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"  As new graduates (not to mention summer interns) begin their careers, one of the major decisions they&amp;#039;ll face is what to wear on the first day of work. At least it was a big deal for me. I remember my first-day-outfit \u2014 black pants with a white puffy-sleeve tee and an argyle sweater-vest. The tee may have been a mistake, but the look is burned in my brain, thanks in part to the ID badge that I still use (and which causes the occasional double-take \u2014 I used to be a brunette!). I began my career overdressing \u2014 blouses, black trousers and heels every day. After a few weeks, I realized my work-environment was a little more relaxed, the definition of business casual. But the truth was that there were no set-in-stone rules about what we could and couldn&amp;#039;t wear \u2014 it was (and still is) a judgment call. I still remember hearing from a co-worker that flip-flop-like shoes were unacceptable only to look down at her feet and realize she was wearing them! With no one telling me how to dress, I observed what my colleagues wore \u2014 and went to my mom for advice. I started with safe black trousers and branched out slowly. If black was a go, than I was reasonably certain navy would be as well. If trousers worked, why not try nice capris during the summer? And maybe the most obvious path \u2014 I checked with my boss. Asking questions, especially when there are no clear-cut rules around the office dress code, shows your supervisor that you care about the impression you make at work \u2014 and it&amp;#039;s a lot easier to ask than to have to explain an inappropriate clothing choice. After all, everything speaks to who you are as a colleague and employee \u2014 whether it&amp;#039;s the state of your desk or the outfits you wear every day.  Catherine Hageman dispatches fashionista tendencies fit for a corporate career on Small Town, Big Wardrobe. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.marieclaire.com/fashion/a12321/office-dress-code/>