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Childish? Nothing childish about economics and proper use of the wordy thingies! Poopoohead!
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Men's Interview Clothing #2
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Childish? Nothing childish about economics and proper use of the wordy thingies! Poopoohead!
Next topic: $2000 suits. Are they worth it? Discuss.
sure hope that dude didnt pay $2k for that one
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Next topic: $2000 suits. Are they worth it? Discuss.
YES! If you can afford them, that is.
My friends, click on this link and be enlightened:
http://www.gq.com/how-to/fashion/200705/how-to-perfect-business-wardrobe
CaptainNerd, I have a question for you.
I skimmed this thread, and the general impression I got was, "Don't wear dark dress shirts for any reason, at all, ever."
...Well, I have an extremely fair skin tone. I am ridiculously pale. I am light as milk. I have yet to see a picture of another person on the internet as fair-skinned as I am, including most of the albinos - the ones that match me just have pink eyes and blonder hair. My friends have cautioned me against wearing white shirts because my skin actually clashes with them, kind of like trying to wear black clothes from two different dye lots.
With that said, is there any reason I couldn't be the exception to this rule and wear something dark?
I skimmed this thread, and the general impression I got was, "Don't wear dark dress shirts for any reason, at all, ever."
...Well, I have an extremely fair skin tone. I am ridiculously pale. I am light as milk. I have yet to see a picture of another person on the internet as fair-skinned as I am, including most of the albinos - the ones that match me just have pink eyes and blonder hair. My friends have cautioned me against wearing white shirts because my skin actually clashes with them, kind of like trying to wear black clothes from two different dye lots.
With that said, is there any reason I couldn't be the exception to this rule and wear something dark?
I think I could see myself down the road somewhere spending that much money on a suit. It just seems like a great investment in your appearance. You may feel better, more confident, and it could reflect well in your career and personal life. That's just my humble opinion, though.
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Next topic: $2000 suits. Are they worth it? Discuss.
Was there any point to this besides bragging that you have a $2000 suit? People have made it abundantly clear in this thread that they are trying to save money and get a nice suit for a decent price, so I'm not sure what your aim is.
We all know you're the style god and your wardrobe is worth more than our parents' cars. Give it a rest.
Dang, the suit can do all of this? Can it wash itself as well?
Really though, if you're not already feeling good and confident, one suit is not going to turn you from geek to sheik.
Next topic: $2000 suits. Are they worth it? Discuss.
Worth it? Yes. That one? No.
by the way, I'll be the first to say WTF is up with that tie?!?!?!
You'll be fine as long as you wear a really nice pair of pants, or so I hear.
Why not raise the stakes and just wear a speedo.
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He spent 2k on the suit and had to have his mom knit him one.
Being someone who knows pretty much nothing about clothes, I ask captainnerd for input: would a charcoal suit with faint, light gray pinstriping, a light blue shirt, and a gold tie work for interviews? Or should I just plan on suit, white shirt, solid color tie? Also, would a three-button be safe? I'm rather tall and two-buttons look a bit ridiculous on me. Thanks!
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You can be sure he'll write a five paragraph explanation on why knitted ties are both stylish and perfectly acceptable.
In all seriousness, your help has been very valuable captainnerd.
OK guys, I've never owned nor wore a suit in my life (except for prom). I don't even know how to put on a tie.
I need a suit for [hopefully] a future interview and my cousin's wedding. I can't afford two, so I need you guys to help me out. I have about $450 for the whole shebang, including shoes, socks, etc. I do have a few ties from my uncle.
Can someone take me through this step by step? Black or dark gray it looks like? That would work for a wedding too?
I need a suit for [hopefully] a future interview and my cousin's wedding. I can't afford two, so I need you guys to help me out. I have about $450 for the whole shebang, including shoes, socks, etc. I do have a few ties from my uncle.
Can someone take me through this step by step? Black or dark gray it looks like? That would work for a wedding too?
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First, I would recommend reading this entire thread. Captainnerd has given some excellent advice as well as a few others. I can maybe give you a hand on getting something less expensive, although I'm surely no expert. I went to Men's Wearhouse for pretty much everything. Here is my cost breakdown:
Geoffrey Beene suit - $350 ("on sale" from $450)
Alterations - $62
Shoes - $100
White Non-Iron (yea right) dress shirt - $60
Leather Belt - $30
Tie - $23 at Macy's
Total: $625
You could certainly save in a few areas from what I did. There was a nice suit I almost bought for $100 less than mine and I'd be willing to bet you can find a dress shirt for less than $60.
In the suit, I went for dark blue. Some people here have said black is a bad way to go and that you're better off with charcoal or blue. Most people at interviews will be wearing black, so it's not as though you'd be a sore thumb. The most important thing is fit in the suit and alterations are not something to skip. Look back in this thread for tips on that. You probably would be better of with a "smoother" shoe than what I have, but it was the cheapest one that I liked.
Here is what I ended up with. Let me know if you need any more information, and I'm sure the style champions will let you know what's wrong with my getup.
What do you mean alterations? I was just going to go to the Men's Warehouse or JoS A. Banks and get a suit...are you guys talking about getting it custom made?
So are suits with vests -
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=371697&CategoryID=43264
unprofessional or what?
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=371697&CategoryID=43264
unprofessional or what?
Alterations means they take the suit and pants you get and make small corrections so it fits you just right. I had this done by the tailor at Men's Wearhouse. On mine, they took in the sides a bit for a slimmer fit, shortened the sleeves, and of course shortened the pants and added a cuff. If you don't get this done, chances are the suit won't look quite right.
According to Captainnerd, two button is better, but three is fine too.
I'm not a fan of pants cuffs. Anyway, I hope captainnerd returns to these boards because I need advice about which alterations to get on my own suit 
I'm unsure about if the sleeves and pants need to be taken in, etc.
P.S. Jos A. Bank has a line of "tailored-fit", double(!) vented suits and I got one in navy for 1/3 the normal price ($250).
Now I just need to save up for some better shoes >.<
I'm unsure about if the sleeves and pants need to be taken in, etc.P.S. Jos A. Bank has a line of "tailored-fit", double(!) vented suits and I got one in navy for 1/3 the normal price ($250).
Now I just need to save up for some better shoes >.<
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Sheiks don't wear suits. Btw, I think if you were to buy this guy's "suit" and you happen to be a geek, you can actually go from geek to sheik.
Btw, that isn't me in the photo.
NO! Go with light blue or light pink if you're self conscious about it. I actually think the contrast of a black shirt would only make you look even more white. White shirts and suits were created by the pastiest people on earth, the English. You can still wear white in my opinion. Just keep your saturation below about 30%. This isn't just for pasty people, this is a general rule.
Sure. Windowpanes are always acceptable for just about anything. For weddings, as long as you're not part of the groomsmen, it is okay. I would actually go for solid medium gray.
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captainnerd, could use your fashion sense on my dilemma! If I can get it tailored, is the suit I linked to OK for interviews/weddings?
I just like making you guys feel extra poor. In fact, I sometimes laugh at the very idea of a $600 suit. "Awww, how adorable. He's all grown up!"
I'm just kidding.
Hey, I've come a long way since my Fisher Price doctor kit.
honestly i think this impression that people have here that everyone is wearing a black suit at interviews is a canard. at none of my interviews this cycle were a majority of the guys wearing black suits. apparently they all had kindly uncles who sat them down ahead of time and set them straight. know who wears lots of black at interviews? the ladies.
it's worth noting that some very dark navies can look black until set up against a real black. some of the classic brooks brothers navies come to mind.
it's worth noting that some very dark navies can look black until set up against a real black. some of the classic brooks brothers navies come to mind.
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thank god for my GF working at Nordstroms. her discount plus half yearly sale = saving over 60% on my brand new Hugo Boss suit.
Everyone is talking about suit colors and such, but at the end, its how you carry yourself at your interview, not the suit color that matters.
Everyone is talking about suit colors and such, but at the end, its how you carry yourself at your interview, not the suit color that matters.
I once saw a guy give a PhD dissertation in a yellow suit. I could not take him seriously. It was a mustard yellow that his dad gave him. Fit wasn't bad. But the color was awful. He did not dissert well. Last I heard, he was still working at the same lab.
Oh yeah, I just came up with the word "dissert." Deal with it.
My class (c/o 2013) had 99 students pass all their classes. One kid did not. This is the kid who dresses in baggy pants, crooked sports cap, hyphy sweaters, neon green and purple shoes, etc. And when he wears a suit, it's an oversized black suit and oversized shirt. It's almost as if you can tell how people are on how they dress.
To test the theories presented in this thread re: expensive suits and their value in the application process, I'm interviewing in a purple shirt from a resale shop, tie from target, and will take my $100 jacket off when I go to talk to my interviewers. My thinking parts work better when I'm comfortable.
We can run some sort of statistical analysis on my outcomes compared to similar applicants and figure out what sort of damage I've done to myself by dressing so shoddily.
It is pretty funny to hear all the "crowd of dark suits = interview season starting?" jokes everywhere you go.
We can run some sort of statistical analysis on my outcomes compared to similar applicants and figure out what sort of damage I've done to myself by dressing so shoddily.
It is pretty funny to hear all the "crowd of dark suits = interview season starting?" jokes everywhere you go.
when I say color isn't important, I definately don't mean neon green or pink or yellow. Its more directed towards black vs. dark blue vs gray. You still have to look professional!
What do people think about those sites that operate out of hong kong and will send you a suit tailored to your specs? I'm talking about sites like this one:
http://www.indochino.com/product/Ultimate_Gray_Suit?utm_source=gan
I've read about how great they are in newspapers, but I'm hesitant to try them out until I hear from someone who's actually bought a suit from them.
http://www.indochino.com/product/Ultimate_Gray_Suit?utm_source=gan
I've read about how great they are in newspapers, but I'm hesitant to try them out until I hear from someone who's actually bought a suit from them.
go here http://www.styleforum.net/ and 'search title only' for "indochino." There is like a 50 page thread that has people's reviews/pictures/updates/etc... of their orders from them.
Thanks for the link! Very useful!
The point I was trying to make about the kid who didn't pass with his classmates was that you can fool the judges with appearance. Most likely, this kid wore a suit and tie to his interview, recited his lines and got accepted. Once accepted, he wore his hyphy sweaters and jeans halfway down his ass to class and failed.
Had the judges gotten a more accurate understanding of his personality, they may have not accepted him.
Maybe I shouldn't be helping you guys fool the judges. Or maybe the judges should be better able to discern a proper suit from an ill-fitting suit or judge the appropriateness of a tie. There's only so much information a judge can gather from test scores and rehearsed answers. The process isn't perfect nor will it ever be.
What I also don't like is how many of you treat the interview attire as some sort of obstacle to the entire process. Dressing well should be a philosophy. It is a service to your fellow human beings who have to look at you. It's like brushing your teeth or combing your hair.
Clothing may be superficial at the jeans and Burberry polos and Air Force One level. But at the suit and tie level, it is a philosophy that separates the gentlemen from the males. You can tell the males who put on an ill-fitting suit and bad shoes as the guys who go through life as a series of obstacles and are only following their company dress codes.
I agree that it is a matter of how you carry yourself as a person. And at the suit and tie level, your attention to details says a lot about you as a person. In many ways, the requirement to wear a suit and tie and then to ignore the details of the suit and tie is a big mistake in the admissions process.
For superficial things as choosing toothpaste and cereal, more information may cause worse decisions. But for something as important as admission to a medical school, more information is always better.
god i love this thread. captainnerd is bonkers but i really like his.... style.
i'm totally wearing board shorts to class tomorrow btw, but at least they fit😀
i'm totally wearing board shorts to class tomorrow btw, but at least they fit😀
While I agree with you, I just don't think the adcoms are quite that perceptive. Just think, all the people on here who don't really care about this stuff are the people who are going to become doctors and eventually be on the adcoms. Granted, dressing well and paying attention to detail doesn't have to be actively perceived to be noticed and taken into account, but even on a subconscious level I don't think many members of an adcom would be influenced by someone not showing any shirt cuff.
I guess your post was about not just dressing for the adcoms, but still, that's all this thread is about. Many of us won't wear a suit again until residency interviews.
Even in chinos and polos, the young generation is a disgrace. Quantity with very little quality or class. The young focus on conspicuous consumption and designer logos over things like quality fabric or proper fit. I'll never understand it.
A service to fellow human beings? WTF kind of bull****, superficial, country club environment did you grow up in? It's clothes. 🙄
Yea, we're talking about clothes here. I'm sorry that all these aspiring doctors and researchers are a disappointment to you.
So captainnerd would you recommend getting something MTM from TaT or are their styles a bit too fashion forward. I'm kind of partial to just getting something that fits decently off the rack of H&M and just getting it hemmed.
I also have a pair of burgundy wingtips, should I just get a pair of tan/black shoes or would that work with a charcoal/navy suit?
I also have a pair of burgundy wingtips, should I just get a pair of tan/black shoes or would that work with a charcoal/navy suit?
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Hey Captainnerd (and other shoe connoisseurs), I've got a shoe question for you. I'm leaning toward a pair of Allen Edmonds but my wife, who brings in the bacon, doesn't like their price. She's never dropped $300 for shoes, so why should I? She does however have a pair of Fluevog boots, so I can probably convince her to let me go the Fluevog route too. John Fluevog shoes can be a bit trendy, so I'd like to hear your take on the following:
The Brandenburg:
http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w=family:Gateway Angels&pp=1&view=detail&p=2&colourID=2622
211 Carall Street:
http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w[0]=gender:men&w[1]=attribute:Shoe&p=3&pp=1&view=detail&colourID=2843
Marquis:
http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w[0]=gender:men&w[1]=attribute:Shoe&p=5&pp=1&view=detail&colourID=2827
CBC:
http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w=family:Radios&p=2&pp=1&view=detail&colourID=2563
The Brandenburg:
http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w=family:Gateway Angels&pp=1&view=detail&p=2&colourID=2622
211 Carall Street:
http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w[0]=gender:men&w[1]=attribute:Shoe&p=3&pp=1&view=detail&colourID=2843
Marquis:
http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w[0]=gender:men&w[1]=attribute:Shoe&p=5&pp=1&view=detail&colourID=2827
CBC:
http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w=family:Radios&p=2&pp=1&view=detail&colourID=2563
a couple of those are $250 and $319, AE shoes go for that and less.... i don't understand why you couldn't buy the AEs, esp if they fit you well 😕 joint checking accounts are the devil incarnate.
the carall and the marquis look nice. you're going to want something versatile and conservative, and shoes with clunky soles or that are made of something furry don't qualify.
a decent pair of shoes is an investment. i don't know much about these Fluevog people, but i can tell you that a pair of AEs is an investment. if you take care of them properly, you will literally own them for the rest of your life. i love mine and wish that i could justify more occasions on which to wear them.
the carall and the marquis look nice. you're going to want something versatile and conservative, and shoes with clunky soles or that are made of something furry don't qualify.
a decent pair of shoes is an investment. i don't know much about these Fluevog people, but i can tell you that a pair of AEs is an investment. if you take care of them properly, you will literally own them for the rest of your life. i love mine and wish that i could justify more occasions on which to wear them.
Thanks for the feedback gravitywave. I think you hit the nail on the head about the joint checking account and the lack of opportunities to wear nice shoes, at least initially.
I stopped by our local AE store, tried on a bunch of shoes, and then compared them to other options, but the AE's were my favorite. I found a decent pair on ebay for $30, so I bought them. Even if I have to get them recrafted by AE for $40-$120, I'll still end up within the "approved" budget. Worst case scenario: I contract some kind of fungus from the previous wearer.
I stopped by our local AE store, tried on a bunch of shoes, and then compared them to other options, but the AE's were my favorite. I found a decent pair on ebay for $30, so I bought them. Even if I have to get them recrafted by AE for $40-$120, I'll still end up within the "approved" budget. Worst case scenario: I contract some kind of fungus from the previous wearer.
just pee on your foot and you're good.
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