<p>I’ll be an intern at an environmental think tank/nonprofit this summer. What sort of attire would be appropriate for such a setting? Where would be a good place to find it? </p>
<p>(a) I have money saved from an on-campus job, my internship comes with a stipend, and my parents may make a modest contribution; bargains are great, but I am willing to pay for quality (natural fibers, no synthetics) if necessary. </p>
<p>(b) I’m 5’6 and 115 pounds, which sometimes means that I’m too tall for petites but too thin for regular sizes. </p>
<p>(c) I’ll have a few days in New York City with my family before starting the internship, so that’s where I’ll be looking (Hanover, NH has a somewhat limited selection).</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>P.S. I suppose that means I’m back, if anyone still remembers me.</p>
<p>E-mail the organization and ask. It’s the only way you will find out what the dress expectations are.</p>
<p>My daughter is also interning at a DC nonprofit. She has never been to their office (she did multiple interviews with them over the telephone). So she e-mailed them to ask them about the dress code. </p>
<p>She was told that it’s on the casual side of business casual. Thus, she went to some mid-level mall stores (none of which were more expensive than Macy’s) and bought several pair of dress pants (mostly black or tan) and several non-sexy blouses and short-sleeved sweaters. Only one item in her newly acquired wardrobe requires dry cleaning. The only thing she still needs to buy is a pair of shoes – presumably plain, black, comfortable ones – probably flats.</p>
<p>However, there are plenty of other DC internships where the standards of dress are much higher. Certainly, in some places, a suit or other outfit with a jacket would be expected for women. My daughter did an in-person interview in one such place (also a nonprofit). But she ended up in a different environment.</p>
<p>Because you are unlikely to get much use out of your internship attire at college, and because you may do something entirely different next summer, which would require a different wardrobe, you want to be sure that you’re buying appropriate clothing for this summer.</p>
<p>As for quality fabrics, I’m not so sure they’re the best idea. Many of them require dry cleaning, which is expensive and takes items out of your wardrobe for several days. If you’re going to try to get through this internship with a limited supply of garments and if your stipend is stingy (which many are), you may not want to have to get things dry cleaned constantly.</p>
<p>By the way, asking about the dress code at a place of employment is perfectly OK even if you’re not an intern. I just started a new full-time job a month ago. After I received the job offer, I inquired about the dress code. Nobody thought this was unusual. In fact, I was given a handout that the company has prepared for the purpose. The question is very normal and expected.</p>
<p>camelia, you also need to realize that during much of the summer, DC is hot and extremely humid. Like a bathroom where you’ve had the shower running for half an hour. There will be days that don’t fit this pattern, but most of the time you’re going to be dripping with sweat by the time you walk from your office to the Metro. Keep this in mind when you’re shopping. DC isn’t Hanover (where summer is actually pleasant, or so I’ve heard), or even New York City.</p>
<p>My daughter spends her winters in upstate New York and her summers in the DC area. It should be the other way around!</p>
<p>One summer when I was in DC I used to bike to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine to give tours there. I used to arrive extremely sweaty. Too bad they didn’t have showers there! Luckily I got to put on a purple robe that pretty much covered me and the cathedral itself was somewhat cool. As I recall Camelia is from DC originally, so I expect she knows the climate. I agree that the easiest thing to do is to ask. No one will take it amiss.</p>
<p>Of course we remember you, I hope your second semester went better than the first. Congrats on getting an internship.</p>
<p>Congratulations on getting the internship! My kids who are about your size shop at the Limited and Express for shirts, slacks and such. There are plenty of choices for items sized 0-6. You might be able to find a few tops that work for your body type at a petite section of Macy’s or a similar department store, but petite-sized pants will be most likely too short for you. And wrinkle-free items are a godsend, if you ask me. Let us know how your internship goes!</p>
<p>If it were me, I would not be shopping for a wardrobe before starting the job. Maybe one outfit. There’s plenty of good shopping in DC. Wait until you’re there, see what others are wearing, what seems right. Then shop, if you don’t already have waht’s appropriate.</p>
<p>Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dresses are great. You could dress them up or down. In the summer you could wear nice flat shoes with them (since you are pretty tall and slim). In the winter you could wear a pair of boots with them and they would e bgreat at Hanover. You could find those dresses at most major department store in NYC (L&T, Bloomingdales, Macy’s) or online. I would also recommend a few pairs of light wool pants, and silk blouses or nice cotton blouses. Again, you could wear flats with pants. Simple linen dresses would be nice too. No strappy tops unless you are wearing a cardigan or a jacket over it.</p>
<p>When you are shoppting at those major department stores, go on line and look for coupons, very often you could get coupons for 10-20% off.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestions! Emailing the employer is a good idea; I’ll do that. My college is paying for housing, travel, and most other expenses, in addition to a $1,000 stipend and the $1,000 I’ve earned working, so my idea was to buy a few really nice but versatile items now that I can keep throughout college (especially since I managed to avoid the freshman fifteen and have worn the same size since ninth grade). I’ll definitely have to check if it’s business casual or more formal, though. Thanks again!</p>
<p>(And yes, I spent six years in Washington, so I’m quite familiar with the climate… it’s probably what I’m least looking forward to about the experience. :eek:)</p>