Men's Interview Clothing #3!

Getting into Med School is Hard? Not with BeMo.
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Catalystik said:
Note to self: Subtract two MCAT points for tucked-in tie. Got it. Seems fair.
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I'm just trying to estimate the effect in a currency that the readers will relate to (note: old MCAT scale!).
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Catalystik said:
A question for you fashion gurus:

I've seen some Thom Browne type-suits pictured with the tie tucked into the belt. And some not. Is this an essential with the tight-suit-coat look to prevent the tie poking out below the button, or elective, or is it not specific to any particular style? See below.
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Horrid. Just Horrid. Pre-Meds - please DON'T DO THIS! You are trying to look professional, not fashionable. Note that the two are not the same, and are, in this instance, not even related. I personally would ding a lot more than 2 MCAT points, so be glad I'm not the one judging you. (One ding for "poor judgement" and a whole separate ding for "terrible taste!")

And to the "I look better with a beard" guy -- I actually really like a well-trimmed beard. But, again, you're trying to look professional, not 'your most attractive'. Prevailing SDN wisdom is pretty clear that beards are a detriment, so unless you look 14 without one, shaving is the safer bet.
 
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ridethecliche said:
I'm slightly older (26) and i interviewed with a well groomed beard the entire cycle. I think there might have been only one place where it caused an issue, but i doubt that was what caused it.
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I kept my beard for my last interview because I didn't feel any pressure. I probably lucked out because both of my faculty interviewers that day were casually dressed. One was quite unkempt actually, with wild hair and an ill-fitting sweater.

One of my faculty interviewers wore an elegant suit and some sort of boutonniere, which I had never seen on someone not in a tux. I am glad that I was maximally neat for that interview.
 
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Eh, I think beards are more socially acceptable in professional settings than thom Browne inspired fun suits.

If you have a beard reminiscent of a Maine fisherman or a hockey player, then consider trimming it. Otherwise live your life.
 
I'm probably going to go safe for my interview and go ahead and shave, but I definitely don't think beards come with as much of the "unkempt" connotation as they used to. It will probably vary from adcom to adcom.
 
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My aversion to beards comes from military service. lol
 
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I kept my beard for my interviews. People on this thread told me to shave it and that my beard looks 'douchey'. Well I'm happy to report that I got accepted to all the schools that offered me an interview. LizzyMs advice on a different post said that if you have a beard on your drivers license and on the photo you sent to the AAMC or schools, then you should have a beard when you interview. I followed that advice and it worked well. I'm not a big fan of this anti-beard mentality, but I understand that medicine is also conservative. In the end, I realized that I have had a beard for 8 years and if I was clean shaven then I would be too self conscious and uncomfortable and I didn't think its smart to interview feeling that way.
 
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Looking towards going with a charcoal/dark grey suit, white (maybe slightly off white) shirt, forest green grenadine tie, and probably some variation of brown/merlot for my shoes/belt
(come to think of it the colors I have in mind are similar to my avatar to the left)

Super expensive tie, might look for something similar... thoughts?

http://www.richardjames.co.uk/shop/slim-bottle-green-grenadine-weave-silk-tie.html

I'll probably end up combing through Sam Hober for a similar tie.
 
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Sorry if this comes off as ignorant. I understand that you must look presentable when going to an interview but is all this meticulous planning on style necessary?
 
Medical Bear said:
Sorry if this comes off as ignorant. I understand that you must look presentable when going to an interview but is all this meticulous planning on style necessary?
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It really has little to do with style.
Dressing for a professional interview in a manner in accordance with generally accepted norms shows us that you are paying attention to what is expected of you.
 
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If I were to spend $500-600 for just the suit, what is the best way to go? Should I get one that is "made to measure" (indochino, suit supply, etc.)? If so, any recommendations?

EDIT: I don't even know if MTM suits are that cheap (looks to be more around 800 dollars) so my related question is: are they worth it?
 
justadream said:
If I were to spend $500-600 for just the suit, what is the best way to go? Should I get one that is "made to measure" (indochino, suit supply, etc.)? If so, any recommendations?

EDIT: I don't even know if MTM suits are that cheap (looks to be more around 800 dollars) so my related question is: are they worth it?
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Both Indochino and Suit Supply are well-reviewed. Personally, I think this is the best route outside of going with high fashion brands.
 
Wait, how is a well kept light beard not considered professional? What?
 
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@gyngyn COMPLETELY? Not even if you go to a professional barber and get it lined up and groomed the night before? I look 10 years younger without my beard, and not in a good way :(
 
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justadream said:
If I were to spend $500-600 for just the suit, what is the best way to go? Should I get one that is "made to measure" (indochino, suit supply, etc.)? If so, any recommendations?

EDIT: I don't even know if MTM suits are that cheap (looks to be more around 800 dollars) so my related question is: are they worth it?
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I recently did a lot of research into MTM and decided on Knot Standard, which makes custom suits, over indochino/suit supply. I bought a few suits and several dress shirts there and definitely found them worth it. Wait for a sale though, they seem to do them frequently. They just had a 25% off sale for Memorial Day, so maybe they'll have another for July 4th.
 
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@SouthernSurgeon is so right. If your build is anywhere near 'typical' you'll get a much better suit buying 'off-the-rack' from a reputable store and having it tailored to fit.

Having an inexpensive suit "made to measure" is often a ripoff. For suits, the quality of fabric and internal construction are vitally important, and those things are exceedingly difficult for the untrained eye to judge; and this is where the inexpensive "made-to-measure" companies cheat. Similarly, suits from inexpensive clothing stores frequently have the same problems.

If money is a serious problem, buy a really great pre-owned suit from eBay or Goodwill for pennies on the dollar. (Burberry, Brooks Brothers, Hart Shaffner & Marx, Cavali, etc.) If you have a suit jacket that fits you well now, take the measurements from that jacket to compare to the advertised measurements. Plan to spend an extra $100 on tailoring -- but you'll still come away with a better suit for less money.
 
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xyphr said:
@gyngyn COMPLETELY? Not even if you go to a professional barber and get it lined up and groomed the night before? I look 10 years younger without my beard, and not in a good way :(
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Same... I literally look like Im 16 years old without a beard. Its absolutely embarassing.
 
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xyphr said:
@gyngyn COMPLETELY? Not even if you go to a professional barber and get it lined up and groomed the night before? I look 10 years younger without my beard, and not in a good way :(
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Gandy741 said:
Same... I literally look like Im 16 years old without a beard. Its absolutely embarassing.
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The goal here is to get admitted.
No matter how fantastic you look with facial hair, there are inevitably evaluators who will be (perhaps unconsciously) put off. You can always grow it back.

On the other hand, if you will be so self-conscious without the hair that your communication skills are impaired, by all means keep it.
 
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For those of you who have one in your area, Nordstrom Rack is a good way to snatch some rather nice suits for a lot cheaper than you'd find them at their parent store. They tailor there too.
 
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I have had to go with MTM for my suits, due to my physique. As a previous college wrestler and current amateur bodybuilder, it is impossible to find an off the rack suit that fits well. I am more than happy to sacrifice quality of fabrics/manufacturing for a significantly superior fit.

But I realize I am not the norm. @SouthernSurgeon is correct that for most, it is not necessary (and often not preferable).
 
SouthernSurgeon said:
Well quality and made to measure aren't mutually exclusive, it's just that MTM is not a surrogate in and of itself for quality. (and a lot of companies use MTM as a sales pitch to obfuscate mediocre quality)

Brooks Brothers does MTM, for example.
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What off the rack suit brands would you recommend? Brooks Brothers?
 
Went to Boscov's and had to buy off the rack. Took me exactly 10 minutes. Had to do it in a hurry because my one suit did not fit and my interview was in two days!!!! I had multiple acceptances in my off the rack suit and had my beard groomed. I did ok with looking just like me!
 
I bought my suit from Macy's on a very deep sale. 100% worsted wool, navy blue. It was less than $200 and tailoring was $50. Look for sales and quality fabric and stitching.
 
How would this look? Gray, peak lapels, lavender shirt lightly patterned, black tie, and tack on a white pocket square, presidential fold? (I'm a business major, hence the fanciness)
 

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Are blazer/slack combinations not appreciated? Suit > all?
 
Ditch the pocket square and that is fine. Some will balk at the lavender shirt. If you want to be more conservative, swap the lavender for light blue.
 
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Much appreciated, thanks! I'm trying to gauge what's good for these interviews, they have a different context and feel than business interviews. As such, I wasn't entirely sure if I could get away with that shirt at med schools as I have with business school functions.
 
The point of a med school interview is for you to stand out, not the clothes. So the boring navy suit with a white shirt is appropriate. You don't want your clothes to be more memorable than you. Dress down too much, or too fashion-forward and it is no longer a question of clothes, but about judgement and following the rules. Even if you are poor, a cheap suit that follows the rules is better than an expensive one that is garish or ill-fitting.
 
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Strigon said:
How would this look? Gray, peak lapels, lavender shirt lightly patterned, black tie, and tack on a white pocket square, presidential fold? (I'm a business major, hence the fanciness)
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I'd personally pick a more colorful (but not flashy) tie out of preference. No "problem" with the black though. However people will tell you to skip the pocket square because it's too flashy.
 
Monster_Cat said:
Would a suit like this interviews be ok? I wanna wear something navy blue or blue-colored.
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All but one applicant who wore one of these suits got waitlisted. I can't prove it was the suit, but it didn't help. Whatever you choose, no vest.
 
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I would never wear the vest. I think it is a little darker in person. Most people consider it navy, but now I am getting paranoid.
 
I think wearing a suit is more about respect for the institution rather than trying to look good per se. As long as it fits decently, I wouldnt bother trying to get a really fancy shade of blue or anything flashy. Do make sure you do wear a full suit though
 
Dr.Smexy said:
Would this suit be appropriate? It has gray color rather than charcoal.
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yes but for the love of god i hope you get it tailored better than that model. and unlike him, make sure your neck size is correct.
 
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Thanks for the advice. Hopefully some Adcom can chime in? @gyngyn and @Goro @Winged Scapula ....Also is there a stigma against really slim fit suit? Or is the conservative "loose" fit preferred since most interviewers at med school are from a different generation.
 
Dr.Smexy said:
Thanks for the advice. Hopefully some Adcom can chime in? @gyngyn and @Goro @Winged Scapula ....Also is there a stigma against really slim fit suit? Or is the conservative "loose" fit preferred since most interviewers at med school are from a different generation.
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Those Thom Browne suits are not worth the risk.
 
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The best fit is what fits your body well. A massive suit that drapes your body incorrectly isn't going to do you any favors.
 
So would this be okay for interview trail? I know some people here say no tie clip but I really don't think it takes away from the professionalism of my outfit.
Suit.PNG
 
Really, that blue is awesome...just not for interviews!
 
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