<p>A few things…</p>
<p>In the non-profit world, I really don’t think black for summer matters. People at non-profits don’t make a lot of money and interns particularly don’t. I have a few bright, cool clothes that I only wear in the summer, but I also wear the same black cotton skirt with tights and boots in the winter and bare-legged with sandals in the summer. Most of my co-workers put together creative outfits from a combination of sources including thrift stores, nicer stores, Target, outlets, clothes that they’ve had forever, etc. I don’t think conventions about seasons and colors are things that people pay a lot of attention to in my experience.</p>
<p>I have worked at one non-profit that had no dress code, and people would literally wear shorts, t-shirts, and flip flops. I was an intern, and I was careful to usually wear nicer jeans or a skirt (I didn’t want to be the college student who looked like she had no idea how to dress professionally), but I would have looked really out of place in nice dress pants or a suit. That’s why I suggested your daughter emailing a supervisor beforehand – she doesn’t live there and she doesn’t want to pack all the wrong clothes.</p>
<p>At my current work place, the strict rules are no denim, no leggings as pants, no sneakers. There is a little bit more creative dressing than some offices I’ve been in (I’ve done some temping) and something like a colorful sundress (dressed up with nice shoes and a cardigan) or a shirt or dress with an interesting print (think of some of the stuff Modcloth has that’s covered in umbrellas or bicycles or whatever) would definitely be okay. I always want to make sure I’m not showing cleavage, my clothes aren’t too short, and if something’s sleeveless, I have a cardigan or blazer over it. Obviously that depends on the office, but I have not personally worked at a non-profit where the dress code was more formal than this. I would definitely aim toward overdressing rather than underdressing on the first day if she does not know the dress code. I also keep a pashmina at work for when the AC is cranked up or the heat is not adequate, depending on the season.</p>
<p>I should add that some of our senior management do wear suits (not all of them, not every day). For me to wear a suit on a day that we didn’t have an event would look out of place. </p>
<p>I hate commuting on those muggy days, and I would definitely emphasize cool layers, comfortable shoes, and clothing that is not going to look awful after walking around in the heat and humidity (i.e. white linen). It’s often not quite as bad during commuting hours, fortunately. I had a job interview that was a longer walk from public transportation than I anticipated once at noon in the middle of the summer – that was awful. I just felt gross when I got there.</p>