I had no idea I could spend my summer wearing cowboy boots and sandals to work everyday...

I think that the way you present yourself is one way in which people judge first impressions off of.

As I prepared for my first internship last summer, one of the things I was most curious about and the one thing that I wanted to make sure was perfect, was how I was supposed to dress at my new job. I really had no idea. The internship was in New York City at Blackbook, a progressive culture magazine. Luckily, my boss sent me an email explaining the proper attire according to Blackbook's standards. She wrote, "As far as dress code goes, all I ask is that you look presentable. 99% of our staff wears jeans everyday. If we go on a walk-through of an event space or you have to deliver a package to say, the VP of Ralph Lauren, I just ask that you look presentable in representing BlackBook. ABSOLUTELY NO need for any sort of corporate attire…definitely not our scene…" When I saw the word, "jeans," I was ecstatic! I never thought that I would be able to wear jeans everyday to work, I had had a picture in my mind of a nice suit. As long as I looked presentable, I was fine, and I was SO ready to shop.

I tried to think of living in Manhattan and style my look off of things that I had seen in magazines and what I felt was in style at the time I would be spending in the Big Apple. I found cute, yet comfortable shoes that would soon be traded in for my now favorite cowboy boots and gold Jack Rogers, (a sandal that was seen in every color in Blackbook's office) jeans of every shade of blue, shirts and tanks with crazy designs, and a few dresses that would soon be fashioned at some of Blackbook's events. I actually ended up buying most of my wardrobe once I got into the city and after I spent my first week at Blackbook. What I realized most was that I needed to fit in to their work environment, dressing for the job that I had.

Dawn Rosenberg McKay, the author of the article "Clothes Make the Man (or Woman)," explains that choosing a wardrobe for your job can be difficult. Suits and the usual navy blue are more of a corporate attire, usually for bankers and accountants. So, she asks, what do you wear if you are about to work in an industry that doesn't really have a typical style of dress? What if the job says to dress casual, when do you cross the line between casual and sloppy? Here are Dawn's tips:

No matter what you were, your clothes should be neat and clean.
Keep your shoes in good condition.
Your hair should be neatly styled.
For women: makeup should be subtle.
Nails should be clean and neat and of reasonable length.
And most importantly...Dress for the job you want.

And if you're still not sure, Dawn praises khakis as always being a safe choice as well as sport shirts or nice sweaters.

Like I had wanted to fit in with the work environment after being at Blackbook for a few days, Dawn also says that you want to give the impression that you fit in. One way of doing this, is looking at what the other employees are wearing and try to example what you choose to wear from them.

And if you have any questions, just ask your employer before you begin working. You would hate it if you stepped into the office the first day, dressed in a suit, as if you were ready to make an investment deal and everyone else was wearing jeans, and vice versa. Be confident in what you wear and dress for the job you have.

Happy Shopping!

Countdown to Graduation...33 days!