Wardrobe
— “A collection of wearing apparel
(as of one person or for one activity).”
-Oxford’s
English Dictionary
If you’ve been reading along since the
beginning of my blog, then you’ll likely know that I work at Banana Republic
part-time. This basically means that
outside of law school, my life revolves around fashion. I absolutely love clothes, and the fact that I
have three full closets of clothes between my school apartment and my bedroom
at home should indicate that I take my clothing seriously (or haven’t grown in
ten years so I can still wear things I bought when I was 12). And going to law school means starting a
wardrobe fit for a lawyer. You might be
thinking, “I’m only starting my 1L year, why do I need a dressy wardrobe?” Well, you’ll be using some of these pieces
sooner than you think, and purchasing one item at a time over a couple months
will have you set for your 1L summer internship.
Three
Piece Suit
So when you read three piece suit, I
don’t mean your father’s three piece suit.
I will only consider a suit set if I can purchase the jacket, skirt, and
pants all in the same fabric and color.
Having all three pieces gives you a lot of versatility while also having
one cohesive look. Choosing the same
fabric is so important when it comes to suits.
For example, I had purchased a different pair of pants than the ones I
linked below, but they ended up being a different fabric than the jacket and
that meant the pants were an entirely different black than the jacket. I also recommend purchasing one made of a
wool blend, Banana Republic has a great lightweight wool blend that’s
awesome. A nice lightweight wool suit is
light enough to wear during the summer, but warm enough that you won’t freeze
when it gets colder. I currently only
have a black suit but I keep looking for both a navy and grey suits.
Comfortable
Heels
Heels that don’t hurt your feet are a
number one essential in any female’s wardrobe, at least in my opinion. There’s something so empowering about walking
around in a spiky pair of heels that make your legs look great. But that only goes so far if it hurts to walk
around in them. That being said, I
absolutely love the pair I linked down below, I have them in multiple
colors. They have enough cushion in the soles,
and the angle of the heel isn’t too steep that your toes are being pushed down
into the top of the shoe. I recommend
starting with a basic black pair of pumps, but definitely adding some fun
colors, like a blush pink or burgundy, so you can switch it up depending on
your outfit.
Lightweight
Tops
My closet is full of tanks and dressy
camisoles that are perfect for under suit jackets and blazers. Lighter weight tops, similar to the one I
linked below, ensure that you won’t be too hot wearing multiple layers to
work. Tops like these are also great for
more dressed down occasions as well, I rock these with jeans to school all the
time. They can also add a needed pop of
color to any outfit; I try to stay away from really loud colors with these tops
since they can overpower your outfit and frankly you as well. Delicate fabrics are something to keep in
mind because a lot of these kinds of tops do come in dry clean only fabrics
which can be hard to deal with on a law school budget.
Sweater
If you’ve read my post
about what I carry in my bag to my summer internship, then you’ve already read
about how sweaters are one of my essentials.
I love pairing my sweater with pants and a top when I wasn’t going into
the courtroom this summer. Similarly to
the suit, I love Merino wool sweaters because they provide just enough warmth
in the air conditioning but won’t cause you to sweat when it’s a little warmer.
Fashion
Blazers
While not a complete necessity for a
legal wardrobe, fashion blazers are a fun and stylish addition to anyone’s
professional wardrobe. I personally have
a white linen blazer from J. Crew Factory and a hot pink blazer from Banana
Republic. They’re a little more tailored
than the traditional suiting jacket so they don’t look as stuffy and can be
dressed down as well. These are a fun
addition to add some of your own personality to your outfits.
Pants
In addition to having your basic suit
pants, you should also have some dressy pants/trousers. I personally love the Sloan pants from Banana
Republic because they’re almost like a legging but a little more structured and
they come in a multitude of different colors and patterns. I also like chinos since they are a great
basic to match with any top. Introducing
a few different pairs of pants can give you so many different outfit
combinations so you’ll never get called a fashion repeater like Lizzie McGuire.
Dresses
Dresses are one of my favorite things to
wear all of the time. They’re so
effortless but look so polished and put together. For the start of your legal wardrobe, I’d
definitely pick up a basic black dress, like this one. But also don’t forget about some tasteful
patterned dresses as well if you don’t have to be completely dressed up every
day in the office. I like ones that are
easy to throw a sweater or blazer over in case you get cold or have to go to a
meeting, like the one linked below.
Flats
This was another item in my What’s in My
Bag Internship Edition post because it’s something everyone needs! I personally love matching my flats to the
heels I’m wearing that day, but that’s more because I have like so many pairs
of shoes more than actual necessity. But
sometimes, a dress or outfit will look better with flats or my feet will hurt
so I’ll wear flats instead of heels. And
honestly, if you’re debating between a pair of heels or flats, I’d definitely
go with a pair of flats over heels. The
ones I’ve linked are also a style that I have multiple colors in as well!
Most of the items I’ve linked are from Banana Republic, and usually there are plenty of sales going on so you can get these items at a good price. All of the reviews in this post are my own and aren’t influenced by working there, I wouldn’t link any clothes I wouldn’t wear myself. In fact, all but one of these items are things I have personally tried on and own. Also, none of the links are affiliate because I really just love helping people with styling and fashion in general. Have fun shopping!
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