Interview Suit color

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gatorPredent

gatorPredent

Full Member
10+ Year Member
So should i get a black suit or will navy blue suffice? i feel like a black suit is more funeralish and navy would be legit. Probably a tan is too casual?
White or blue shirt and good looking tie? What do you all think, whats the norm?
Thanks
 
The head of admissions at USC commended everyone who went outside the back suit mold on my interview day.
 
Ranelar said:
The head of admissions at USC commended everyone who went outside the back suit mold on my interview day.
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Exactly. Just like my personal statement post elsewhere in this forum, your interview attire is another opportunity to set yourself apart from everyone else. You can give yourself a memorable visual appearance without sacrificing professionalism. Wear a navy blue or dark green suit to interview (I've done both, and got a residency spot wearing one and my first private practice job with the other), or whatever looks good on you. Pick a shirt and tie with a little color, or even coordination, in them.

Of course you don't do any of this stuff on a daily basis--I don't either, just ask my wife--but dressing well for an interview boosts your interviewer's impression of you, which can only help you in a crowded applicant field. It won't get you admitted by itself, but dressing with some style will get you off on the right foot during the interview, and help you earn a spot in your interviewer's memory afterward.
 
A black suit is fine, though I would suggest you get one with thin pinstripes. Go with a white shirt and a bright tie color ( I had a nice red tie from JoS A Bank). This combination looks solid.

PS I read somewhere that black and red is one of the most powerful color schemes...take that for what its worth and good luck at your interviews.
 
TheGreenWave said:
A black suit is fine, though I would suggest you get one with thin pinstripes. Go with a white shirt and a bright tie color ( I had a nice red tie from JoS A Bank). This combination looks solid.

PS I read somewhere that black and red is one of the most powerful color schemes...take that for what its worth and good luck at your interviews.
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The problem is that every single people you're interviewing with also knows about the black suit/white shirt/red tie combination. You're trying to break into the big leagues, folks, and few skills in life are as helpful as knowing when and how to take a calculated risk to achieve a goal.

Good luck to everyone this coming application cycle, regardless of what you wear to your interviews. 🙂
 
Nice dark blue suit with stripes
Dark or black button up dress shirt
Dark purple tie w/dark or black design or highlights

👍
 
Also, if you are interviewing at a school with a competitive sports program, don't wear their rivals colors, even if you look good in them. I almost wore a yellow and blue tie to my USC interview (I didn't even think about it, since I don't really follow California teams) until the student that was hosting me said, "you're not wearing that are you?" He let me borrow a tie.
 
there were two ppl at my columbia interview who did not wear black. One girl wore navy and she got accepted very soon after. Another guy who wore a gray suit was waitlisted. I was also waitlisted and wore black...
Im not saying it makes/breaks it.. but it would be interesting to do a statistical analysis of this , like have this question on predents and see what happens.
 
Every interview I went to (all 6 of them) had someone who commented on how too many people wore black. One guy got commended for wearing a tan suit. I'd stick with the navy suit.
 
How's this for leaving a memorable impression:

napoleon%20dynamite%20SPLASH.jpg
 
Dark blue navy suit, no stripes, dark purple tie, white shirt, got into 3 schools. Plus it's less boring than black.
 
And for those of us who are not financially secure, I would definitely recommend navy blue or black. If this suit will be your first, keep in mind you want a color that can be worn on a variety of occasions. 🙂
 
Seems to me that unless you wear something completely outlandish, it doesn't matter what color your suit is. I would hope the adcoms care more about what is coming out of your mouth than what is on your back. If you wanted to stand out, wear a dark tan suit. It is not as boring but not flashy. Still keeps it professional. As for me, I bought a navy suit two years ago so that is what I'll be sportin.
 
TheGreenWave said:
And for those of us who are not financially secure, I would definitely recommend navy blue or black. If this suit will be your first, keep in mind you want a color that can be worn on a variety of occasions. 🙂
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That's why I opted for the navy. 👍
 
TheGreenWave said:
And for those of us who are not financially secure, I would definitely recommend navy blue or black. If this suit will be your first, keep in mind you want a color that can be worn on a variety of occasions. 🙂
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Agree. I did two interviews four years apart wearing the same navy suit. It wasn't until afterward that I met my wife and became a kept man. 😛
 
A dentist at the practice I work at is/was on an interview board, and she said red is generally a bad shirt color for a dental school interview. I think it has something to do with the fact that you never wear red scrubs, shirts, etc in a dental office because it subconsciously makes patients think of blood. I'm not sure how psychologically legit that is, but that's what they say. Anyways, she suggested blue (which I went with and got in) or maybe a green. Something different than just white or black, but nothing too flashy.

As far as the suit...I think most people go with what they have or can afford, so long as it doesn't have some absurd color or pattern. Look sharp, but it's not a best-dressed contest. Worry more about what you are going to actually say in the interview...
 
Keeping in mind the original question, let's be realistic here... a navy blue suit is NOT a risk. I'd say anything other than black or navy blue could be considered taking a risk... navy blue is a pretty traditional interview suit color.

For those of you who are strapped for cash, remember this: No matter how old you are, if you go suit shopping with your old man, he will pay for the suit. One of my professors mentioned it--he's in his mid-30s and a pediatric dentist, and his dad bought him 3 new suits last year.
 
what do you think about wearing a needle from a national organization (ex. phi kappa phi, tri beta, mortar board)? is that appropriate or cheesy?
 
alexa13us said:
what do you think about wearing a needle from a national organization (ex. phi kappa phi, tri beta, mortar board)? is that appropriate or cheesy?
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it could be a conversation starter. i wore won of my national championship rings (big and gawdy looking) and each person i interviewed with asked about it...which turned into conversations rarely dealing with dentistry. go for it man.
 
Anything to make you stand out. You want to be remembered.
 
if everyone wears black, problem solved :laugh:

btw, i went to five interviews. every single interviewee that i remember wore black. except one girl wore a dress...it was black with little white flowers.

i like black. black shows you can conform. or maybe i just really liked my black suit (i did...it looked cool!!)


it's pretty ironic that they expect conformity at interviews, because you kind of have to be a non-conformist undergrad to do all that studying, E.C.'s, shadowing, studying, and working in undergrad necessary for acceptance.

one of the admission directors told us a story about a guy who break-danced at his interview and got accepted. true story. so go ahead...wear bright orange and break out some dance!:soexcited:
 
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You gentlemen are all blabbering idiots.

The interview suit color is either CHARCOAL or NAVY, NOT BLACK

Pinstripe? Are you serious? Why don't you mix in a glen plaid or windowpane while you're at it.

Ask anyone who knows anything about men's attire and sartorial matters about BLACK suits. Black is reserved for funerals and formal dinners. In general, dentists are among the worst dressed professionals but come on, get a clue.

Why are you guys so uneducated and so pedestrian? It saddens me so much when I think about having to spend my professional life among people like you.
 
I personally don't think you can go wrong either way...it just depends on your personality. Some people are a little more outgoing naturally so if you already attract attention to yourself, then an attention grabbing suit may be over kill. Whereas if you're the quiet type, maybe a black suit/white shirt combo may make you forgettable. I personally did exactly what green wave did - black suit, white shirt, red power tie, and in every single one of my interviews I was actually the ONLY person to have that combo. Everyone else tried "to stand out" with tan suits, neon green ties, purple shirts, etc etc. The most important things are that A) you're professional and well kept. B) whatever you're wearing fits you well so you don't look sloppy and C) just be careful trying to make a statement with your clothes in general. Too conservative can be too boring and a sign of no personality, but being too stand-out-ish (worst word ever) or too "flashy" can either mean that you're potentially arrogant or too insecure to where you're relying on your suit to make you memorable. Maybe I'm just a jerk but the way I see it, if you have to wear something outgoing to make yourself memorable in an interview, then your interview is not worth remembering lol. 🙄

But basically, if you dont want to do the black or navy, try a dark charcoal - it looks like a black but not really, and if done well, can really catch someone's attention for being a smooth suit. 👍
 
Doctor McLovin said:
You gentlemen are all blabbering idiots.

The interview suit color is either CHARCOAL or NAVY, NOT BLACK

Pinstripe? Are you serious? Why don't you mix in a glen plaid or windowpane while you're at it.

Ask anyone who knows anything about men's attire and sartorial matters about BLACK suits. Black is reserved for funerals and formal dinners. In general, dentists are among the worst dressed professionals but come on, get a clue.

Why are you guys so uneducated and so pedestrian? It saddens me so much when I think about having to spend my professional life among people like you.
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Tell me about it, scrubs are such a fashion faux pas. Why can't dentists dress more like English professors? 🙄

Sorry for referring to my charcoal suit as black. I must also confess that I was referring to my sharp scarlet tie as red. How boring. IMO, you need to stop being such a negative nancy and offer advice instead of flaming fellow SDNers.
 
Doctor McLovin said:
You gentlemen are all blabbering idiots.

The interview suit color is either CHARCOAL or NAVY, NOT BLACK

Pinstripe? Are you serious? Why don't you mix in a glen plaid or windowpane while you're at it.

Ask anyone who knows anything about men's attire and sartorial matters about BLACK suits. Black is reserved for funerals and formal dinners. In general, dentists are among the worst dressed professionals but come on, get a clue.

Why are you guys so uneducated and so pedestrian? It saddens me so much when I think about having to spend my professional life among people like you.
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Saddly I'm going to have to agree with the Dr.

I'm also going to have to throw my head in the ring and say: you guys are idiots and have no sartorial experience at all. I expect each and every one of you to show up and a black suit and square toe shoes. Hell, I might as well put on a pocket square to an interview since you guys have no idea what your doing.
 
Doctor McLovin said:
You gentlemen are all blabbering idiots.

The interview suit color is either CHARCOAL or NAVY, NOT BLACK

Pinstripe? Are you serious? Why don't you mix in a glen plaid or windowpane while you're at it.

Ask anyone who knows anything about men's attire and sartorial matters about BLACK suits. Black is reserved for funerals and formal dinners. In general, dentists are among the worst dressed professionals but come on, get a clue.

Why are you guys so uneducated and so pedestrian? It saddens me so much when I think about having to spend my professional life among people like you.
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You sound like a poop-face.
 
AggieDDS said:
Saddly I'm going to have to agree with the Dr.

I'm also going to have to throw my head in the ring and say: you guys are idiots and have no sartorial experience at all. I expect each and every one of you to show up and a black suit and square toe shoes. Hell, I might as well put on a pocket square to an interview since you guys have no idea what your doing.
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Some of them may be lacking sartorial experience, but their grammar trumps yours any day of the week.:meanie:
Since I want to contribute instead of beat people down, I am going to help you. It's you're, not your.
 
Oh noes! Black suits instead of charcoal?!?! How did they ever get into dental school after having committed this major faux pas? They might as well have been gnawing on a baby leg during the interview, am I right guys?
 
armorshell said:
Oh noes! Black suits instead of charcoal?!?! How did they ever get into dental school after having committed this major faux pas? They might as well have been gnawing on a baby leg during the interview, am I right guys?
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LOL 😀, I agree 👍
 
Go with a Pink plaid suit... it works for some ESPN reporters, why not some predents!?
 
bigstix808 said:
it could be a conversation starter. i wore won of my national championship rings (big and gawdy looking) and each person i interviewed with asked about it...which turned into conversations rarely dealing with dentistry. go for it man.
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Was it your cheerleader championship ring? I can't imagine any substantive conversation following that revelation. Well played.
 
Wow. This forum went downhill fast. I'm feeling better and better about my chances at dental school the more I read ridiculous threads like these. Thanks for the confidence booster guys!
 
preOMFS said:
Wow. This forum went downhill fast. I'm feeling better and better about my chances at dental school the more I read ridiculous threads like these. Thanks for the confidence booster guys!
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Agreed. Holy crap. Although I did enjoy the admin comments by aphistis and armorshell :laugh::laugh:👍👍
 
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