Girl Interview Attire

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
trixr4kids0001

trixr4kids0001

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2010
Messages
64
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Buffalo NY
  1. Pre-Dental
Members do not see this ad.
Hey girls!

I'm going to start looking for business attire for my interviews but I'm kind of clueless on where to look. Where did you buy yours? Also for a shirt under your coat are you going to wear a colored shirt, or do you think this would be inappropriate? Thanks for your help!!! 🙂
 
Walmart_exterior.jpg

"Satisfaction Guaranteed"
 
Last edited:
trixr4kids0001 said:
Hey girls!

I'm going to start looking for business attire for my interviews but I'm kind of clueless on where to look. Where did you buy yours? Also for a shirt under your coat are you going to wear a colored shirt, or do you think this would be inappropriate? Thanks for your help!!! 🙂
Click to expand...

I don't know much about Women's formal wear but I'll list a couple of points, which hold true irrespective of your sex.

Try to stay conservative and go with either a pants suit or a skirt suit but if you opt for the later, try to have it knee length or if you really can't resist... no more than 1 inch above the knees.

Your suit should not be black, period

For what color to wear, keep in mind what you are going into and ask yourself what impression would this combination give off? For example... I've decided to go with a dark gray suit but what color shirt should I wear?

Black shirt with dark gray suit?
I would look like I'm in the mafia... and I could possibly have a metal pipe hidden behind my back.

Just to reiterate my point, please keep in mind what you are going into and what impression would the combination of your choice give off? You don't want to look like you are going to a funeral, clubbing, casual business wear, and etc. You are going into a formal interview for a professional level school.
 
Last edited:
ann taylor outlet! they had a billion styles and i actually found one that wasn't hideous (pant suit, darker gray). as for what shirt to wear under i am still clueless...
 
J crew. If you cannot afford stores like these...then shop the site. Pick out your favorite outfits and go to the mall and find them at a cheaper store or on sale. Go to the outlet malls too...they always have J Crew, Banana Repub outlets. I personally invested in a nice suit. Some of my friends didn't and they looked great too, so it's not necessary at all.

Undershirt: I wore a long sleeved white button up shirt. Pearls and little makeup
 
Thanks! The outlet malls are a really good idea. I'll definitely have to check them out! 🙂
 
JOoa0ky mostly has it right, but is overthinking it a bit. wearing black is fine and whatever color shirt is fine also so long as you are able to pick colors that look reasonable together.

IMO the best looking girl suits are grey pants suits with a somewhat colorful shirt like teal.
 
try express, i really like their editor slacks.
h&m also has a lot of cute and professional looking blouses.
 
:laugh: @ man taylor, j crow, banana, china express, and m&m when a good ole wally world would do just fine.
 
I don't think there's anything wrong with black pant suits, as long it doesn't make you look matronly. I think that the black suit and white collared shirt is too traditional though. Pairing with an inner shirt that adds a burst of color works pretty well, and you can tie a colorful scarf on your bag.

I highly recommend Banana Republic. Macy's also has suits for reasonable prices.
 
I purchased a skirt suit at Macy's. It was pricey but was on sale for 40% off and also came in a petite size which eliminated any alterations for me. My suit is brown and I chose a cream colored top to go with it. I saw another article on this topic that suggested always wearing a blouse that is lighter than your suit and neutral colors were preferred. ??? My suit has short sleeves but I only plan to interview here in Vegas and it is hot as hell here right now and will continue to be warm into October. I was a little worried about the short sleeves and that the jacket is belted and the skirt is slightly flared, but I gave my suit a trial run at my pre-professional committee interview and it was deemed appropriate. Also, I was advised by everyone to wear nylons; apparently its a must for the interview. 👎

Good luck with finding the perfect interview outfit. :luck:
 
Ann Taylor is a great place. So is New York & Company and The Limited. Dillards has some nice ones. Not a big Express fan here, though.

Wear whatever color you want as long as you feel confident in it and it isn't like neon colors or something. Colors like black, brown, grey, navy, etc... are all appropriate. Just use your best judgement.

Shirts under the blazer should be any color that will match. They say always go lighter... but I've seen where others go darker and it ends up looking really nice.

If you decide to wear a skirt, skirts should all be knee length or below. I believe anything above that is not conservative anymore.

Wear nylons if you can 🙂 I'm a big nylon fan and wearer. All legs look better with them on anyway 😀

Don't wear makeup like a clown. Less makeup...the better, in my opinion.

Good luck! 🙂
 
I think the knee length pencil skirts are really cute! Paired with a matching blazer or something. And make sure your cleavage is covered!
 
Is it bad if I chose to wear a cardigan over a white collared blouse n grey dress pants? I'm worried it might look bad now but I feel like that's still business attire ... I dunno any thoughts ladies?
 
jkb53433 said:
Is it bad if I chose to wear a cardigan over a white collared blouse n grey dress pants? I'm worried it might look bad now but I feel like that's still business attire ... I dunno any thoughts ladies?
Click to expand...

Hrmm.. personally, I think that would be not as formal as it can be. It's definitely appropriate for office jobs, casual job interviews, church, and what not... but I don't think it's the best thing to wear at professional school interviews. If I were in your shoes, I would probably replace that cardigan with a blazer and keep everything else. One of the goals as an applicant at an interview is to look and be as professional as possible 🙂 Good luck! 🙂
 
Also are you girls bringing a purse? I was thinking of buying a big black purse to keep papers and essentials in.
 
trixr4kids0001 said:
Also are you girls bringing a purse? I was thinking of buying a big black purse to keep papers and essentials in.
Click to expand...


Yeah I'm going to take a purse just to have a little notepad in case I want to take notes at their financial aid sessions. I don't want to buy those businessy briefcases though! I was thinking a big cute black bag. I have a yellow one that I wish I could take but I guess the color isn't appropriate. So sad how it's not professional to wear color lol
 
trixr4kids0001 said:
Also are you girls bringing a purse? I was thinking of buying a big black purse to keep papers and essentials in.
Click to expand...

Yup! I'm definitely bringing a purse...... feel naked without one 😳 😀 😛
 
anything Theory will work --bloomingdales/nordstroms/neimans. wherever its sold. theory stuff is kinda expensive but its worth the $$ bc its pretty & lasts. ha
 
I need an opinion. I have a dark brown pant suit and I need a handbag that would go well with it. I'm not sure what color I should get. I feel black wouldn't coordinate well with my suit and brown might be too much. Any thoughts? 🙂
 
Predent1391 said:
I need an opinion. I have a dark brown pant suit and I need a handbag that would go well with it. I'm not sure what color I should get. I feel black wouldn't coordinate well with my suit and brown might be too much. Any thoughts? 🙂
Click to expand...

Black would probably be too dark. Dark brown or brown would probably be too much brown. I'm going to have to go with maybe a light ivory cream color. 🙂
 
NguyenDDS said:
Hrmm.. personally, I think that would be not as formal as it can be. It's definitely appropriate for office jobs, casual job interviews, church, and what not... but I don't think it's the best thing to wear at professional school interviews. If I were in your shoes, I would probably replace that cardigan with a blazer and keep everything else. One of the goals as an applicant at an interview is to look and be as professional as possible 🙂 Good luck! 🙂
Click to expand...



Hmm matching blazer with grey dress pants? Or a black blazer would work ?
 
Predent1391 said:
I need an opinion. I have a dark brown pant suit and I need a handbag that would go well with it. I'm not sure what color I should get. I feel black wouldn't coordinate well with my suit and brown might be too much. Any thoughts? 🙂
Click to expand...
I would definitely get a cream colored purse. What color shirt are you wearing? Maybe you could match it close to that
 
Thanks guys! I actually found a cream colored one that's really nice! 😀
 
My friend and I both got our suits at Banana Republic....you might even find an outlet in some malls...
 
I got a skirt and jacket at Express last year. I also got a pair of pants at Loft (outlet) and I actually got another jacket at JCPenny a couple weeks ago because I liked the style better than my Express one (and it was on sale..only $20!)
 
🙂
 
Last edited:
I think I'm going with gray as well. I feel blacks like going to a funeral lol. Plus standing out a bit never hurts 🙂
 
trixr4kids0001 said:
I would definitely get a cream colored purse. What color shirt are you wearing? Maybe you could match it close to that
Click to expand...
Ehh, cream colored purses can look a bit tacky, plus they get dirty really easily. IMHO such a light colored purse would draw attention away from the person and onto the accessories. I'm of the opinion that brown and black can indeed match at times. My suit is also dark brown, but depending on the light it almost looks like it has charcoal undertones. With it I'm wearing black shoes and a black tote. Looks perfectly fine.

Actually, let me make this easier: my suit, my shirt, my shoes (in "black fabric"), my bag (not exactly but close enough)

BTW, if you don't have a good pair of heels yet, I HIGHLY recommend the above. They are insanely comfortable and cushiony, and the heel is low enough that walking around all day won't be a problem...even if you're bad in heels like me hahahah.
 
Last edited:
veggieheadgeek said:
Ehh, cream colored purses can look a bit tacky, plus they get dirty really easily. IMHO such a light colored purse would draw attention away from the person and onto the accessories. I'm of the opinion that brown and black can indeed match at times. My suit is also dark brown, but depending on the light it almost looks like it has charcoal undertones. With it I'm wearing black shoes and a black tote. Looks perfectly fine.

Actually, let me make this easier: my suit, my shirt, my shoes (in "black fabric"), my bag (not exactly but close enough)

BTW, if you don't have a good pair of heels yet, I HIGHLY recommend the above. They are insanely comfortable and cushiony, and the heel is low enough that walking around all day won't be a problem...even if you're bad in heels like me hahahah.
Click to expand...

I can't open the link to your suit. I like your bag, but black will definitely clash with my suit. The bag I found is like a darker cream with some brown leather. Kind of difficult to explain, but it's a nice design by Nine West and it goes well with my suit because it matches the pinstripes of my suit.
 
I've been shopping around for clothes and I've realized that I look better in non-suits. I think suits are professional but would you guys say a pencil skirt with a nice shirt or a dress that looks like the one below would also work? I don't want to be the only one not wearing a suit so it would be great if people who have already had interviews can give some feedback. Thanks!

http://www.thelimited.com/detail/ruffled-2-in-1-dress/3356523
 
I agree... I feel like I look so stupid in a suit LOL. Im still searching for one though, just to be professional. There has to be one out there that doesn't make my shoulders look like I'm going to play football... hahaa
 
trixr4kids0001 said:
I agree... I feel like I look so stupid in a suit LOL. Im still searching for one though, just to be professional. There has to be one out there that doesn't make my shoulders look like I'm going to play football... hahaa
Click to expand...

agreed! I think everything looks good...the skirt, blouse, shoes...it's just when I put the blazer on that I look bad! :laugh:
 
Hey guys!
I went to an interview earlier this week and thought I'd let you know what people were wearing. Out of the 21 people there, 20 wore black suits. One girl wore a skirt/ cardigan combo that was cute, but she looked a little underdressed compared to everyone else.

There was an even mix of pant/skirt suits (for the girls haha) and I thought both looked great. A lot of girls wore button-down shirts under their blazers, but there were also girls with shells that looked really nice. Also, everyone that had on a skirt suit wore pantyhose! Oh, and they're not kidding when they tell you to wear comfortable shoes - I wore my favorite pair of heels and my feet were killing me by the end of the day!
 
amanda9717 said:
Hey guys!
I went to an interview earlier this week and thought I'd let you know what people were wearing. Out of the 21 people there, 20 wore black suits. One girl wore a skirt/ cardigan combo that was cute, but she looked a little underdressed compared to everyone else.

There was an even mix of pant/skirt suits (for the girls haha) and I thought both looked great. A lot of girls wore button-down shirts under their blazers, but there were also girls with shells that looked really nice. Also, everyone that had on a skirt suit wore pantyhose! Oh, and they're not kidding when they tell you to wear comfortable shoes - I wore my favorite pair of heels and my feet were killing me by the end of the day!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
😱 That's a lot of black!.... I'm going to be the oddball of the group 😳
 
I think its better to not wear black. The idea is to stand out a bit. As long as you don't show up in pinstipes or a bright red pimp suit, you should be fine.
 
preOMFS said:
I think its better to not wear black. The idea is to stand out a bit. As long as you don't show up in pinstipes or a bright red pimp suit, you should be fine.
Click to expand...

lol. I hope so... 🙂 because I'm not even wearing a dark color 😳
 
amanda9717 said:
Hey guys!
I went to an interview earlier this week and thought I'd let you know what people were wearing. Out of the 21 people there, 20 wore black suits. One girl wore a skirt/ cardigan combo that was cute, but she looked a little underdressed compared to everyone else.

There was an even mix of pant/skirt suits (for the girls haha) and I thought both looked great. A lot of girls wore button-down shirts under their blazers, but there were also girls with shells that looked really nice. Also, everyone that had on a skirt suit wore pantyhose! Oh, and they're not kidding when they tell you to wear comfortable shoes - I wore my favorite pair of heels and my feet were killing me by the end of the day!
Click to expand...

Sigh;

I am incredibly disappointed. 🙁
 
If you have some money to spend, I would go to Ann Taylor. I bought my suit there for dental school interviews 5 years ago. And I bought a new suit for job interviews from there as well-- and I happened to be in the store when they were having a 40% off sale. I bought a pant suit for dental school interviews, but a skirt suit this time for job interviews. Unless there is a chance you will be interviewing during the colder months in some of the north/northeast states, I would go for the skirt suit. Looking back on it, I think the skirt suit looks much more professional and feminine in my opinion. As far as what type of blouse to wear under the suit-- I did not wear a collared shirt under either of them. I wore solid colored, sleeveless blouses that had the fabric either slightly gathered or ruched and I wore a pearl necklace with both of them. I wore a more modest, short strand pearl necklace with the suit for dental school interviews, and then I wore a long strand necklace with pearls and zirconia detail. I would wear heels-- I think they look better with suits, but just make sure they are not too tall, and make sure they are as comfortable and that you can tolerate them for 6-8 hours. Wear makeup, but don't overdo it. Hair up or down, just make sure it looks nice. Pearl earrings or diamond/zirconia studs. Nothing too dangly in my opinion. A lot of people have differing opinions on this, but I would wear panty hose with both a pant suit or skirt suit-- you can get away with the knee highs or something similar with pant suits. Panty hose, although not comfortable by any means looks nice and professional. And then I would make sure you have some sort of padfolio/notepad of some sort that you can carry by itself or in a professional-looking purse/bag. Oh and one more thing-- don't get black just because you think that's what adcoms want to see, or it's what everyone wears, etc. Get black if you truly look good in it, but if you are fairly pale like I am, I do not look good in all black. I would make a point to find a suit that makes you look good. Neither of my suits are black, navy, or gray, the common colors. Hope this helps!
 
amanda9717 said:
Hey guys!
I went to an interview earlier this week and thought I'd let you know what people were wearing. Out of the 21 people there, 20 wore black suits. One girl wore a skirt/ cardigan combo that was cute, but she looked a little underdressed compared to everyone else.

There was an even mix of pant/skirt suits (for the girls haha) and I thought both looked great. A lot of girls wore button-down shirts under their blazers, but there were also girls with shells that looked really nice. Also, everyone that had on a skirt suit wore pantyhose! Oh, and they're not kidding when they tell you to wear comfortable shoes - I wore my favorite pair of heels and my feet were killing me by the end of the day!
Click to expand...

It's so nice of you to give some feedback!! I think I'm worrying more about what to wear than the actual interview!
Question: were any of the girls wearing a business type dress? Or a short sleeve suit? I will be interviewing in Arizona in 2 weeks and it's going to be hot. I wonder if a short sleeve suit will look ok.

Thanks!
 
I wore a short sleeve jacket with a sleeveless blouse, and I think I looked fine. My mom said my outfit was stylish and cute, but my interviewers didn't say anything about my attire, nor gawk at me, nor look upset by what I was wearing. My blouse was only low enough to show a little bit of collar bone.

The color scheme of my outfit was gray, black, deep purple. I wore sheer leggings, and 1.5" heels.
 
I thought I wore size 5.0-5.5 shoes, but I recently found out I wear size 4.5..... 5 is still too loose on me. I finally found 5.0 size shoes that fit me perfectly if I put padding in it, but my only concern is that the heels are about 4 inches. It looks professional though... not hooker-ish or anything. Do you all think that will be okay to have heels that high?
 
NguyenDDS said:
I thought I wore size 5.0-5.5 shoes, but I recently found out I wear size 4.5..... 5 is still too loose on me. I finally found 5.0 size shoes that fit me perfectly if I put padding in it, but my only concern is that the heels are about 4 inches. It looks professional though... not hooker-ish or anything. Do you all think that will be okay to have heels that high?
Click to expand...

Wow-small feet cute! lol I don't recommend 4 inch heels unless you're willing to walk around in them or wear flats during tours.
 
Here's my take:

Women should definitely wear a suit. It doesn't have to be a pant suit but a suit for sure.

Becoming a dentist is big. Your interview may be one of the biggest days of your life. Hmmm....what other event might be the biggest day of your life? Perhaps your wedding?

I spent more on my suit than I did on my wedding dress. Because, hey, at least I'm going to wear that outfit more than once!
 
SeattleRDH said:
Here's my take:

Women should definitely wear a suit. It doesn't have to be a pant suit but a suit for sure.

Becoming a dentist is big. Your interview may be one of the biggest days of your life. Hmmm....what other event might be the biggest day of your life? Perhaps your wedding?

I spent more on my suit than I did on my wedding dress. Because, hey, at least I'm going to wear that outfit more than once!
Click to expand...

I like your thinking. 👍
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
Interview Attire
Replies
6
Views
1K
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
ballpass
KCU Interview
Replies
1
Views
1K
MolarsinMind
M
emilia112
did not like interview
Replies
2
Views
1K
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
Y
Want to interview prep together on discord?
Replies
3
Views
563
Rick Sorkin
Rick Sorkin
J
Does Fee Waiver Affect Interview Chances?
Replies
5
Views
903
Lemillion
Lemillion
Top Bottom