Law Careers – What to Wear to Work
Studying law and getting through university is tough. In your final year, you’ll likely be working longer hours towards your exams than the average shift worker puts in per week on the clock. It’s a grueling test of who can stay the course and stand the heat. Of course, if you’ve come this far, you may as well kiss goodbye to any partying plans and keep the revelry to a minimum. No-one is going to give you a first-class degree in law for putting in a decent amount of effort throughout most of your course but not especially during the last few months. That’s not how it works. Eyes on the prize, and all that. So, long story short, you drink a lot of coffee, and you pass your final exams with more or less the grade you were hoping for. Well done. But that’s when a peculiar thing happens. Namely, interviews. Specifically, interviews at law firms. Even more specifically, interviews at law firms where everyone looks immaculate (and you look like you ran through a clearance sale grabbing anything pinstripe in roughly your size).
Before we get started…
Perhaps the main pointer to remember when dressing for a career in law is that you must meet your clients’ expectations of what they want you to look like. Anything that is even borderline ‘odd’ about your appearance may lead your clients to take their business to a law firm with a more expected look – see accident lawyer (from Shreveport) for ideas.
remember when dressing for a career in law is that you must meet your clients’ expectations of what they want you to look like.
Law office attire
A fitted business suit in navy blue or grey is as solid an option for men as it is for women. Black is another acceptable colour, although beware that black can show up lint, meaning you may wish to avoid it if you don’t want to look like you’ve been rolling around in a cotton factory on your way to work. Shirts should be kept to full length sleeves in white or pastel colours (nothing brightly coloured, and patterned shirts may be too dazzling and a step too far for a clean-cut client-friendly image).
Shoes, again, should be nothing exuberant that may suggest the wearer is whimsical and by extension lackadaisical, so avoid anything with bold designs and stick to simple black or brown leather. There is no real consensus on heels heights, so just go with what feels right for you. Lastly, many law offices do not appreciate strong perfumes or aftershaves. Invest in a light daytime fragrance and save your more powerful scents for socialising.
