I was quite shocked to discover that doing an internship required more than just updating my LinkedIn to boast. I also realised that it required quite an expensive new wardrobe.
As a little girl, I couldn’t wait for my turn to be a businesswoman. I envisaged myself among skyscrapers in a fitted white shirt and knee length pencil skirt with shiny stilettos.
When my time came around, I didn’t really have the confidence to be the corporate queen I’d imagined. Firstly, I felt that as an intern it seemed obnoxious. I wanted to blend in and seem like a team player more than anything else. Secondly, I couldn’t really afford to splurge on a whole new wardrobe. This meant that dressing for work became more about wearing something smart, acceptable and personality-free. Consequently, my internship wardrobe consisted of office pants from Dunnes with black turtlenecks or plain shirts. How can we find a budget-friendly, office-appropriate wardrobe while also managing to incorporate our own personal style?
Firstly, there is no need to splurge on an entirely new wardrobe. Employers know that you’re a student, which is often equated with being broke. Work with what you have and buy some pants or shirts if necessary. I found that I had more office-appropriate clothes than I realised. Jumpers and blouses with office pants work perfectly. As the weeks went on, I got a bit more confident and found a blue striped shirt with shoulder pads on the clearance rack in Zara, which made me feel more like myself. I also became more comfortable with wearing colour as time went on. I channelled my inner Elle Woods with a fuschia puff sleeve blouse and pink shimmery lip gloss. It takes time to find the right office attire and develop your own professional style.
Fellow BESS student Michelle Jordan is petite and, as a consequence, found shopping for office wear on a budget especially challenging. Most high street and budget stores don’t cater for different heights, and the costs of alterations add up. She therefore invested in a tailored skirt suit from Next. “I mixed and matched it with things I already owned and cheap ASOS branded basics. I found that I had a lot more office-suitable clothes in my wardrobe than I thought. Plain bodysuits and other shirts look perfect under blazers and cardigans.” She also found ways to incorporate her own personal style: “I bought a pink tweed suit that was very much straddling the line between my own personality and personal style, whilst still being completely appropriate to wear to the office.” Furthermore, she never left the house without her Vivienne Westwood necklace. It is possible to strike a balance between personal and professional.
Dearbhla McCourt completed an internship at a law firm this summer. She highlighted the benefits of investing in some office pieces: “I think spending a little extra money on things like a good blazer and shoes seems like a lot of money at the time but they’re so versatile and will last you way longer which is more sustainable. Particularly blazers, I think, can dress any piece of clothing up and make it more appropriate for the office.” Fast fashion in this case is a false economy because, as McCourt states, “shops like Zara have some nice pieces but often the fit is so awkward that clothes just don’t get worn as much as they should and you end up buying more”. McCourt also gradually found her own way of incorporating her own fashion sense into professional clothing. She noted: “I think the way I dressed on the first and last day of my internship were completely different.” She continued, explaining that accessories can make a huge difference and “as the internship progresses you realise that adding your own personal touches really do make a difference to your confidence and feeling more comfortable in your own skin, even things just as simple as jewellery or shoe choice”.
All in all, it comes down to planning, organising and working with what you’ve got. Finding the right balance between personal and professional will come naturally as you become more accustomed to the office environment.
