Through experts and workplace fashion observations, here are clothing tips for interns and college graduates. Better to go conservative until you know the culture:

• No flip-flops. Ever. No Tevas. No strappy sandals and no toe or ankle jewelry. For women: No open-toed shoes unless you have a good pedicure.

• The less skin the better. Skirts to the knee. Nothing sleeveless without a cardigan or a jacket. No cleavage. “Modest is hottest,” said Callista Gould of the Culture and Manners Institute. “Dress so people respect you, not inspect you.”

• No sundresses, tube tops or bare midriffs. Nothing too tight or form-fitting.

• Not everyone has to wear a charcoal suit. Lighter versions of gray, blue and taupe are fine. “Let your personality do the shining,” Gould said. “Don’t let your clothes shut you down.”

• If you must have brighter colors, make sure the clothes are very traditional cuts. And pair strong color blocks with a neutral color. Don’t wear them together.

• Piercings anywhere but the ears of women should be removed and tattoos hidden.

• Jewelry should be simple and traditional.

• Save the golf shirts for the golf course, the tennis shoes for the tennis and basketball courts, and the Hawaiian shirts for the beach.

• Shorts, even paired with a suit jacket, come up short in the workplace.

• Fine-gauge T-shirts under a suit jacket can be acceptable for men, but no V-necks. Chest hair on men can be a turn-off in the workplace. And nothing with slogans or ads.

• And everybody: Save the neon colors for the disco.