Being a college student allows me to express my individuality in a way I haven’t previously had the chance to do. A big part of this has been discovering my style with clothes. However, I wasn’t prepared for the amount of events that required business casual clothing (especially being a pre-law student). Coming to Florida State, I had absolutely no professional clothes, and I honestly didn’t even know what that entailed. Thankfully, with the power of Pinterest and thrift stores, I was able to build my wardrobe. The following are my tips and tricks to create your own professional closet.
Step 1: Pinterest Board
Even though the goal is business clothes, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still let your personality shine through. There are ways to dress “business-y” while also showing off your aesthetic.
The first step is making a Pinterest board. First, you want to start by simply searching “business casual” or “business clothing,” and then you can add photos you like. Then, you can get more specific and search “business casual/business clothing + (aesthetic).” How niche your aesthetic is will determine how many results you get. You might have to broaden your search. After these two searches, you should have a good reference sheet to keep with you as you shop!
Step 2: Thrifting
Personally, my favorite thrift store in Tallahassee when it comes to business clothes is Goodwill. Goodwill has a variety of options and good candidates for staple pieces in your wardrobe. The main things you’ll want to find are dress pants and a matching jacket. The pants and matching jacket will be the staple pieces that can be worn with all kinds of shoes, accessories, shirts, etc. Your shirt, shoes, and accessories are really where your personality will shine.
Alternative Option: ProfessioNole Clothing Closet
An amazing resource on our beautiful Florida State University (FSU) campus is the ProfessioNole Clothing Closet. The ProfessioNole Clothing Closet is for FSU students where you can choose four items per semester to take for FREE. They have shoes, shirts, pants, jackets, belts, etc. I’ve gotten so many clothing items I love from there. If you go and happen to strike out, don’t lose hope; go again! They’re constantly restocking and adding new things. Plus, if you have things you want to donate, you can donate them here as well. The best time to go is before they have their big semester clothing drive (when they’re the most stocked). You can make an appointment, or they accept walk-ins on certain days.
The Final Step: Feel Good
At the end of the day, you want to make sure that you feel confident in your clothing. Being confident in the clothes you wear makes all the difference when it comes to advertising yourself at professional events. It doesn’t matter what other people are wearing, and it doesn’t matter what people think about what you’re wearing. All that matters is that you feel good. Because when you feel good, you look good!
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