Step-Up My Office Attire

At Bailey Gardiner, everyone from the CEO to the interns wear jeans and a t-shirt any day of the week. This is one of the perks of working in a small advertising agency. Here, it is about creativity and innovation, not pencil skirts and heels. My family has always made it clear that it is better to be over-dressed than under. However, the past few years have stunted my wardrobe. I went from being a poor college student, interested more in contributing to the keg fund than the work clothes fund, to being unemployed sporting pajama pants and tanks daily, to now being an intern. So where does this leave my work attire? No where good, that's where.

Today, after being sick for a week and finally feeling better, I decided to get dressed-up for work. I put on a nice skirt, heels, a floral cardigan and remembered to wear my good earrings. Oh and I actually put curlers in my hair, trying to defy the San Diego humidity. I walked into the office feeling like a spruced-up version of myself.

Now this is where it gets funny. While filling my water bottle in the kitchen this morning, Nik walks in. As I turn to say good morning, he looks surprised. I immediately learn why. Nik kindly said he didn't recognize me, because I look nice today. Ouch! He said nothing wrong, but it became instantly clear that I have DONE something wrong. I need to step-up my office attire game.

As the day has progressed, a surprising amount of people have commented on how "fancy" I look today. Becca asked if I have a "hot date" tonight. The Big Boss Man jokingly asked if I have an interview after work. And the lovely and talented Ad Intern 2 wondered if I went on Extreme Makeover: Intern Edition. I need to step-up my office attire game.

There are two ways to go when deciding how an intern should dress. The first way, which I have previously adopted, is to blend-in. Most days I wear jeans, sometimes a cotton dress, every once-in-awhile heels. I do not meet with clients, I do not see vendors face-to-face and I am not publicly representing BG outside of the office. So, I can dress in jeans everyday without serious consequence.

The second way is what my grandma would approve of. As an intern (or any other employee), I should dress for the professional environment in which I work, regardless of the official dress code. An internship is an extended interview. When Jon jokingly asked if I had an interview, my response was "Yes, with you." So, why have I not been waking-up every morning and dressing for success?

I am promising myself that I will no longer dress at the office like I am out running errands. I want to make a positive impression on the people I work with. I want my college degree to get used beyond an internship. I want to start a career. I need to dress for success. I need to step-up my office attire.

How do you think an intern should dress?