Women's Interview Clothing #3!

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Winged Scapula said:
Oh that's too bad that they weren't comfortable. I have a pair that are very cute and was comfortable in the store but any longer than an hour in them and my feet feel like they're burning and walking on sand paper which surprised me since the heel isn't all that high.
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I don't think the heel was the problem for mine either. The part touching the ankle was rather stiff and not comfy. So much for Black Friday sales...
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In response to "curvier" ladies, I got my suit from Ann Taylor--curvy fit, no wrinkle fabric = Ah-mazing.
 
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Thank you faculty on this forum. Your advice made me thoroughly pleased with my appearance in comparison with many others on my interview day. Many were wearing items I couldn't believe - rhinestone and glitter flats, one no suit at all, one in a mismatched blazer and pants of different fabrics and colors, all kinds of white button up shirts, etc. Made me feel good about my jewel colored suit shell and charcoal tailored suit choice.

Edit: Phone auto-corrected shell to she'll? Idk. Grrr Phones
 
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lab0990 said:
Thank you faculty on this forum. Your advice made me thoroughly pleased with my appearance in comparison with many others on my interview day. Many were wearing items I couldn't believe - rhinestone and glitter flats, one no suit at all, one in a mismatched blazer and pants of different fabrics and colors, all kinds of white button up shirts, etc. Made me feel good about my jewel colored suit she'll and charcoal tailored suit choice.
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Rhinestone and glitter flats?!?! I can't even imagine
 
fancymylotus said:
Rhinestone and glitter flats?!?! I can't even imagine
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One had flats that were a metallic glitter colored. No black background, no dark colored, just the entire shoe was metallic gold glitter. The other had rhinestones around the top of her black ballet flats. Made me feel much less ridiculous about wearing full hose under my suit pants in an attempt to smooth my lower half. Plus there were many just barefoot in their heels.
 
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DokterMom said:
This is what your interview shoes should look like:
(J Crew Miri Midheel Pumps)

https://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/shoes/pumpsandheels/PRDOVR~24797/24797.jsp

In a nutshell -- If you deviate very much from this ideal, you're probably wrong.
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I have pretty serious foot problems--not to the point where I cannot walk, but certainly to the point where I cannot walk long in heels without considerable foot pain. I wear orthotics and have to choose shoes based on which will accommodate those orthotics. Generally, I end up with Naot shoes--very expensive but "forgiving." During one of my interviews at a leading medical school, one of the faculty interviewers complimented me on my shoes, saying that they looked both cute and comfortable. I was embarrassed and confessed my shoe challenges and the interviewer asked me to send her a link to the Naot site, talking for a while about how hard it was to find supportive, "sensible" shoes that are not grandmotherly.

I defer to @DokterMom and our other kind advisors on this thread, but I have to say that "shoe sins" seem to be venial rather than mortal shortcomings. While I have to acknowledge that dressing for interviews is dictated by the Rules of the Game, and that "haftas" include professional dress and footwear, I respectfully beg to differ from the stance that it is "wrong" to "deviate from [the midheel pump] ideal." I can't pretend to be a medical expert, but I don't remember reading any arguments that heels are good for feet--rather, the opposite seems to be true.

Again, I am not a doctor yet, and I understand the need to look professional, but I question the "wrongness" of foot-friendly shoes that are not casual or clunky.
 
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BengaliBrat said:
I have pretty serious foot problems--not to the point where I cannot walk, but certainly to the point where I cannot walk long in heels without considerable foot pain. I wear orthotics and have to choose shoes based on which will accommodate those orthotics. Generally, I end up with Naot shoes--very expensive but "forgiving." During one of my interviews at a leading medical school, one of the faculty interviewers complimented me on my shoes, saying that they looked both cute and comfortable. I was embarrassed and confessed my shoe challenges and the interviewer asked me to send her a link to the Naot site, talking for a while about how hard it was to find supportive, "sensible" shoes that are not grandmotherly.

I defer to @DokterMom and our other kind advisors on this thread, but I have to say that "shoe sins" seem to be venial rather than mortal shortcomings. While I have to acknowledge that dressing for interviews is dictated by the Rules of the Game, and that "haftas" include professional dress and footwear, I respectfully beg to differ from the stance that it is "wrong" to "deviate from [the midheel pump] ideal." I can't pretend to be a medical expert, but I don't remember reading any arguments that heels are good for feet--rather, the opposite seems to be true.

Again, I am not a doctor yet, and I understand the need to look professional, but I question the "wrongness" of foot-friendly shoes that are not casual or clunky.
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If you've got foot problems, you absolutely get a 'free pass' on the high heel pumps -- and should use it! (What kind of judgement is on display if you choose painful fashion over health and safety?) Just trying to clarify what the "ideal interview shoe" should look like for those who don't know.
 
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There should be a thread instructing tour guides what not to wear. Since there isn't, I just gonna vent here little bit.

My only UC system interview had a tour guide who showed up in a wrinkled ultra short hot pants, pajama/velvet kind of material, neon green in color. Gym bag, very heavy black eyeliner only on the bottom of her eye, chipped black nail polishing. All the while holding and sipping from a giant coffee mug. It was ridiculous for the sharply dressed applicant to follow her half exposed buttocks around the hospital hallway.

I don't think it's necessary for every tour guide to dress color coordinately like what UM was doing, or to put on their short white coat. But at least one should not be dressed in a way that would make applicant feel uncomfortable. I am a very liberal female but I would judge her even if she wear that on the street. And please make some effort for the applicants to feel like you give a little bit of crap to the tour and it isn't just one quick favor you are doing them.

It doesn't help that her tour was monotone and lacking substance to the extend that I can even gave the tour without knowing anything about the school: everybody loves to help out each other/we have a FB page to share useful stuff/Definition of PBL/all the faculty are super friendly to med students/we look at histology slides on the computer screen now/we have outings and everyone has fun (at that school it was Vegas trip followed by clubbing)/Pass Fail is so amazing/we are so happy here, as a matter of fact I might give a better one since I did some heavy researching about the strength and the philosophy of that school. The poorly conducted tour, being the only structured info session for the interview day, made the school a lot less attractive though. I will email the admission office my impression after I got my decision from that school since there isn't any questionnaire or feed back opportunity.
 
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Can anyone give advice for what to do with thick curly hair? Even in a ponytail it can look messy... is a bun too severe?
 
mluck07 said:
Can anyone give advice for what to do with thick curly hair? Even in a ponytail it can look messy... is a bun too severe?
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My hair is curly and I went with a bun. I didn't think I could control it in all types of weather any other way.
 
mluck07 said:
Can anyone give advice for what to do with thick curly hair? Even in a ponytail it can look messy... is a bun too severe?
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Can you curl it with a curling iron to sort of "relax" the curls a little?

A pinned back loose bun(not super harsh or ballerina like) would be nice
 
mluck07 said:
Can anyone give advice for what to do with thick curly hair? Even in a ponytail it can look messy... is a bun too severe?
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My hair isn't terribly thick, but it has got a mind of its own on the curl front. My go to styles are low pony (mostly what I've been wearing for interviews) high bun (not professional enough) and a french braid. I think if my hair were so thick that a low pony wasn't cutting it I would go for the braid look
 
choc_mint said:
Wonder if this is too casual to be paired with black suit?

http://www.thelimited.com/product/l...cgid=petite-tops&prefv2=Petite&prefv1=regular
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I wouldn't say it's outright wrong, but it also wouldn't be my first choice. Black Lace has a bit of a 'sexy' thing going, and I'm having trouble picturing the nicklines harmonizing well.

shoopeedoop said:
I loooooooooove this skirt. Is it okay or no? Thinking it might be a little girly.

https://www.jcrew.com/womens_special_sizes/petite/suiting/PRD~B2617/B2617.jsp?N=21 17 10041&Nbrd=J&Nloc=en_US&Nrpp=48&Npge=1&Nsrt=3&isSaleItem=true&color_name=HTHR FLANNEL&isFromSale=true&isNewSearch=true&hash=row2
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Little too 'Catholic School Uniform'

shoopeedoop said:
Or this one?
https://www.jcrew.com/AST/Navigation/Sale/AllProducts/PRD~A5116/A5116.jsp?N=21 17 10041&Nbrd=J&Nloc=en_US&Nrpp=48&Npge=1&Nsrt=3&isSaleItem=true&color_name=LIGHT HTHR GREY&isFromSale=true&isNewSearch=true&hash=row11
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Better - if there's a matching jacket --
 
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Thanks for the advice! I'm going with the loose bun... my hair can get Shakira-esque and I want to avoid that.

fancymylotus said:
Can you curl it with a curling iron to sort of "relax" the curls a little?

A pinned back loose bun(not super harsh or ballerina like) would be nice
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mluck07 said:
Thanks for the advice! I'm going with the loose bun... my hair can get Shakira-esque and I want to avoid that.
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Try to stay away from gel or tons of hairspray if you can, there are hair products that still provide hold but don't look so....crunchy? I think that's the right word
 
choc_mint said:
Wonder if this is too casual to be paired with black suit?

http://www.thelimited.com/product/l...cgid=petite-tops&prefv2=Petite&prefv1=regular
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It's cute but I worry that with the lapels of your jacket will create odd angles. I could only see it working if the angle of the lapel exactly matchedthat of the blouse and the first button was located above the bottom of the lace.

Edit I see also comments about the sexiness of the lace which is certainly a potential issue as well. Remember there are people who feel that lace, especially black lace, should only be worn at nighttime.
 
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shoopeedoop said:
Or this one?
https://www.jcrew.com/AST/Navigatio...Y&isFromSale=true&isNewSearch=true&hash=row11
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That one's better than the shorter one if only because the shorter one has messy appearing pleats and it's a difficult length to wear with a jacket. You want your plates to have a knife edge and appear to be sewn down. The first one just looks like she pulled it out of the dryer and threw it on.

What jacket were you thinking with this skirt? Typically it would be a shorter one with a skirt this length.
 
Winged Scapula said:
That one's better than the shorter one if only because the shorter one has messy appearing pleats and it's a difficult length to wear with a jacket. You want your plates to have a knife edge and appear to be sewn down. The first one just looks like she pulled it out of the dryer and threw it on.

What jacket were you thinking with this skirt? Typically it would be a shorter one with a skirt this length.
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I was thinking I would go with something like this?

https://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/blazers/suitingblazers/PRDOVR~64706/64706.jsp

I just look awful in pencil skirts. And I'm really short so I'd rather not wear pants since I think they make me look even shorter...
 
fancymylotus said:
Try to stay away from gel or tons of hairspray if you can, there are hair products that still provide hold but don't look so....crunchy? I think that's the right word
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Loreal Elnett -- expensive (but I'm worth it ha ha) but the best hairspray I've ever used. Good hold without being crunchy and I can even sleep on it, comb it out the next day, reapply and my hair looks great.
 
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fancymylotus said:
I've heard that stuff is great too, but I have really straight Asian hair that is currently dyed blonde so...anything too heavy makes it all yuck
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Same here (the part about straight, not the part about Asian or dyed blonde). My hair is fine but I will put a little Moroccan Oil in to smooth the ends but too much and I look like a meth head with my oily shanky hair. :p
 
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shoopeedoop said:
I was thinking I would go with something like this?

https://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/blazers/suitingblazers/PRDOVR~64706/64706.jsp
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Nope - 3/4 length sleeves are a no go (plus the fabric doesn't match the skirt).

I just look awful in pencil skirts. And I'm really short so I'd rather not wear pants since I think they make me look even shorter...
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You'll need to find a matched suit. You may also find that you just need a different cut in trousers as a higher rise can lengthen your legs. Many young women only wear lower rise (because that's whats in style) and are surprised. Try Ann Taylor Signature or Classic Cut as an example.
 
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I was wondering if you all could take a look at my suit and make sure you think it looks well fitted. I'm concerned the skirt looks a bit too fitted. Note: I will wear my nude hose on the actual day, my shirt needs to be ironed and I will definitely not have my nails painted this red color!
 
OPI "Samoan sand" is wonderful. I like "mod about you" but that may look chalky on someone paler than me. Essie sux chip-wise. Always chipping so fast
 
Not a huge fan of button downs. Do you have a shell you could wear instead?
 
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LXMO said:
I was wondering if you all could take a look at my suit and make sure you think it looks well fitted. I'm concerned the skirt looks a bit too fitted. Note: I will wear my nude hose on the actual day, my shirt needs to be ironed and I will definitely not have my nails painted this red color!
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I'm not sure that the skirt looks too fitted but rather it looks too tight LOL; you should not be getting those creases across your hips.

I agree with the others about the button front shirts. They're just not very flattering in most cases and at best are somewhat boring. A shell or other type of blouse looks much nicer.
 
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Thanks everyone for your feedback. I know the shirt looks boring, but I'm always nervous about finding an appropriate shell! I will look for a nice shell and try to exchange my skirt. And I'm definitely getting my nails done in a nude color this weekend, no worries!
 
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That coat is fine as long as you don't get the weird houndstooth one.
 
fancymylotus said:
Hahahahaha. Okay. I'll do some playing around and post pics in the next few days. Along with products used
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For clarification purposes, you have the loveliest eyes and the real estate on your lids to show lots of different colors. It's a great look for something other than an interview.
 
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