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Brown | Career > Work

The College Girl’s Guide to Corporate Attire: Dress for Success for Your Summer Internship

Elle Horst Student Contributor, Brown University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Brown chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

You answer the phone, heart pounding, and then you hear it: “We’re pleased to extend you an offer…”

Cue the happy dance. You did it! You landed the internship. You’re rightfully thrilled, proud, and maybe already daydreaming about your first day at the office. But then… the panic sets in. What the hell do you wear?

You turn to TikTok, hoping for answers, and fall into a rabbit hole of outfit inspiration that confuses you even more. Cropped sweater vests, mini skirts, and six-inch heels can’t be right. Cute? Absolutely. Office-appropriate? Probably not. And you don’t want your first meeting on the job to be with Becky from HR for a workplace violation. 

Not to worry – I’ve got you! Here are my suggestions and tips to help you navigate office attire and presentation and build the ultimate capsule wardrobe for your days in the office that will leave you feeling confident, put together, appropriate, and trendy! 

The Capsule Wardrobe:

You don’t need to go and panic buy a million new pieces from your nearest shopping mall to dress well for the office! The key is to acquire some solid basic staples that you can mix and match to create a number of great, clean fits. And no, you don’t need to break the bank! No one will judge you if you aren’t wearing brand names – you’re hired for your intelligence and ability to perform on the job, not the clothes you are wearing! I’ve tried to provide a range of stores with varying pricepoints as jumping off points. 

Note: A majority below suggestions are made with business/business-casual attire in mind. 

BLOUSES

Get 2-3 high-neck or collared blouses. I recommend staying away from loud patterns and colors and sticking to the basics – as an intern, you want your job performance and contributions to be what makes you stand out from the crowd, not your outfits. Avoid buying tops that are sheer, cropped, spaghetti straps, or low-cut. Here are some great examples to give you some inspo (one, two, three, four).

LONG-SLEEVED SHIRTS

1-2 longer-sleeved dress shirts are great additions to your wardrobe to add some more variety and a bit more warmth! The same suggestions apply as the blouses — nothing too low cut, cropped, or sheer and stick to some subtle patterns. Here are some ideas (one, two, three).

OUTER LAYERS

Offices are typically air-conditioned and can be on the colder side, so some layering pieces are great essentials to further your capsule wardrobe. Get your hands on 1-2 plain sweaters, 1-2 plain blazers (great for days when you need to deliver presentations or are coming to the office for the first time), and one good coat (a trench is great for working in the summer, and wool coats are nice for the winter).

SLACKS AND SKIRTS

Some solid bottoms are a must for your corporate wardrobe. Long skirts and slacks are great pieces that can give your outfit a clean, fun, and elevated look.

SHOES

There are two main words of advice when it comes to your work shoes: start with closed toe (unless you notice a number of other employees in open toe), and keep the colors plain. Some of my favorite corporate shoes are closed toe kitten heels, ballet flats, loafers, and — if your workplace is slightly more casual, a clean white sneaker.

ACCESSORIES/MAKEUP

Now that you’ve got all of the basics you need, you can accessorize with some jewelry, belts, and work bags (one, two) of your choosing! For bags, make sure they are large enough to easily carry all of your work essentials. If you are an intern in a traditional corporate setting, l recommend keeping jewelry simple and cohesive (try to avoid too many statement pieces). A few rings, a couple of layering necklaces, and a bracelet or two can elevate your outfit in a subtle and clean manner. And like your clothes, keep your makeup neutral-toned and clean!

Some Final Thoughts and Tips

Before anything else, find out what the dress code actually is. Every workplace is different. Finance, law, and consulting tend to skew formal, while media, nonprofits, or tech companies might lean towards a more casual vibe. 

Don’t be shy to reach out and ask your recruiter or internship coordinator what people wear! They will often have a sense of the vibe you should strive for, and they’ll appreciate that you care enough to ask.

And when in doubt? Always err on the side of dressing more professionally than not. It’s easier to tone it down once you’ve read the room than to recover from showing up underdressed on day one.

Dress codes can be confusing, but here’s the golden rule: wear clothes that show you care, feel comfortable enough to help you focus on your work, and make you look like you belong—even if you’re still learning the ropes.

And trust me: once you feel good in your outfit, you’ll show up more confidently in everything else you do.

You’ve got the job. Now you’ve got the fit. Go crush it!

Elle Horst

Brown '26

Elle Horst is a junior at Brown University concentrating in Business/Economics. She hails from the Bay Area, CA but has fallen in love with life on the East Coast and Brown! This is her third year as a member of Her Campus, for which she is the Director of Marketing. Outside of her studies, she is involved in numerous organizations on campus, including Women in Business as a Marketing and Communications Chair, Fashion at Brown as the Web Design Director, and the Kappa Delta sorority. In her free time, she loves cooking, work out classes, coffee dates, and reading! She can't wait to give readers a glimpse into life as a student at Brown and the greater Providence area!