Be the best-dressed intern

So you’ve landed that big summer internship you’ve been killing yourself for the past semester. Now, what to wear?

I’ve noticed that many young men struggle with knowing what to wear and how to wear it.

You must first consider what type of internship you’re in. If you’re working in business, you’re probably thinking that you’re going to really need that black, strong power suit you wore in your interview to wow your boss and co-workers – you know, show them you mean business. Wrong.

Unless you’re a limo driver or you own the place, save the black suit for evening. Navy is reserved enough for the office without being too formal. Keep the ties narrow, as they will play well to your young, vibrant (I hope) personality.

As for the shoes, you can never go wrong with a sleek pair of black lace-ups, and always wear round-toe, not squared – just because you are an amateur doesn’t mean you have to look like one.

If you insist on wearing a different color suit, stick to shades of grey and a true khaki suit – not brown. Your khaki suit should be just that, khaki (see J.Crew’s Italian Chino suit or Tommy Hilfiger’s rendition). Keep the ties dark, the shirts light and the shoes brown.

An important rule to remember if you plan on wearing a suit to the office is fit is king.

You should get your suit tailored more closely to show off your shape a little more. As a relatively young guy, a well-tailored suit will help you to come off as the put-together, smooth, sexy guy in the office – like Jim Halpert. I don’t care what line of work your internship is in, people like sexy.

Macey Dale, manager at Andrew Davis Menswear, said fit and color schemes are often the biggest problems among young men.

“The biggest mistake young guys make is not knowing proper fit or the proper colors,” Dale said. “Lots of times you have to put guys in the most basic stuff.”

Remember this is your entrance into the job world. Don’t get carried away. Dale agrees.

“Some guys want to get a little flashier than they should,” he said. “They should go for something more basic in their first few suits.”

If your line of work is less cosmopolitan, you can probably skip the suit on most days. That doesn’t mean you should slack on the finer points of wardrobe though. Think of what you wear as a suit minus the jacket.

Your trousers should be trim and cuffed or cropped – but no more than one and a half inches deep, unless you want to go Thom Browne on ’em.

Make sure your belt matches your shoes, and wear a slim-fitting shirt or a shirt that fits your body. You shouldn’t have loads of your shirt overflowing from your pants. It’ll make you look fat and unkempt.

It’s summer, so brighter colors are more than welcome. Be creative with your ties and shirts, but make sure they’ll work appropriately at the same time. Stick to solid colors or gingham shirts.

Remember that looking great during your internship will help you work and carry yourself with more confidence, which is the first step to success. The right casual, but chic outfit will make you stand out in a good way, and the right suit with the right fit will make you look fresh, young and, yes, sexy.