Anyone wearing skirts to interviews? (I have a leg issue)

[oompa loompa]

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OK, I felt inspired by the "busting acne" thread.

I DO have a black suit in the back of my closet, but I have a much cuter skirt/jacket set that I want to wear. It looks professional enough and everything, I'm just worried about what to do with my legs. Over the years, I've NOT taken care of my legs. I sometimes shave my legs dry out of convenience, resulting in razor burn, and I've developed this nervous habit of picking at my leg hair...sounds gross but a lot of people do this, I swear! A friend introduced me to this habit, actually. So basically, my legs have all these little brown spots/scars from the sensitivity I guess. I'm not really sure how to describe them--they're not exactly scars, it's like you can tell that's where the hair follicle was, you know?--anyway, I've been putting lotion on them and trying to do some last-minute leg-care. Any advice on which lotions to use and how to make those hyperpigmentation spots disappear?

I did have this tanning in a bottle lotion that I used, but it's rather messy and it stinks.

THANKS 🙂

 

[osselot]

OK, I felt inspired by the "busting acne" thread.

I DO have a black suit in the back of my closet, but I have a much cuter skirt/jacket set that I want to wear. It looks professional enough and everything, I'm just worried about what to do with my legs. Over the years, I've NOT taken care of my legs. I sometimes shave my legs dry out of convenience, resulting in razor burn, and I've developed this nervous habit of picking at my leg hair...sounds gross but a lot of people do this, I swear! A friend introduced me to this habit, actually. So basically, my legs have all these little brown spots/scars from the sensitivity I guess. I'm not really sure how to describe them--they're not exactly scars, it's like you can tell that's where the hair follicle was, you know?--anyway, I've been putting lotion on them and trying to do some last-minute leg-care. Any advice on which lotions to use and how to make those hyperpigmentation spots disappear?

I did have this tanning in a bottle lotion that I used, but it's rather messy and it stinks.

THANKS 🙂

just wear darkish nylons and you should be fine... I don't think anybody's going to be examining your legs too closely!

 

[red dot]

if you're going to wear a skirt suit you HAVE to wear nylons anyway, regardless of weather, because it's professional wear. nylons will hide skin blemishes quite well, and no one will notice. if you have light/medium skin, even a pair of nude-colored nylons will work (unless you get the super sheer ones and have really light skin).
Wolfords (sp?) are about $50 bucks a pair so if you have the money I'd spring for those because they're very durable (very key! you don't want runs) and comfortable. if not, any pair will do. oh, and bring clear nail polish in case you do get runs in them... 🙂

 

[supersash]

i think pantyhose, AKA nylons, are extremely frumpy. if you are a tradtitional applicant (in your 20's), i think it makes you look older by wearing hose. to me its just an old lady look, and if you are young, you don't need them. i don't know of anyone accepted (my friends that is) who wore hose to their interviews. but that is just my 2 cents of course.

oompa - if i were you, you just need to what makes you feel comfortable. if you will not feel comfy in your skirt, then don't wear it. i wouldn't bother with self tanner or any of that, it can just be a mess. just wear pants if that is how you feel most comfortable. you will exude confidence in any outfit, as long as you feel good about yourself.

good luck!

 

[Saluki]

I think that it's more professional to wear pantyhose!!! So does my advisor and an adcom I know (I asked because I think they itch)

 

[unfrozencaveman]

i think pantyhose, AKA nylons, are extremely frumpy. if you are a tradtitional applicant (in your 20's), i think it makes you look older by wearing hose. to me its just an old lady look, and if you are young, you don't need them. i don't know of anyone accepted (my friends that is) who wore hose to their interviews. but that is just my 2 cents of course.

I agree that they can look frumpy, but it's a professional attire MUST. Get a good pair that looks natural. Donna Karen makes a good line "The Nudes" that looks good, and are very much invisible.

 

[SpiritiualDuck]

I don't know any girl that picks her legs. You might want to talk to someone about that. Skin picking is a disorder. Same thing.

I guess it gives you a release like kids that cut themselves.

 

[primadonna22274]

Wear stylish opaque nylons. Especially if the suit is all black, some neato patterned (subtle pattern, not too flashy) black ones will look swell. There are sooo many cool nylons out there now and not too expensive. Trust me, even a small fishnet with the right skirt and professional-looking low heels or pumps is very stylish, not at all trashy.
And take an extra pair in your bag just in case.
L.

 

[medicomel]

i've noticed that more women wear pants than skirts at interviews. has anyone else noticed this?

 

[hatshepsut]

I usually wear pants, but I'll be wearing a skirt to my interview on Monday. I believe female professionals feel pants are more professional than skirt. I have seen woman in skirts when attending interviews and don't feel it will really make a difference unless you wear a mini-skirt and fish nets.

 

[samenewme]

OK, I felt inspired by the "busting acne" thread.

I DO have a black suit in the back of my closet, but I have a much cuter skirt/jacket set that I want to wear. It looks professional enough and everything, I'm just worried about what to do with my legs. ...

THANKS 🙂

Wear darkish hose (some that do NOT say, "Super-sheer!") and all will be well. Anybody who notices will think it's just razor burn, and we've all been THERE.

Patterns will just accent the scars and are distracting anyway. The professional women I know still wear hose with their good suits without fail.

 

[mustangsally65]

Sally Hansen makes this product called "Airbrush legs." It's a spray-on available in many different skin-tone colors, and it's made to cover up things on your legs, like varicose veins etc. I've never used it myself, but I got some for my mom because she's almost 60 and has thin skin and bruises on her hands/arms a lot. It covers up the bruises very well. You should try some under your hose. You can find it at K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Target etc.

I wore a skirt to my interview this week because I found a nice skirt suit on sale. I have a hard time buying pants because my inseam is about 25 inches, and even petites aren't that short. Anyway, I don't think your legs are as big a deal as we think, because I didn't notice anyone staring at mine. 😛 I have a muscle thing in my lower legs where my muscles are tight and kind of bulge out, making my lower legs look kind of fat. I'm really self conscious about it, but it was the last thing on my mind. I was more concerned about my hair, make-up, bag etc. Just remember to put an extra pair of pantyhose in your bag/purse.

I've read that cocoa butter is good for reducing the appearance of discolorations like stretch marks. I guess you could even try the mederma stuff they advertise to diminish the appearance of scars. I have a lotion I use that's made by Dove and it's called something like Intensive Night repair lotion. It's really hydrating and I use it in the winter time when my legs get dry from shaving. Maybe it would help? Good luck!

 

[BooMed]

Wolfords (sp?) are about $50 bucks a pair so if you have the money I'd spring for those because they're very durable (very key! you don't want runs) and comfortable. if not, any pair will do. oh, and bring clear nail polish in case you do get runs in them... 🙂

Wow, are these super nylons or something? I mean, how long do they last? Are they comfortable?

 

[g3pro]

Remember, female doctors are there as eye-candy for the male doctors, so if you don't have the goods down there, you might as well not apply. 👎

 

[45408]

one of the girls at one of my interviews had a skirt with no nylons. I don't think it looked too unprofessional.

 

[N1DERL&]

Another tip on choosing nylons: Go for the ones that feel more plasticky than material like. Though the material ones feel softer, in my experience they kept getting caught on everything which resulted in lots of tiny snags and runs.

You can also either buy a bunch of cheaper nylons or spend the money get a really nice pair. The nices ones will probably not scream "pantyhose" as much as the inexpensive ones. I would probably stick with a nude color that's sheer. Dark colors don't do it for me.

I think your spots will probably fade with time, but in the meantime, make sure you put on sunscreen. I noticed any little scar that was out in the sun, looked browned and took longer to fade. Just keep lotion-ing up every night.
🙂

 

[VPDcurt]

Start smoking cigarettes. You'll forget about picking at your legs in no time.

 

[tigress]

I wear a skirt suit and sheer stockings. I forgot to shave before one interview 🙂eek: ), but you couldn't tell because of the stockings.

I DID notice when one woman I saw wasn't wearing stockings with her skirt suit, and IMO it didn't really look professional. She is the only one of all the women I have seen on interviews who was not wearing stockings. Stockings are not frumpy (I wear them every day to work) if you get the right ones.

If you are picking your legs to the point of injuring them, you should probably look for a way to stop. It sounds similar to trichotillomania. Not to imply there's something wrong with you or anything; we've all got our issues. 🙂 But it may be your way of handling stress or something, and you can probably find a more productive and less hurtful way of doing that.

 

[oompa loompa]

thanks for everyone's input. I'm wearing a skirt tomorrow, w/ hose 🙂

As for the whole picking legs = needs psychological help comment, I guess I didn't fully describe what I was doing. I'm talking about plucking out leg hair when I'm bored, not physically mutilating my leg. It's addictive, the same way biting your nails is (thankfully, I never had a problem w/ THAT).

 

[FarmerL]

This thread just proves women are far too self-conscious and crazy. Who cares about what you wear ? Noone notices.

 

[unfrozencaveman]

This thread just proves women are far too self-conscious and crazy. Who cares about what you wear ? Noone notices.

One, you can't be serious-- everyone notices what you wear, and two, there are twice as many men's interview clothing threads on here than the girls have going.

 

[samenewme]

One, you can't be serious-- everyone notices what you wear, and two, there are twice as many men's interview clothing threads on here than the girls have going.

It's worse than that. People form impressions of you based on what you wear without even realizing it. They'll never tell you they thought you were less intelligent than you are because you had fishnet hose on or your jacket was too tight, because they don't realize it at all. It's not fair, but then, we all have the map to JC Penney and can pick up a conservative outfit for those critical days in our lives when our appearance matters more than it should.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I agree that they can look frumpy, but it's a professional attire MUST. Get a good pair that looks natural. Donna Karen makes a good line "The Nudes" that looks good, and are very much invisible.

exactly! i can't imagine not wearing hose to an interview. to the op, a good pair of hose should definitely take care of your problem. if you go for something like black or off black, there's no way the marks will show.

 

[Rendar5]

stop shaving and start waxing. there, problem solved =p

 

[kinky reggae]

Wear stylish opaque nylons. Especially if the suit is all black, some neato patterned (subtle pattern, not too flashy) black ones will look swell. There are sooo many cool nylons out there now and not too expensive. Trust me, even a small fishnet with the right skirt and professional-looking low heels or pumps is very stylish, not at all trashy.
And take an extra pair in your bag just in case.
L.

Whatever you do, DO NOT WEAR FISHNET to your interviews. This is bad advice. You WILL look trashy. Most people go with something that matches their skin color.

 

[bubbleyum]

not to hijack somebody else's thread, but i had a slightly different question regarding women's fashion. (don't feel TOO bad because it seems like the OP's concerns were addressed and she has decided to wear hose with her skirt suit! 😉 )

do you guys think it looks less formal to wear a "suit" that doesn't have a matching jacket and pants? like if you wear a tweed suit jacket with black slacks or something. i think it saves money and effort to just purchase a jacket, since most ppl have a nice pair of black slacks in their wardobe. but not sure if this would be considered too "casual" attire. i think for women this is still adequately professional, but i work in the entertainment industry, so it may be different from interviewing at medical school.

and what about wearing a turtleneck (in colder weather) instead of wearing a dress shirt underneath the suit jacket? is that too casual as well? i know this getting too neurotic...

 

[VPDcurt]

That's a terrible idea. Wear a matching suit.

 

[Chinorean]

Apparently, in a professional situation women are supposed to wear skirts with their suits. If you are being interviewed by an old-fashioned person you should opt for this. In this case, you are expected to wear hosiery as well. Your outfit should not be flashy--even if you have a really cute suit with bows and flounce and whatnot, //don't// wear it. Scientists don't get to be cutesy. You should also wear close-toed shoes, no stiletto-type heels.

Also, the skirt MUST NOT BE ABOVE THE KNEES. I see a lot of girls in b-school wearing short skirts to interviews/meetings, it's ok for them but not medical school interviews.


Wearing pants won't actively hurt you. If you're interviewing in the dead of winter in NYC, I think it's understandable.

OK, I felt inspired by the "busting acne" thread.

I DO have a black suit in the back of my closet, but I have a much cuter skirt/jacket set that I want to wear. It looks professional enough and everything, I'm just worried about what to do with my legs. Over the years, I've NOT taken care of my legs. I sometimes shave my legs dry out of convenience, resulting in razor burn, and I've developed this nervous habit of picking at my leg hair...sounds gross but a lot of people do this, I swear! A friend introduced me to this habit, actually. So basically, my legs have all these little brown spots/scars from the sensitivity I guess. I'm not really sure how to describe them--they're not exactly scars, it's like you can tell that's where the hair follicle was, you know?--anyway, I've been putting lotion on them and trying to do some last-minute leg-care. Any advice on which lotions to use and how to make those hyperpigmentation spots disappear?

I did have this tanning in a bottle lotion that I used, but it's rather messy and it stinks.

THANKS 🙂

 

[ahumdinger]

I haven't even gotten an interview yet, so I guess you can say I'm counting my chickens before they hatch. (though I do have the tags on in case I end up getting NO interview)

I opted for a skirt suit because my father and boyfriend said it was more conservative, especially for old-fasioned people, like someone had already mentioned on this thread. And after reading this thread, i'm going out to buy me some hose, but now the question arises, what about static cling? Is this a problem with hosery? I haven't worn hose in years, but last I remembered wearing them to church, I had terrible static cling and it was annoying.
any tips?