Girmai: Fashion varies according to profession

This week, on the first day of my internship, I was aware of certain expectations: I knew what… This week, on the first day of my internship, I was aware of certain expectations: I knew what type of work I’d be doing, I knew how much I’d be doing, and I knew what time I was supposed to show up. My only surprise came when I asked my supervisor about the dress code. He told me that jeans and sneakers were the office norm, and that the general vibe was casual.

I grew up believing there was only one way to dress for work. This belief stemmed from the portrayal of office environments in television shows, movies and what the “grown-ups” in my family wore to work every day.

Furthermore, at my last internship — during the elusive Pittsburgh summer — I wore dresses, dress shorts or nice skirts. Jeans were only allowed on Fridays, and, as is the case with most offices, flip-flops were the devil. The dress code there was 9-to-5 traditional.

However, my new supervisor’s answer got me thinking. For society’s modern professionals, is every day becoming casual Friday? Are pantsuits and pantyhoses on the way out as jeans and sandals move in?

One deciding factor is the industry you choose to work in. Neon silks and banded minis are unlikely to rise in popularity at law and accounting firms. However, public relations firms and casting agencies expect nothing less.

Whatever industry you work in, you always have to play a part, or put on a show, to be successful . Lawyers and accountants typically dress in shades of white, gray and black because they want to be taken seriously. Pressed slacks and double-breasted suit jackets give the impression that you’re savvy and, more importantly, that you mean business. But in a field like public relations or real estate, much of your business is your appearance. Although it might seem like a cliche, sex really does sell. For instance, an actor is unlikely to hire an unattractive or plainly dressed woman as his publicist.

When a businessman or woman closes on a new contract, whatever the industry’s nature, the savvy professional knows his expertise in the field is only half of what his selling to the client. The other half is security, in the form of his client’s confidence in his expertise. In a work environment, your appearance ensures that confidence.

So where does this leave us as college students? We’re just shy of our formal entrance into the real world, and in order to succeed in that world, we have to dress the part. A good rule of thumb is to always err on the side of caution when it comes to the dress code in an office environment.

When you go into your first interview at your dream company, dress in a way that reflects the company’s image, but refrain from taking any fashion risks. Once you’re hired and are privy to the company’s tone and preferred image, you can adjust your dress code accordingly. After all, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Like many of my intellectual peers, my life will soon cease to revolve around my latest male conquest and instead begin to revolve around my next career move. Since I plan to earn my livelihood working in the fashion sector of the editorial industry, I’ll always feel pressure to remain a size two and will hesitate before wearing last season’s Prada pumps to this season’s Prada show.

In any case, whether you’re a personal trainer and show up to work in sweatpants or a Wall Street shark who lives in Armani separates, you’ll ask the same question day after day: What the hell am I going to wear?