Men's Interview Clothing Thread

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JackInTheBox said:
I thought it was obvious. One button looks more badass, and it's also that much quicker to get your jacket off once the ladies see how badass you look and invite you in for the night.
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This isn't far from the truth. Im sure there is a biological basis behind most of the rules whereby it all leads back to sexual selection. There was a UCLA professor (I forget his name) who studied what made people attractive. His final answer was symmetry. But there are certain things that broke this rule. Women found men who parted their hair down the middle not as attractive. And men found moles on women that went down the middle of the face (right between the eyes or on the chin) as not as attractive as a randomly placed mole (such as on Cindy Crawford). The tie accentuates symmetry by creating an artificial midsaggital line. The best suits have pinstriping that chevron into perfect Vs. The pinstripe on the lapels of suits are made in a way that they are almost symmetrical. Then there are all the features that are asymmetrical. These are more smaller details such as lapel hole or ticket pocket or handkerchief pocket.

Then there are features that evolved based on pure utilitarianism. Hacking pockets were worn by equestrians and hunters. Horizontal pockets bent at an angle while on a horse when the legs were pushed out to the side and things such as ammo fell out of their pockets. Pockets at an angle while standing laid horizontal while on the horse. But now hacking pockets are just the epitome of cool, regardless if you ride a horse or not.

As for the single button down the middle, it creates a letter X via the lapels and the quarters opening below the single button. The x is symmetrical in two planes, bisecting the human body in halves left and right and halves top and bottom. It can create an artificial sense of where the legs end and therefore make you appear taller. It is too much psychology to be interesting.

The better theory is that suit makers wanted to make their suits appear higher in quality (and most likely it is higher in quality). Suits made in a factory are pressed by a huge machine that presses the entire jacket all at once, creating a huge hard crease. Hand made suits are not pressed at all. They are ironed by hand and they started to reduce the amount of ironing and therefore began to skip ironing the lapels down. Then people decided to show off their hand made suits by showing off the roll. Suitmakers took advantage of this and began marketing it.

In the end, women like the look better.
 
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actually, isn't it more like 33%? The lady that plays Martha Kent in Smallville used to play Lana Lang in the original Superman movie.

Smallville was my favorite show. Then House came around, but after season 2 it got alot more boring for me, so Smallville is my favorite again now.




Anyways, sorry for the digression guys. I liked my suits look, but now that I have a Mayo interview, I will bring it to a tailor and ask what he thinks about the fit. Mayo was the reason for my choosing to get in shape.
 
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what's the fellow SDN-er's opinion on this look?
DSC00503.jpg
 
im a newb at this, but i think the tie and shirt don't fit well. Colors too similar with the stripe
 
GloryField said:
im a newb at this, but i think the tie and shirt don't fit well. Colors too similar with the stripe
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hmm... good point, they look similar in the picture
although,, it might be because of the flash. my tie has silver stripes and my shirt is supposed to be sky-bluish
 
ar2388 said:
thats actually what i like about it.. 🙁
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You should take ar2388 or captainnerd's opinions, once he posts. Like I said, I know almost nothing about fashion.
 
haha i think the only value my opinion has is that i am female. lol. maybe its just a preference of mine, but i really dont liek it when the color of the shirt and the colors on the tie mismatch too much. i think they should be somehow in the same family. one guy at an interview i went to work a white shirt with a tie that had shades of grey and black and i thought tht looked very professional and nice
 
Shirt sleeves and suit sleeves both look too long. I think the tie and shirt colors are fine, but the tie knot looks way too fat for the collar. The break in the pants is also a bit much and could use a a higher hem.

As for why people don't button the bottom, I've always heard the story of King Edward VII and his rotundness rather than any utility or aesthetic property. Apparently, as he aged, his waist got too large to button his bottom button on many of his coats. As a sign of deference to the king, the gentlemen of his court followed his lead unbuttoning their lower button. Eventually, it ended up stuck in tradition and convention, much like most of the stylistic preferences of today.
 
The jacket looks too big in general. Does it actually fit at the shoulders?
 
In terms of fit, the most obvious thing I see is that the pants might be a bit too baggy, and for my style fall too low on your shoes.

Although I can't totally tell from the picture, the jacket might be a bit too big on your shoulders. If it's only a *tad* too big, then a skilled tailor might be able to take in the back seam 1/16 of an inch to compensate...it's not ideal, but it might get the job done. Ideally, you buy a jacket based on the shoulders fitting and then most other aspects can be tailored. Also, although it might be the lightning, is your suit dark grey/blue? If so, you definitely want to change up the color scheme as you've got blue on blue on blue right now.
Wait for captainnerd to give his opinion, but that's my initial look...
 
The suit fits perfect on my shoulders - I have what you call an athletic cut, really broad shoulders 36 or 38 relative to skinny waist 28. I actually kind of complained to the store person that the shoulders were too tight/small, but he said it looked fine. This leads to the image of Frankenstein (which my gf so un-abashedly calls me in this picture)...

What I DO need though, is a better fit shirt, although my suit sleeve fit should be okay according to the person at the store.

I guess flash is really bad, but it's supposed to be charcoal grey, on light blue with dark blue/silver tie.

What makes the pants too low -or maybe it IS too low - is that the pants have a static cling to my legs/socks, kind of giving it a bunched up look at the bottom. I guess that'll need to be fixed too.

Thanks a lot for the comments!
 
floja2 said:
what's the fellow SDN-er's opinion on this look?
DSC00503.jpg
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Pants look entirely too long to me, and I'd go with a smaller tie knot.

Otherwise, not too shabby. Not my style - and I'm a big hater of the whole light blue / Oxford blue undershirt thing, personal preference - but not too shabby at all.
 
floja2 said:
The suit fits perfect on my shoulders - I have what you call an athletic cut, really broad shoulders 36 or 38 relative to skinny waist 28. I actually kind of complained to the store person that the shoulders were too tight/small, but he said it looked fine. This leads to the image of Frankenstein (which my gf so un-abashedly calls me in this picture)...
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Sorry, but it's funny and true. 🙂 If it isn't just the camera angle, the silhouette here is not great. Hopefully un-static-clinging the trousers will make a big difference? If you have that nice, triangular athletic build (yum), I think you should emphasize it. The jacket unfortunately hides it (perhaps you could get it taken in at the waist). I also think the jacket ("skirting" I guess is the proper term) is too long. The colour scheme is inoffensive but makes me yawn. Punch it up a little!
 
floja2 said:
The suit fits perfect on my shoulders - I have what you call an athletic cut, really broad shoulders 36 or 38 relative to skinny waist 28. I actually kind of complained to the store person that the shoulders were too tight/small, but he said it looked fine. This leads to the image of Frankenstein (which my gf so un-abashedly calls me in this picture)...

What I DO need though, is a better fit shirt, although my suit sleeve fit should be okay according to the person at the store.

I guess flash is really bad, but it's supposed to be charcoal grey, on light blue with dark blue/silver tie.

What makes the pants too low -or maybe it IS too low - is that the pants have a static cling to my legs/socks, kind of giving it a bunched up look at the bottom. I guess that'll need to be fixed too.

Thanks a lot for the comments!
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I think it looks good the way it is...its not like your interviewer is gonna turn you 360 and make sure your socks aren't too static. Do to your outfit whatever you need to do in order to be comfortable in it.

I think alot of this "worry" about what to wear to these interviews (and I am not excluding myself here) is just somewhat of an overreaction. Unless you are trying to make up for a ****ty MCAT by wearing the best-fitting, most fashionable, yet traditional suit in the world, I say the most important thing is to feel comfortable. If you are comfortable in your suit, you are more likely to be yourself. You'll get that acceptance because of your winning personality, and it won't matter if your suit did or did not fit perfectly on the shoulders or your socks tend to charge up on hotel room carpets.

P.S.: I am not advertising going in shorts and a Guns n' Roses shirt here. (although that would be even more badass than a single buttoned button on a two button suit). Rather, I think if you had your interview in the outfit that you are wearing in that picture, you'd be totally fine cause you look clean and professional.
 
I'd say get that jacket a bit tighter if possible and have the pants hemmed, they look to be about 2 inches too long. It looks like your shoulders aren't fit properly, but its probably because of your traps up by your neck, gotta love funky muscles that go with athleticism.

Go to a professional tailor, not where you bought the suit. You'd think they'd want to tailor it since tailoring fees are a good revenue.
 
Siverhideo1985 said:
I think it looks good the way it is...its not like your interviewer is gonna turn you 360 and make sure your socks aren't too static. Do to your outfit whatever you need to do in order to be comfortable in it.

I think alot of this "worry" about what to wear to these interviews (and I am not excluding myself here) is just somewhat of an overreaction. Unless you are trying to make up for a ****ty MCAT by wearing the best-fitting, most fashionable, yet traditional suit in the world, I say the most important thing is to feel comfortable. If you are comfortable in your suit, you are more likely to be yourself. You'll get that acceptance because of your winning personality, and it won't matter if your suit did or did not fit perfectly on the shoulders or your socks tend to charge up on hotel room carpets.

P.S.: I am not advertising going in shorts and a Guns n' Roses shirt here. (although that would be even more badass than a single buttoned button on a two button suit). Rather, I think if you had your interview in the outfit that you are wearing in that picture, you'd be totally fine cause you look clean and professional.
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Definitely something to keep in perspective. 👍
That being said, nothing wrong with trying to put your best foot forward.
 
floja2 said:
what's the fellow SDN-er's opinion on this look?
DSC00503.jpg
Click to expand...

I think in terms of interview, there is no point in getting anything adjusted since it is too much trouble. There are some things that you can do yourself that will improve this immediately.

Go with a smaller knot.

The shirt cuff is too long but is primarily caused by the cuff being too wide. Go in with a very sharp hobby knife and cut the thread holding the buttons of your cuff. Then figure out where you need to replace the buttons so that the cuff will fit tighter. This will immediately shorten where the cuff will rest on your wrist.

Make sure you shank the button and put a toothpick between the fabric and the button to give you enough space so that the button rests properly when buttoned. Shanking a button is when you take thread and wrap it around the thread holding the button down.

This is just an ad hoc fix. The shirt will probably look better when a suit covers the arms. But if you take the suit off, you will now have extra slack fabric running the length of your arm. Take this into account when purchasing future shirts.

But just as a tip for future references when you have more time, I would recommend taking in the waist and shortening the pants a bit. The skirt is slightly long for my taste but is acceptable.
 
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beforetailoringcw8.jpg



I just got back from the tailor. This picture is prior to any alterations, I took it for reference. The tailor will be lengthening the suit sleeve on the right arm so that less cuff will be showing. He will also tighten the waist slightly. The charge was $35, and it will be done in 10 days, in time for my next interview.

Also, am I colorblind, or does this charcoal gray look essentially black?
 
For my interview with Uniformed services I'm wearing a slim-cut Navy Blue suit, white shirt, black shoes...not sure which direction to go with the tie
 
I bought a white shirt online but didn't realize it has metallic pinstripes. Do you guys think it would be acceptable for an interview?

My concern is that the metallic stripes will reflect a bit of light when i move around and i don't want my interviewer to think i'm going to a party or something... I'm planning on wearing a dark blue suit with a light blue striped tie.
 
doesn't quite look like that...

anyway, my only concern with the metallic stripes on a white shirt is that the stripes might be too flashy. the picture online didn't show the pinstripes, but after the shirt arrived, the metallic stripes are definitely visible.
 
I would avoid wearing the metallic striped shirt, it doesn't sound appropriate for an interview.
 
If we're talking about a textured white shirt, then it's probably ok, since the patterns under a suit and tie won't stand out very much. If it's a striped shirt with silverish tints, then it's probably not the most appropriate, but I don't think it'll kill you. I've been getting more adventurous with my attire lately and I'm not sure it's really mattered all that much.
 
standard101 said:
doesn't quite look like that...

anyway, my only concern with the metallic stripes on a white shirt is that the stripes might be too flashy. the picture online didn't show the pinstripes, but after the shirt arrived, the metallic stripes are definitely visible.
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Just go to any department store and buy a plain white, point collar, wrinkle free shirt. Make sure you know your size (or get a sales clerk to measure you to get the fit right). You can find them for $20-$25.
 
how about you post a photo eh? lol
 
OMFG... suits are expensive! I just purchased my suit and after suit, tie, shirt, alterations, and shoes it came out to be like $600. I feel sick. 🙁

Suit: $399.99
Shirt: $49.99
Tie: $19.99
Tailoring: $48
Shoes: $ Unpurchased
Total: $517.97 + Shoes (unpurchased) ~ $600

But, I think it fits the bill of what I should wear. Solid navy blue suit, white shirt, grey/bluish tie, and black shoes (not square toed). It looks pretty nice 😀
 
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well, for me:
200 suit
40 tailoring
20 shirt
20 tie
30 shoes


so 310 i guess aint too bad considering i can use it for med school events if needed down the line
 
For my interview season two years ago, I spent $900 for a really great suit and $300 for my dress shoes. It is a sweet classic ensemble and I consider it a good investment. I work out alot and have not gained any weight since I have been in med school (I am MS2). So these clothes will carry me through my residency interviews in 2 years.
 
wow, ur shoes cost more than my full set 🙂
 
For me:

$1,600 suit (Chan and Sons)
$156 shirt (Chan and Sons)
$395 shoes (John Varvatos, handmade in Italy)
$90 tie (Mountain and Sackett, handmade wool)

Won't be buying any more suits or clothes for the next two years. Gotta sit this economy out and earn a bit more before I can spend freely again.
 
haha. Man, I almost wish I didn't spend 2 grand on a new saxophone this summer. I could of gotten a nice suit, shirt, and shoes 🙂 Spent most of savings on it.

It is a nice sax though, made by a company that specializes in saxes in Japan, unlike yamaha which makes just about everything.

Anyways, I recently interviewed at a school where I was most concerned about regarding aescethetics. Wanting to go to this school caused me to get in shape, get haircuts at a hair salon for the first time since coming to US, considered lasik (ultimately too risky), tried RGP's but too uncomfy (can't fit soft ones), and went out and got the suit tailored.

I liked the look. The suit fit me about as well as it possibly can without getting a custom made one. White shirt and green/black/blue 60degree angled strips tie.
Forgot to take a pic.
 
Oh yea, and I wanted to thank you captainnerd, I probably would of went to an interview in an oversized black suit, oversized pants , oversized shirt, sports watch if not for your suggestions. Losing weight does have its downsides I guess 🙂

Also, I like the dark charcoal gray color now, it doesn't look as sharp/shiny as black, but it does make me look a little more individual.
 
GloryField said:
Oh yea, and I wanted to thank you captainnerd, I probably would of went to an interview in an oversized black suit, oversized pants , oversized shirt, sports watch if not for your suggestions. Losing weight does have its downsides I guess 🙂

Also, I like the dark charcoal gray color now, it doesn't look as sharp/shiny as black, but it does make me look a little more individual.
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Loving Mayo is like falling in love with a girl who promises to remain a virgin until she is 30 (because she is very career oriented). When you reach your late twenties, some of those other girls whose morals are a little, well, loose, start to look pretty attractive. When push comes to shove, sometimes you just have to get laid.
 
Loving Mayo is like falling in love with a girl who promises to remain a virgin until she is 30 (because she is very career oriented). When you reach your late twenties, some of those other girls whose morals are a little, well, loose, start to look pretty attractive. When push comes to shove, sometimes you just have to get laid.
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there are plenty of things to do at rochester, and more so at twin cities.
 
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GloryField said:
Oh yea, and I wanted to thank you captainnerd, I probably would of went to an interview in an oversized black suit, oversized pants , oversized shirt, sports watch if not for your suggestions. Losing weight does have its downsides I guess 🙂

Also, I like the dark charcoal gray color now, it doesn't look as sharp/shiny as black, but it does make me look a little more individual.
Click to expand...


Yeah, I feel the same way. I bought one of those German wrist watches you recommended and I really like it. The rest of your suggestions were also on the money. Thanks captainnerd! 🙂
 
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