You have one day of the week where you go from class to your internship to the gym. You don’t have enough time to run back to your room to change, so what do you do? Stressing about what you’ll be wearing on your busy day is common for students who juggle school, work and extracurricular activities.

“Some days I have work right after class, in which case I will wear my work uniform to class,” said senior Sunday Wallace. “It’s not a big deal ‘cause my class is only an hour long, so I don’t mind wearing my work clothes to class.”

This situation also occurs if you make plans such as going to the gym or playing basketball after work.

“Sometimes I wake up and go to the gym, then I have class or a job interview all in the same day, so I can either get dressed normally and change mid-day or dress professionally,” said junior Harrison Sands.

Many students who work or have internships are faced with this situation.

“Usually once a week is when I have to do this,” said Wallace.

Some students don’t mind wearing their work clothes to class, but others don’t want to mess up their professional attire.

“I don’t want to wrinkle my nice work clothes; it doesn’t look very professional,” said junior Katie Jensen.

Packing your work clothes or more professional clothes is always an option if you don’t want to wear them to class. This is also a good idea if you are leaving work or your internship to do something else after.

“If I have to go somewhere after work, I bring an extra change of clothes that isn’t my work uniform; something more casual,” said Wallace.

An easy way to dress up or dress down any outfit is with accessories. If you want to wear your professional or work clothes to class but don’t want to look like you’re running straight to work, tone it down with a patterned scarf or chunky necklace.

“I usually just try to wear a basic outfit and move it to a more work-appropriate outfit,” said Jensen.

You can make this transition from basic to professional easily with shoes. Open-toed shoes aren’t work-appropriate, but they are for class or hanging out. When it is time for work, slip on a more professional shoe.

“I make my outfits work for both class and work by changing my shoes from my ballet flats to a pair of black heels,” said Jensen.

For guys, changing a typical outfit from class to work can be simple.

“I will wear slacks and a button-up to class, then on the way to the interview I have a jacket and a tie in the car ready to go,” said Sands.

Having a couple of things, such as a blazer, ready in your car can turn an ordinary outfit into one you can wear to work.

“You can dress up or down depending on what you’re wearing to make it appropriate for whatever you are doing,” said Sands.

“My advice is to try to keep it pretty simple,” said Jensen. “This way you can add more to make it work for a more professional occasion or take something away to keep it on the casual side.”

Lindsey Walton
Staff Writer
Published April 24, 2013