Interview Attire

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Albicans

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Hello,

I currently have a slim fit black suit that has not been tailored yet and thought that this would be fine for interviews. However, I've been reading threads on here stating that black suits are a faux pas and only navy blue or charcoal suits should be worn. Are black suits really that bad? Would I seriously be docked points on the interview trail for wearing a black suit? I already spent a lot of money on it. The suit, at least to me(but I have little fashion sense), seems perfect and fits me well. Is getting it tailored absolutely necessary? What color ties should I wear? Are solid colored ties preferred or out of the question? Similarly would wearing a dark or grey tie with my black suit be a mistake too? I'm planning on wearing only white dress shirts and a pair of black dress shoes. Agonizing over what to wear seems almost as stressful as the actual interviews at times!

Thanks in advance for your input!
 
No offense but this is the dumbest question I've ever read. You are going to by interviewed by physicians not runway models. You should be more concerned with every other thing that seems even remotely relevant.
 
You're overthinking it. But that's OK, I was the same 3 years ago.

Most importantly, wear whatever makes you feel confident.

Most applicants wear dark-colored suits, light-colored shirts, and dark-colored ties. As long as you stick to that, you're fine. I wore a charcoal suit with a lavender shirt and a purple tie to most of my interviews, and I think I might have stuck out a bit too much... everybody else was wearing black/white.
 
My boyfriend matched his tie to the colors of whatever school he was interviewing at and he got a lot of compliments on it. I have a suit that is a bit unconventional but it is perfect for me and I feel super confident in it.
 
Davole said:
No offense but this is the dumbest question I've ever read. You are going to by interviewed by physicians not runway models. You should be more concerned with every other thing that seems even remotely relevant.
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This is not a dumb question though he may be a little over anxious. You are absolutely judged on how you are dressed though there is certainly a lot of allowances. Men would do well to stick to black, grey and dark blue suits and simple shirts are preferred. Ties may be bold or patterned. Please don't wear too many different kinds of patterns as it is too jarring. Simple colors are often the moststriking and make the best impression. Personally I think dressing smartly also makes you feel more confident.

For women wear comfortable shoes as you may find yourself going up and down a lot of stairs and doing lots of walking. Heels are probably not a good idea. Do not show too much skin. Don't go overboard with make up or wear bright colors (for example a bright red dress that rises above the knees is not a good idea even if the old letches enjoy it)

Other aspects such as piercings, hairstyle, jewelry - some people feel that they want to rock their usual look as they wouldn't want to match at a place that didn't accept that. That is fine except for marginal applicants. Don't give an excuse. Also pay attention to regional differences. Also think "is there anything that would make my patients feel uncomfortable about my appearance?" As your acid test.
 
I recognize that these details probably are not critical, but it makes me feel more confident to know that I'm wearing the "right" thing. What are girls supposed to wear? I thought it was suits similar to med school interviews, but I've seen more variety in women's dress already. What kind of shirt do we wear under the suit jacket? Does it need to be button-down? Is any nicer looking blouse okay? Does the "avoid patterned shirts" rule apply to women? Is it possible to look too manly? I feel like a lot of the women's stuff looks more casual than the guys' and I'd like to avoid that, but I don't want to misrepresent my gender identity.
 
Rogue Penguin said:
I recognize that these details probably are not critical, but it makes me feel more confident to know that I'm wearing the "right" thing. What are girls supposed to wear? I thought it was suits similar to med school interviews, but I've seen more variety in women's dress already. What kind of shirt do we wear under the suit jacket? Does it need to be button-down? Is any nicer looking blouse okay? Does the "avoid patterned shirts" rule apply to women? Is it possible to look too manly? I feel like a lot of the women's stuff looks more casual than the guys' and I'd like to avoid that, but I don't want to misrepresent my gender identity.
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I have a skirt suit and a pantsuit that I alternate depending on the weather. I also have printed and solid Portifino blouses from Express and solid sleeveless blouses to alternate with.
 
I can only speak for myself, but I have never heard of a black suit being considered gauche. As long as a man is wearing a dark suit, he should be fine. Colored/patterned shirts are fine, but keep it conservative; nothing loud or jarring. Patterned ties are fine too, but again, keep it understated and professional. Child psychiatrists sometimes like to wear things like Charlie Brown or Mickey Mouse ties but interview day is not the time for that.

Women should wear a business-caliber suit, again keeping colors/patterns conservative. I look for favorably on women wearing skirts, but that's just me. Skirts should of course be below the knee, and honestly I prefer women in professional settings wear hosiery--I interviewed a candidate with really nice bare legs last season, and it was very distracting. Though I'm aware hosiery are considered oppressive tools of the patriarchy.

I do look unfavorably on any visible tattoos (yes, even the semicolon) and any piercings other than pierced earlobes on women (including the by now near-ubiquitous nose stud.)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Lol, well I wore the same threadbare, baggy JCrew 10 year old black suit that I wore to funerals in high school because I was a poor student and spent all my money traveling to interviews. Now I can afford to do better, and there are lots more affordable options these days, too. Dress conservatively, be confident and pleasant, have good hygiene and you'll be fine.
 
Darkskies said:
Thanks for the replies, guys! What a relief to know that black suits are fine(just as I had initially thought). Did all of you get your suits tailored? My suit fits me well but I was reading some older threads on the other forums where contributors were stating everyone should get their suits tailored.
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You'll most likely be interviewed by someone who bought their Dockers off the rack at Kohl's and isn't going to know the difference...
But as Shan said--wear what you feel confident in.
 
Marginally related - what has the dress been like for pre/post dinners?
 
What about a male ear piercing that many people don't realize is there, and that some attendings have positively commented about?
 
You are right that a black suit is technically formal wear and not business wear. But most people probably don't know that. Even more probably won't care.

If it fits well I think you should just wear it over buying another suit.
 
OldPsychDoc said:
You'll most likely be interviewed by someone who bought their Dockers off the rack at Kohl's and isn't going to know the difference...
But as Shan said--wear what you feel confident in.
Click to expand...

I worried about this stuff a lot before Med school interviews and at one point was interviewed by someone literally wearing sandals and a Hawaiian print shirt.
 
Will I be too out of line with a mismatched suit? Solid jacket with patterned pants, solid shirt and patterned but nice tie. It's what I think I'd actually wear if I ever have to wear a suit after interview season. I'm fine with a little out of line, but is it too out of line? BTW, it doesn't look silly. There's no aardvarks on the tie.
 
OldPsychDoc said:
You'll most likely be interviewed by someone who bought their Dockers off the rack at Kohl's and isn't going to know the difference...
But as Shan said--wear what you feel confident in.
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Funny thing, I got that advice from my mom. She and I are both quite meticulous about buying everything on clearance at >60% off, and I found a suit I liked at a good price, but when I was looking for shoes, I was wondering whether to splurge because I couldn't find what I wanted at a good price. She said something to the effect of "if you need to spend an extra $30 to be more confident at your interviews, you might as well"...
 
Rogue Penguin said:
I recognize that these details probably are not critical, but it makes me feel more confident to know that I'm wearing the "right" thing. What are girls supposed to wear? I thought it was suits similar to med school interviews, but I've seen more variety in women's dress already. What kind of shirt do we wear under the suit jacket? Does it need to be button-down? Is any nicer looking blouse okay? Does the "avoid patterned shirts" rule apply to women? Is it possible to look too manly? I feel like a lot of the women's stuff looks more casual than the guys' and I'd like to avoid that, but I don't want to misrepresent my gender identity.
Click to expand...

Skirt suit or pant suits are both fine. I hate to say it, but I agree with trismegistus re: hose in that I'd wear it if I wore a skirt. But then I'm also from the kinda south. Skirts don't have to be below the knee but shouldn't be actually short either. Probably most people wear button down shirts, but that's not required. Patterned shirts are also OK. I also wouldn't worry about looking too manly. But yeah, you're right that suit buying can be tricky for women.
 
There's the technical answer: black suits are for funerals and maybe an informal (black tie) event if you can't afford a tux.

Then there's the reality based answer: most applicants wear black suits.

I'll be wearing either a charcoal or a navy suit. Both have been tailored. White, maybe blue, shirts. Solid or striped ties in simple colors. White PS. Cap toe balmorals. But that's because I like this stuff, I don't think it will be a determining factor in my match.
 
I'll be wearing what I already have because I'd rather spend the money on a trip between match and graduation. 🙂
 
You will look great.
res.jpeg
 
The collective anxiety of early interviewers is flowing hard.

What you wear is important as it is reflective of your professionalism and individualism and may be consciously or unconsciously noted.

Of course, just about everyone dresses in generic standard professional attire, which is A-OK. Spending considerable energy trying to pick out the attire that is most desired by those interviewing you, however, is about as worthless of a pursuit as I can imagine. Spend more time reflecting on who you are and what you would bring of value to the residency program, which better not be limited to "good shoes".
 
thoffen said:
What you wear is important as it is reflective of your professionalism and individualism and may be consciously or unconsciously noted.
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I agree.

FWIW, I interviewed someone who wants to join my private practice last week: no tie, 2 top shirt buttons undone, no CV in hand.

Needless to say, I was not impressed with the candidate at all.
 
Albicans said:
Hello,

I currently have a slim fit black suit that has not been tailored yet and thought that this would be fine for interviews. However, I've been reading threads on here stating that black suits are a faux pas and only navy blue or charcoal suits should be worn. Are black suits really that bad? Would I seriously be docked points on the interview trail for wearing a black suit? I already spent a lot of money on it. The suit, at least to me(but I have little fashion sense), seems perfect and fits me well. Is getting it tailored absolutely necessary? What color ties should I wear? Are solid colored ties preferred or out of the question? Similarly would wearing a dark or grey tie with my black suit be a mistake too? I'm planning on wearing only white dress shirts and a pair of black dress shoes. Agonizing over what to wear seems almost as stressful as the actual interviews at times!

Thanks in advance for your input!
Click to expand...

Some good advice and some not so good advice so far on this thread.
1) As mentioned above, black suits are mostly for funerals. For a formal dinner, etc, a tuxedo is appropriate.
2) Most male psych applicants do not dress very well (I gagged at some of the things I saw on the interview trail). In fact, most younger physicians today have no clue how to dress (I see other residents from all specialties rolling up sleeves on dress shirts, wearing slacks with sperry topsiders, wearing belts that don't match shoes, etc, skinny hipster ties *vomit*). So, wearing a TAILORED, slim fit suit (irrespective of it being black) is likely fine. Would I notice a black suit? Yes. But I have a sartorial disposition, and even so, I would be more impressed by your academic background, etc.
3) On that note, YES, you SHOULD get your suit tailored. It is not that expensive, and even the untrained eye can tell the difference. Suits that are not tailored look awkward.
4) Go conservative on the tie. A conservative pattern or even solid is fine.

I was told to "dress like you are the best applicant." I went to Brooks Brothers (where they actually know what they are doing), told them exactly what I needed, and they found the perfect ensemble for me. And I did this during a sale, so the price was reasonable. But I kept in mind that my suit was not my selling point- I focused on what I had done academically and in the research realm as well as my future prospects. Nevertheless, knowing that I was impeccably dressed definitely boosted my confidence, especially at some of the bigger name programs.
 
HarryMTieboutMD said:
Some good advice and some not so good advice so far on this thread.
1) As mentioned above, black suits are mostly for funerals. For a formal dinner, etc, a tuxedo is appropriate.
2) Most male psych applicants do not dress very well (I gagged at some of the things I saw on the interview trail). In fact, most younger physicians today have no clue how to dress (I see other residents from all specialties rolling up sleeves on dress shirts, wearing slacks with sperry topsiders, wearing belts that don't match shoes, etc, skinny hipster ties *vomit*). So, wearing a TAILORED, slim fit suit (irrespective of it being black) is likely fine. Would I notice a black suit? Yes. But I have a sartorial disposition, and even so, I would be more impressed by your academic background, etc.
3) On that note, YES, you SHOULD get your suit tailored. It is not that expensive, and even the untrained eye can tell the difference. Suits that are not tailored look awkward.
4) Go conservative on the tie. A conservative pattern or even solid is fine.

I was told to "dress like you are the best applicant." I went to Brooks Brothers (where they actually know what they are doing), told them exactly what I needed, and they found the perfect ensemble for me. And I did this during a sale, so the price was reasonable. But I kept in mind that my suit was not my selling point- I focused on what I had done academically and in the research realm as well as my future prospects. Nevertheless, knowing that I was impeccably dressed definitely boosted my confidence, especially at some of the bigger name programs.
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Maybe if Mommy and Daddy had paid for medical school and I wasn't 6 figures in debt I'd be better dressed.
 
Everyone knows that every blinded study on the subject has shown no difference in patient perception of doctor based on dress as long as there is some piece of doctor equipment (eg stethoscope). I'd personally feel kinda bad wearing expensive clothing around my patients who probably can't afford expensive clothing, and wearing statement pieces doesn't exactly make other staff who earn less feel great about themselves.

It's a real shame when medical residencies use any criteria to select residents other than those that are directly related to patient care/research/ect. There's also a chance that you'll get an interviewer who shares this viewpoint... Or maybe one who has tatoos or purple hair...
 
I'll be wearing whatever suit is still in my closet. I'm just gonna try it out first to see if it fits, as I've gained quite a bit of weight in 3rd year.

I think it's dark blue or black. I will also wear a simple white shirt and whatever ties I still have lying around.

None of it will be tailored or matched to school colors or any of that jazz.

And I say this with absolute honesty and conviction: If a program wants to dock me points based on not dressing like a well-groomed GQ model, then I definitely condemn their priorities and would rather not work there.
 
I'm replying because this stressed me out so much a few years back.

I don't think anyone's going to make too harsh a judgment on this front, as long as you're dressed basically appropriately. You should be, like, showered and not too wrinkled. I have friends and a husband who've made a go of it with thrift store suits for interviews and weddings and such.

I interviewed primarily in the northeast, in academic programs in northern cities-- probably as formal as it gets. While it's true that psychiatrists are not, overall, the most stylish of physicians (or ... people ...), I found those in Boston and NYC to be quite a bit fancier.

I was a broke medical student at the time of interviews. I bought a navy suit at Banana Republic (jacket, skirt, pants) on a 40% off day (there are always sales somewhere!), and I wore skirt or pants depending on weather/what was clean/whatever. I wore hose with the skirt, much as I hate hose. And I had a 2-inch heel, but only because I can pretty comfortably walk in heels. I had one white button-down shirt and one cream silk blouse, and mixed and matched those with the outfit. I kept jewelry simple, and some of it was borrowed. The only watch I had at the time was a pretty grody old running watch, so I threw that in my bag, but didn't wear it once I arrived at interviews (it then completely fell apart in Seattle somewhere on the UW campus). I carried a leather bag. It was a fairly conservative outfit, but I found that to be the norm.

I'm about as liberal as they come (and my application definitely reflected this, right down to an early career in human rights), but I really didn't want my interview outfit to be any sort of distraction. If nothing else, keep what you wear simple and well-fitted. You don't need expensive clothing. In fact, even as a resident now, I really believe, like downwithDTB, that flashy and expensive pieces are a distraction to patient care.

But DO get your pants properly tailored if they're dragging (they will last longer if you do this, anyway!) and spend five bucks on shoe polish. For men, I don't know as much about suit tailoring. I get that it's expensive; I think that my husband has in the past managed to get just sleeves shortened on an otherwise well-fitted jacket.

You don't have to dry clean a suit often at all, either.

For pre-interview dinners, I mostly wore a fitted black dress with tights and boots, and more fun jewelry. I may have done nice jeans/boots/sweaters at some of the obviously casual gatherings.
 
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bd290 said:
Maybe if Mommy and Daddy had paid for medical school and I wasn't 6 figures in debt I'd be better dressed.
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I am Daddy. Zeros? Too many... in the red. Big pimping? Definitely.
 
psych md jd said:
I agree.

FWIW, I interviewed someone who wants to join my private practice last week: no tie, 2 top shirt buttons undone, no CV in hand.

Needless to say, I was not impressed with the candidate at all.
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He should have worn a tie, but I find this convention of expecting someone to carry around a paper copy of their CV all the time (or resume in fields that use that term) ridiculous. Who wants to talk about all that pointless boilerplate from the CV? OK, great, I see that you did in fact go to undergrad, med school, and residency. Check. Now let's talk about something interesting.

HarryMTieboutMD said:
But I kept in mind that my suit was not my selling point- I focused on what I had done academically and in the research realm as well as my future prospects. Nevertheless, knowing that I was impeccably dressed definitely boosted my confidence, especially at some of the bigger name programs.
Click to expand...
Yes, you're not going to win points for being exceptionally well-dressed, but you can hurt your chances by being poorly dressed.

downwithDTB said:
Everyone knows that every blinded study on the subject has shown no difference in patient perception of doctor based on dress as long as there is some piece of doctor equipment (eg stethoscope).
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Not only do I doubt that, but also, we're talk about making a good impression on not patients, but doctors.

ExcaliburPrime1 said:
If a program wants to dock me points based on not dressing like a well-groomed GQ model, then I definitely condemn their priorities and would rather not work there.
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No one in this thread has suggested actually intentionally docking official points based on someone wearing an off-the-rack suit from JC Penny vs. a custom-tailored bespoke suit. But you want to give yourself the best chance, and making obvious blunders can influence people's perception of you in unconscious ways.
 
Trismegistus4 said:
He should have worn a tie, but I find this convention of expecting someone to carry around a paper copy of their CV all the time (or resume in fields that use that term) ridiculous. Who wants to talk about all that pointless boilerplate from the CV? OK, great, I see that you did in fact go to undergrad, med school, and residency. Check. Now let's talk about something interesting.


Yes, you're not going to win points for being exceptionally well-dressed, but you can hurt your chances by being poorly dressed.


Not only do I doubt that, but also, we're talk about making a good impression on not patients, but doctors.


No one in this thread has suggested actually intentionally docking official points based on someone wearing an off-the-rack suit from JC Penny vs. a custom-tailored bespoke suit. But you want to give yourself the best chance, and making obvious blunders can influence people's perception of you in unconscious ways.
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There's a huge difference between being poorly dressed: aka no tie, tennis shoes with suit, etc. (things I've actually seen during medical school interviews years ago - although I'd point out that this is just another way in which the medical school process selects for people with wealth and certain kinds of cultural capital. There's a reason that something like 70% of my class has at least one parent that is a doctor) and being exceptionally dressed. There's a lot of room in the middle to look perfectly acceptable.

Everyone has a million different biases. You're never going to interview perfectly with everyone for that very reason. Personally, if someone spoke the highlighted sentence aloud or said they never read fiction I'd have a much more negative impression than if they weren't wearing a $1500 suit.
 
Interviews are often the last time I see my residents in a suit or dress until graduation. If we stop this, their transformations at graduation will make them practically unrecognizable. We might have to resort to name tags.
 
promotemma said:
Will I be too out of line with a mismatched suit? Solid jacket with patterned pants, solid shirt and patterned but nice tie. It's what I think I'd actually wear if I ever have to wear a suit after interview season. I'm fine with a little out of line, but is it too out of line? BTW, it doesn't look silly. There's no aardvarks on the tie.
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No this is not appropriate attire to an interview. I was wearing a mismatched suit today with a tweed jacket and black pin striped trousers, but would never do this to an interview.
 
Trismegistus4 said:
He should have worn a tie, but I find this convention of expecting someone to carry around a paper copy of their CV all the time (or resume in fields that use that term) ridiculous. Who wants to talk about all that pointless boilerplate from the CV? OK, great, I see that you did in fact go to undergrad, med school, and residency. Check. Now let's talk about something interesting.
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Actually, the applicant did not go to medical school, nor complete a residency.

Usually I have an applicant submit a cover letter and CV before an interview is scheduled. In this instance, there was no formal application and this was the first time I met him. I don't think bringing a CV under these circumstance is unreasonable.

I carry a paper CV with me at all times and also a pdf version on my phone. But then again, things are a little different in Forensic Psychiatry Land.

If you make a poor impression at your interview with me, chances are you will make a poor expert witness in court. And that's not good for my practice.
 
It can be hard to tell the difference between a dark navy and black suit so I wouldn't sweat it. Definitely get it tailored. Solid ties are fine, look for dark blues. Stripes can be good too, think blues with maybe an accent of another color. If you want to add a little more flavor get a light blue shirt instead of white.
 
Is a black suit with pinstripes all right or even better than a solid black suit?
 
What do you guys think about wearing a dress with a blazer? Haven't seen anyone do so on any of my interviews so far..
 
meowkittymeow said:
What do you guys think about wearing a dress with a blazer? Haven't seen anyone do so on any of my interviews so far..
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I haven't seen it on any of mine, or on any of the other applicants who were interviewing during my sub-Is. If you want to fem it up a bit I'd say skirt suit 🙂
 
Don't over think it. Just look professional, neat, organized. I'm sure the color of the suit isn't a big deal so long as it's not absurd (i.e dumb and dumber). Wear whatever makes you feel confident. Best of luck!
 
Iserson's guide to getting a residency is a decent book. There is a section that gives advice on what to wear. My advice is this: no bow ties...not ever...not for anyone...unless you're wearing a tuxedo.
 
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Public service announcement: You know how suit jackets sometimes come with the back flap sewn shut with a little white thread? You are supposed to remove that thread. I have seen a couple of fellow applicants walking around with a little white X on their back.
 
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