My 1L year of law school was tough.
All of a sudden, I wasn’t the top of my class. I had trouble keeping up in every topic. I had a master’s degree in journalism and considered myself a good writer, but I had one of the lowest scores on our first legal writing assignment. I felt like I was drowning in a foreign country.
But at least I could look like I belonged. If nothing else, I could control that. Most days, that gave me the confidence to keep going until I started getting my bearings.
As you prepare for your first year of law school, add planning your wardrobe to your list. You might think what you wear is of little importance, but trust me, looking like a law student will boost your confidence in an environment designed to strip it. And the right wardrobe can make your 1L year a bit more tolerable.
If you decide to look online for wardrobe advice, you’ll likely see some variation of the following:
I’m here to tell you that following that list will give you a disjointed, dysfunctional wardrobe, at best, and will leave you with lots of questions while spending probably more than $1,000 on these items.
What kind of dark suit? Does it have to be dark? Do I always have to wear Nylons? Should my button-down shirts match my black pants? What are “silk shells” and what do they match? What makes a “good blazer”? What will I wear it with? What will I wear with the dark sheath dress? Why does everything have to be black or dark? Should the pencil skirt match my “good blazer”? What color of Cardigan sweater do I need? What do I wear that with? Why do I need black heels?
Stay tuned for my lists of coordinated essentials that’ll get you through your first year of law school and beyond, no matter your style.