I read John’s post, “Clothes Make the Man,” and chuckled. Here I was thinking that men had it so easy when it came to wardrobe choices, but in fact, creating and maintaining a professional wardrobe is daunting for both sexes.

My mother is a former fashion buyer and my father was just as comfortable in a suit as he was a jogging suit. I was lucky that I was forced to hit the suit racks and start building a professional wardrobe early on. In high school, I had to dress up for game days when I played field hockey, and in college, I joined a sorority and a co-ed business fraternity, both of which required business attire at chapter meetings.

Back in high school, BeBe was my go-to store for the two suits I had, a skirt suit and a pant suit.  Both were black.  By the time I graduated from college I had about 4 suits that I picked up from the young women departments at Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Bloomingdale’s, and one from J.Crew (this one suit would later start an obsession). One was red and the rest were still my favorite standby – “dark” black.  They held me over for the occasional meeting, moot court argument and interview during law school, but I didn’t really feel like they were my style – items that I was comfortable wearing everyday. They were my costumes when I played “professional Allie” instead of being clothes that I wore naturally and effortlessly. They were more utilitarian and costume-like because I only wore them on “special occasions.” I never thought, “What happens when those ‘special occasions’ become every day occurrences?”

For me, the shift happened after law school, when I got my clerkship.  Part of the exciting thing about having a clerkship was knowing I was going to be in court every day! That was also the most dreadful thing about it.  I was going to have to have different, or seemingly different, outfits on each day. I was leaving the comfortable country of Jean & Sneakers, and getting my passport stamped in Suitville. I quickly realized this wardrobe change was like a rite of passage for a young professional.  Whether we want to admit it or not, how you dress can set you apart from a crowd, put people at ease or make them uncomfortable.  It defines you at the office, and in the courtroom. Clothes can give us presence when we have none as young lawyers who may usually be sitting quietly next to a partner.

In Part II of this three-part series, learn how Allie perfected her new wardrobe on a budget.

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