Winter Office Style Contest: Lovely Undergrad

Jessica over at Lovely Undergrad is hosting a contest to see who can design the best winter internship interview outfit, so I decided to take my chances!

My ideal future career is to work for a travel magazine, so I decided to design an outfit for an interview with National Geographic Traveler. I stayed pretty simple with my major pieces, but infused some fun accessories and color to keep from being forgettable. I built my outfit around a pair of nice gray pants, simple button-down shirt and a jacket in a fun color yet professional cut. My purse is big enough to stash a few issues of Traveler to peruse on the subway on my way to the interview, and my Claddagh ring illustrates a little of my heritage. I balanced out these fairly safe accessories with a fun necklace, feathered bracelet and turquoise pumps to offer small peeps of personality. (P.S. - These pumps come in several other fun colors, too.) I think my jacket and pants would cover enough of the jewelry and shoes that the combination wouldn't be overwhelming. And finally, you gotta smell good in any close-quartered office. (Yes, I realize it's just the perfume container, but I can just imagine all the yummy-smelling scents I could fill it with.)

While creating this outfit, I kept in mind the infographic Jessica supplied on her blog about professional wardrobes. As explained above, I started with basic pieces, added some color and accessorized. Because magazines are a creative environment, I think I can get away with some of the funkier jewelry I picked. I also chose very conservative pieces; no short skirts or cleavage here!

Source: uncommongoods.com via Megan on Pinterest

P.S. - I would have loved to use this necklace in my outfit, but it just didn't work with the neckline of the shirt I picked. Plus, I think it's a little too ostentatious to be professional. But isn't it fun?