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DSNCSUN

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Anybody mind sharing their experience in purchasing a suit, whether for dental school interviews or any other related event. If you could post pictures of the one you bought or a photo from some where online of some appropriate suits that would be fantastic.
 
DSNCSUN said:
Anyone? Any help?
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Don't buy a suit online. My advice is to go to either men's warehouse or j a bank and get one there and have them tailor it to fit your body. Get either blue or dark grey, not black.

I personally got one from Joseph a bank that was charcoal gray for around 180 with 50 extra for alterations. They have some for less and some for more than that.

If you want really cheap and are on a budget, go find a decently nice suit that fits well enough from good will or a store like that and then take it to an alterations place and have them tailor it for you.
 
I also got mine from just j a bank, but at the outlets. It's was cheaper but I had to find a different place for alterations.
 
I went to Macy's, JC Penny, and Kohls. Ties were especially cheap at Kohls, one of them was $3.68!!

I would get it in person and make sure that the shoulders and back fit well because tailors CANNOT adjust that.
If it's too long, then they can take care of that for you.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/suit-shopping-help-male.1212964/#post-17971745

there are also several good threads on SDN about suits that might be helpful
 
thank you to everybody who replied and the advice definitely helpful. got another question!! some suits looked very nice but were more sportsy and fancy than some which were kind of the old school less slim fit, is it a red flag for the adcoms to get a nicer looking suit, cause I was hoping to save money and use this suit for future events as well!
 
DSNCSUN said:
thank you to everybody who replied and the advice definitely helpful. got another question!! some suits looked very nice but were more sportsy and fancy than some which were kind of the old school less slim fit, is it a red flag for the adcoms to get a nicer looking suit, cause I was hoping to save money and use this suit for future events as well!
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Had the same questions about suits, walked into Mens Warehouse yesterday, in and out in 30 minutes and got a full suit that was originally $600 for $99. They're tailoring it now. Go there!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
DSNCSUN said:
thank you to everybody who replied and the advice definitely helpful. got another question!! some suits looked very nice but were more sportsy and fancy than some which were kind of the old school less slim fit, is it a red flag for the adcoms to get a nicer looking suit, cause I was hoping to save money and use this suit for future events as well!
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Nah I don't think it's a red flag. I plan on using my suit plenty, I want to get my money's worth. As long as it is appropriate for the setting, you should be fine.
This dude at one of my interviews looked like he was going to a wedding. Personally, if I was the interviewer I would annotate that, negatively. A person obviously needs to work very hard to get good grades and a good DAT score to land an interview. Doing just A LITTLE bit of research on how to appropriately present yourself at the interview is not difficult. So this guy looks great on paper, but not so much in person. To me, it shows a lot about maturity and character. Was this person too lazy to learn how to dress themselves? Did they not care enough? We're they too stubborn, and thought they already knew?
I think that as far as guys are concerned, the dress code for an interview is actually relatively lax. I saw all kinds of outfits, but most of them were appropriate. But there are just certain rules you don't want to break.
 
Roy Williams said:
You think it's straight for me to wear a pale lavender button down with dark purple tie under my suit? Or should I stick to white shirt/dark tie?
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haha, I have something like that... actually lilac button down with a blue tie. I'll be reserving that for my yolo schools. White shirt dark tie is never a bad way to go... personally I like a bit of color to break the monotony but that's just my opinion.
 
schmoob said:
Nah I don't think it's a red flag. I plan on using my suit plenty, I want to get my money's worth. As long as it is appropriate for the setting, you should be fine.
This dude at one of my interviews looked like he was going to a wedding. Personally, if I was the interviewer I would annotate that, negatively. A person obviously needs to work very hard to get good grades and a good DAT score to land an interview. Doing just A LITTLE bit of research on how to appropriately present yourself at the interview is not difficult. So this guy looks great on paper, but not so much in person. To me, it shows a lot about maturity and character. Was this person too lazy to learn how to dress themselves? Did they not care enough? We're they too stubborn, and thought they already knew?
I think that as far as guys are concerned, the dress code for an interview is actually relatively lax. I saw all kinds of outfits, but most of them were appropriate. But there are just certain rules you don't want to break.
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I appreciate the detailed explanation
 
Let's see.

Buy any suit you can afford that fits you well because "off the rack" suits will most likely need some forms of alteration. Modern fits and slim fits are recommended, but not skinny fit. Buy it in acceptable colors: Blue and any shades of gray. I personally think black is fine too, as long as you look sharp.
Next, Bring that suit to a good tailor for alteration. Good tailors always know what to alter when you try on that suit. Some points to keep in mind to achieve a sharp look in your wardrobe are snugly fit jacket, sleeves show 1/4 to 1/2 inch dress shirt cuffs, pants have 1 break with dress shoes, an eye catching (not flashy) two tones tie, and finish it off with matching color belt and dress shoes.

Hope you find this helpful.
 
Roy Williams said:
You think it's straight for me to wear a pale lavender button down with dark purple tie under my suit? Or should I stick to white shirt/dark tie?
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As long as you think it looks professional with your suit when you wear it. Like I said, as dudes we have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to suits. It sounds like that color combo would work with your gray suit. My suit was a similar color, I wore a white shirt and a nice red patterned tie.
The guy I mentioned wore a black suit, but not professional black, more like "black tie" black. The suit had sort of a sheen to it and it looked very tuxedoish.
 
I think the biggest problem I saw at my interviews and that I still see today at work are people who for some reason go with outrageous colors on undershirts and ties. Keep it simple. No adcom is going to go "wow, that kid who showed up with the satin Night at the Roxbury colors, he looks mature enough to be a medical practitioner AND ready to party!"
Schmoob said it right, the whole I'm going to a wedding/club/frat party sheen color look was definitely there on a lot of people. But most others looked appropriate.
If you want to stand out, be the kid with the perfectly tailored, classy suit.
Macy's also has nice suits on the cheap, a lot of theirs fit well.
 
I personally think it's best to go simple. Im probably going to go with a navy blue suit with a white shirt and a dark/vibrant tie that will contrast well with the white t shirt.

Keep it simple enough that you won't attract any special attention to yourself but will still get approving looks from those who you interact with.
 
The most important thing is to make sure that the suit fits properly. Very difficult to do with off-the-rack suits. I highly recommend that you do not buy a suit anywhere there isn't a tailor in-house or at least someone to measure you properly. Cut is much less important if the suit fits your body.

Avoid black suits. They can look cheap easily, or too formal, or just uncreative.

Don't overlook the details like belt, shoes, socks, tie, and especially the shirt. They should all be the same level of "formality." Don't wear a casual belt with the suit, or non-dress shoes or socks. Make sure your shirt is nice, not some oxford cloth, button-down collar, throw-in-the-dryer-to-get-the-wrinkles-out thing. Make sure your shoes are polished, your tie is straight, nothing is wrinkled (beyond one or two creases from packing).

Are you in SoCal? Do/did you go to CSUN? If so, there is a chain of stores called 3 Day Suit Broker in SoCal who are only open on weekends but have a good selection of inexpensive suits and an on-site tailor. If you're on a budget (who isn't?) you can get the whole ensemble there for a good price.
 
lemoncurry said:
The most important thing is to make sure that the suit fits properly. Very difficult to do with off-the-rack suits. I highly recommend that you do not buy a suit anywhere there isn't a tailor in-house or at least someone to measure you properly. Cut is much less important if the suit fits your body.

Avoid black suits. They can look cheap easily, or too formal, or just uncreative.

Don't overlook the details like belt, shoes, socks, tie, and especially the shirt. They should all be the same level of "formality." Don't wear a casual belt with the suit, or non-dress shoes or socks. Make sure your shirt is nice, not some oxford cloth, button-down collar, throw-in-the-dryer-to-get-the-wrinkles-out thing. Make sure your shoes are polished, your tie is straight, nothing is wrinkled (beyond one or two creases from packing).

Are you in SoCal? Do/did you go to CSUN? If so, there is a chain of stores called 3 Day Suit Broker in SoCal who are only open on weekends but have a good selection of inexpensive suits and an on-site tailor. If you're on a budget (who isn't?) you can get the whole ensemble there for a good price.
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Does the socks matter as long as they're dress socks? I was gonna wear navy socks with my navy suit.
 
nebuchadnezzar90 said:
Does the socks matter as long as they're dress socks? I was gonna wear navy socks with my navy suit.
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They definitely matter. Match the suit. Solid color is best.
I know there's a lot of pro-fun sock/crazy sock people out there and I saw loads (I think they were the hip thing back in 14/15) but for some reason they drive me absolutely bonkers.
 
seconding the shoes matching the belt. black belt with black shoes, brown with brown, etc. Socks should match your suit. Navy socks with navy suit is fine. You could also do argyle or a light pattern. The "rule" has long been that you don't do black with navy, and it's a rule that I agree with.

Never button the bottom button of your suit jacket, unless it only has one button.
 
lemoncurry said:
The most important thing is to make sure that the suit fits properly. Very difficult to do with off-the-rack suits. I highly recommend that you do not buy a suit anywhere there isn't a tailor in-house or at least someone to measure you properly. Cut is much less important if the suit fits your body.

Avoid black suits. They can look cheap easily, or too formal, or just uncreative.

Don't overlook the details like belt, shoes, socks, tie, and especially the shirt. They should all be the same level of "formality." Don't wear a casual belt with the suit, or non-dress shoes or socks. Make sure your shirt is nice, not some oxford cloth, button-down collar, throw-in-the-dryer-to-get-the-wrinkles-out thing. Make sure your shoes are polished, your tie is straight, nothing is wrinkled (beyond one or two creases from packing).

Are you in SoCal? Do/did you go to CSUN? If so, there is a chain of stores called 3 Day Suit Broker in SoCal who are only open on weekends but have a good selection of inexpensive suits and an on-site tailor. If you're on a budget (who isn't?) you can get the whole ensemble there for a good price.
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thanks a lot will check it out. Great advice
 
DogeDDS said:
Shoes match belt, not socks. Sock color should be similar to pants, so navy socks would work with a navy suit.
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Hahahahaha!! Holy smokes I can't believe I wrote that!! You're absolutely right, shoes match belt, not socks. I actually reread my post and asked wth, why did I write that? That was ridiculous, sorry about the bad advice, I don't know where my head was...
 
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