Men's Interview Clothing #3!

[gyngyn]

@gyngyn

I would appreciate any input on this, is this conservative enough/appropriate? The shirt is a lighter purple

Purple is a little edgy for a medical school interview. A white or very pale blue shirt would be my recommendation.
The suit looks good.

---

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[WheezyBaby]

@gyngyn

I would appreciate any input on this, is this conservative enough/appropriate? The shirt is a lighter purple

Shirt is fine, tie looks skinny

 

[Ebayit]

Thank you!

 

[SwordOfTheMorning]

I had an interview a few days ago. Took the advice of this thread and wore a dark navy suit. There were a bunch of people wearing black suits. It's funny too, because they seemed to be grouped together as well. So I kept thinking they were the student interviewers.

Also noticed someone wearing casual loafers. I wanted to give out SDN infraction tickets lol

 

[IlDestriero]

@gyngyn

I would appreciate any input on this, is this conservative enough/appropriate? The shirt is a lighter purple

I like it. You can be a little edgy and still fit in with the clone army.


--
Il Destriero

 

[WheezyBaby]

I like it. You can be a little edgy and still fit in with the clone army.


--
Il Destriero

Ditto. You can certainly go VERY wrong with a given purple, but I think that's a very nice shade of lavender that works great

 

[Ebayit]

So, I ended up taking gyngyn's advice just to err on the side of caution and opted for a plain white(woohoo clone army).

If anyone could lend me some input on these ties that would be great! I personally prefer the left, but I wasn't sure if it would be too much with the green in there. I am also wearing a charcoal gray suit, if that'll help with anything

 

[gyngyn]

So, I ended up taking gyngyn's advice just to err on the side of caution and opted for a plain white(woohoo clone army).

If anyone could lend me some input on these ties that would be great! I personally prefer the left, but I wasn't sure if it would be too much with the green in there. I am also wearing a charcoal gray suit, if that'll help with anything

Left.

 

[Ebayit]

@gyngyn the left tie isn't too "edgy?"

 

[gyngyn]

@gyngyn the left tie isn't too "edgy?"

It's easier on the eye than the other choice.
Do you have a nice pin dot?

 

[Ebayit]

Unfortunately, all of the ties I have are striped of some sort

 

[gyngyn]

Unfortunately, all of the ties I have are striped of some sort

The one on the left is fine (especially with a white shirt).

 

[Shirafune]

Any preference between the ties? I thought to change my tie last minute. Personally leaning toward the one on the left.

Navy suit, though it comes out as kind of black in the picture.

 

[IlDestriero]

I think they're both ghastly, particularly the one on the right. Maybe the color saturation of the photo is off. What color is that shirt?
That ensemble says 1990 assistant principal to me.


--
Il Destriero

 

[Shirafune]

I think they're both ghastly, particularly the one on the right. Maybe the color saturation of the photo is off. What color is that shirt?
That ensemble says 1990 assistant principal to me.


--
Il Destriero

I had to take the photo at night, so the lighting is slightly yellow and the colors are slightly skewed. The shirt is white.

 

[gyngyn]

I had to take the photo at night, so the lighting is slightly yellow and the colors are slightly skewed. The shirt is white.

Go with the pin dot.

 

[libertyyne]

Thinking about going the suit supply route. Anyone have experience? any way to get it cheaper?

 

[fukuyou]

.

 

[libertyyne]

I'm not the biggest fan of suit supply since even though they may have good fabrics, they somehow still look cheap. That's just my opinion though. Bonobos always has a couple of suits on clearance that fit well off the rack (may need a little tailoring here and there), and on top of that your 1st purchase with them is always 20% off.

how is their construction? do they last?/

 

[fukuyou]

.

 

[libertyyne]

My understanding is that their suits are half-canvassed (at least the Foundation suit, which I have), and while wools aren't quite Super 110/120s they look and feel premium. Not sure how long they last since I've only worn mine a few times, but seems like they will.

I have some half canvassed suits that are falling apart after a few years of use. Provided I wear a suit everyday, It miight be worth the expense just for the interview sake. Wont be wearing a suit till residency interviews then.

 

[kb1900]

h

 

[libertyyne]

Does anyone have a reccomendation on a pair of shoes? Most of the dress shoes I buy fall apart after a year of use

 

[kb1900]

Does anyone have a reccomendation on a pair of shoes? Most of the dress shoes I buy fall apart after a year of use

i got a pair of dark brown Allen edmonds oxfords about 2 years ago and they still look perfect. and you can bring them into a store anytime and get them fixed up. they are expensive but theres a student discount where they will throw in a matching belt

 

[libertyyne]

i got a pair of dark brown Allen edmonds oxfords about 2 years ago and they still look perfect. and you can bring them into a store anytime and get them fixed up. they are expensive but theres a student discount where they will throw in a matching belt

I was going to exclude AE, somehow they just say old man to me. Perhaps I should just bite the bullet. I hear their outlet sale can run sub 200.

 

[kb1900]

I was going to exclude AE, somehow they just say old man to me. Perhaps I should just bite the bullet. I hear their outlet sale can run sub 200.

haha i see where you're coming from but being a trad applicant i wanted to do whatever i can to come off as "older" as far as first impressions are concerned

but they also have some other designs that seemed a little less conservative and boring too. as far as quality and comfort though, i tried quite a few brands and think AE had the edge

 

[JustAPhD]

Does anyone have a reccomendation on a pair of shoes? Most of the dress shoes I buy fall apart after a year of use

Alden and Allen Edmonds both have a strong following. They're quality shoes at a decent price point (but many will still find them expensive). AE I know you can find on sale semi-frequently, and their factory "seconds" are sometimes worth looking at for cheaper shoes with very small aesthetic defects. Dress shoes you get what you pay for. Cheaper dress shoes will do the job, but consider them disposable because they will fall apart.

Edit: I'm sure in both brands you can find models that don't scream old man.

 

[Goro]

I like the maroon ones.

FYI, one can find some really nice, good looking and inexpensive ties at any decent thrift store.

any one have thoughts on these ties? spent all my store credit but i want to return 3 of them tomorrow.
wearing the white shirt w/ charcoal suit. also i have brown skin if it matters lol

@gyngyn @Goro @gonnif @LizzyM

 

[doctorjmr]

So I recently bought two pairs of brown cap-toe oxford shoes. After scanning many threads, I've seen a trend of recommendations favoring dark brown over brown/cognac. I've posted a couple pictures of my shoes below and was wondering if that trend applied to my situation as well. I am wearing a navy blue suit and believe that the brown/cognac shoes fit my personality better but realize the darker brown shoes may look more professional. Advice on which pair of shoes to wear is much appreciated!

 

[username456789]

View attachment 209711 View attachment 209710 So I recently bought two pairs of brown cap-toe oxford shoes. After scanning many threads, I've seen a trend of recommendations favoring dark brown over brown/cognac. I've posted a couple pictures of my shoes below and was wondering if that trend applied to my situation as well. I am wearing a navy blue suit and believe that the brown/cognac shoes fit my personality better but realize the darker brown shoes may look more professional. Advice on which pair of shoes to wear is much appreciated!

Dark brown is a better choice in this instance. And this is coming from someone who regularly wears walnut shoes with navy suits.

And neither of those are oxfords.

 

[WheezyBaby]

Yea, they're bluchers, but don't worry about it, it's fine

 

[gyngyn]

any one have thoughts on these ties? spent all my store credit but i want to return 3 of them tomorrow.
wearing the white shirt w/ charcoal suit. also i have brown skin if it matters lol

@gyngyn @Goro @gonnif @LizzyM

You can't go wrong with a burgundy pin dot!

 

[millerstone]

I think this would go over well with interviewers, but I wanted to check with the community. It's either this or show up in a white coat to show how much I want to be a doctor. Any thoughts?

 

[DokterMom]

I think this would go over well with interviewers, but I wanted to check with the community. It's either this or show up in a white coat to show how much I want to be a doctor. Any thoughts?

What's he thinking!? Doesn't he know white tie is formal?

 

[libertyyne]

My understanding is that their suits are half-canvassed (at least the Foundation suit, which I have), and while wools aren't quite Super 110/120s they look and feel premium. Not sure how long they last since I've only worn mine a few times, but seems like they will.

I just realized my two daily drivers were half canvassed and are now bubbling. Any recommendation for a full canvassed?

 

[fukuyou]

.

 

[libertyyne]

I def do not have enough to shell out for a fully canvassed suit, so haven't ever really looked for one. Maybe someone else can chime in, but also SDN may not be right forum to answer this.

Ah, I guess I dont know enough, I thought the suitsupply ones were fully canvassed, but apparently not.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

This thread makes me want to just wear my dress blues to all my interviews (including the civilian ones) to avoid all this fashion nonsense.

 

[El-Rami]

Alden and Allen Edmonds both have a strong following. They're quality shoes at a decent price point (but many will still find them expensive). AE I know you can find on sale semi-frequently, and their factory "seconds" are sometimes worth looking at for cheaper shoes with very small aesthetic defects. Dress shoes you get what you pay for. Cheaper dress shoes will do the job, but consider them disposable because they will fall apart.

Edit: I'm sure in both brands you can find models that don't scream old man.

Glad to see another AE and Alden lover. The cost is worth it because I can wear the same shoes for white coat days for 2 years and have them look nice (almost brand new) compared to some cheap Polo Ralph Lauren shoe that's gonna look like crap in the same time frame. If you buy from AE, you can get good dress shoes (full retail being $400) for $250-300 when they go on certain annual sales (think there's one going on right now). Alden shoes cost more like $500-600 and don't have good sales. I have some pairs, but the quality isn't really enough of a difference to warrant purchasing them over some standard AE shoe that you can get on sale.

In a similar vein, it may also be worth spending more on a quality necktie, too. Due to the devaluation of Sterling, you can get high quality grenadine ties from certain British manufacturers for about $100-130 (normal price being close to $200). I think people are more likely to notice better looking shoes than a high-end necktie, so I would definitely invest in the shoes first.

EDIT: As far as the allegation that they look like "old man's shoes," I can say from experience that AE has a lot of models that are more modern looking (i.e., look sleek and flatter your feet) yet are very conservative in taste. Alden has less models that I'd honestly be comfortable wearing as a young guy, but they do have some pretty sweet shoes. You really just need to see some of them in person. None of my shoes look out of place as a medical student (they just look nicer in terms of quality than what most students wear). They make me look more mature (in a good way).

 

[JB50]

Got a fresh pair of these along with a nice new suit for my birthday.

 

[DokterMom]

This thread makes me want to just wear my dress blues to all my interviews (including the civilian ones) to avoid all this fashion nonsense.

If you can do this ethically, by all means do. You will stand out in a good way --

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

If you can do this ethically, by all means do. You will stand out in a good way --

I mean I'll be active duty, so it'd be allowed. I don't want to look like a douche, but I think the blues look fly AF.

 

[RogueBanana]

Ill throw my hat into the ring here, as someone who works in the finance industry:

Suit colors:
I would not go to an interview in a black suit under any circumstances. This is just my preference, but I believe that black suits are for weddings (in which case you should be wearing a tuxedo) and funerals. Many people I know share this view, it just seems to clash too much. This is unfortunate because literally everyone wears black suits to their interviews. Don't be that guy.

Navy & Grey are your best options. When in doubt, go with Navy Blue, it looks good on literally everyone, and will set you apart from the sea of black suits. If you can pull it off, grey flannel is a great color & fabric and can set you apart even further while keeping it professional.

Suit Sources:
I get all my suits from the JCrew Factory Outlet. I don't use the online suit services because many of them use poor quality material & I prefer to actually try the suit on before I buy it.
You can get a full suit for around 300-400 USD from the outlet, and you wont need to get it tailored much to achieve a perfect fit. I bought suits from Jos.A Bank for a while, but even when they are tailored they don't fit well. They are far too baggy, being designed for a middle aged man more than a young professional. The outlet also sells dress shirts that fit very well and are of good quality. You really can't beat the pricing on these either (40-50 USD)

Dress Shirts:
For a medical school interview your collar type doesn't really matter. I happen to love the oxford collar, and oxford shirts in general. They give a more academic look than the classic flat collar dress shirt. They just look "preppier" which I think is a good thing, you don't want to look like you're there to sell stocks and bonds. If you are going to a job interview in the business world, you need a flat collar, oxfords will reflect unprofessionally on you.

Colours should be mute, Stark white is good but make sure it's ironed or it'll look sloppy. Light blue pinstripes on a white shirt look good, and is a classic oxford pattern. Light blue solid is another good choice, but be careful it isn't too blue, especially if you're going with a Navy suit. Now isn't the time to assert your individuality or creativity. Keep it professional. No crazy colours, no crazy patterns. If you show up to an interview with me in a pink dress shirt with a white collar and blue cuffs I will slap you.

Fit:
You should be looking for a suit with a modern fit. English-Cut suit jackets will be your best bet on this. If you are really lanky, you're really really going to want to get your suit tailored. Nothing looks worse than a skinny dude in a baggy suit. Its just unprofessional. Ditto to heavier dudes wearing spandex-tight suits. It shouldn't fit like a gimp suit. When in doubt see a tailor who knows modern suiting.

I like the fit of the suits from JCrew & Ralph Lauren.
They have a really modern fit, which I absolutely love. I have several suits from different brands, and the fit varies widely by brand. I have a pretty athletic build, and the JCrew suits fit me perfectly.

Shoes:
Oxfords or Monk-straps are your best bet here. Please for the love of god don't wear black pleather shoes. If your shoes can't be shined then they aren't appropriate for an interview. If they look like something a waiter at chili's would wear, they aren't appropriate.

Black coloured oxfords are okay, but you need to keep them shined & clean if you're gonna wear them. If they are beat up & dingy it is very noticeable, especially if you are wearing a black suit.
I prefer brown shoes for almost every situation. Your shoes should always match your belt.


To my most recent interview, I wore a steel gray suit, with walnut coloured oxfords and a matching belt. Finished it off with my lucky Navy-Blue tie (gift from my late grandfather). I honestly felt like I stood out in a positive way from the sea of poorly-fit black suits.

One final note, make sure you don't show up to the interview with a scrappy looking goatee or chin-strap. For the love of god. I saw people who did this at my interview and it was painful. Please just shave, do yourself a favor.

and comb your damn hair.

love,
RogueBanana

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Ill throw my hat into the ring here, as someone who works in the finance industry:

Suit colors:
I would not go to an interview in a black suit under any circumstances. This is just my preference, but I believe that black suits are for weddings (in which case you should be wearing a tuxedo) and funerals. Many people I know share this view, it just seems to clash too much. This is unfortunate because literally everyone wears black suits to their interviews. Don't be that guy.

Navy & Grey are your best options. When in doubt, go with Navy Blue, it looks good on literally everyone, and will set you apart from the sea of black suits. If you can pull it off, grey flannel is a great color & fabric and can set you apart even further while keeping it professional.

Suit Sources:
I get all my suits from the JCrew Factory Outlet. I don't use the online suit services because many of them use poor quality material & I prefer to actually try the suit on before I buy it.
You can get a full suit for around 300-400 USD from the outlet, and you wont need to get it tailored much to achieve a perfect fit. I bought suits from Jos.A Bank for a while, but even when they are tailored they don't fit well. They are far too baggy, being designed for a middle aged man more than a young professional. The outlet also sells dress shirts that fit very well and are of good quality. You really can't beat the pricing on these either (40-50 USD)

Dress Shirts:
For a medical school interview your collar type doesn't really matter. I happen to love the oxford collar, and oxford shirts in general. They give a more academic look than the classic flat collar dress shirt. They just look "preppier" which I think is a good thing, you don't want to look like you're there to sell stocks and bonds. If you are going to a job interview in the business world, you need a flat collar, oxfords will reflect unprofessionally on you.

Colours should be mute, Stark white is good but make sure it's ironed or it'll look sloppy. Light blue pinstripes on a white shirt look good, and is a classic oxford pattern. Light blue solid is another good choice, but be careful it isn't too blue, especially if you're going with a Navy suit. Now isn't the time to assert your individuality or creativity. Keep it professional. No crazy colours, no crazy patterns. If you show up to an interview with me in a pink dress shirt with a white collar and blue cuffs I will slap you.

Fit:
You should be looking for a suit with a modern fit. English-Cut suit jackets will be your best bet on this. If you are really lanky, you're really really going to want to get your suit tailored. Nothing looks worse than a skinny dude in a baggy suit. Its just unprofessional. Ditto to heavier dudes wearing spandex-tight suits. It shouldn't fit like a gimp suit. When in doubt see a tailor who knows modern suiting.

I like the fit of the suits from JCrew & Ralph Lauren.
They have a really modern fit, which I absolutely love. I have several suits from different brands, and the fit varies widely by brand. I have a pretty athletic build, and the JCrew suits fit me perfectly.

Shoes:
Oxfords or Monk-straps are your best bet here. Please for the love of god don't wear black pleather shoes. If your shoes can't be shined then they aren't appropriate for an interview. If they look like something a waiter at chili's would wear, they aren't appropriate.

Black coloured oxfords are okay, but you need to keep them shined & clean if you're gonna wear them. If they are beat up & dingy it is very noticeable, especially if you are wearing a black suit.
I prefer brown shoes for almost every situation. Your shoes should always match your belt.


To my most recent interview, I wore a steel gray suit, with walnut coloured oxfords and a matching belt. Finished it off with my lucky Navy-Blue tie (gift from my late grandfather). I honestly felt like I stood out in a positive way from the sea of poorly-fit black suits.

One final note, make sure you don't show up to the interview with a scrappy looking goatee or chin-strap. For the love of god. I saw people who did this at my interview and it was painful. Please just shave, do yourself a favor.

and comb your damn hair.

love,
RogueBanana

But what color should your business card be? And are Huey Lewis references optional or mandatory?

 

[DokterMom]

I mean I'll be active duty, so it'd be allowed. I don't want to look like a douche, but I think the blues look fly AF.

Active Duty I am told that's worth ~5 LizzyM points and the dress blues make the point

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Active Duty I am told that's worth ~5 LizzyM points and the dress blues make the point

Yeah but I assume all the other interviewees will think I'm a huge douche. Good thing the Navy has taught me not to care what my competition thinks (I know they aren't really competition, but in the Navy they would be).

 

[RogueBanana]

But what color should your business card be? And are Huey Lewis references optional or mandatory?

Eggshell
Yes

 

[WheezyBaby]

View attachment 209818 Are these colors okay? I haven't purchased this suit or anything else yet just because I wanted to hear the opinions of the SDN'ers in this thread first. From the picture it is kind of hard to tell, but the suit is a darker shade of navy and the tie has some mild woven texture to it.

Navy is a hard shade to see well via picture but it should be fine. Fit is hard to tell in that pic as well. Waist might be tight, shoulders might be a bit wide. Hard to say for sure. Does the suit collar sit flush with your shirt collar? I'd find a different tie though. That solid dark color that's very similar to suit color makes the whole outfit look very somber / funeralesque. Would also probably look better with a shirt collar with more spread so they tuck into the lapel. And use metal collar stays

 

[DokterMom]

Yeah but I assume all the other interviewees will think I'm a huge douche. Good thing the Navy has taught me not to care what my competition thinks (I know they aren't really competition, but in the Navy they would be).

Just jealous. Seriously. Guys mask jealousy with anger/scorn.

View attachment 209818 Are these colors okay? I haven't purchased this suit or anything else yet just because I wanted to hear the opinions of the SDN'ers in this thread first. From the picture it is kind of hard to tell, but the suit is a darker shade of navy and the tie has some mild woven texture to it.

Suit's good. More color in the tie would be good, but probably just the photo --

 

[Atom612]

Ill throw my hat into the ring here, as someone who works in the finance industry:

Suit colors:
I would not go to an interview in a black suit under any circumstances. This is just my preference, but I believe that black suits are for weddings (in which case you should be wearing a tuxedo) and funerals. Many people I know share this view, it just seems to clash too much. This is unfortunate because literally everyone wears black suits to their interviews. Don't be that guy.

Navy & Grey are your best options. When in doubt, go with Navy Blue, it looks good on literally everyone, and will set you apart from the sea of black suits. If you can pull it off, grey flannel is a great color & fabric and can set you apart even further while keeping it professional.

Suit Sources:
I get all my suits from the JCrew Factory Outlet. I don't use the online suit services because many of them use poor quality material & I prefer to actually try the suit on before I buy it.
You can get a full suit for around 300-400 USD from the outlet, and you wont need to get it tailored much to achieve a perfect fit. I bought suits from Jos.A Bank for a while, but even when they are tailored they don't fit well. They are far too baggy, being designed for a middle aged man more than a young professional. The outlet also sells dress shirts that fit very well and are of good quality. You really can't beat the pricing on these either (40-50 USD)

Dress Shirts:
For a medical school interview your collar type doesn't really matter. I happen to love the oxford collar, and oxford shirts in general. They give a more academic look than the classic flat collar dress shirt. They just look "preppier" which I think is a good thing, you don't want to look like you're there to sell stocks and bonds. If you are going to a job interview in the business world, you need a flat collar, oxfords will reflect unprofessionally on you.

Colours should be mute, Stark white is good but make sure it's ironed or it'll look sloppy. Light blue pinstripes on a white shirt look good, and is a classic oxford pattern. Light blue solid is another good choice, but be careful it isn't too blue, especially if you're going with a Navy suit. Now isn't the time to assert your individuality or creativity. Keep it professional. No crazy colours, no crazy patterns. If you show up to an interview with me in a pink dress shirt with a white collar and blue cuffs I will slap you.

Fit:
You should be looking for a suit with a modern fit. English-Cut suit jackets will be your best bet on this. If you are really lanky, you're really really going to want to get your suit tailored. Nothing looks worse than a skinny dude in a baggy suit. Its just unprofessional. Ditto to heavier dudes wearing spandex-tight suits. It shouldn't fit like a gimp suit. When in doubt see a tailor who knows modern suiting.

I like the fit of the suits from JCrew & Ralph Lauren.
They have a really modern fit, which I absolutely love. I have several suits from different brands, and the fit varies widely by brand. I have a pretty athletic build, and the JCrew suits fit me perfectly.

Shoes:
Oxfords or Monk-straps are your best bet here. Please for the love of god don't wear black pleather shoes. If your shoes can't be shined then they aren't appropriate for an interview. If they look like something a waiter at chili's would wear, they aren't appropriate.

Black coloured oxfords are okay, but you need to keep them shined & clean if you're gonna wear them. If they are beat up & dingy it is very noticeable, especially if you are wearing a black suit.
I prefer brown shoes for almost every situation. Your shoes should always match your belt.


To my most recent interview, I wore a steel gray suit, with walnut coloured oxfords and a matching belt. Finished it off with my lucky Navy-Blue tie (gift from my late grandfather). I honestly felt like I stood out in a positive way from the sea of poorly-fit black suits.

One final note, make sure you don't show up to the interview with a scrappy looking goatee or chin-strap. For the love of god. I saw people who did this at my interview and it was painful. Please just shave, do yourself a favor.

and comb your damn hair.

love,
RogueBanana

Really enjoyed this post right up until the end. Most fashion forward people agree that regardless of how much you spend on them, monk straps are considered informal wear. I would skip them for shoes that have laces.


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