It’s that time of year when Gen Y’ers are packing up, getting ready for summer jobs and internships. Space is often limited and cramped, especially when it comes to closet space, which means you have to make your wardrobe stretch. Your favorite graphic tee is more versatile than you might think.

Comfy Casual
This is the look you usually wear with your graphic tee–paired with your favorite worn shorts or jean skirt, flip flops and maybe a lightweight cardigan. This is the perfect look for weekend farmer’s markets, outdoor concerts or games.

Funky Professional

You might have ever thought so, but you actually CAN wear your graphic tee to work. It all comes down to what you wear with it. The graphic tee moves seamlessly to the key piece in a funky, trendy professional ensemble when you pair it with a structured pencil skirt and shrunken blazer. Let the embellished shirt be the focal point by keeping your accessories minimal (think sparkly stud earrings) and your makeup neutral.

Rockin’ Out

Contrary to popular belief, going out clothes can actually be comfortable–your graphic tee is living proof. Wear your graphic tee with a pair of great skinny jeans,(the darker or more distressed the denim is, the better) and you have the basis for a cool rocker look. Finish it off by wearing a pair of great, sexy heels (gladiators would work perfectly for this look), long necklace, hoop earrings and smoky eyes.

One t-shirt, three great looks. You can make do with limited space and clothing options this summer.

As female young professionals, we have to walk a delicate line. In my career, I’ve seen far too many women make the mistake of either thinking only about portraying their age in their office attire or only portraying their professionalism. Neither extreme works. You can convey both professionalism and youth, in a good way.

The ticket is really a simple formula: Combine structured with unstructured. Slip a fitted blazer over your favorite tee or cami. Trade in jeans for a nice pair of slacks. Then add the fountain of youth when it comes to your working wardrobe – shoes.

Shoes are the one area you can really get about as creative as you like and still retain a professional look. Add colorful platform heels or a pair of gladiators and suddenly you’re professional without compromising your youthful energy or exuberance for fashion. (Note: this does not mean you can wear flip flops to the office. I’m talking fun, edgy shoes – not sloppy shoes). Not to mention, there’s nothing like a great pair of shoes to make even the most lackluster or unimaginative outfit look amazing (or at least make you feel like a million bucks).

I tried this tactic a few weeks ago for a job interview. As I was meeting with the president of the division, I wanted to look incredibly professional. However for the position, I needed to emphasize being a member of Generation Y. I wore a feminine three-quarter length black Nine West jacket with lace trim, an untucked comfy turquoise t-shirt, and my favorite pair of wide-legged black slacks from Zara. To pull it together, I wore these Harajuku Lovers navy, baby blue and turquoise heels.

It worked perfectly.
The other great benefit to this foolproof fashion formula is that it eases that difficult transition between campus wear and career wear. Invest in a few solid separates (jackets, blazers, pencil skirts, slacks, etc.), and work in your favorite casual tops to create your own professional look–a look that reflects your youth and style and still goes easily from day to night.
Add fun shoes and you’ve not only created a professional look you can actually feel good about, but will likely start some water cooler talk as all the other women WISH they had the guts to wear something so fun to work.

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For as long as she can remember, Sharalyn Hartwell has loved clothes and has loved to write. Writing Gen Y fashion tips for TheWorkingWardrobe provides the ideal outlet to combine her two distinct passions. As the National Generation Y columnist for the online newspaper, Examiner.com, Sharalyn makes it a point to keep her finger on the pulse of all things Gen Y. And, as a self-proclaimed fashionista, she makes it a point to keep her finger on the pulse of the fashion world. Talking about either one most generally gets her pulse racing! Typically heralded by all her friends as the best shopping partner ever (or worst, depending on how much buyer’s remorse they feel after purchasing all the treasures she finds them that they look so fabulous wearing), Sharalyn is a big bargain hunter. Her latest brag? A dupioni silk dress originally tagged $375. Sharalyn scooped that beauty up for $15. You can read more about of Sharalyn’s thoughts on Gen Y and fashion on the Examiner.com and TheRugged.com. Oh yeah, and she hearts shoes. A lot.

Even though most offices operate under a business casual dress code these days, it is still imperative for every young professional to build a strong working wardrobe. This can seem a daunting task, particularly for the young male.

The typical college guy’s wardrobe full of jeans, graphic t-shirts and Chuck Taylors isn’t going to work in most professional settings. But one thing works in all business settings: The basic dress shirt.

Affordable Quality

A basic dress shirt can be found virtually anywhere. But, you don’t want just a basic dress shirt, you want a quality dress shirt. Believe it or not, quality doesn’t always have to come at a high price.

So many guys think the only way to get something nice is to go to a high end retail store like Nordstrom. Nordstrom is great, but if you’re just starting out, you might only be able to afford a shirt or two, when in reality you might need four or five. So, some will try to get dress shirts at a lower end department. That works only if you put in the effort to really care for those shirts, otherwise the wear shows far too quickly (and really, what guy wants to meticulously care for his dress shirts?).

Instead, shop a little smarter.

Josepeh Abboud is one the best brands in men’s dress shirts. It’s a brand staple you’ll find at Nordstom, but one you’ll also find a The Men’s Wearhouse, and they are frequently on special at The Men’s Wearhouse. Not only that, if you watch carefully, you can find Joseph Abboud shirts at discount houses like TJ Maxx and Ross for about a third of the regular price.

Features of a Quality Dress Shirt

What makes Joseph Abboud dress shirts so great? The fabric. The fabric is simply amazing, the finish is impeccable and they look good on every man, regardless of size (trust me). But, the Gen Y guy especially will love that they are non-iron. They come out of the dryer ready to wear (which will save you money at the dry cleaners and hassle with the iron).

Quality Fit

Finding dress clothes is always a challenge for the guy who regularly puts in his time at the gym. A standard dress shirt that fits around the neck will be more than ample around his trim waistline. Joseph Abboud fitted styles are trim in the right places and will be much more comfortable (and flattering) for the average guy.

Quality Versatility

Of course the dress shirt is universally meant to be worn with a tie, under a suit. But a quality dress shirt looks great worn alone, without the tie and the top button left undone. And, if you steer away from a basic solid color, to one with a pattern or a French cuff, you might even be able to pull it off with jeans for an evening out.

Quality Colors

As you’re building your wardrobe, invest first in some basic colors–white, ecru (guy translation: an off-white/beige color), a light blue and a pastel (pink or purple, yes, real men wear pink and purple dress shirts). As you build your working wardrobe, you’ll want to incorporate darks (blacks, burgundy, grays) and patterns (start with stripes, then go from there). .

The bottom line is it doesn’t have to be difficult and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Enroll in the free rewards programs and incentives stores offer. Those programs will always help you save money and keep informed about upcoming specials.

Quality at an affordable price can certainly be found with a little effort.

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For as long as she can remember, Sharalyn Hartwell has loved clothes and has loved to write. Writing Gen Y fashion tips for TheWorkingWardrobe provides the ideal outlet to combine her two distinct passions. As the National Generation Y columnist for the online newspaper, Examiner.com, Sharalyn makes it a point to keep her finger on the pulse of all things Gen Y. And, as a self-proclaimed fashionista, she makes it a point to keep her finger on the pulse of the fashion world. Talking about either one most generally gets her pulse racing! Typically heralded by all her friends as the best shopping partner ever (or worst, depending on how much buyer’s remorse they feel after purchasing all the treasures she finds them that they look so fabulous wearing), Sharalyn is a big bargain hunter. Her latest brag? A dupioni silk dress originally tagged $375. Sharalyn scooped that beauty up for $15. You can read more about of Sharalyn’s thoughts on Gen Y and fashion on the Examiner.com and TheRugged.com. Oh yeah, and she hearts shoes. A lot.

However, the spectacle of free company t-shirts has now been replaced by women in often awkwardly sculptural shoes and clothing, while the men attempt to relay the amount of time they have worked here through the tightness of their pants. But, even as the prevailing and hackneyed stereotype of the architect as the (wo)man who equates black ensembles and eccentric eyeglasses with degree of skill haunts the design industry like an unsatisfied apparition, it cannot be put to rest.

Power Suited Architect by WorkWardrobe featuring Giuseppe Zanotti shoes

Click HERE to read what Courtney Jiyun Song of The Cornell Daily Sun has to say on working her confusing office dress code.

At these times you ponder the basics of discount work wear shopping: H&M, Nordstrom Rack…maybe even Goodwill. Unfortunately these places are usually very good for discovering accent pieces or sections of a work outfit; but when trying to find an entire working ensemble (much less several), you may find yourself worried about the impression you are going to leave on the first day of your new workweek. Even if you are desperate for new work clothes, you should never compromise fit, quality and comfort just to be able to fill your professional closet.

Look at things in this light: If you just start a new position and you need work clothes immediately, remember you will get your first pay check within two weeks or a month at the most. Therefore, don’t buy an entire wardrobe; buy enough to last you until your first check. That allows you to purchase less pieces that will last beyond your first work month so you don’t feel that you just threw your pre-employed money into a blender. And what better place to invest in a few decent mix and match suit combinations than at the ingenious shopping destination of the consignment shop?

Modern Millie Vintage & Consignments: Salem, MA

Consignment shops by definition are stores that sell previously-worn clothing for a discounted price. It is sort of like digging through the racks of TJ Maxx (which by the way is also a fantastic venue to score some amazing quality business clothing for very reasonable prices), but keep digging and you may come upon some gold. For example, yesterday’s article in Providence Business News gave light to a local consignment store that has lured upscale shoppers into its doors from its high-end retail neighbors. Read the article HERE.

Second Time Around: Providence, RI

Keep in mind that consignment shops are typically in the “hit or miss” sector. However, it will be worth your time to peruse the racks because once you come across the barely worn Anne Klein or Saks Fifth Avenue suit and BCBG blouse for up to 80% less than retail price, you will give yourself the much-deserved pat on the back for your business savvy shopping decision.

“At first it was like, this is great, I’m gonna hibernate this winter and I don’t have to fight traffic or get on the El when it’s like zero degrees,” she recalls. A few months later, she went into panic mode. “I kind of woke up from hibernation in late March and said, ‘ohmigod, I don’t have a job,’” she says. “I literally got in my car one day and started looking for storefronts… I called every place on Clark in Andersonville that had a ‘for rent’ sign on it.”

Click here to read on about Emilia Dlugolecka’s boutique, Mr. and Mrs. Digz, from boutiqueville.com.

Read what Adelia Cellini Linecker of Investor’s Business Daily has to say on proper dress code and office/management standards here.