Interview ensemble for women?

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Eid

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Took a quick survey of suits at stores and they ranged from *hi i'm a model and i wear this suit while sprawled over a car in a commercial😎 * to *Mrs. Fields' cookies sales rep😍*

To all the ladies who's been through interviews, what's considered appropriate anymore?! Maybe its just that women have a lot more variety in suit styles so as best to reflect their own personalities. What do you guys think?

Do adcoms view different styles with a prejudice? Are skirt suits always inappropriate? Are separates always too informal? Does the length of your blazer determine the length of your interview?😀

And then there's the infamous peep toe. While most sources say close toed is the way to go, this new peep toe style is becoming very very intriguing. I personally think it has functionality, its cute, and it lets my toes breath🙂
 
I bought a cute dark gray belted pant suit with a white collared shirt underneath from Ann Taylor (they have the best suites by the way) and was complemented at 4 of my interviews. I wore beige/nude stockings and pointy toe black pumps.
 
forgot to say...big no no wearing peep toes to the interview. it's ok for work but definitely not appropriate for interviews. another faux pau would have to be skirt suit with no panty hoes!!! ewwwwww
 
I wore a pants suit because I have a tatoo on my ankle.
 
pictures are required as well in this thread! 👍
 
I agree that Ann Taylor has the best suits. I wore a pant suit as well... and I might recommend that you should wear panty hoes with a pant suit or a skirt suit. I'ts much more professional.
 
My suit I got at Nordstroms but with all these people who love Ann Taylor I will have to check those out.

I alternated between pant and skirt suits depending on the weather and where I was going. I interviewed at Michigan in January so I definitely went with pants. My west coast interviews I also did in pants because I was more comfortable and they tend to be more relaxed there. My east coast schools where I felt they were a bit more formal I did in skirts. Really, either is acceptable as long as you're comfortable and you're not thinking about how you're sitting or whether you have a run in the stockings or anything (rather, wear something that looks professional but allows you to focus on the questions they're asking).

Also, definitely no peep toes for interviews. I went with a pair of low heeled black shoes that I got at easy spirit.
 
I wore a grey pinstripe skirt suit with pleats and think that skirts are fine. Closed toed pumps are best, but mine were maroon....I had to spice it up a bit. My HP advisor told me NOT to wear a plan black suit, and I am very glad I did not. I would advise matching jacket and bottoms tho.
 
i had the HARDEST time finding nice formal shoes because EVERYTHING in the store was peeptoe! i ended up getting some formal looking (but not grandma looking) calvin klein black pumps that were not pointy. i think guys dont really like that whole pointy deal just in case you get a guy. 😛

ann taylor has nice suits, very expensive though. i like the grey pinstripe one there but they ran too large for me.

i ended up getting my suit at united colors of benetton! it was a dark brown one, which i preferred because the black one made me look too... stiff? rigid? stick up my butt? also wore a plain white shirt under it. some girls wear tanktops under but that could be viewed as scandalous

skirts are fine!

at my interview all girls wore black suits that had pants. they all wore some sort of defining jewelry though which was interesting.
 
defining jewerly...hahaha...NO chandelier earrings or anything tacky...i just wore simple diamond or pearl studs and my watch and a ring.
 
not scandalous but probably not the best choice for an interview. you will look more polished, classy and professional with a collared ****. (i think)
 
scandalous || size of bust 😀

ya all the girls had simple diamond/pearl earring or necklace sets. no fancy stuff.
 
Eid said:
Took a quick survey of suits at stores and they ranged from *hi i'm a model and i wear this suit while sprawled over a car in a commercial😎 * to *Mrs. Fields' cookies sales rep😍*

To all the ladies who's been through interviews, what's considered appropriate anymore?! Maybe its just that women have a lot more variety in suit styles so as best to reflect their own personalities. What do you guys think?

Do adcoms view different styles with a prejudice? Are skirt suits always inappropriate? Are separates always too informal? Does the length of your blazer determine the length of your interview?😀

And then there's the infamous peep toe. While most sources say close toed is the way to go, this new peep toe style is becoming very very intriguing. I personally think it has functionality, its cute, and it lets my toes breath🙂
Click to expand...

I wore a dark grey seperate but i think its best to reflect your own personality b/c youll be more comfortable in the clothes you wear.
 
GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS! we need pictures of you in them!
 
Why did they block out the work shirt??? weird. anyways rusky like are you serious? somebody is on sdn a little too much
 
Wow! we could start our own “What not to wear” show on SDN 😀 … Our thread’s more positive than that show anyway.

I was so in the dark about the peep toe. I think I was hanging on to it so much because if I wear 4 inch pumps I’ll end up being 6’1’’ 😱 . I don’t think anyone wears heels THAT high though, don’t care how used to it you are, you’re going to be dead by the end of the interview day.

I think it’s best to stick with a neutral color for the suit and I’m going to go with a modest black one that’s not too short. (I’ve found it totally depends to a person’s length how short the blazer should be….) The collar’s kind of different though so it’s not very mundane. Wearing a white shirt inside would be too penguin’y so adding some PzzAzz with a light gold (LIGHT LIGHT gold) silk collar shirt 😎 .

I agree about the no tanktop under suit rule, it is way too unprofessional. Oh and I completely forgot about the jewelry!! Simple and professional it’s going to be. I’m still so lost about the whole shoes and bag thing though. Accessories should be the same color.. but I don’t want to go black on a black suit!

Hey Rusky, maybe everyone’s not comfortable posting their own pictures, but we can post pictures of our favorite pieces taken from websites! As an ode to the fallen peep toe:
NMX00EW_mt.jpg

😍 May you always kick pointy toe shoe's behind :meanie:
 
I have to say I think Theory suits trump Ann Taylor suits, especially for the younger woman. Granted, they are somewhat pricier...

those are hot shoes eid, but I can't wear stilettos to an interview... it's too much.

Also, I think staying away from jewelry other than maybe earrings is the best bet. less is more in this case.
 
Eid said:
Took a quick survey of suits at stores and they ranged from *hi i'm a model and i wear this suit while sprawled over a car in a commercial😎 * to *Mrs. Fields' cookies sales rep😍*

To all the ladies who's been through interviews, what's considered appropriate anymore?! Maybe its just that women have a lot more variety in suit styles so as best to reflect their own personalities. What do you guys think?

Do adcoms view different styles with a prejudice? Are skirt suits always inappropriate? Are separates always too informal? Does the length of your blazer determine the length of your interview?😀

And then there's the infamous peep toe. While most sources say close toed is the way to go, this new peep toe style is becoming very very intriguing. I personally think it has functionality, its cute, and it lets my toes breath🙂
Click to expand...

Yeah, peep toe shoes = inappropriate for dental school interviews. You will be in their clinic and open toe/heel anything in there I think is generally frowned upon. I was told to wear a pant suit so you didn't have to be careful with how you positioned your legs, but I opted for the skirt suit myself. Knee length gray. The blazer part was a bit shorter and fitted but I wore just regular top under mine b/c a collar would have been to bulky. On the other hand, I used to work for Mrs. Fields when I was in college so I would probably be partial to that attire as well...esp if it smelled like COOKIES! Good luck to you!
 
SugarNaCl said:
Yeah, peep toe shoes = inappropriate for dental school interviews. You will be in their clinic and open toe/heel anything in there I think is generally frowned upon. I was told to wear a pant suit so you didn't have to be careful with how you positioned your legs, but I opted for the skirt suit myself. Knee length gray. The blazer part was a bit shorter and fitted but I wore just regular top under mine b/c a collar would have been to bulky. On the other hand, I used to work for Mrs. Fields when I was in college so I would probably be partial to that attire as well...esp if it smelled like COOKIES! Good luck to you!
Click to expand...

hahahaha my 5th grade teacher was named mrs fields...thats all i have to say

im bored

how you been SugaSalt?
 
Just out of curiosity, where did your ensembles land u an acceptance at ladies? 🙂
Where's everyone heading off to next year!
 
Eid said:
Took a quick survey of suits at stores and they ranged from *hi i'm a model and i wear this suit while sprawled over a car in a commercial😎 * to *Mrs. Fields' cookies sales rep😍*

To all the ladies who's been through interviews, what's considered appropriate anymore?! Maybe its just that women have a lot more variety in suit styles so as best to reflect their own personalities. What do you guys think?

Do adcoms view different styles with a prejudice? Are skirt suits always inappropriate? Are separates always too informal? Does the length of your blazer determine the length of your interview?😀

And then there's the infamous peep toe. While most sources say close toed is the way to go, this new peep toe style is becoming very very intriguing. I personally think it has functionality, its cute, and it lets my toes breath🙂
Click to expand...

Well I wanted to look as conservative as possible.
I bought an all black skirt suit (down to my knees). Its a Kasper suit and I got it at Macy's. What I did was, I went to Macy's with my mom. I knew I wanted a skirt suit and went into the dressing room with six different skirt suits. When I got in the dressing room I put them side by side and instantly eliminated some based on the material they were made out of... I think form the six I narrowed it down to 2.
Why a skirt suit? well my neighbor who is a judge (and very old) told me to buy a skirt suit because he feels lady attorneys should wear skirts in his courtroom. He is old-fashioned. So after that comment, I didnt want to piss off any male interviewers and decided to buy an all black skirt suit.
If you are going to buy a skirt suit make sure its down to at least the top of your knee. No higher!!!
The only problem with a skirt suit is that I was a bit cold walking out of the building after the interview but who cares, the interview is over.
Inside my suit I wore a nice blouse. No dropping neckline!!!
Dont wear open toe or really high heels. First because you are going to be dying with all the walking and standing around. The lower your heel the better.
Make sure you wear panty hose!!!!
Make sure its your personality that makes them remember you, not what you are wearing!!!

..... I'm going Michigan!! 😀
 
Great thread. I'm from the South, Bible-belt to be exact, where the conservative reigns. Likewise, clothes are also conservative in the higher professions (medical, dental, etc.). I received compliments on my appearance, so I guess I did something right! Here's what I wore to my interview:

1. Black, double-breasted skirt suit that fitted my hourglass figure (not frumpy-looking). I did have a Ralph Lauren suit that I wore to one interview that was really nice, but I lost weight before the next interview and had to by an Antonio Melani suit. Both fit great. Sleeves are supposed to fall halfway between the base of your thumb and wrist. Skirt was right at the top of my knee. When choosing a suit fabric, do not get polyester or anything else that reflects the light; go with either cotton, wool, or linen bled (non-wrinkling kind).
2. I work an updated version of the classic black heel with a slightly squared toe, closed-toe.
3. Nude nylons that closely matched the color of my slightly pale skin.
4. White, crisp oxford shirt.
5. Pearl set (earrings and necklace).
6. If your hair is straight, leave is straight. I have naturally curly hair, so I just made it look its best (very curly and shiny) and had it half-up and half-down.
7. Minimal makeup, nothing drastic in the eye area, not much eyeliner. For me, the goal was a clean and fresh look. A little bit of wine colored lipstick topped it off.
8. Expensive-looking leather attache.
9. A great big, happy and excited looking smile!

Best wishes to you in your interview(s)!
 
DrYankem said:
Great thread. I'm from the South,Bible-belt to be exact, where the conservative reigns.Likewise, clothes are also conservative in the higher professions (medical, dental, etc.). I received compliments on my appearance, so I guess I did something right! Here's what I wore to my interview:
Click to expand...

I'm not sure you should count on those compliments because they're a part of the southern hospitality. I'm proud to be a liberal in the south👍
 
I can't believe that someone took pains to describe their outfit. Goodness, just cause someone complimented them..I'm a little loss for words.
 
Mysteree said:
I can't believe that someone took pains to describe their outfit. Goodness, just cause someone complimented them..I'm a little loss for words.
Click to expand...

I can't believe you took the pains to post such an insignificant post. i'm sorry but no one really cares if you're at a loss for words. we're all just trying to help the op out with her interview attire. there's nothing wrong with that
 
pantyhose....i get it we have to be professional,...but eww, seems so old and or so i'm 3 yrs old going to church with my cute black mary janes...gonna cross my fingers and hope i get in without them. um i'll stand out😀 (probably as the freak with the sexy calves that didn't wear hose, but oh well)
thier just on my list of things that need to be done away with, along with the electoral college...you know it worked a hundred years ago...but um...yeah
 
I'd have to agree that Ann Taylor has the best suits. I bought a black suit with VERY faint pinstrips at Dillards for approx $90 (ON SALE!) 😀 I wouldn't recommend a plain black suit, but if you do go that route, try to wear something non-white inside, such as a blue blouse. In terms of shoes, just make sure that you can walk in them!
 
By the way, panty hose is a must! It just looks more professional...
 
dentist2b7007 said:
I can't believe you took the pains to post such an insignificant post. i'm sorry but no one really cares if you're at a loss for words. we're all just trying to help the op out with her interview attire. there's nothing wrong with that
Click to expand...

And help you did! I learned a lot from this post, and I'm sure it helped many people out there by providing guidelines for proper attire.

Thank you to all the girls for your input, advises, or just for sharing your inspirations. We loved hearing about your creative outfits!

All this advice may have even landed me my first acceptance!! :hardy: THANKS
 
ok minus the shoes, add panty hose...to casual for interview??? advise please, um that's not me, that would be lady off internet, fyi
 
McSexyDDS said:
ok minus the shoes, add panty hose...to casual for interview??? advise please, um that's not me, that would be lady off internet, fyi
Click to expand...

loving the skirt and the jacket. as you said, definitely need to wear panty hose (especially with a skirt suit) instead of open toe pumps wear pointy toe sling backs??? i think that would work. Also, the top underneath seems a little too "fancy" but i'm not sure a collared shirt would work either. Maybe a simple beige/off white vneck tank or shirt would work better. hope this helps!
 
dentist2b7007 said:
loving the skirt and the jacket. as you said, definitely need to wear panty hose (especially with a skirt suit) instead of open toe pumps wear pointy toe sling backs??? i think that would work. Also, the top underneath seems a little too "fancy" but i'm not sure a collared shirt would work either. Maybe a simple beige/off white vneck tank or shirt would work better. hope this helps!
Click to expand...


thank you!!!😀
yeah i took a look at that blouse...it's crazy low cut, so definately different top...but i do want something to give me some color in the crowd of all black suits
 
McSexyDDS said:
ok minus the shoes, add panty hose...to casual for interview??? advise please, um that's not me, that would be lady off internet, fyi
Click to expand...



Very cute. Love it.-- make sure you skimp on the jewelry, and definitely change the shirt under to something with a square neck-line instead of a V neck. Specially if you're well endowed...V necks increase your chances of cleavage accidents.

Also, get as close to the ground as possible with your heels. Someone told me that because I'm short and have a VERY young face, (I often get carded at rated R movies, even though i'm 23) and I'm VERY short to wear 'older' high heels. So I opted for 4 inch stilletto pointy boots.

Lets just say that as fabulous as the boots looked with the pant suit (I would advise against boots + skirt suit), and as tall as they made me....I'm not quite sure that it was worth all the pain.
 
i love being a guy....suit, shirt, tie, shave, and you're done
 
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