Women's Interview Clothing

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To the faculty here, what would be the consequences of poor decision when it comes to interview clothing? Today a girl at my interview was wearing a flashy/metallic, wrinkle-styled polyester blazer that's very loose, pants of the same material, non-plain shirt with lots of folds in the front and a pair of big, dangly and light blue earrings. Another wore a pink forever21 style/quality looking jersey top and a tight black fashion skirt. I can't get my head wrapped around this. How can someone with the academic achievements enough for a top 10 school manage to fail to google "women's medical school interview clothing"? Both had extensive experience living in the US and both attended elite colleges so there were no cultural difference issue that might account for some of their decisions.
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Thanks to all for your replies. I went back for the matching black blazer, but I'm keeping the aubergine for future use. :)
 
Friendly_female_house said:
To the faculty here, what would be the consequences of poor decision when it comes to interview clothing? Today a girl at my interview was wearing a flashy/metallic, wrinkle-styled polyester blazer that's very loose, pants of the same material, non-plain shirt with lots of folds in the front and a pair of big, dangly and light blue earrings. Another wore a pink forever21 style/quality looking jersey top and a tight black fashion skirt. I can't get my head wrapped around this. How can someone with the academic achievements enough for a top 10 school manage to fail to google "women's medical school interview clothing"? Both had extensive experience living in the US and both attended elite colleges so there were no cultural difference issue that might account for some of their decisions.
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The differential diagnosis is short:
She thinks she is so special that rules don't apply to her.
She is clueless.
She did no research.
None of these improves her odds of success.
 
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gyngyn said:
The differential diagnosis is short:
She thinks she is so special that rules don't apply to her.
She is clueless.
She did no research.
None of these improves her odds of success.
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On one hand I hope the adcom can understand that people at a relative younger age might have ignorance for which once they get older they would dutifully regret. On the other hand, I would not have faith in people who fail to see the "humanistic" side of the medical school application. If they can't see the social and economical factors and work with these factors affecting their own fate and success, how can the patients expect them to see the much more complex overlay of factors that might affect their treatment and yet may not be all that relevant to the person who's treating them?
Anyway, thanks for the rely. I thought similar but I felt wrong for judging them.
 
Friendly_female_house said:
To the faculty here, what would be the consequences of poor decision when it comes to interview clothing? Today a girl at my interview was wearing a flashy/metallic, wrinkle-styled polyester blazer that's very loose, pants of the same material, non-plain shirt with lots of folds in the front and a pair of big, dangly and light blue earrings. Another wore a pink forever21 style/quality looking jersey top and a tight black fashion skirt. I can't get my head wrapped around this. How can someone with the academic achievements enough for a top 10 school manage to fail to google "women's medical school interview clothing"? Both had extensive experience living in the US and both attended elite colleges so there were no cultural difference issue that might account for some of their decisions.
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Shudder.... Bad judgement and bad taste.
 
Ladies! any tips for keeping panty hosed-toes from sliding forward in heels?
 
Keladry said:
All I can offer is what I wore:

Black pants and blazer, blouse, brown ankle boots, large brown/black bag (big enough for a folder, notebook, water, and food), small earrings and a watch, no makeup (I never wear makeup anyhow; if you want to wear it, go for it, just keep it very simple). I have short hair so I wore it down, neatly.

I bought most of the clothes at the Limited - not too expensive, but nice-looking and it fit me well. Plus the employees were incredibly helpful, helped me find several outfits with just a few pieces, and at least the specific ones I spoke to were familiar with med school, interviews, the medical profession in general (the only other shoppers at that time were all wearing scrubs!) which was great.

My reasoning for all of this was that it's important to both be comfortable and look nice (hence the pants and the boots - skirts are too fussy, and the shoes were super comfortable). Plus I can't wear button-downs given my chest size, so wearing a blouse (simple pattern, tucked in, largely covered by my blazer) was a much better option for me.

Basically, if you look professional and you're comfortable, then you're fine. Err on the side of the conservative/formal to be safe, but don't stress. I mean, the only watch I had other than my sports watch was a Mickey Mouse watch, so I wore that for my interviews (don't think anyone even noticed).
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Keladry is my favorite! Re-reading the series!
 
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I'm going to apply next cycle, but this is really making me curious.

I'm tall, but I have a very childish face. I'm also very pale, so I'm worried that a darker color may make this more apparent, and that heels would make me look even more like a child.

What would you recommend?

EDIT: I'm 5'10, I'm broad-shouldered, I'm covered in freckles and I wear somewhat square wire frame glasses. I have blue-gray eyes and I have thick auburn curly hair. Help me? xD
 
Conflagration said:
I'm going to apply next cycle, but this is really making me curious.

I'm around 5'10, but I have a very childish face. I'm also very pale, so I'm worried that a darker color may make this more apparent, and that heels would make me look even more like a child.

What would you recommend?
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Everyone looks like a child to us! Dress like a grown-up and you'll fit right in.
 
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Conflagration said:
I'm going to apply next cycle, but this is really making me curious.

I'm tall, but I have a very childish face. I'm also very pale, so I'm worried that a darker color may make this more apparent, and that heels would make me look even more like a child.

What would you recommend?

EDIT: I'm 5'10, I'm broad-shouldered, I'm covered in freckles and I wear somewhat square wire frame glasses. I have blue-gray eyes and I have thick auburn curly hair. Help me? xD
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Maybe getting thicker/trendier glasses would make you feel more grown up? I think it makes a big difference when it looks like your glasses are part of your style instead of just something that helps you see.
 
TheRhymenocerous said:
Maybe getting thicker/trendier glasses would make you feel more grown up? I think it makes a big difference when it looks like your glasses are part of your style instead of just something that helps you see.
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My worry with that is that it'll show the fact that I'm a little on the chubby side. I'm trying to lose it this year; so maybe that won't be a problem next year. I'm just cautious.

What about color?
 
Conflagration said:
My worry with that is that it'll show the fact that I'm a little on the chubby side. I'm trying to lose it this year; so maybe that won't be a problem next year. I'm just cautious.

What about color?
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gyngyn said:
Navy is nice.
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I would second this recommendation! I am also super pale and freckly, but navy looks fine. I would probably go for a shirt that is not white or pastel.
 
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So, I've found this navy dress and jacket combo that work great. Unfortunately, I'm pretty tall. I'm also curvy so I always have trouble finding pants that are long enough and fit right. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out if the dress is a suitable length. This isn't the dress (and the dress is not this tight) but the actual length is very similar to mine where it meets the knee: http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1005910&vid=1&pid=179611002
Appropriate? I also worry about it riding up when I sit.
 
MintLiminal said:
So, I've found this navy dress and jacket combo that work great. Unfortunately, I'm pretty tall. I'm also curvy so I always have trouble finding pants that are long enough and fit right. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out if the dress is a suitable length. This isn't the dress (and the dress is not this tight) but the actual length is very similar to mine where it meets the knee: http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1005910&vid=1&pid=179611002
Appropriate? I also worry about it riding up when I sit.
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The length is fine but it can't ride up when you sit down; that may mean sizing up or a more forgiving shape.
 
This week on my interview trail, among one of the most sharply and impeccably dressed group of interviewees, one girl wore a eggshell yellow patterned short sleeved bubble shirt, a light gray/brownish skirt. She wore her hair down, a decorative braid made across the back and a giant yellow flower pinned to the side on the back almost Hawaiian style. Except the part that she really stood out, she looked nice and almost put-together.
 
FriendlyFH said:
This week on my interview trail, among one of the most sharply and impeccably dressed group of interviewees, one girl wore a eggshell yellow patterned short sleeved bubble shirt, a light gray/brownish skirt. She wore her hair down, a decorative braid made across the back and a giant yellow flower pinned to the side on the back almost Hawaiian style. Except the part that she really stood out, she looked nice and almost put-together.
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This sounds lovely for a lunch date, like something out of a romance novel.
 
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gyngyn said:
This sounds lovely for a lunch date, like something out of a romance novel.
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Now that you mentioned, it does haha.
 
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I'm so not looking forward to getting shoes for interviewing. I'll kill myself in anything not flat and would really like to be able to wear my small orthotic in them for walking around on tours all day... :p
 
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gyngyn said:
No beige! The dress looks almost off the shoulder. If you remove your jacket, it's too "date night."
These interviews are the most important events of of your professional life (up until now). Choose with that in mind.
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Ah! Thanks for telling me. I wasn't planning on removing my jacket though. I'm a little conscious of how little I look so I wanted to be sure I look as "adult" as I could. I get asked if I'm in high school all the time. I look older with the blazer.

Could I do a grey blazer on top of that dress?
 
tennant said:
Ah! Thanks for telling me. I wasn't planning on removing my jacket though. I'm a little conscious of how little I look so I wanted to be sure I look as "adult" as I could. I get asked if I'm in high school all the time. I look older with the blazer.

Could I do a grey blazer on top of that dress?
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Charcoal is always a good choice, especially if it matches the dress. I hope that the V neck is not as plunging as it appears...
 
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tennant said:
Ah! Thanks for telling me. I wasn't planning on removing my jacket though. I'm a little conscious of how little I look so I wanted to be sure I look as "adult" as I could. I get asked if I'm in high school all the time. I look older with the blazer.

Could I do a grey blazer on top of that dress?
Click to expand...


That is literally the dress I wore to my interview this past weekend. Banana Republic has a navy jacket/blazer that matches it perfectly and makes everything look very professional, I think much more so than if you wore a different color jacket. I wore all black wedges with it, similar to the ones someone posted above. The dress looks kind of short on the model, but on me it came directly above the knee, and I'm 5'9, so that model must be pretty leggy.
 
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Please help! I'm overly endowed in the chest area and I can't find a Blazer that buttons, is it okay to have an unbuttoned blazer/ suit jacket?
 
DreamerAchiever said:
Please help! I'm overly endowed in the chest area and I can't find a Blazer that buttons, is it okay to have an unbuttoned blazer/ suit jacket?
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I have a similar issue and got an Ann Taylor blazer that has a single button which is located below the chest area. This lets me button it without having to stretch the fabric over my chest. I then of course didn't get a button up blouse, but a high necked shell.

Edit: It's not this jacket exactly, but similar style to this one with the button lower than the chest. http://www.anntaylor.com/all-season...tPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=6600
 
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sunflower18 said:
I have a similar issue and got an Ann Taylor blazer that has a single button which is located below the chest area. This lets me button it without having to stretch the fabric over my chest. I then of course didn't get a button up blouse, but a high necked shell.

Edit: It's not this jacket exactly, but similar style to this one with the button lower than the chest. http://www.anntaylor.com/all-season...tPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=6600
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Please help!

I tried to find an appropriate outfit for my interview this weekend due to my overly gifted chest, I couldn't find a blazer in my size at a store. I'm trying to order online tonight and pray that I receive it by Thursday. Here are my limited options do these work?


http://www.sears.com/gmi-by-divine-...ZVA78748412P?selectedFilters=Size|28&prdNo=12


http://www.sears.com/edwards-women-...azers^Size|28\&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1


http://www.overstock.com/Clothing-S...efccid=5GR7XJBSZYL3E5SABOVSARQIOU&searchidx=0

Colors in black, navy blue and Taupe


http://smile.amazon.com/Jessica-Lon...lar/dp/B0032FCV98/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_opt?ie=UTF8
 
DreamerAchiever said:
Please help!

I tried to find an appropriate outfit for my interview this weekend due to my overly gifted chest, I couldn't find a blazer in my size at a store. I'm trying to order online tonight and pray that I receive it by Thursday. Here are my limited options do these work?


http://www.sears.com/gmi-by-divine-...ZVA78748412P?selectedFilters=Size|28&prdNo=12


http://www.sears.com/edwards-women-...azers^Size|28\&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1


http://www.overstock.com/Clothing-S...efccid=5GR7XJBSZYL3E5SABOVSARQIOU&searchidx=0

Colors in black, navy blue and Taupe


http://smile.amazon.com/Jessica-Lon...lar/dp/B0032FCV98/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_opt?ie=UTF8
Click to expand...

I honestly think that my chest would have a difficult time in any of those blazers due to how high up the buttons are. For me personally, my chest would require a larger size than the rest of my torso, so I wouldn't want to order a blazer online with that in mind since it might need to be tailored. If you're pretty evenly proportioned, this might not be an issue, so you'll have to make that call. This is another AT blazer (http://www.anntaylor.com/oe-triacet...tPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=6600) which has a low button that is likely to be more accommodating.
 
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DreamerAchiever said:
Please help!

I tried to find an appropriate outfit for my interview this weekend due to my overly gifted chest, I couldn't find a blazer in my size at a store. I'm trying to order online tonight and pray that I receive it by Thursday. Here are my limited options do these work?


http://www.sears.com/gmi-by-divine-...ZVA78748412P?selectedFilters=Size|28&prdNo=12


http://www.sears.com/edwards-women-...azers^Size|28\&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1


http://www.overstock.com/Clothing-S...efccid=5GR7XJBSZYL3E5SABOVSARQIOU&searchidx=0

Colors in black, navy blue and Taupe


http://smile.amazon.com/Jessica-Lon...lar/dp/B0032FCV98/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_opt?ie=UTF8
Click to expand...

From what I've read, don't go double breasted if you have a big chest. I think that second jacket is nice, but can pull a little bit if you have a large chest and smaller waist, at least that was my experience when I tried one like that on. Other two seem pretty good.
 
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sunflower18 said:
I honestly think that my chest would have a difficult time in any of those blazers due to how high up the buttons are. For me personally, my chest would require a larger size than the rest of my torso, so I wouldn't want to order a blazer online with that in mind since it might need to be tailored. If you're pretty evenly proportioned, this might not be an issue, so you'll have to make that call. This is another AT blazer (http://www.anntaylor.com/oe-triacet...tPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=6600) which has a low button that is likely to be more accommodating.
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I do adore the AT blazer, but I need a 26W to 28W, those blazers run small. The 2nd blazer I had was low buttoned.
 
DreamerAchiever said:
I do adore the AT blazer, but I need a 26W to 28W, those blazers run small. The 2nd blazer I had was low buttoned.
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Oh, I see. That's tricky! I saw @Winged Scapula had some good advice in the other thread -- hopefully that helps! I don't have much else to add other than good luck!!!!! :)
 
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MintLiminal said:
That is literally the dress I wore to my interview this past weekend. Banana Republic has a navy jacket/blazer that matches it perfectly and makes everything look very professional, I think much more so than if you wore a different color jacket. I wore all black wedges with it, similar to the ones someone posted above. The dress looks kind of short on the model, but on me it came directly above the knee, and I'm 5'9, so that model must be pretty leggy.
Click to expand...
Yes, IRL the dress is not as "off the shoulder" or as short and low cut as it appears on the model. I suspect it doesn't fit her well. However, if you have a larger chest, you may need a camisole under as it is low cut enough that it can/will show cleavage.
 
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DreamerAchiever said:
Please help!

I tried to find an appropriate outfit for my interview this weekend due to my overly gifted chest, I couldn't find a blazer in my size at a store. I'm trying to order online tonight and pray that I receive it by Thursday. Here are my limited options do these work?


http://www.sears.com/gmi-by-divine-...ZVA78748412P?selectedFilters=Size|28&prdNo=12


http://www.sears.com/edwards-women-...azers^Size|28\&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1


http://www.overstock.com/Clothing-S...efccid=5GR7XJBSZYL3E5SABOVSARQIOU&searchidx=0

Colors in black, navy blue and Taupe


http://smile.amazon.com/Jessica-Lon...lar/dp/B0032FCV98/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_opt?ie=UTF8
Click to expand...
I see you're new to SDN; there is no need to "cross post" or post the same question in multiple threads. Not only is it against our TOS, but it annoys users and its unnecessary because as you see, many of us read the lots of the threads!
 
Winged Scapula said:
I see you're new to SDN; there is no need to "cross post" or post the same question in multiple threads. Not only is it against our TOS, but it annoys users and its unnecessary because as you see, many of us read the lots of the threads!
Click to expand...
my bad!
 
Winged Scapula said:
Yes, IRL the dress is not as "off the shoulder" or as short and low cut as it appears on the model. I suspect it doesn't fit her well. However, if you have a larger chest, you may need a camisole under as it is low cut enough that it can/will show cleavage.
Click to expand...

Definitely. I wore a sports bra with it, which got rid of cleavage and the jacket helped cover up the collar bone areas.
 
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Would a headband be unprofessional to wear with my suit? It usually helps me tame my hair. lol
 
MintLiminal said:
Definitely. I wore a sports bra with it, which got rid of cleavage and the jacket helped cover up the collar bone areas.
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this is my interview dress. Does not show cleavage at all for me, and is not off the shoulder on me either. I have never removed my blazer during the interview day. I have the matching blazer from BR. I find the dress/blazer combination to be much more comfortable than trying to figure out a shirt with a skirt combo, and I hate, hate, hate pantsuits.
 
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What about classy Danskos with a pants suit?
 
pandadawn said:
What about classy Danskos with a pants suit?
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I've never seen classy Danskos.

In addition if they are even remotely identifiable as the shoes worn by a number of healthcare providers, it would seem a bit presumptuous for a premed to be wearing them to a school interview. Sort of like showing up in a white lab coat LOL.
 
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