Women's Interview Clothing #3!

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Question on hose: should it be worn underneath slacks as well?
Agree with above: knee highs are fine.

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Damn! I just went and bought black panty hose from Macy's :/! Is it okay to wear it with a black suit? Or should I exchange it for a nude one? Is it really such a big deal to wear the nude one? I want to wear the black one since it will make me look slimmer lol.
They will also look out of style.
 
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Can anyone recommend a brand of pantyhose? Not too sheer, but not your grandmother's support hose? I have a very fair complexion, and my legs are very pale. The Hanes silky sheer I used to love and wear in the years I had a job that necessitated them seem too sheer nowadays!
What's wrong with the Hanes? Sheer is good. Calvin Klein also does some nice ones.
 
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Damn! I just went and bought black panty hose from Macy's :/! Is it okay to wear it with a black suit? Or should I exchange it for a nude one? Is it really such a big deal to wear the nude one? I want to wear the black one since it will make me look slimmer lol.

I think the black will be fine once we get into fall and winter; for summer, nude is best.
 
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I think the black will be fine once we get into fall and winter; for summer, nude is best.
Good point.

Black hose remind me of a Robert Palmer video (those were the days: black Lycra mini, black [patterned] hose, red lips!) but since they aren't in style anyway, best for cooler weather.

I'll say once again though: hose, not tights. Cooler weather and black hose is a color issue, not a denier one.
 
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No, it misses the mark on several points:

1) sleeves not full length
2) jacket too short
3) peplum in back
4) knit fabric

Its cute but too "fashiony" for your interview.

Thanks so much for the advice! Two more questions:

1) Is a black bag appropriate with a dark navy pinstripe suit? I actually didn't even notice my suit wasn't black until I looked in the mirror while wearing the bag...

2) Which do people usually bring with them to interviews: resumes or CVs?
 
Two questions everybody. Thanks in advance if anyone has any insight.

1. I sweat. A Lot. I always sweat through button-down shirts while waiting for job interviews; if I'm really nervous, I even sweat through a dark outer blazer/sweater as well. Any advice? I know black is good because then at least you don't really see the sweat. But I was hoping for my shell/button-down under the suit top to be a nice bright color.

2. I've seen tons of posts with shoes and they all seem VERY high to me. I have a problem with my hips and my feet are flat and ankles roll inward. I cannot for the life of me wear a heel, even of one inch, for more than a few hours. I am envisioning a nightmare if I wore heels for a full 8 hour interview day. I have several professional looking flats, and one pump type of shoe. Are these acceptable?
 
can i get this ann taylor outfit vetted? i tried the dress on in store and it is not at all tight like it is on the model. it also hits a little lower on me than on the model. it comes with a matching classic suit jacket.

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edit, i also found a dark navy suit i might go with, are these shoes too bright? (i cant walk in heels and i dont plan to learn on interview day)
B1794_PR5851
 
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can i get this ann taylor outfit vetted? i tried the dress on in store and it is not at all tight like it is on the model. it also hits a little lower on me than on the model. it comes with a matching classic suit jacket.

imageService


edit, i also found a dark navy suit i might go with, are these shoes too bright? (i cant walk in heels and i dont plan to learn on interview day)
B1794_PR5851

That dress is stunning. With a matching jacket (plain?), wow. Honestly, I'm a little uncomfortable with quite how good-looking I think that dress is -- if, as you say, it's not too tight or too short on you. Is it too expensive? I do have a hard time visualizing a dress that elegant with flats though... If you're tall and skinny, perhaps. (Maybe it's just me being jealous :D -- I LOVE that dress!) Are you comfortable being memorable?

The royal blue shoe is too bright for an interview --


I'd call it right on the borderline. Not slutty, but you wouldn't want to go higher.
 
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can i get this ann taylor outfit vetted? i tried the dress on in store and it is not at all tight like it is on the model. it also hits a little lower on me than on the model. it comes with a matching classic suit jacket.

imageService


edit, i also found a dark navy suit i might go with, are these shoes too bright? (i cant walk in heels and i dont plan to learn on interview day)
B1794_PR5851

With that dress, I would definitely go conservative on the rest of the outfit - even if it isn't too tight, the pattern is not classic and so I would go with a sensible pair of black flats or heels to balance out the look. I don't really think the idea of interview day is to stand out fashionably - let your personality do that for you!
 
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can i get this ann taylor outfit vetted? i tried the dress on in store and it is not at all tight like it is on the model. it also hits a little lower on me than on the model. it comes with a matching classic suit jacket.

imageService


edit, i also found a dark navy suit i might go with, are these shoes too bright? (i cant walk in heels and i dont plan to learn on interview day)
B1794_PR5851

@Winged Scapula - I'm curious to get your opinion. What do you think? Too much? Or just - wow.
 
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@Winged Scapula - I'm curious to get your opinion. What do you think? Too much? Or just - wow.
Disclosure: I actually own that dress and received lots of compliments when I wore it last week.

My concern is that the shape of the color blocking *might* evoke a low cut dress (the "points" looking like an evening dress). I don't wear a jacket with it and that might make it better, more conservative. Perhaps the OP can provide a picture. I'm leaning toward saying it could work with a jacket.

I typically eschew flats with dresses; I think they look dowdy and cannot imagine them with this unless, as you note, the OP were exceptionally tall and slim. In addition, the bright blue can work for a blouse or scarf but not for shoes in this case.
 
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Two questions everybody. Thanks in advance if anyone has any insight.

1. I sweat. A Lot. I always sweat through button-down shirts while waiting for job interviews; if I'm really nervous, I even sweat through a dark outer blazer/sweater as well. Any advice? I know black is good because then at least you don't really see the sweat. But I was hoping for my shell/button-down under the suit top to be a nice bright color.

Have you tried some of the "clinical" antiperspirants? You could also try (and bear with me here) sticking sanitary pads under your arms. When I do inframammary incisions on women with ptotic breasts, I'll suggest that they put a pad under there to keep the wound from getting macerated.

2. I've seen tons of posts with shoes and they all seem VERY high to me. I have a problem with my hips and my feet are flat and ankles roll inward. I cannot for the life of me wear a heel, even of one inch, for more than a few hours. I am envisioning a nightmare if I wore heels for a full 8 hour interview day. I have several professional looking flats, and one pump type of shoe. Are these acceptable?

Most women who state they "cannot" wear heels have just never tried them, have only tried them once or twice and deemed them uncomfortable without trying other brands, or are simply not practiced. But if you have a physical reason you cannot wear them, then there is no need to cause undue suffering. There are orthotics you can purchase and that may make the problem less of an issue, but you have to do what you have to do. So if it is impossible for you, then you wear what you have.
 
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Disclosure: I actually own that dress and received lots of compliments when I wore it last week.

My concern is that the shape of the color blocking *might* evoke a low cut dress (the "points" looking like an evening dress). I don't wear a jacket with it and that might make it better, more conservative. Perhaps the OP can provide a picture. I'm leaning toward saying it could work with a jacket.

I typically eschew flats with dresses; I think they look dowdy and cannot imagine them with this unless, as you note, the OP were exceptionally tall and slim. In addition, the bright blue can work for a blouse or scarf but not for shoes in this case.

Thanks! You nailed exactly what my concerns were, and somehow, I'm not even surprised you have this dress! :p
(If I'm completely honest, I'll admit that I'm thinking of running out to my local AT tonight to see if they have one in my size...)
 
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Thanks! You nailed exactly what my concerns were, and somehow, I'm not even surprised you have this dress! :p

:) I own most of their stock

(If I'm completely honest, I'll admit that I'm thinking of running out to my local AT tonight to see if they have one in my size...)

www.anntaylor.com - you can do a search for your size at your local store before you drive out there! If not, there's always on-line ordering with free shipping if you spend more than $175 (that's never a problem with me).
 
I love that dress! I'm afraid I, personally, would look a little bootylicious in it though. My dress woes are summed up by the timeless ballad "Baby Got Back" (little in the middle, but she got much back).

Should I shirk skirts and dresses altogether since my booty is intent on bursting through anything I buy? I was hoping to get some Ann Taylor dresses to wear for warmer climate interviews.
 
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I love that dress! I'm afraid I, personally, would look a little bootylicious in it though. My dress woes are summed up by the timeless ballad "Baby Got Back" (little in the middle, but she got much back).

Should I shirk skirts and dresses altogether since my booty is intent on bursting through anything I buy? I was hoping to get some Ann Taylor dresses to wear for warmer climate interviews.
I am the total opposite: "no-ass-at-all", so AT dresses fit me well, as do the Modern style pants. Not sure about the dresses - do they accommodate your booty?
 
To be specific about fit, I'm 135 5'6" athletic with a big butt( :banana:) and the 4 in that AT dress is juuuust bordering on tight in the butt but loose everywhere else. Thank you so much @DokterMom and @Winged Scapula for all the invaluable feedback! I concur that the color blocking looks distracting, even with the suit jacket, it's just a little too trendy for interview purposes / draws the eye to my neckline so I'm going to err more conservative.

Edit: I'm also a strong advocate of flats and think they look great on me with skits and dresses, but somehow off with a pantsuit
 
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To be specific about fit, I'm 135 5'6" athletic with a big butt( :banana:) and the 4 in that AT dress is juuuust bordering on tight in the butt but loose everywhere else. Thank you so much @DokterMom and @Winged Scapula for all the invaluable feedback!

Not to quibble, but just how big can a size 4 butt be?

I love that dress! I'm afraid I, personally, would look a little bootylicious in it though. My dress woes are summed up by the timeless ballad "Baby Got Back" (little in the middle, but she got much back).

Should I shirk skirts and dresses altogether since my booty is intent on bursting through anything I buy? I was hoping to get some Ann Taylor dresses to wear for warmer climate interviews.

You're wise to consider your body type. Sheath dresses in particular vary greatly in appropriateness from body to body. If you're curvy to really curvy, they can be too sexy. Slender to 'water heater' with 'mild to moderate curves', they're perfect, provided they fit. Jacket for business; remove for cocktails. If you're built like a stick of chewing gum but tall, they're perfectly safe; but if you're short with no curves, it would be hard to find something less flattering...
 
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I am the total opposite: "no-ass-at-all", so AT dresses fit me well, as do the Modern style pants. Not sure about the dresses - do they accommodate your booty?
It's usually a trade off between fitting the booty or fitting everywhere else, since the rest of my body is a full dress size smaller. Unless the dress is totally unyielding, I can usually fit the booty in my """normal""" dress size, just with a heavy hint of butt. Is a little extra tightness across the butt ok as long as it isn't TOO obvious? Otherwise I'll have to buy a size up then get it altered to fit my (by comparison) child-size ribcage and chest.

You're wise to consider your body type. Sheath dresses in particular vary greatly in appropriateness from body to body. If you're curvy to really curvy, they can be too sexy. Slender to 'water heater' with 'mild to moderate curves', they're perfect, provided they fit. Jacket for business; remove for cocktails. If you're built like a stick of chewing gum but tall, they're perfectly safe; but if you're short with no curves, it would be hard to find something less flattering...
Good call, thank you. Sheath dresses are hit or miss for me, depending on the cut. I tried (key word: tried) to don a target sheath dress the other day and, to be frank, it had so much extra room in the waist it looked like maternity wear.
 
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If your jacket is long enough to cover your tush, you may be able to get by with a little tightness, but honestly, it's risky. Alterations through the waist and ribcage are EASY to make, though, so that's probably the safer bet for your interview outfit.

For 'after you've got the job' wear, you'd have more leeway. Thing is, when it's tight across the rear, it's also tight across the front in the same latitude, which is not what you want.
 
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I am fairly top heavy (neighborhood of G), and more often than not, that leaves me with "dowdy" choices to avoid flashing cleavage, so I think that thiese tops are fairly cool.

http://www.dillards.com/product/Cal...ergreen_multi&categoryId=603982&scrollTop=700

http://www.dillards.com/product/Cal...ceberg_multi&categoryId=603982&scrollTop=4400

However, are they too busy?

I'm afraid they are... And I hear you on 'the girls' front. Which will it be: Siren? or Matronly?

What about a structured not-too-low V-neck in a big-enough size and having it tailored through the ribcage? Not tailored so much as to highlight the 'big-here little-there' situation, but just enough that you don't feel like a prison warden?
 
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Ladies, where would you recommend that I go to shop for a suit? I want to buy a good quality jacket/pants suit. Also, I'm 5'4 so I can't have jacket sleeves that are too long! Thanks :)

Edit: Would also appreciate a good place to buy tops/blouses to go underneath!
 
Ladies, where would you recommend that I go to shop for a suit? I want to buy a good quality jacket/pants suit. Also, I'm 5'4 so I can't have jacket sleeves that are too long! Thanks :)

Edit: Would also appreciate a good place to buy tops/blouses to go underneath!

I would start at a department store like Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Macys, etc because they would have the best selection!
 
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I bought mine last cycle at Dillards. For the one nearest me, their in-house tailoring was fairly cheap compared to other places. I feel you on the height, @cmlanz
 
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Ladies, where would you recommend that I go to shop for a suit? I want to buy a good quality jacket/pants suit. Also, I'm 5'4 so I can't have jacket sleeves that are too long! Thanks :)

Edit: Would also appreciate a good place to buy tops/blouses to go underneath!
Some of us are fans of Ann Taylor. They carry petites as does Talbots.
 
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From my first interview, some observations:
- I was the only woman wearing nude pantyhose. I felt like I was seventy years old.
- Almost all women wore their hair down, no special styling.
- HEELS ARE HORRIBLE.

The end.
 
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From my first interview, some observations:
- I was the only woman wearing nude pantyhose. I felt like I was seventy years old.
- Almost all women wore their hair down, no special styling.
- HEELS ARE HORRIBLE.

The end.

What kind of hose were the other women wearing? Please don't tell me 'none'... And IMO, if Kate Middleton wears them, they simply can't be wrong ;)

Plain hair down is not necessarily a mistake if your hair naturally behaves and stays out of your face. You just want it to look like you won't have to bother with it mid-day.
 
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From my first interview, some observations:
- I was the only woman wearing nude pantyhose. I felt like I was seventy years old.
- Almost all women wore their hair down, no special styling.
- HEELS ARE HORRIBLE.

The end.
It matters not what your fellow interviewees were wearing but rather what those interviewing you think. I can guarantee you that none of them thought you were out of style or dressed like an old lady simply by wearing hose.

The reason threads like this exist is that there is a large contingent of young women who have no idea what professional dress is and have no one in their family or social circle to turn to. I suspect that your fellow interviewees were ill advised.

As for the hair, I've stated before that I no longer feel that it needed to be worn up. I think that is one rule that no longer holds fast.
 
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From my first interview, some observations:
- I was the only woman wearing nude pantyhose. I felt like I was seventy years old.
- Almost all women wore their hair down, no special styling.
- HEELS ARE HORRIBLE.

The end.

Very similar to what I saw – albeit I was at a Californian school. I don't know if the casual West Coast vibe was at work?

Have you tired putting jelly insoles into your heels? :(

Some things I saw out of ~20 female interviewees:
  • dominant colour choice: black black black black black (with white button up)
  • 50/50 split between pantsuits and skirtsuits. There were a few tight, mid-thigh length pencil skirts in there.
  • Long haired gals mostly wore their hair down, straightened, with the front pieces clipped away. The others had an uncomfortable-looking, overly-gelled ponytails. Ouch. Anyone with an updo would have looked quite out of place. Glad I wore my hair down (I actually got a massive mosquito bite on my neck that night and was frantically trying to find ways to hide it haha).
  • Max heel height of 3". IMHO, everyone had very professional shoe choices. About a 80/20 split between heels/flats.
  • The only people with hose were those wearing skirts. Even then, a bunch of them wore sheer black hose. (One girl was wearing opaque black!).
  • No dresses, which surprised me.
  • Please don't be the person with the giant padfolio who compulsively takes notes throughout the entire interview day. :( Just enjoy the tour, jot down a few things if need be, but don't try and transcribe the entire curriculum presentation.
The winner was a gentleman who wore a vibrant blue skinny-suit with a comically wide tie. It was very "high fashion," but not "medical school interview."

That's all on the fashion front. Everyone (including myself) looked like nervous twenty-somethings in brand-new suits. ;) That helped take the pressure off a lot of things.
 
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I love that dress! I'm afraid I, personally, would look a little bootylicious in it though. My dress woes are summed up by the timeless ballad "Baby Got Back" (little in the middle, but she got much back).

Should I shirk skirts and dresses altogether since my booty is intent on bursting through anything I buy? I was hoping to get some Ann Taylor dresses to wear for warmer climate interviews.

I have the same problem, and bought a dress that's several sizes too big so that it doesn't pull around my booty. I can get the waist tailored!
 
It matters not what your fellow interviewees were wearing but rather what those interviewing you think. I can guarantee you that none of them thought you were out of style or dressed like an old lady simply by wearing hose.

The reason threads like this exist is that there is a large contingent of young women who have no idea what professional dress is and have no one in their family or social circle to turn to. I suspect that your fellow interviewees were ill advised.

As for the hair, I've stated before that I no longer feel that it needed to be worn up. I think that is one rule that no longer holds fast.
Don't worry, I'll keep wearing my hose. It just made me feel a tiny bit more relaxed about my appearance - if so many interviewees are ill-advised, interviewers couldn't be terribly strict with their attire judgments or they'd have nobody left to accept.

Also, your post about whether it was ok to keep the jacket open turned out to be very helpful. I didn't know that was an option before, but I ended up having to do that and it looked fine and was no problem at all.
 
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Oh it's worse than that. I have been known to buy the same dress more than once, not realizing that I already owned it.
I was just going to ask if there were times you bought a dress and then went to your closet realizing you had already bought it a long time ago. lol. Reason for return on receipt: I already bought it.
 
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Oh it's worse than that. I have been known to buy the same dress more than once, not realizing that I already owned it.

I do that sometimes on purpose, sometimes not even in different sizes or colors. Some items (ex. the perfect black slacks) are just so unusually good that you know you'll wear them out before you stop loving them.
 
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Labor day sales are this weekend! Where do you shop for interview clothes? Shoes?
 
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