What to Wear to the Office This Summer
Every summer, New York City welcomes the fresh, innocent faces of a new cohort of interns. They pour off the subway at Fulton Street, Hudson Yards, and 51st and Lex, iced coffee in hand, both thrilled and terrified. This summer, you may be one of them. You’ve made it through the LinkedIn posts and late nights on Excel, and are now about to take on the new challenge of standing in front of your closet at 7am thinking: what do people actually wear to this?
The answer is, thankfully, not a mystery. New York will humble you in approximately forty other ways this summer, from your commute and rent, to the August humidity. So let’s go through this list and take the closet crisis off your mind.
Let’s start with Step One for when you have absolutely no idea what the vibe is. You likely don’t know the dress code yet. You don’t know if you will get fired if you wear jeans. In this scenario the correct move is a Frankie Shop camel crossover blazer and charcoal pinstripe trousers. Add the Margaux Parra flat in black and you’ve cracked the code.
Hot tip: if the crossover front feels too much, too fast for your office environment, add a white tee underneath!
For my girls in PR, fashion, or tech, this next look is essentially a sweater and trousers, but done so well that everyone thinks you’ve cracked some kind of effortless style secret.
The track is a fine-gauge knit that falls in a more elevated way than a simple top. I especially love the WNU Devon Jumper or the Reformation Clara Cashmere Cardigan. Find a balance between fine enough for summer, and warm enough for aggressively air-conditioned conference rooms.The Kookai Ariel Waistband Trouser in dark chocolate brings in a bit of warmth and, crucially, has a waistband that won’t dig into you on an eight-hour work day.
Now for those with decision fatigue after too many notifications before sunrise. The dress is the most underrated item in the intern wardrobe, because you put one thing on and you’re done. One item, out the door. Here are the ones that actually work in an office without a conversation with HR.
The Aritzia Priestly is a classy bodycon perfect with little kitten mules, blazer, and big bag. The fabrication defies gravity which does make it office appropriate. The Reiss Midi is so classy and perfect for layering over the pleated skirt. The Kole Dress by Rue Sophie is brilliantly sophisticated in Heather grey. On the more relaxed side, I love the Kookai Jac Mini Dress. A mini and blazer combo will never fail.
The Great Shirt Theory may be one of my greatest fascinations. Here is a truth that took my maximalist self years to accept: a good shirt is worth more than almost anything in your wardrobe. The J.Crew Étienne Oxford can be worn tucked, half-tucked, knotted, or let loose over a sharp trouser. The Frankie Shop Orsel crossover shirt is honestly more structured than it looks, and the built-in crossover is incredible for quick styling. I need both the silhouette of the Rue Sophie Piquenique Pintuck Shirt, and the pop of color from the A.L.C Dena Top in black cherry for my PR job immediately.
For presentation days and first impressions, the Artizia Domain blazer makes you look like you have been doing this for years. What even is entry level? Pair it with the Aritzia slip skirt in the same off-white colorway and you’ve achieved monochromatic dressing, which requires zero styling effort and looks so put-together. The fabrics are completely different so it looks intentional rather than matchy-matchy. The satin skirt and matte blazer do all the work for you. I also LOVE the J. Crew x Alex Eagle cuffed trouser and as confident anchor pieces. Finish with the Reformation Francine loafer mule, and walk in to own that office.
A simple cheat sheet for when your start from nothing is to build the intern capsule. Everything else will fall into place around it.
Ten weeks goes fast. You’ll figure out the job, the commute, the best lunch spots. Every morning you’ll get dressed, and it will get better and better. Come August, you’ll be the one who the new people are looking at for inspo. You will not fully know what you are doing, ever, but you will look incredible. For New York, that counts for a lot.
Xoxo,
Annie
