Suits me just fine
Friday Feb 20, 2009
This week we had a suit drive for Dress for Success. Dress for Success is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and development tools to help women thrive in work and life. A very worthy cause.
So I decided to go through my closets and prune them of clothing items that I could donate. This was a long overdue task - something that had been on my to-do list for some time, but since it wasn't urgent it naturally fell to the bottom of the pile.
As I went through my work attire, I realized how drastically my clothing has changed from when I worked at a law firm to when I went in-house. Many of the suits I culled from my closet had dust on the shoulders (I'm ashamed to say 
) because I haven't worn them for so long. I think I can count the days I've worn a suit since I've been an in-house attorney on one hand. That's not to say that I haven't dressed up for important meetings and such - it just doesn't necessarily require a suit. The culture of a corporation is quite different than it is at a law firm - it's much less formal. I've traded in my suits, nylons and high heels for comfy sweaters, jackets, sensible shoes, khakis, and jeans. Yes, *jeans* - and it doesn't even have to be Friday to wear them. Now I fully subscribe to the Gilda Radner rule of fashion - if it itches, I ain't wearin' it. 
It's interesting to see the new attorneys who come to Sun from law firms. At first, they're not quite sure how to dress. They start out dressing fairly formally like they did at the law firm, and then gradually go more casual. Eventually, they throw all caution to the wind and adopt the "in-house dress code." That always makes me smile, because then I know they're really feeling more comfortable and becoming integrated into Sun and the legal department.
You'll see some very interesting attire at Sun (outside of the legal department). Tie-dye shirts that look like they're older than the company, bizarre hats, shorts and sandals in the middle of winter, ripped up t-shirts and jeans worn day after day. But it's all part of the company's innovative culture, and it's part of what makes Sun so special. It all suits me just fine. I don't miss the law firm days where everyone looked the same.
One important interviewing tip: Even if you know that everyone at the company you're interviewing with shows up to work looking like complete slobs, you still need to dress up in a suit for your interview. This is your one chance to make your best impression on the interviewers and sell yourself - you want to give it all you've got.
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