Flip Flops to Lady Suits. Dressing for the Professional (intern) Life

Washington DC is a romantic town. I would even go as far as to say that DC is the Paris of the States…for idealistic political nerds like yours truly. Most buildings and sidewalks are made of old brick. Beautifully maintained monuments light up the city at night. Men actually wear suits to work. Yes, Suits! With suspenders! And pocket squares! And bowties!

For me, DC’s style has been a big shift. I’ve been attending school in Southern California for the past 4 years…where flip flops and t-shirts are the norm…even for superiors.

My Story

When I first entered the career world (well, intern world) I actually dressed down my office attire after the first month. The old expression is that it’s better to be over-dressed than under-dressed. But when your boss (who happens to be a major elected official) shows up in flips flops and jeans, you feel silly in stockings and oxford shirts. Luckily, there were a select few stylish women around the office that became my office fashionistas. They showed me the office attire guiding light. Essentially the happy-medium was cute wedges, pencil skirts, and simple v-neck shirts. I still felt like sometimes I was dressed for the royal wedding at a country-western bar. Again, insert the old expression from above, and always dress up rather than down.

If I had one word to describe the fashion in DC, it’d be crisp. Blazers rule the land-- even at the bar scene on weekends. Ironing and proper tailoring jobs are a right of passage. Nothing should be remotely glitterly, ripped, or flashy. Replace flashy with classy. Save your hipster attire for Brooklyn and Santa Monica, because you’ll never get passed security at the White House wearing a Ga Ga Meat Dress.

Thanks to Michelle Obama and her fabulously toned arms, Jcrew has become mastermind for style here. Preppy and neat, it serves as the foundation for most women who call the nation’s capitol home.

The biggest advice I could give is that if you want to be taken seriously, dress seriously. This includes a bit of make-up as well. There was a good article in the New York Times that discussed a study that proved how makeup makes woman appear more competent in the professional world; ; http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/fashion/makeup-makes-women-appear-more-competent-study.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=makeup%20makes%20woman%20appear%20more%20competent%20&st=cse

I’m not advising to powder your face like our dear friends from the Jersey Shore, but a little bit may go a long way.