Men's Interview Clothing #2

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Hey guys, I have an interview coming up very soon and it says there will be lots of walking so bring comfortable shoes. My nicer shoes are not very comfortable unfortunately and I recently went and bought the SAS Bout Time in black. I think these are ok. They're not the dressiest or most fashionable shoe, but they are ridiculously comfortable. The only thing is the leather is a grainy texture. Here's the website for the shoe, but just note that my shoe is in black! (i think the color on the website is hideous):
http://www.sasshoes.com/main/view_styles.php?catid=1&prodid=17

And here are my actual shoes, the pic isn't the best quality, sorry:
sas-bout-time_black.jpg


Basically, just wondering if I can get away with these at an interview and that they're appropriate. Wearing a pin-striped suit btw. Also, any suggestions for a dressier, yet comfortable shoe that is able to accommodate slip-in orthotics pretty well? And I was wondering if it's the toe box that needs to be wider if my little toe tends to push against the outside of most shoes as I walk and gets sore? I probably can't get another set of shoes for this interview, but maybe for a future one. Appreciate any help and sorry for the long-winded post!
Members don't see this ad.
 
Abe468 said:
Hey guys, I have an interview coming up very soon and it says there will be lots of walking so bring comfortable shoes. My nicer shoes are not very comfortable unfortunately and I recently went and bought the SAS Bout Time in black. I think these are ok. They're not the dressiest or most fashionable shoe, but they are ridiculously comfortable. The only thing is the leather is a grainy texture. Here's the website for the shoe, but just note that my shoe is in black! (i think the color on the website is hideous):
http://www.sasshoes.com/main/view_styles.php?catid=1&prodid=17

And here are my actual shoes, the pic isn't the best quality, sorry:
sas-bout-time_black.jpg


Basically, just wondering if I can get away with these at an interview and that they're appropriate. Wearing a pin-striped suit btw. Also, any suggestions for a dressier, yet comfortable shoe that is able to accommodate slip-in orthotics pretty well? And I was wondering if it's the toe box that needs to be wider if my little toe tends to push against the outside of most shoes as I walk and gets sore? I probably can't get another set of shoes for this interview, but maybe for a future one. Appreciate any help and sorry for the long-winded post!
Click to expand...

Allen Edmonds has an orthotic collection with several styles of shoes if you want to go that route (check their website). They make several different widths, going up to EEE. Here's one style in their orthotic collection:

Parliament_Black.jpg


My dad and brother both swear by SAS in terms of comfort, but I couldn't get over their design. You've actually found the nicest SAS shoe I've ever seen, but unfortunately this isn't saying much.
 
Last edited:
jeez, i hate to tell you this as they are new but i would never wear SAS to an interview of any kind. honestly they look like what the janitor at school wears - and if i had his job i might wear them, but i wouldn't wear them to an interview for his job! they really look too relaxed, which is not the vibe you want to be giving off.

your little toe issue is probably due to overpronation of your foot in the shoe, which requires a better insole. this will give you better arch support and will actually shorten your footprint on the shoe's last, relieving the pressure on your toe. you probably don't need a whole new pair of dress shoes, just something to go in them. something like this is probably in order, they cost $20

save the SAS for your MSIII clerkships, when you'll be on your feet for 12+ hours straight.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
tabascosauce said:
paging dr. metrosexual, paging dr. metrosexual
Click to expand...

paging Dr. American in ill fitting shirt and ugly tie with pleated khakis that no longer fit with the fat rolls filling out the pleats, paging Dr. American in ill fitting shirt and ugly tie with pleated khakis that no longer fit with the fat rolls filling out the pleats. You have a phone call on line 2. Something about your wife wants a divorce cause she's banging a much younger man.

Just sayin'.
 
oh man so nobody knows the brand? guess I'm just gonna have to go out and try and find a similar tie
 
traitorman said:
oh man so nobody knows the brand? guess I'm just gonna have to go out and try and find a similar tie
Click to expand...

Good luck with that. You wouldn't think it's necessary, but ties like many other pieces of clothing vary with each season. So unless this tie was purchased this summer/fall, it's likely that the maker no longer uses that exact pattern of fabric.

For ideas of some alternatives you might want to browse websites of stores that carry a lot of nice ties. Nordstrom, Nieman Marcus, Hugo Boss, etc. all have some beautiful ties, but they're expensive. Once you see some things you like you can probably find the same tie from a different seller or similar ties online for less. The catch with online ties is that you can't feel the fabric. At a Nordstrom Rack store I bought a beautiful silk tie that was handmade in the US and the fabric is so nice it seems to automatically tie itself with a good dimple.
 
I'm a big fan of the Jerry Garcia line of ties. Very interesting, atypical patterns based on his artwork, but still looks professional. And yes, the silk has a nice hand.
 
Suncrusher said:
tabascosauce is a genius. Let's all dress as badly as possible because we are so insecure that we can't handle there being a doubt in anyone's mind that we are straight.
Click to expand...

Dressing poorly is an equal opportunity disease. There are blacks who dress poor, chinese who dress poor, rich people who dress poor, poor people dress poor literally and figuratively, etc. Same goes for gender and orientation. In fact, gays probably dress much worse than heterosexuals.

Even B-actor presidents have been known to dress poorly:
Reaganbigcrop.jpg
 
Members don't see this ad :)
BaronVonZ said:
What reality are you living in? The show isn't called "Straight eye for the queer guy", you know.
Click to expand...

That show was about dressing well? Even the guy in the suit looks like a shathead.

queer-eye.jpg


You Americans will never cease to amaze me.

Here is Australia's Queer Eye Guys (apparently, Queers dress in black suits, show no cuff, wear white ties, button the bottom button, pants too long, and like awfully pointy shoes that point upward):
pink4023final_wideweb__430x416.jpg


More queers:
LanceBass_Mazur_12870357.jpg

rickymartin.jpg

BobDole.jpg


Below are straight guys:
swedos.jpg


Here is a rich guy:
p-diddy-bfpvibesourcemag.jpg


Tall guy with AIDS:
paula_abdul_magic_johnson.jpg


Straight guy who can't prove it:
pope%20benedict.jpg


Like I said, dressing poorly discriminates against nobody.

Dressing well also doesn't discriminate:
ExplainThisImage_Man+in+Suit+and+Bull.jpg
 
Last edited:
Lokhtar said:
I got the idea for the polka dot tie from Up in the Air. Cause you know...I kinda look like George Clooney :p.

First I thought dots were 'out there', but apparently, they aren't and are actually considered classic and formal?
Click to expand...
Pin dots are fine. Polka dots are a bit on the large side for formal I think.
 
Err, which one was mine?
 
IMG_0278.JPG

What do you think captainnerd? The cuffs look a little long because of how I placed my hands, but show just a little when my arms are straight.
 
So you're saying it looks fine, it won't help or hurt?
 
Hammergin said:
So you're saying it looks fine, it won't help or hurt?
Click to expand...

Yes. It actually looks like your suit sleeve is bunching up and that when you put your arms down to your sides, it will cover up your shirt cuffs. But whatever.

Your pants length looks right on, no excessive break. That's the way they should be (I wish Americans would agree).

You're just average and I guess that's a good thing.

You're definitely not this guy:
p1040885k.jpg


If you guys want to distinguish yourself from other candidates, why not try different types of weaves? Worsted wool in black gets very boring very fast. Try nailhead (as above). Or herringbone, glen plaid, or houndstooth. Just keep it dark gray to medium gray.
 
Last edited:
If anyone wants to see what looks good, this book is coming out soon:

41w0VsVRf0L._SS500_.jpg


And as you can see, spread collars + FIH is acceptable. And FIH is not just an American thing.
 
captainnerd said:
If anyone wants to see what looks good, this book is coming out soon:

41w0VsVRf0L._SS500_.jpg


And as you can see, spread collars + FIH is acceptable. And FIH is not just an American thing.
Click to expand...

Because all of us can afford a flight to london + several weeks of fitting time + $6000 fitting process + $3000/suit + material. (ballpark estimates)

Gotta get those bespoke AE's too.

:p
 
FlowRate said:
Because all of us can afford a flight to london + several weeks of fitting time + $6000 fitting process + $3000/suit + material. (ballpark estimates)

Gotta get those bespoke AE's too.

:p
Click to expand...

The book is just to show you what looks good and proper, not necessarily to encourage you to go there and get a suit. You can get a suit that is much less as long as it fits properly and has elements that are classic.

In other words, if you guys have questions regarding:
1) number of buttons
2) is black acceptable?
3) is my tie acceptable?
4) what collars are acceptable?
5) what tie knot is acceptable?
6) where should the button point be?

Then this book probably will show you. If you have a black suit with 4 buttons with very low lapels that point downward and want to know if it acceptable, then this book will probably answer that question.
 
Is a yellow shirt acceptable if the suit is dark gray and/or black with pinstripes?
 
IvyHopeful20 said:
Is a yellow shirt acceptable if the suit is dark gray and/or black with pinstripes?
Click to expand...

I am having a very difficult time determining whether all your posts are full of sarcasm or not.....Hmm....:rolleyes:
 
yellow depends a lot on your skin tone, hair color in addition to what else you're wearing. tread with care.

it tends to look either really great or really.... not. guess which is more seen/likely?
 
Last edited:
Bleh. Dark hair dark skin. Just wondering. Blue striped shirt safer?
 
hard to say, there are no hard and fast color palate rules for yellow. i just know bad when i see it :p worst case scenario is you look jaundiced.

blue is much safer, naturally.

i'm not telling you not to wear the yellow, but be sure of it. it's a color that projects extreme confidence, and if it doesn't work, or you aren't confident in it, it can really look like hell.
 
gravitywave said:
hard to say, there are no hard and fast color palate rules for yellow. i just know bad when i see it :p worst case scenario is you look jaundiced.

blue is much safer, naturally.

i'm not telling you not to wear the yellow, but be sure of it. it's a color that projects extreme confidence, and if it doesn't work, or you aren't confident in it, it can really look like hell.
Click to expand...

Very pale yellow only. I'd stay away from it for interviews.

Neon yellow is a no. Unless of course, you're wearing a perfectly tailored light gray wool suit in a very slim fit with a single button, preferably peaked lapel. You'd be amazed at what you can get away with if you're wearing well tailored suits. Most importantly, you have to be slim and not fatty. Of course, if you own all this, then it is perfectly safe to wear pale yellow to an interview.
 
captainnerd said:
The Allen Edmonds Fifth Ave are a classic pair of shoes. I personally wouldn't buy them because they are a bit old man-ish but they are the right shoe for the occasion.

Has anyone thought of the Barker Brando in Burgundy? Also about $250 once you take into account shipping to US.

th41284040099Brando_burg-caballo.jpg


As for Saks, I don't know anything about that place. I don't shop there, nor do I shop anywhere really.
Click to expand...

So how would you go about buying a belt to go with a pair of shoes like this? I have always just gone with black/black because that is easier, and I don't want to screw it up and look like a idiot.
 
Those are very beautiful shoes but I'm still not sure if wingtips are sufficiently formal for med school interviews. Are they?
 
Wow...ok...so I just saw some interviewees downstairs. One guy had really shaggy blond hair, covering his forehead and ears, and it was not groomed and probably had split ends. Think Owen Wilson. He looked like one of my younger brother's frat boy friends.
 
ElChamaco said:
Those are very beautiful shoes but I'm still not sure if wingtips are sufficiently formal for med school interviews. Are they?
Click to expand...


Take it from someone who spent 20 years in a professional business environment, wingtips are very formal, very conservative. Heck you'd have to get tux shoes to be more formal.
 
spiderpete said:
Take it from someone who spent 20 years in a professional business environment, wingtips are very formal, very conservative. Heck you'd have to get tux shoes to be more formal.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the advice. I like those shoes quite a bit...
 
ElChamaco said:
Those are very beautiful shoes but I'm still not sure if wingtips are sufficiently formal for med school interviews. Are they?
Click to expand...

I was interviewed by a dean of admissions at a top-5 school and he was wearing wingtips similar to these, only in black. The rest of his attire was formal and well-coordinated.
 
lkthlttr said:
So how would you go about buying a belt to go with a pair of shoes like this? I have always just gone with black/black because that is easier, and I don't want to screw it up and look like a idiot.
Click to expand...

The leather doesn't have to match perfectly. Hell, I think brown would be okay as long as it is within a certain range.

Believe it or not, wingtips are not as formal as plain captoes but you've already went well beyond the formality threshold that it doesn't matter.

To a purist, wingtips are informal (on the informal-formal scale that is already well shifted towards the formal side of things). To the lay-public, wingtips are the shoes of gods apparently.
 
captainnerd said:
The leather doesn't have to match perfectly. Hell, I think brown would be okay as long as it is within a certain range.

Believe it or not, wingtips are not as formal as plain captoes but you've already went well beyond the formality threshold that it doesn't matter.

To a purist, wingtips are informal (on the informal-formal scale that is already well shifted towards the formal side of things). To the lay-public, wingtips are the shoes of gods apparently.
Click to expand...

To simplify things, in the vast majority of situations for men's clothing, the more complex, decorated, or embellished, the less formal. I believe you would agree.
 
FlowRate said:
To simplify things, in the vast majority of situations for men's clothing, the more complex, decorated, or embellished, the less formal. I believe you would agree.
Click to expand...

Yes, but thot isn't to soy it is bod. Oh, one of my keybord buttons doesn't work.

The best thing bout wingtips is tht they reduce the mount of formlity. Just like check shirts, windowpne suits, etc. You cn still look ridiculously dpper in these items.

There re good wys of reducing formlity such s check shirts. THen there re wful wys of doing it like wering bright neon green shirts or sturted red shirts (both of which I often will see on cmpus).

You're gonn hve to put the letter "ey" in proper plces to red this. Sorry. Removing the letter "ey" reduces the formility of this post.
 
captainnerd said:
Yes, but thot isn't to soy it is bod. Oh, one of my keybord buttons doesn't work.

The best thing bout wingtips is tht they reduce the mount of formlity. Just like check shirts, windowpne suits, etc. You cn still look ridiculously dpper in these items.

There re good wys of reducing formlity such s check shirts. THen there re wful wys of doing it like wering bright neon green shirts or sturted red shirts (both of which I often will see on cmpus).

You're gonn hve to put the letter "ey" in proper plces to red this. Sorry. Removing the letter "ey" reduces the formility of this post.
Click to expand...

I'm glad you are having fun with your posts, but I think most of us would agree this is an example of an "awful way" of reducing formality...:laugh:
 
captainnerd said:
Yes, but thot isn't to soy it is bod. Oh, one of my keybord buttons doesn't work.

The best thing bout wingtips is tht they reduce the mount of formlity. Just like check shirts, windowpne suits, etc. You cn still look ridiculously dpper in these items.

There re good wys of reducing formlity such s check shirts. THen there re wful wys of doing it like wering bright neon green shirts or sturted red shirts (both of which I often will see on cmpus).

You're gonn hve to put the letter "ey" in proper plces to red this. Sorry. Removing the letter "ey" reduces the formility of this post.
Click to expand...

Brialliant! To help raise the formality of your future postings here are two specimens that you can copy and paste as needed: "A" and "a".

It just occurred to me that you may like bold as well, depending on how it coordinates with the other letters: "A" and "a".
 
Unfortunately, the dry cleaner ripped my suit (which I had worn 0.00 times :thumbdown:). The rip is in the waist, so I was able to make do with a belt for an interview I had after it happened, but now I'm in the market for a new one for upcoming interviews. Since there was only one of the suit that I bought, I'm going to be getting something different. Last one was charcoal, but I'm attracted to lighter shades of grey, as well. Is something like this...

_6212432.jpg


Interview-appropriate? Too light? Any thoughts?

(I'm not really looking at this suit specifically, just the color)
 
cfx said:
I don't think so. They don't look any smaller than about 50% of the suits I've seen department stores.
Click to expand...

Weird, they seem a little thin to me...

I also like his square tie knot. :smuggrin:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

atriablack
Interview Set Up + Clothing PSA/Tips
Replies
1
Views
586
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
viralhiker
Men's virtual interview attire
Replies
5
Views
3K
dindjarin87
dindjarin87
J
  • Locked
Mentioning family member illness in LOI
Replies
4
Views
445
jen.m.24
J
Q
Could I mention this gaming hobby in my app?
Replies
8
Views
452
SpicyHotSauce
S
H
Women's Interview Attire
2
Replies
56
Views
10K
LunaOri
LunaOri
Top