. If you are not comfortable with those price points, you could visit the store-check the styles and then go to a resale shop.
I second Katliamom’s note about the flats. DD wears those-comfortable and stylish.</p>

8

<p>I agree with the flats comment, though she can certainly get by with only one pair of dress shoes.</p>

<p>My D loves these shoes.
<a href=“Rocket dog madison black thai silk + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com”>Rocket dog madison black thai silk + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com;

9

<p>This is why I love college confidential! This is great!</p>

<p>Yes, the internship is in the corporate headquarters of a large company. My D dresses modestly anyway, so that is not a problem.</p>

10

<p>My 19-year old is doing internship right now :slight_smile: Business-casual. We had one day to shop before she had to start her internship. Went to Macy’s and did not find anything suitable that she liked. Luckily, there was Express right next door. We got almost everything in there - a dress, a few skirts, 3 sleeveless blouses and a blazer. She didn’t want any pants, even though I personally believe Express dress pants are the best. I also bought her a light blazer, a blouse and a skirt at Marshall’s. She has two pair of business-appropriate heels (black and beige) and some flats.</p>

<p>So I would definitely recommend checking Express and Limited, especially if you have limited time to shop. The best thing - Express clothes are washable.</p>

11

<p>I have always subscribed to the thought process that a well made pair of shoes is the best investment. I second the nude pump. There is nothing that can’t be worn with them. We invested in a pair last year from Stuart Weitzman and they have been a saving grace. My daughter is typically the only one that does not complain her feet her hurting after wearing them all day. Make sure the pump you choose is lined in leather…it will make all the difference!</p>

12

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<p>In a business casual environment? I don’t see why nice cardigans wouldn’t be fully appropriate. I also hear that DC is far more conservative regarding business wear, but I work in business casual environments in large companies all the time and cardigans are extremely appropriate.</p>

<p>I think Brooks Brothers is just going to make a young woman look dumpy and out of date, not current. </p>

<p>I do think the “third piece” whether jacket, blazer or cardigan is always a good idea, esp for a young woman.</p>

13

<p>I agree with Pizzagirl; cheap clothes are more expensive in the long run. If you can get her some good clothes on sale, she will be much better off as she can build her work wardrobe. If you can get her a suit with matching pants/skirt she will have it for when she interviews for a permanent job. Try to get her a few staple pieces that she can mix and match.</p>

<p>Ann Taylor loft is having a sale 50% off sale and already reduced stuff. </p>

<p>[Loft</a> - LOFT Sale Jackets](<a href=“| Loft”>Sale Women's Coats & Jackets | LOFT)</p>

<p>My D loves those brooks brothers no iron shirts. I always pick up a couple of them when they have a sale.</p>

14

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<p>Sorry… I think this is outdated advice. My D also works in DC (she had two internships there and now works for a large consulting firm ). She does really like Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft a lot. And she does have a couple of jackets, but in a business casual office jackets are often uncomfortable and unnecessary. Nice to have one that looks good for a big meeting, but most days not at all necessary. My D was promoted to a manager position in less than a year at her consulting company job without the “stuffy” corporate look.</p>

15

<p>You said that this is a corporate office in the south - what is that corporate culture like? One company’s business casual is another’s business business. It might be a good idea to know the ins-and-outs before you invest too much money.</p>

<p>For example, my D is an accountant for a Big 4 company. In her office, cardigans and skirts are completely okay, but flats are not. She shops at Brooks Brothers, Nordstrom, Banana Republic, and Ann Taylor, and I think she looks fabulous!</p>

16

<p>I agree that if the interviewer was wearing espadrilles, this is probably not a workplace culture wear a cardigan is too casual. I wear blazers to my office occasionally but usually have to dress them down a bit with more casual pants (we’re fine with corduroys)or I’d look out of place. On the other hand, sleeveless tops are not okay in my workplace without something over them. So much of this is very individual and down to workplace culture. I do think Ann Taylor Loft is a great place for business casual. J. Crew is also, and I’ve gotten some great deals at their factory store. Some of my nicer work clothes are Banana Republic (also factory store).</p>

<p>If she likes skirts and dresses, I think those work really well for sommer with nice shoes and a blazer or cardigan over them.</p>

<p>I can’t wear many of the shoes described above, and ballet flats are actually the worst for me. I’d want to prioritize getting shoes that are office appropriate and that she feels comfortable in. If running down that checklist works, great, but she may not feel comfortable in any kind of heeled pumps – and she’d probably be okay if she had a pair of oxfords and some nice looking sandals. Make sure she has shoes that will work and look good with the clothes she gets, but also make sure that they’re shoes she feels okay with and can wear comfortably.</p>

17

<p>I had to do the same “wardrobe in a day” shopping trip with my son. He e-mailed his boss and confimed the starting date and threw in a line about the business casual dress code and what was acceptable. The boss responded with some personal guidelines which I thought was very nice. </p>

<p>My son and I shopped for as long as he could stand it. Once I had an idea of his taste I went back out with my daughter and filled in the gaps but he was there for shoes, belts, pants and most of the shirts. </p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

18

<p>My d is an engineer so I would say her workplace was pretty casual. For her summer internship we got her 2 pairs of pants, one black, one gray, 3 cardigans (she is always cold). We bought maybe 3 or 4 shirts that would go under the cardigans, one sleveless shell. I know I bought her a pair of Anne Klein ballet flats. I am sure she never wore her nude pumps to the office. I am pretty positive that she wore the same ballet flats all summer. </p>

<p>That was it. She rotated the clothes and it worked. Now that she works full time, she wears more dresses always with one of her cardigans. </p>

<p>We got the pants at express, the other stuff came from j crew and banana republic.</p>

19

<p>If you do decide to buy jackets, buy the kind that Sybbie links to in her post above that can look great with pants; do NOT buy full suits and wear the jackets by themselves, it will look like a little girl playing dress-up unless you know what you’re doing.</p>

20

<p>i’m a big fan of JC Penney’s work clothes. If I care for them properly, they last a long time.</p>

<p>I agree a blazer is a must, I’d also recommend skirts, pencil skirts are great and a few nice tops. </p>

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<p>No flats? I’m sorry but that is awful. Not everyone can wear heels.</p>