Interview Attire

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The optometrist i work for suggested me to buy a suit. I was surprised at the cost of a suit!! I am a petite gal, and even if i wore a suit, i would need to pay more to get it tailored. So do you have any suggestions on what else i could wear to my interview? if i wore something else, is it okay to be slightly trendy? What attire have you seen at interviews that is a definite "NO" besides jeans, tshirts and the ones that show too much skin? thanks for you input!

Originally Posted by yvipine

The optometrist i work for suggested me to buy a suit. I was surprised at the cost of a suit!! I am a petite gal, and even if i wore a suit, i would need to pay more to get it tailored. So do you have any suggestions on what else i could wear to my interview? if i wore something else, is it okay to be slightly trendy? What attire have you seen at interviews that is a definite "NO" besides jeans, tshirts and the ones that show too much skin? thanks for you input!

Frankly, a suit is a really good idea. Just about everybody wears a suit to the interview...it's standard attire. Besides, it's a good investment because you'll be wearing your suit to i.e. professional events or even at clinic (if you want to).

I would agree, I was faced with the same issue... tayloring costs a lot when you are petite... but buy something very conservative and traditional that you can wear for many years

I bought a pretty costly summer suit (light color and fabric) for my pre-professional committee interviews and I'm so glad I did. Like the others have said, you'll definitely be able to use it in the future, and suits last for so long. Bad thing for me is now I need to find some more $$ to buy a darker, heavier suit for the winter interviews! The suit will be a good investment, and that's what we're expected to wear anyway.

For my interview I just wore a pair of brown dress pants and a nice short sleeved shirt (and so did other people in my interview). To me, it was SO much more important to feel comfortable than wearing something really nice to impress someone. I understand that one day you'll have to wear stuff like that, but for an interview I didn't think it was THAT important.

On the contrary to what the previous post said, I think you should really wear a suit to your interview to show your professionalism and dedication. When it comes down to whether you get into optometry schools or not, I think you should play safe, and dress professionally.

Originally Posted by StplrDncr

For my interview I just wore a pair of brown dress pants and a nice short sleeved shirt (and so did other people in my interview). To me, it was SO much more important to feel comfortable than wearing something really nice to impress someone. I understand that one day you'll have to wear stuff like that, but for an interview I didn't think it was THAT important.

While I agree that wearing something comfortable is essential, your comfort isn't really the end goal of the day... getting into school is. Your entire job at the interview is to impress them!

With that being said, I don't agree with the sentiment that if you aren't wearing a suit you aren't professional and shouldn't get into school. I opted to not wear a suit to my interviews, and I got in at both schools I applied to, and got scholarship offers as well. I wore black tweed pants with a white button up shirt and a black V-neck sweater over that. Everyone else wore a suit, and I felt like I automatically stood out, but in a good way. If you aren't comfortable enough to be the one that stands out, then wear a suit!

I'm also going with suit. But you're right, it can cost some serious money (though I agree it's a good investment).

Sometimes you can find something that looks sharp at Target. Nice pants aren't too hard to come by (Target or elsewhere), and I know they have some blazers. If you need to shorten the pants, I've heard of this tape-like stuff you can just iron on the hem. I haven't used it, but I have a good friend who has had good luck with it. I'll find out what it's called if you'd like.

thanks guys! i looked around different places but none had anything close to my size. And yes, i even looked in the juniors section, and the ones there still didn't fit!!!! i ended up going to a nordstrom and they did alterations for me. i'm sure you can guess how much i had to pay for it but i guess it's worth it, cause it sure is a nice suit!!

Originally Posted by yvipine

thanks guys! i looked around different places but none had anything close to my size. And yes, i even looked in the juniors section, and the ones there still didn't fit!!!! i ended up going to a nordstrom and they did alterations for me. i'm sure you can guess how much i had to pay for it but i guess it's worth it, cause it sure is a nice suit!!

In the end it is money well spent! You'll feel like a million bucks...and look like it too! Best of luck at your interviews.

PGE