Alec Lynde
How You Can Dress For Success In Washington, DC
By Alec Lynde
Spring 2015
Note: advice is for men’s clothing only
Whenever I move to a new place I am inevitably dragging at least four suitcases full of clothes behind me…and maybe one smaller suitcase just for my shoes. This posed a problem for me when I made plans to fly to Washington, DC for the spring semester. Obviously, I would not be able to bring four suitcases on the airplane.
I was mostly concerned about having clothes to wear to work. If you’ve ever walked into a clothing store, then you know how quickly you can break the bank trying to buy a pair of jeans, never mind a whole wardrobe for work. So how did I do it? How did I manage to pack a DC-appropriate wardrobe into two suitcases without spending a fortune? Let’s take this step-by-step.
First, I cannot stress enough the importance of socks. White socks are NOT AN OPTION. If you have them in your sock drawer, please do yourself a favor and throw them in the garbage. If you want to save money replacing all those socks, H&M offers a 10-pack of black socks for $15 and a 5-pack of blue socks for $10. They are cheap, but they will last (I’ve had mine for over a year now). If you’re willing to spend some extra money, head over to Happy Socks. I love socks with cool designs and this is the place to get them.
Second, let’s talk pants. Unless your internship requires that you wear a suit to work every day, you’ll be just fine with a few pairs of Chinos. Again, H&M is the perfect place to find these on the cheap. If you’re looking to save money, I’d suggest purchasing four pairs: two pairs of beige, one navy blue, and one black. I recommend two pairs of beige pants because it is the easiest color to match with and the most common color that people wear when dressing business-casual.
Third, now that you’ve managed to diversify your sock drawer and simplify your pants collection, buying shirts is that much easier. Run wild with this and be a bit creative. Almost any shirt you buy will match with one of the four pairs of pants you just purchased. Patterns look great when you combine them with a solid-colored pair of pants, so don’t be afraid to throw in some stripes or checkers. J. Crew Factory has reasonably priced button-downs (perfect for business casual) in more patterns than you’ll ever need.
Finally, shoes. You need two pairs of dress shoes and only two pairs: one brown, one black. Done. End of conversation. In all seriousness, go to your nearest Aldo and ask for a versatile pair of black shoes and a versatile pair of brown shoes. You can dress these up or down based on what you’re wearing, so they are perfect for being in DC.
Before you know it, you’ll be dressed for success. If you take your wardrobe seriously, people will take you seriously. This doesn’t mean you need to spend your life’s savings on clothes. Instead, be smart about where you shop and make sure you have the basics before you worry about less useful items (i.e. watches, a briefcase, etc.). Accessories are cool, but not as important. Good luck and welcome to DC!
Alec Lynde is a junior at Boston University studying International Relations and the Middle East & North Africa.
