Highlight of the day: a site visit to the Giorgio Armani office on 5th Ave. (Thanks, Columbia!)

The site visit consisted of introductory presentations from the heads of the top departments, such as Karen Perez, the Director of HR Retail; Amy Cohen, the Senior Manager of Benefits and Compensation; Eric Silverman, the Director of Credit and Treasury; Mehmet Dokumcu, the supervisor of Retail Events and Promotions; and Kathryn Smithing, a Manager of Retail Intelligence. My trip today was both informative and personally beneficial, and I will share my most important lesson with you, Hoot readers: though each of the speakers focused on a different area, they all spoke of the importance of integrity. This means the integrity of the label itself and also the integrity of its employees. Your personal integrity should be represented at all times in the workplace, especially at a fashion house of this caliber or any like it. One of the best ways to present your best self is with proper attire.

We all know the basics of office dress, but I will list some of them as a refresher:

• The company will inform you of what is proper office attire (once you land the job), but be sure to find out the nitty gritty details. For instance, some companies may be a bit more casual than others and allow you to dress up jeans; other companies may not be so fond of this idea. Don’t risk a bad impression, just ask what’s acceptable!
• No stains and no wrinkles! No one will take you seriously if it looks like you don’t do so yourself. Wash your clothes on their recommended settings and use an iron to give yourself that sharp look. Invest in starch or request it when you drop off your dry cleaning. If you take care of your clothes, they’ll take care of you.
• Make sure what you’re wearing is flattering to your figure and appropriate. Don’t show up at the office in anything that is “too tight”, “too loose”, “too flashy”, “too showy”…you get my drift. Keep it professional.

All that said, it’s important to still let your personality shine through in your clothes (again, especially if you’re interning at a fashion company). Don’t be afraid to express yourself. The easiest way to do this and still stay within expected boundaries is to go for a very classic look and then add some personal flair. A white collared shirt and black pencil skirt is one of the most basic professional combos, but you can illuminate the look with some great accessories! Try a large necklace…

Nimili.com

Shopbop

Or maybe a  scarf, or a pair of tights (they’re not just for our mothers, I promise)…

Forever21

Hosieree.com

Of course, the staple items can also be what catches the eye. Try a white shirt with a peter pan collar instead of a normal angled one, or a completely different look all together. Or maybe go for a pair of high-waisted flair leg dress pants instead of just a straight cut, like these DVF Sailor Gavin Pants:



Shopbop

Of course, cater to your job. Don’t over do it style-wise if you’re going to be working in a very straight-laced, no fuss environment, but if you’re given the opportunity and the situation calls for it, flash your fashion feathers. ELLEgirl has some great ideas for how to stay stylish at jobs outside of the office as well.

Really, though, I can’t understand why we can’t all go to work looking this fabulous…

Vogue

Or can I at least go to class looking this good? Please?

Morgan Fletcher

Blog Editor