New wardrobe necessary for graduates

Editor’s Note: April Forristall graduated from the University of Maine Saturday and is writing a series of columns, appearing Wednesdays, about her and classmates’ job-hunting experiences.

According to Collegegrad.com, a link from Richard Bolles’ job-hunting book and my survival guide, “What Color Is Your Parachute?” campus clothing won’t cut it in the adult world. But I already knew that.

Every college student who is getting ready to attend interviews, or who already has an internship or job where they need to start switching their wardrobe from campus fashion to work fashion, knew that.

Since getting my internship, I have had about four shirts and two pairs of pants in a pretty dull rotation. So I went out to see what I could find. I came back with nothing.

Department stores? Forget it. All of their clothes looked like they belonged in either my mother’s closet or the closet of a middle-school pupil running for student council.

Is it too much to ask to find clothes that I like and that I can wear to work?

I began to think: Could the answer be as simple as knowing what you should wear and then going to stores you like and finding items that work?

I visited some stores that I love to test my theory. Some stores that really worked were:

. Express. With the slogan on their Web site – “First I wore it to work, and now I’m workin’ it” – screams that these are clothes for twentysomethings in the professional world.

Their editor pants are perfect. They come in different colors and styles – and won’t give you a “mom butt.” The closest Express store is in the Maine Mall in South Portland, which isn’t far. Or you can browse online, call the store and have them ship your finds to you.

Another is Anne Taylor Loft. The “loft” is important; it’s the younger, less expensive version of Anne Taylor. They have great spring skirts and suits that don’t say, “Which way to the day care?” And there’s one in the Maine Mall, one in the Fox Run Mall in New Hampshire, and seven in Massachusetts.

Also, Target has great stuff. I’ve already found one top for under nine dollars. I’ve worn it to my internship, for a class presentation and out on a Saturday night.

Even Abercrombie sells khaki pants and button-ups I can wear to work. You just have to look. And if you do get stuck with a suit you may never want to wear again but inevitably will have to, try to add your own flare.

If you’re wondering whether or not an outfit is OK for a job interview or work, College-grad.com says to go to the source. Call the employer. Talk to someone in the human resources department and ask what would be appropriate to wear for an interview in the department where you are seeking a job. The person on the other end of the phone may think you’re a fool, but no one else has to know about it!

Some other tips:

. Don’t wear distracting jewelry. Don’t wear flashy, dangly earrings (like chandelier earrings), and don’t wear more than one set. Only one ring per hand. A piece of advice from the career center: Put on what you want to wear, then take off two items.

. Carry a briefcase instead of a purse. If you are wearing nail polish, make sure it is not chipped. Pastel colors remind people of Easter, which is considered immature. Avoid pastels like blue and pink.

Red is considered a “power color,” but you don’t want to give the impression that you are more important then your employer, so avoid it.

Neutral colors are best, with a bright shirt under a blazer or jacket. This way, you’ll stand out, but not inappropriately.