Miss Simplee Sufficient

What you wear at the office not only reflects on you, personally, it reflects on your employer. 

Just because you got the job doesn’t mean you get to slack off.  Always dress professionally, and, when in doubt, it's better to be too much rather than too little!

Professional Dress

Proessional dress means a suit.  But this doesn’t mean that you have to spend a ton of money on your wardrobe.  Buy a few interchangeable pieces and you’ll be fine for a while.  Mix up a small wardrobe by buying just two or three good suits and a bunch of colorful tops to go under them.  Buy a few short-sleeved tops as well as a few long sleeved button-down blouses.  And, don’t forget to buy a few sleeveless shells because those suits can get hot.  Never be caught without your suit jacket.  You never know when you’ll have an important meeting with the higher ups sprung on you.

All you need is one pair of good quality, comfortable shoes.  Buy them in black so that they go with everything.  Forget fancy footwear, you’re in the real world now.  Choose comfort over spiked heels.  Employers always appreciate practicality.

Office Casual
Some companies ask that their employees dress in what’s called “office casual.”  This doesn’t mean jeans, although some companies have dress-down Fridays when jeans may be permitted (that doesn’t mean you can wear jeans with holes, though).  Office casual generally means professional dress without the suit jacket.  Wear nice dress pants or khakis and a nice shirt: button-down or knit.

Makeup, Hair, and Perfume
Even though the world says it appreciates individuality, there are limits.  No pink hair, crazy hairstyles, or wild makeup.  Go for a demure, professional look.  Save the spiked hair and winged eyeliner for the weekend.  As far as perfume goes, don’t overdo it.  Offices can be tiny, cramped, airless spaces.  Being stuck in a small space for eight hours a day with someone who bathed in their cologne is not fun.  Keep your coworkers in mind when you spray on the scent.