Women's Interview Clothing #3!

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Just want to stop by to say thanks again to all the folks who helped me picked out my outfit. Let me tell you, it makes a HUGE difference! In the sea of hot mess, you will be shinning in the most tasteful way possible. I don't know if it tipped the scale toward my favor to get the acceptance, but it sure as hell didn't hurt my chances. Good Luck! Remember, you don't need to break the bank for something classic and tasteful. Shop wisely!
 
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There is zero urgency to my question, just idle curiosity. This thread is addictive!...I noticed that some school interviews and residency interviews state a "business casual" dress code. Biz caj is so darn hard to define. :shrug: Would pleated wool/crepe trousers + untucked long sleeved cashmere sweater + casual pumps (suede or patent or snakeskin, etc) suffice? I imagine a statement necklace would be OK? People, indulge me, I'm bored and trapped at home with an infant...

Edited for spelling
 
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Does anyone have any necklace ideas? I ordered a single pearl on a gold chain and it just got here. I opened it and hated it!
 
So I have a navy skirt suit and beige heels to go with it.
1. Are beige shoes ok to wear as I figured black won't go with navy and it's hard to find navy shoes.
2. Are pantyhose a must? My pre-health advisor said that it's absolutely not required, but I saw some conflicting option.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
BeMD13 said:
Does anyone have any necklace ideas? I ordered a single pearl on a gold chain and it just got here. I opened it and hated it!
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Pendants are not recommended.
By design, they draw attention down.
A strand of pearls is fine, though. Borrow some from a relative or friend.
 
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ishiningstar said:
So I have a navy skirt suit and beige heels to go with it.
1. Are beige shoes ok to wear as I figured black won't go with navy and it's hard to find navy shoes.
2. Are pantyhose a must? My pre-health advisor said that it's absolutely not required, but I saw some conflicting option.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Nude shoes are fine with navy. Nude hose are expected.
 
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born2run said:
Could use some advice... I have an interview coming up in a couple of weeks. I already have a black suit and nice button up shirt to wear underneath that both fit me well. I do not consider myself very feminine and almost always resort to men's shoes (I'm also very tall with big feet so men's shoes fit me better anyways). I've always worn black oxfords with my suit, and was planning to do that for my interview, but after looking at this thread I'm freaking myself out a little bit. I know I'd be more comfortable in the oxfords since that's what I usually wear, but is this too non traditional?


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@gyngyn can you please share your input?


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gyngyn said:
Too short!
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Is that the only issue you see? I'm about 5'1", so like I say, I'm at least 6" (and probably more like 9") shorter than the model. If it hits my knees, would the color/fabric be ok?
 
peridotthecat said:
Is that the only issue you see? I'm about 5'1", so like I say, I'm at least 6" (and probably more like 9") shorter than the model. If it hits my knees, would the color/fabric be ok?
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If it fits (at least) mid-knee and doesn't ride up when sitting it could be ok. The color and fabric must match the jacket. The description says grape but it looks black in the image. I don't recommend purple suits for business formal. Black is common, but navy or charcoal are better.
 
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gyngyn said:
If it fits (at least) mid-knee and doesn't ride up when sitting it could be ok. The color and fabric must match the jacket. The description says grape but it looks black in the image. I don't recommend purple suits for business formal. Black is common, but navy or charcoal are better.
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ok, thanks!
 
gyngyn said:
If it fits (at least) mid-knee and doesn't ride up when sitting it could be ok. The color and fabric must match the jacket. The description says grape but it looks black in the image. I don't recommend purple suits for business formal. Black is common, but navy or charcoal are better.
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I do love the purple though :(. so sad +pity+
 
does cuffing your blazer sleeves look unprofessional? It looks so stylish...
 
BeMD13 said:
Does anyone have any necklace ideas? I ordered a single pearl on a gold chain and it just got here. I opened it and hated it!
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I had a necklace kinda like this for my interviews! I got it a J Crew maybe last year.
upload_2016-8-27_12-47-29.png
 
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gyngyn said:
I would not recommend a bib like this. It is distracting.
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I couldn't find the exact necklace - mine was def. not as bulky!... but I can understand why this would be "too much". Thanks!
 
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Hi! I'm just wondering if this suit jacket is appropriate? I know nothing about professional clothing sadly, but I was a little concerned about the buttons and the pockets.
 

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Skittsie13 said:
Hi! I'm just wondering if this suit jacket is appropriate? I know nothing about professional clothing sadly, but I was a little concerned about the buttons and the pockets.
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Peak lapels and brass buttons read blazer, not suit...
 
gyngyn said:
Peak lapels and brass buttons read blazer, not suit...
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It's part of a suit set. I've got both the matching bottoms and skirt. I can change the buttons easily but is the lapel thing really a dealbreaker?
 
Skittsie13 said:
It's part of a suit set. I've got both the matching bottoms and skirt.
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If it fits you well, and you feel confident in it, ok.
For those who have not yet purchased a suit, go for non metallic buttons and step lapels.
 
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gyngyn said:
If it fits you well, and you feel confident in it, ok.
For those who have not yet purchased a suit, go for non metallic buttons and step lapels.
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Thank you for your advice. I'll switch out the buttons and see if a tailor can do anything about the lapels. Unfortunately I've got really odd proportions and a limited budget so not much fit me properly except for this.
 
Skittsie13 said:
Thank you for your advice. I'll switch out the buttons and see if a tailor can do anything about the lapels. Unfortunately I've got really odd proportions and a limited budget so not much fit me properly except for this.
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No! You can't really change peaks into steps.
If you can swap the buttons, though....
 
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Why are suede shoes bad again? I have a pair that matches my bag perfectly and I have another leather pair but the shade is just off enough to clash. I was going to order a bunch of shades of shoe polish to try to get them to look ok but I might just end up ruining them.
 
BeMD13 said:
Why are suede shoes bad again? I have a pair that matches my bag perfectly and I have another leather pair but the shade is just off enough to clash. I was going to order a bunch of shades of shoe polish to try to get them to look ok but I might just end up ruining them.
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They are less formal/professional than non-patent leather. Also suede does not hold up well with wear - the scuffs and stains are more obvious and not correctable.
 
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Found this interesting blog article on make up and first impressions.
 
What do you guys think about glasses? Is it more professional to wear them or contacts? I think glasses make me look a bit smarter, however they have clear frames, is that not acceptable?


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Yandell47 said:
Found this interesting blog article on make up and first impressions.
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Yeah, makeup does make a difference. If anyone is considering trying out makeup for the first time at your interview...practice first. And get some objective opinions on how it looks first. Makeup application takes practice. Makeup that would look appropriate in an interview setting arguably takes more practice because you have to know your face and features well enough to enhance them and you have to utilize restraint. Plus when doing "natural makeup" you have to navigate the color, wear and the formula of foundation/powder/blush/eyebrow product/concealer/mascara/eye liner...pretty much everything. Your interview day is not the time to find out that you have oily eyelids and the mascara and eyeliner you chose gave you raccoon eyes two hours into wear. If you don't have an objective party to say yay or nay, you may want to consider anonymously posting to a forum like this and saying you need help with a conservative interview look.
 
pandorasbox said:
What do you guys think about glasses? Is it more professional to wear them or contacts? I think glasses make me look a bit smarter, however they have clear frames, is that not acceptable?


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Go with what you normally wear and feel comfortable with on a daily basis. Just make sure you can see okay =)
 
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pandorasbox said:
What do you guys think about glasses? Is it more professional to wear them or contacts? I think glasses make me look a bit smarter, however they have clear frames, is that not acceptable?


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This depends on a lot of things. What is your prescription like? Is it enough to give you a significant distortion? (Do your eyes look significantly smaller or bigger with your glasses on?) That can be very distracting to look at. Which eyewear are you more comfortable in? Will contacts dry your eyes out and make you blink more frequently? Will you have to stop and clean smudges off your glasses? How is your peripheral vision with glasses, will you be bumping into things wearing them as opposed to contacts?

I am a glasses and contacts wearer and I ultimately chose my contacts, even though I have very classic looking frames. My contacts make me look more conventionally attractive, there is no magnification making my eyes look huge, and I didn't have to deal with smudges or taking them off and putting sunglasses on when the tour went outside. Do what you are most comfortable in and look best in, I don't think that clear frames are a deal-breaker or unacceptable.
 
How is the fit of these pants and skirt? In both cases the size up looks frumpy, but I'm worried about how this size is on my booty (always a problem for me!). I'm also making a pants vs skirt decision if anyone can weigh in! Thank you!! Also, this is NOT the blouse I will be wearing...

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SamBamShazam said:
How is the fit of these pants and skirt? In both cases the size up looks frumpy, but I'm worried about how this size is on my booty (always a problem for me!). I'm also making a pants vs skirt decision if anyone can weigh in! Thank you!! Also, this is NOT the blouse I will be wearing...

View attachment 208525 View attachment 208526 View attachment 208523 View attachment 208524
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The pants are too tight, see the way they are pulling at the crotch, combined with the way the fabric is gathering into ridges on the sides of your hips? You definitely want a more skimming-the-body look, as opposed to a hugging-the-body look. If you go with the pants, I would recommend sizing up. I think the skirt looks good, but see how these things feel when you sit too. I wish I remembered how my interview skirt looked from the side, I too have an hourglass shape and that was a struggle for me as well. I can tell you that I did end up choosing a size that I considered to not be my usual fit, it was slightly loose in the waist and just skimmed my hips. My personal preference would normally be for it to be tight to the waist and to hug the hips more, but that is definitely not interview appropriate. With the shirt tucked in and the jacket buttoned, it's not like my true waist was visible at any point anyway.
 
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Maybe someone has mentioned this before, but I had luck finding a slimmer fitting pant suit at Zara. Total cost was under $100
 
Would appreciate comments on the following combination that I am considering to purchase: Navy blue pant suit, tan/brown shoe and tan/brown tote. Images attached. Please let me know.
suit pant.jpg
shoes.jpg
bag.jpg
 
SamBamShazam said:
How is the fit of these pants and skirt? In both cases the size up looks frumpy
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If you can't find the right fit and HAVE to choose between tight/sexy vs frumpy, go frumpy. Then have a tailor take it in just a wee bit, if you have time and $. Obviously the ideal would be a golden mean between frumpy and sexy -- hard to find off the rack. Just my $0.02. As always, go with adcom opinion over mine.
 
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I don't understand with this thread being 95 pages long...4700 posts...why are people STILL asking the SAME questions that have been asked several dozen times. READ the thread from start to finish...you will then have a VERY clear idea of what is appropriate and what isn't.
 
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Toutie said:
I don't understand with this thread being 95 pages long...4700 posts...why are people STILL asking the SAME questions that have been asked several dozen times. READ the thread from start to finish...you will then have a VERY clear idea of what is appropriate and what isn't.
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It might be nice if we could start a new one. And this time having the initial post have all of the advice gathered into one place. I don't mind compiling that/doing that if there is interest. I have an exam Tuesday, I could have it up sometime next week.

Edit: this received 3 likes, I'm taking that to mean interest.

Edit: I did it! http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/womens-interview-attire-4.1220512/
 
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Ladies, question about tights. I'm black so nude tights in my complexion is not an option. I'm looking at some black tights to get and I'm just worried about how sheer they should be. The ones i got are pretty dark (almost like leggings but a little see through). Do I need tights that are more sheer or do the darker ones look less professional?
 
medbom said:
Ladies, question about tights. I'm black so nude tights in my complexion is not an option. I'm looking at some black tights to get and I'm just worried about how sheer they should be. The ones i got are pretty dark (almost like leggings but a little see through). Do I need tights that are more sheer or do the darker ones look less professional?
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Would something like this be a better color match?

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/matt-10...Kf7Sjp185_w2064dM0iYjfZkzG0_urTy6zxoCZ4Xw_wcB
 
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Sorry if this has been asked before, looked through a few pages but couldn't get through all of them..
What's the consensus on light gray suits, thinking of a pant suit as I have a skirt suit and I need a second one for a two day interview. Thanks!
 
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