What to Wear to an Internship: A Men’s Starter Wardrobe
An internship is ten weeks of first impressions. You need enough to rotate, not a closet, and you will not know what the office really wears until you have been there a week.
Eight pieces that cover most offices
- One navy blazer.
- Two dress shirts, white and light blue.
- Two polos or fine knits for casual days.
- One pair of dress pants and one pair of chinos.
- One sweater or quarter-zip for cold conference rooms.
Add leather shoes and a belt you already own. That is two weeks of outfits without an obvious repeat.
Day one: overdress slightly
Wear the blazer, a dress shirt and dress pants on the first day, even if the recruiter said casual. You can take a jacket off. You cannot put one on that you did not bring.
Week one: look around
- What do the people two years ahead of you wear? Dress like them, not like the other interns.
- Is Friday different? Many offices relax it.
- What do people wear when clients visit? Keep one outfit at that level ready.
Banking and consulting are different
If the office is business professional, you need a suit on rotation: a navy or charcoal suit, and ideally a second jacket or pair of trousers so one can rest while the other is worn.
Why renting fits an internship
You need these clothes for one summer, in a city you may be moving to with two suitcases. Renting the blazer, shirts and pants by the month means nothing to buy up front, nothing to store in August, and the option to buy the pieces you ended up wearing every week.
