I hear the cry of poverty from students, and I can
well empathize.  There was a time I worked in a
corporate office, raising two kids with no child
support, and still had to dress in a fashion
acceptable to the work place.  It was hard to pull
off, but still doable.  I couldn't be a fashion maven.
 Basic, interchangeable, mix and match did the trick.

But it would seem to me a couple of thoughts are worth
throwing out:

1.  A uniform, in the end, is probably going to be far
less costly than having to purchase new clothing for
the internship.  The polo shirts and such seem very
plausible. If you have two sets, you can wash one and
wear one.  Unless there's some huge logo all over it,
you can probably make it a win for some other portion
of your wardrobe if/when you leave.

2.  You are operating in a professional environment. 
It's best to try to look the part, and of course, act
it, because you will be dealing with the public at
hand and, though "only an intern," you still represent
the institution.  The public at large isn't going to
distinguish you as "just an intern."  They will assume
you work for the museum.

3.  When you go to college, you dress the part.  Heels
and business suits aren't the fashion, and you may
have been laughed out of the place showing up in same
when everyone else is in tres casual.  So why would
you expect not to dress the part when you go to work
at a museum, even if that opportunity is without pay?

4.  Life is about choices.  You chose to accept the
internship, you chose to prepare yourself for the
profession.  There are countless places you could put
together a tasteful museum wardrobe.  Deb has
mentioned thrift stores.  Ebay has some great
fashions, often at nominal cost.  There are many $5
stores where, if you accessorize (scarf--perhaps one
you made--earrings, brooch, all often available at
thrift stores), you can actually look quite nice. 
There are also folks on http://www.freecycle.org that
offer bags of gently used clothing for free.

5.  Poverty is a tough thing.  No one wants you to be
any more broke than you already are.  But you will not
succeed in the business world (and a museum is a form
of business) if you do not fit in in terms of style. 
Future employers will be looking at you.  It's best if
they see you in a quality light.

Life, no doubt, is tough.  Sometimes you have to do
things you'd rather not do just to (ultimately) put
bread on the table.  In a perfect world, it might be
different, but . . .

Indigo Nights
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