I have recently accepted a job at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington MA. I am going to be a System Integration and Test Engineer in a large department that consists mainly of men, mainly of contractors rather than direct hires, and mainly of senior engineers.
I’m on a mission to re-invigorate my wardrobe but it’s hard to figure out just where I should fall on the business casual spectrum. Lincoln Lab is a bit more conservative than most engineering firms, even for the East coast but it is still not a dress-pants kind of place. My husband is at Lincoln Labs and he wears Kahkis and a button-down every day and is the most well-dressed in his group.
I am doing a little thought experiment and have come up with a set of 4 questions to help me figure out exactly what I should be wearing.
- Who am I trying to influence with my clothing choices?
- What response do I want from each of those groups?
- What should I avoid to get a negative response from each of those groups?
- What would satisfy each of those groups?
Lets get started!
Who am I trying to influence with my clothing choices?
I’m trying to impress and fit-in with my boss (manager types), my project manager (Senior Engineer), my co-workers (younger, male engineers), the support staff (older female secretaries etc.), and myself. I’ve also always got my mother in my head to satisfy and my husband who I always want to look good for.
What response do I want from each of those groups?
Manager Types
Project: up-and-commer, professional, a leader, bright-eyed and ready to learn, a people person with charisma.
Not: little girl, a daughter-type, or a sister-type, aweek leader or technically incompetent.
Senior Engineers
project: technically capable, an engineer, a good student, quick and eager to learn, likable
Not: a glorified secretary, support staff, or a technician.
Younger Engineer
Project: one of the guys, a friend to invite out to lunch, someone to joke with and goof off with, sisterly(no funny business) but respected, young and hip
Not: support staff or awkward.
Support Staff
project: smart, efficient, in-charge, friendly and likable, easy to get along with and reasonable.
Mother
project: professional, successful, older, polite, respectful.
Husband
project: Friendly, confident, happy, professional.
What should I avoid to keep from getting a negative response from these groups?
sloppy attire: athletic wear, stains, rips, worn-out clothes, gross nails, unkempt hair, ill-fitted clothes
overly young attire: logo t-shirts, faded jeans, soccer-ponytails, headbands, no makeup,
overly dressy attire: suits, dark pants,
revealing attire: Tight pants, low shirts, tight dresses, short shirts, short dresses, too much makeup
unfashionable attire: out of style, not fashion-forward and hip clothing, ill-fitting clothes
uncomfortable or awkward clothes: heels I can’t walk fast enough in, shoes that make my feet bleed, clothes without enough warm layers, hair in my face (too short to pull back to work)
What would satisfy each of these groups?
Well-kept nails and hair done to keep it out of my face: braid, bun, low ponytail
Chinos, button-down with sweater, fashionable jewelry, comfortable shoes with a reasonable heel
dresses with matching cardigan, jewelry, leggings and boots
chinos with blazer and blouse, comfy shoes
So for my new wardrobe. I need to find a source of not-too-tight chinos, sensible brown and black shoes, and some funky jewelry to go with my already heavy collection of sweaters and dresses. I have several blazers but I could use more blouses to wear under them.
I’d like to try on these broken-in strait and perfect fit kakhis from Gap
I used to get these awesome kakhis from Lands End Canvas but they don’t sell anything work-friendly anymore. I do want to try these Lands End ones that come in a variety of colors. They may be a great substitute for the Canvas ones I have and love.
I just bought a great pair of brown loafers from Payless. They came in wide width and are remarkably comfortable. I’m hoping to find something similar in black but ideally they’d be a style that could be worn with a skirt that isn’t too high or too strappy. I’d rather not wear pumps since I have a hard time keeping them on but something with a strap, more mary-jane style would work. I’m sure I’ll find something that should work.
As far as tops, I’m a big fan of the idea of getting some nice t-shirts and embellishing them with lace and other trimmings. Some sequins and beading would be super fun and I would love working on stuff like that.
For now, I’ve got a plan to head to the mall to try on some new pants and I’m planning on heading to the outlets soon to look for blouses. In the mean time, it’s time to go through my closet, try everything on, and see what all I have that will help me look awesome at my new job.
Sarah