girls internship attire

Firstly... dress like a woman, not like a girl. Avoid leggings and overly casual looks EVEN IF it's a 'business casual' setting. Add to that, nothing too short, too clingy, too sheer or too low-cut. Look around the office during your first week and get a feel for what everyone else is wearing, you want to fit in and not stand out in a bad way.

Footwear-wise, wear what you like, whether flats or heels, just keep them up. It's so painful to see a man or woman nicely dressed from the ankles up and then see that their footwear have super worn-out heels, cracking leather/material. I wear comfortable flats, boots, sandals for the walking portion of my commute and keep a few different pairs of heels in my drawer that I change into.

Personally, I exclusively wear dresses or skirts. Pants are certainly acceptable these days, but make sure they are flattering and proportionate to your height, not too tight, too short and not dragging on the ground. A decent tailor is your friend if you have a height or figure where it's trickier to buy off-the-rack and not look like you borrowed someone's clothes that are obviously ill-fitting.

Don't know where you live/work, but H&M, Zara, Express, Lord & Taylor, Century21 outlets - you can find lots of affordable brand-name dresses, along with nicer logo-free t-shirts and knit tops to wear over skirts. Tops and skirts/pants will allow for more versatility, mixing/matching, especially when you are slowly buildng a work wardrobe. You can probably survive without a proper blazer/jacket, however, it's never a bad thing to own one or two, one neutral, one bright or favorite color. There are also tons of lovely cardigans and wraps that you can easily find. I keep a blazer and 2 cardigan/wraps at my desk, so I can cover up when the a/c is kicking or when I need to attend a meeting and want to look a bit more polished.

As for handbags/totes/gear-carrier, there are tons of leather and non-leather options. Many of the stores I mentioned above also sell accessories like handbags, knapsacks, etc. Avoid anything "too cute" like a Hello Kitty knapsack or those furry purses with varsity patches stitched on. You can never go wrong with a basic black or neutral bag or tote with either some interesting metalwork or embroidery if you are looking to make things a little interesting.

Same thing goes for jewelry. You want a few things to top off your look, but nothing over-the-top. Costume jewelry is fine, but don't wear noisy, jingly bracelets.

Make-up and perfume - keep them on the more-lightly-applied side, especially perfume or cologne, and especially if you're going to be working closely with others in a fishbowl or bullpen setting.

Good luck on your internship!