It was 2:47 a.m. on a weeknight. College graduation crisis hour, if there ever was one. When all of a sudden, my phone buzzed with a text from my cousin Tyler: “HELP.
Interview tomorrow. All I own is hoodies and vans. Dad says I need a suit.
I’m FREAKING OUT.” Tyler had spent four years in college studying finance and wearing basketball shorts and UA hoodies as if it were his job. Literally his job.
And now that he was scheduled to interview for his first gig after graduation, he was having the full-on existential crisis I’ve helped guys have enough times to know exactly what to say next.
RELATED: I Bought A Suit Online And This Is What Happened > I woke up at 8 a.m., and despite both of my better judgments and my first cup of coffee, called Tyler. “Meet me at the mall at 10,” I told him sleepily over the phone. “Bring $400 and the least ripped pair of shoes you own.” He showed up with $412 in cash (for some reason, it was always $412) and sweatpants with holes in them for shoes. He looked like a guy who needed clothes more than anything else on Earth. Ten hours and $412 later, he walked out with: – Two quality button-down shirts – One pair of non-jean/non-sweats trousers – A belt that wasn’t sold with the trousers atKMart – Shoes with actual laces – A blazer that didn’t hang off his frame It wasn’t GQ-model worthy, but it was enough to get Tyler into that interview dressed like a slightly-chill adult instead of a kid who couldn’t wake up for an 8 a.m. class.
And honestly, that’s all he needed. He got the job, incidentally. When I asked him later if he thought his new duds helped him out, he shrugged. “I wasn’t worried about looking stupid all the time,” he said. “I could actually focus on what they were asking.” There you have it, friends.
The magical secret to transitioning from college to career clothes. It’s not so you can turn head in the office or stand out to fashion bloggers. It’s because once you stop freaking out about what you wear to work every day, you can actually focus on doing your job.
I’m reminded of Tyler every single time I get a DM from a recent grad freaking out about how to build a “grown-up wardrobe” on a budget. How do you toss the remnants of four years’ worth of ridiculous clothes and replace them with . . . what, exactly? Business professional get-ups?
Old people trousers? News flash: no one is asking you to replace your entire identity based on what you wear to work. You’re not going to college, buying all leggings and cutoffs, and suddenly emerging four years later as a totally different person.
You’ll have elements of your old wardrobe that you can (and should) keep incorporating, sure. But there will also be occasions where you show up to work dressed like you should be studying for a midterm, not filing quarterly reports. Look, I was that guy too.
Went from studying business administration wearing nothing but graphic tee shirts and super ripped jeans that were obviously intentional (accuracy costume achieved) to – Well, to interning at Esquire, surrounded by men who not only knew what shoes went with what trousers, but cared. My solution? Spend an entire month’s rent on a bunch of clothes that “looked professional” and ended up hanging in my closet for two years because Bermuda shorts aren’t exactly office-appropriate, even if they do make you look like you’re wearing trousers.
The trick to moving from your college wardrobe into the professional world is knowing what to change, what to keep, and how to put it all together without spending your entire summer paycheck or trying to overnight become your dad’s clone. Most guys make the same mistake I did when they graduate and have to start dressing for the workforce: going too far, too fast. They dump every shirt they owned in college because it doesn’t “work,” and try to replace it with blazers and slacks they’ll only wear to the office.
Thing is, workplaces have become a lot more casual in the last decade. We’re living in Jersey Shore sprawl, not Mad Men suitsicles. Work won’t care if your trousers are ripped at the knees or if your shirt is from Target – as long as you look put-together and you weren’t lazy when you got dressed.
They won’t care if your belt matches your shoes, necessarily. But they will notice if you don’t bother trying. Trust me.
Here’s what to wear, when you graduate, to make a good impression without sacrificing your entire identity. The Interview Outfit This might be the one time where you actually need to spend a little bit up front, because you’ve got to make a good first impression. And while you probably don’t need a full suit (seriously), you do need to look sharp for your big day.
Pairing a blazer with nice trousers that aren’t jeans, a real button-down shirt, nice shoes (not trainers), and a belt that matches your shoes is enough for 99 percent of interviews these days. And if you’re only going to buy one blazer? Make it navy.
You can wear navy all year, it’s slimming, and it goes with everything. Spend the bulk of your budget here on fit – trust me, a cheap blazer that fits like a glove looks way better than an expensive blazer that hangs off of your frame like you borrowed it from your dad. I have a buddy named Marcus who literally interviewed at six companies wearing the exact same thing: him just changed his shirt and tie.
No one knew, no one cared. He called it his “job uniform” and would change into it when it was time to “become boss material.” Four job offers later? Boss material.
Work Clothes, for When You Actually Get the Job This part’s easy. Every office environment is going to be slightly different, which is why you should spend at least your first week on the job observing. What do people at your level wear?
What does your boss wear? How formal do people seem to dress, on average? Now dress slightly nicer than that.
If you’re notice-friendly, here’s your new starter professional wardrobe: – Two pairs of nice trousers that aren’t jeans (try navy and grey – or heck, even khaki) – Five nice button-down shirts – One blazer that fits you well – Two pairs of non-trainer shoes – Belts to match those shoes – Maybe even some ties if you feel compelled Sound like a lot? It isn’t. Especially if you buy these pieces one at a time as you need them.
And you can build that entire wardrobe for less than $1,000 if you price strategically. Which is, incidentally, about what a nice laptop costs these days. And just like that laptop, it’s an investment in your employability.
I started my work wardrobe at J.Crew Rack and Banana Republic’s sale section, wearing shoes from DSW that actually fit properly. It wasn’t designer, it wasn’t expensive – but it worked. And that’s all that matters.
Look, you don’t have to change your entire style overnight. If you wore band t-shirts your whole college career, maybe now you can afford some cool vintage-inspired shirts? Or maybe you splurge on some sick-ass socks nobody can see but you know are there.
If you wore athletic clothing 24/7 in college, go shopping for some stylish trousers with some stretch built in, and button-ups made for moving around in. My friend David wore all black in college. That did not, when he got his job at a creative agency, turn into khakis and button-ups.
But it did turn into nice black jeans that don’t autumn off his hips, plain black tees and occasionally black button-ups, and one awesome black blazer that he wears all the time because it fits him so well. He was still himself. Just, himself wearing clothes that weren’t dirty and looked like they actually fit in an office building.
Fit Is King You know what will set you apart from every other guy in your office? Clothes that fit your body well. That $40 shirt that actually fits you will look ten times better than the $200 shirt that just hangs off of you.
Nine times out of ten, guys’ clothes are too big – especially guys who just got out of college and are used to wearing jackets three sizes too large to hide the fact that they don’t actually work out. Getting your clothes tailored to fit your body perfectly is a game changer. And it doesn’t have to cost much.
Hours after I got my first paycheck from starting Style Authority, I had two off-the-rack shirts tailored to fit me perfectly. My boss actually stopped me in the halls and asked if I’d lost weight. Nope – just had clothes that fit me for the first time.
What Shoes You Wear May Be the Biggest Upgrade You Can Make Look, I’m as big of a trainers guy as they come. But wearing raggedy old Vans with your work trousers screams “I have no idea what I’m doing” to everyone in the office. You don’t need designer shoes.
You don’t even need expensive shoes. But you do need to invest in a solid pair of non-trainer shoes. Something as simple as a pair of brown leather derby shoes and a pair of minimal white trainers for your casual days is more than enough to get you started.
And please, for the love of God, wear a belt that matches your shoes. It’s the easiest thing in the world to do and will make you look instantly more put-together than 95 percent of new grads. My buddy Trevor keeps a casual-but-decent pair of shoes in his car trunk at all times that he calls his “adulting shoes.” Whenever he needs to look the part of a responsible grown-up but isn’t going full formal, he tosses those shoes on and instantly feels more put-together.
Shoes matter. A lot more than most people think. Casual Fridays + Work Happy Hours This is where you can pull out your old college shirts and let them shine – well, sort of.
Those trendy jeans with all the rips? Wash them really well and leave them in the hamper. Pair that faded XS Grand Kingdom shirt with a solid colour undershirt and an easy blazer with no structure and you’ve got yourself a semi-casual office look that’ll work for just about any workplace.
Clean trainers (not the ones you wore to the gym) are usually acceptable here, too. Upgrade Slowly Seriously.
You don’t need a whole new wardrobe right this second.
Take inventory of your work environment, see what you think you need the most, and go from there. Odds are you’ll need a few things before you even start, but beyond that, take your time upgrading and build as you can. Buy fewer shirts that don’t fit you well and splurge on one awesome Oxford that’ll last you for years.
It costs more up front, sure, but it saves you money in the long run. Hell, I’m not even totally finished “updating” my wardrobe myself. I was still throwing college shirts with blazers and dress trousers well into my first year on the job.
By year two, I’d replaced about half my wardrobe. Now, two years later? I finally feel like my wardrobe actually matches my personality.
Ditching your college wardrobe for a post-grad one isn’t something you’ll do overnight. But if you take your time with it, building the wardrobe that works for you (and your office) will be something you actually enjoy.
