The Suit Thread (for women)

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Hello ladies, I had a question about jewelry options. I was going to go with smallish-medium sized diamond studs and a small diamond solitaire necklace. No rings, just a silver watch otherwise. Do you think this is too flashy? I know pearls are the classic conservative jewelry but I always feel so matronly in pearls. But I don't want to look too blinged out with 3 sparkly pieces of jewelry near my face. What do you think? Thanks.
 
Hello ladies, I had a question about jewelry options. I was going to go with smallish-medium sized diamond studs and a small diamond solitaire necklace. No rings, just a silver watch otherwise. Do you think this is too flashy? I know pearls are the classic conservative jewelry but I always feel so matronly in pearls. But I don't want to look too blinged out with 3 sparkly pieces of jewelry near my face. What do you think? Thanks.

it sounds fine. try it on with your suit to see how it looks. consider maybe just wearing the earrings and not the necklace.
 
Agreed on the either/or option. I tried earrings and necklace and it was too much. You don't want them to focus on anything but your face. I've only had one moment where an interviewer's gaze strayed downward, and even though it was a female, it made me uncomfortable. I started thinking more about whether or not my shirt had come unbuttoned than on what she was saying! You don't want to worry about anything but what's going on at the moment--it really is like being on stage.

I think the more minimalistic the better, without being too boring.
 
Thanks! I was also wondering if anyone had an idea of where I could find some nice short or long sleeved tops/shells to wear under my suit. I don't want to do the collared shirt look, and I will be too cold in a sleeveless top (of which I have plenty, just when I don't want one). I am hoping for machine washable tops as I have a few long stretches of interviews coming up and may not be able to spare the time to have something dry cleaned.

Tall order, I know, but I'd appreciate any ideas.
 
Ok, girls.... i like clothes just as much as the next person but honestly, do we really need a whole thread on this issue? this is what you do....you find a suit (black, navy, gray) something tasteful. if you dont know what that is than something other than leopard and hot pink will probably do. Wear sensible shoes with simple jewelry.
this is not the emmy awards...its an interview! yes, an important one...but sometimes too much thinking is a bad idea.
 
Ok, girls.... i like clothes just as much as the next person but honestly, do we really need a whole thread on this issue? this is what you do....you find a suit (black, navy, gray) something tasteful. if you dont know what that is than something other than leopard and hot pink will probably do. Wear sensible shoes with simple jewelry.
this is not the emmy awards...its an interview! yes, an important one...but sometimes too much thinking is a bad idea.


No one is forcing you to read it, and apparently from the response, lots of people like to talk about this topic and share ideas. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we could fill almost 300 posts, but there you go.

Sometimes it's nice to talk about things that normal people talk about. We're all such a bunch of high-strung brainiacs, I think a thread like this is a nice break now and then.
 
Acutally, I find this thread very useful. I consider myself a pretty smart dresser, able to follow trends, eg the skinny jeans. On a more serious note, I hardly wear suits so I'd like to know how to wear one appropriately and tastefully. A well put together outfit is an art. I have to admit I read this thread frequently. There have been pretty good suggestions on items, I have looked some up and may even purchase some. It's just like sharing a bargain with a friend.
 
I have no sense of style whatsoever... this thread is very useful for me.

Anka
 
Thanks! I was also wondering if anyone had an idea of where I could find some nice short or long sleeved tops/shells to wear under my suit. I don't want to do the collared shirt look, and I will be too cold in a sleeveless top (of which I have plenty, just when I don't want one). I am hoping for machine washable tops as I have a few long stretches of interviews coming up and may not be able to spare the time to have something dry cleaned.

Tall order, I know, but I'd appreciate any ideas.

I found a nice shell at Ann Taylor (sale rack!) that can be washed on gentle cycle. Brooks Brothers has great stuff, too.
 
10% off jcrew if you are a student! i had no idea! all you have to do is flash you med school ID. I am not sure how it works with online or catalog, but its worth checking into.

i was going to buy a suit and while $330 is a tough pill to swallow, this is . . .well. .. almost. .kind of.. . like. . a justification. maybe. and the cashmere shells are beautiful, a nice fabric in contrast to the suit.

Is this true? Did you try it? And all these years I have been paying full price!
 
Ok, girls.... i like clothes just as much as the next person but honestly, do we really need a whole thread on this issue? this is what you do....you find a suit (black, navy, gray) something tasteful. if you dont know what that is than something other than leopard and hot pink will probably do. Wear sensible shoes with simple jewelry.
this is not the emmy awards...its an interview! yes, an important one...but sometimes too much thinking is a bad idea.

"Too much thinking is a bad idea" sounds like the same philosophy that governs this presidency.....:laugh:
 
Is this true? Did you try it? And all these years I have been paying full price!

I did! I just bought a suit yesterday. The catch- even some of the sales people don't know about it. I ordered my suit from the store (free shipping) and, while the phone operator knew about the program, the sales man in the store looked confused when I asked him to verify (by looking at my student ID) my student status for the phone operator. I also bought a skirt in the store, and did not have the same problem with the nice lady behind the register.
 
ok need opinions:

dark grey suit with fine cream pinstripes
is a maroon shell ok?
i think so... but i've been told to wear cream (boooooring)


i like maroon!

thanks!:)
 
ok need opinions:

dark grey suit with fine cream pinstripes
is a maroon shell ok?
i think so... but i've been told to wear cream (boooooring)


i like maroon!

thanks!:)
:thumbup: maroon
 
...hi all!...serious question....I am soooo over black/charcoal/pinstripe, and especially loathe a brown suit, unless of course it was a yummy tweed skirt suit, but that's a whole other issue....doyou think a deep red color would be perceived as too far to the left/ overkill..? I am interviewing for Anesthesiology...thanks ladies !
 
I'm not actually planning to do this, but heard someone else considering it.

Deep plum formal jacket with black skirt. Anyone wearing non-matching top and bottom?

Also, while I too love this thread, what do you guys really think is the consequence of dressing differently?
 
I did! I just bought a suit yesterday. The catch- even some of the sales people don't know about it. I ordered my suit from the store (free shipping) and, while the phone operator knew about the program, the sales man in the store looked confused when I asked him to verify (by looking at my student ID) my student status for the phone operator. I also bought a skirt in the store, and did not have the same problem with the nice lady behind the register.

I emailed JCrew and the 10% student discount is standard policy, but it does need to be an instore purchase (ie not online). . .you can access everything in the catalog by using the phone in the store. Also, it looks like some of the suit prices are going up. The jacket I bought has gone of $20 and the pants $10. However, the October catalog has the old prices and they will honor it if you state the prices from that catalong.
 
I'm not actually planning to do this, but heard someone else considering it.

Deep plum formal jacket with black skirt. Anyone wearing non-matching top and bottom?

Also, while I too love this thread, what do you guys really think is the consequence of dressing differently?

I think a matching suit is pretty standard for interviews. There is some wiggle room in there on color and accessories, but two separate pieces would likely draw attention to you because of your clothes.

For me, the thing is to never let your clothes be the focus--it should always be on you, and that is the rationale behind dressing conservatively (but that doesn't mean boring!).

As far as consequences...I doubt a program would rank you lower for dressing differently, as long as it was appropriate. But you want to be comfortable and not feel like people are looking at you because you stand out in your clothes.
 
Hello Ladies,

I finally found a cream colored pant-suit, I really like, and that fits me well too. Is it too risky to wear cream color? Should I stick with the darker shades? Any suggestions?

Particularly from those whose already been on the interview trail... were there others like me out there?

FYI: I am applying to Int Med, pretty much all across the country.

Google
 
I'm not actually planning to do this, but heard someone else considering it.

Deep plum formal jacket with black skirt. Anyone wearing non-matching top and bottom?

Also, while I too love this thread, what do you guys really think is the consequence of dressing differently?

I guess the already put together suit is just the easiest way to go...the fabrics are the same, the colors, the buttons/details. In one of my interviews for med school (oh, god, i'm having PTSD) one of the female interviewees was wearing a non-matching jacket and pant outfit. Honestly, she looked sort of "un-put-together," and just not coordinated (I'm not a you-know-what, I swear). I think that if you are a real fashionista, you could pull it off...just make sure you have a brutally honest friend to tell you if you "make it work" or if you are committing a fashion crime.

:::must stop watching Project Runway & Style network:::
 
Hello Ladies,

I finally found a cream colored pant-suit, I really like, and that fits me well too. Is it too risky to wear cream color? Should I stick with the darker shades? Any suggestions?

Particularly from those whose already been on the interview trail... were there others like me out there?

FYI: I am applying to Int Med, pretty much all across the country.

Google

You are going to really stick out in a cream colored pant suit, I'm afraid. First of all, it's fall, and cream is not usually worn in the fall. I guess you could call it "winter white" and get away with it in January, but really, you are going to be a neon sign in a sea of grey, navy, and black.

For IM, I just wouldn't step outside the traditional colors. Go ahead and get the pant suit and save it for a spring wedding, but buy a darker one for interviews. :)
 
You are going to really stick out in a cream colored pant suit, I'm afraid. First of all, it's fall, and cream is not usually worn in the fall. I guess you could call it "winter white" and get away with it in January, but really, you are going to be a neon sign in a sea of grey, navy, and black.

For IM, I just wouldn't step outside the traditional colors. Go ahead and get the pant suit and save it for a spring wedding, but buy a darker one for interviews. :)

I am all for individuality (I am wearing a tweed pants suit), but even I would recommend against wearing a cream suit for several reasons. One being what has already been stated that such a light colored suit would like odd during winter. Another, is the fear I would have of spilling something on it during breakfast/lunch and then having a gigantic stain on my jacket during interviews. Also what if it was raining and you're walking around campus and mud is splashing all over your cream colored pants, yikes!!! I would not risk it.
 
Hello Ladies,

I finally found a cream colored pant-suit, I really like, and that fits me well too. Is it too risky to wear cream color? Should I stick with the darker shades? Any suggestions?

Particularly from those whose already been on the interview trail... were there others like me out there?

FYI: I am applying to Int Med, pretty much all across the country.

Google

i didn't see anyone wearing a cream pantsuit on the trail last year. agree with the above posters. buy it if it looks great on you, but don't wear it for interviews.
 
Any comments on what sorts of fabrics are good/not good for a durable suit that will last multiple interviews? I loved one at Ann Taylor, but am not feeling like it's a good value to spend over $300 on something that's "triacetate". Seems like synthetics are more likely to make me sweaty, smelly, etc. I could be wrong. For not much more money, I could get a nice wool suit from J. Crew . . .

Anyone with past suit experience, and the relative merits of various fabrics, I'd appreciate your input! Thanks, ladies!
 
Any comments on what sorts of fabrics are good/not good for a durable suit that will last multiple interviews? I loved one at Ann Taylor, but am not feeling like it's a good value to spend over $300 on something that's "triacetate". Seems like synthetics are more likely to make me sweaty, smelly, etc. I could be wrong. For not much more money, I could get a nice wool suit from J. Crew . . .

Anyone with past suit experience, and the relative merits of various fabrics, I'd appreciate your input! Thanks, ladies!

I recently purchased and returned a light wool suit from Ann Taylor almost out of sheer desperation as I can't find a suit that fits me well. Luckily, I found an Arthur Tahari skirt suit 2p at Filene's basement (prob comparable to a Lohmann's) for $100 after a 20% discount. If you don't have an unusual size or top/bottom disproportion like me, I really think that an Arthur Tahari suit is good value. You can usually find it at Macy's on sale, or most department stores. I like the design and fabric a lot more than Ann Taylor. Regarding synthetic material, you will be wearing a shirt inside a nicely-lined suit so I wouldn't worry about the sweat factor. I also tried on one of the triacetate suit at Ann Taylor's and I decided against buying it, choosing the light wool which I evetually returned because it looked so nondescript.
 
i love this forum... and i totally think a "women in medicine" forum would be awesome!

okay, a few things i've been thinking about:

-how do you feel about nice black boots with a pants suit? i've seen really nice dressy boots out lately, and i'm interviewing in cold weather, so why not? (i'm talking more like 2" heel with pointy/flat toes, not snow boots!)

-my suit has very thin pink pinstripes in it (it looks very nice, not cheesy like you might be thinking) and i was wondering if i should go with a pink shirt underneath, or if that would just emphasize me looking like i'm 18 years old? i could go with a cream color, but i just think pink is more fun. (plus i'm applying to peds and want to show that i have some personality)

-i have a friend who's been on a bunch of interviews already (DO world interviews early) and she said she brought a purse to her first one and found it to be annoying, so for the rest of them she just put her car key in her suit pocket and carried nothing, and felt much more comfy. do we really need to be bogged down with a purse/bag/portfolio??
 
i love this forum... and i totally think a "women in medicine" forum would be awesome!

okay, a few things i've been thinking about:

-how do you feel about nice black boots with a pants suit? i've seen really nice dressy boots out lately, and i'm interviewing in cold weather, so why not? (i'm talking more like 2" heel with pointy/flat toes, not snow boots!)

-my suit has very thin pink pinstripes in it (it looks very nice, not cheesy like you might be thinking) and i was wondering if i should go with a pink shirt underneath, or if that would just emphasize me looking like i'm 18 years old? i could go with a cream color, but i just think pink is more fun. (plus i'm applying to peds and want to show that i have some personality)

-i have a friend who's been on a bunch of interviews already (DO world interviews early) and she said she brought a purse to her first one and found it to be annoying, so for the rest of them she just put her car key in her suit pocket and carried nothing, and felt much more comfy. do we really need to be bogged down with a purse/bag/portfolio??

:thumbup: pink shirt and boots with pantsuit

:thumbdown: hooker boots with skirt suits

i brought a small purse and a leather portfolio last year, it worked for me. i wanted to bring some mints and lipstick. but if you want to go without a purse and can do without those little items i'm sure it would be fine. for one of my med school interviews i actually forgot my purse in the interviewers office and i had to go back in there and get it when he was working on my evaluation. . . it was embarassing.
 
Aaack, fashion emergency! :scared:

I've been invited to an interview that lasts 2 days, but I was only planning to buy one suit. Do you think it would be appropriate to wear the same suit jacket both days, but do a skirt one day and pants the other (and change the undershirt, of course) ???
 
Any comments on what sorts of fabrics are good/not good for a durable suit that will last multiple interviews? I loved one at Ann Taylor, but am not feeling like it's a good value to spend over $300 on something that's "triacetate". Seems like synthetics are more likely to make me sweaty, smelly, etc. I could be wrong. For not much more money, I could get a nice wool suit from J. Crew . . .

Anyone with past suit experience, and the relative merits of various fabrics, I'd appreciate your input! Thanks, ladies!

FYI, Ann Taylor has wool suits in addition to their triacetate ones. Personally, I hate synthetic material for suits, even though they are probably the most popular in general. I was actually surprised how difficult it was to find a wool suit (esp. since I need petite), like 80% of the suits at Macy's are polyester. J. Crew has nice ones, but I didn't want to order one without having tried it on, so I got mine at Ann Taylor since they carry petites in the store. Also check Banana for nice wool suits.
 
Aaack, fashion emergency! :scared:

I've been invited to an interview that lasts 2 days, but I was only planning to buy one suit. Do you think it would be appropriate to wear the same suit jacket both days, but do a skirt one day and pants the other (and change the undershirt, of course) ???

i'm guessing you will be interviewing with different people. . . they wouldn't know if you wore the same suit both days. the skirt/pants option sounds good. you could probably get away with just changing your shirt. :luck:
 
Hi, this is kind of topic, but if someone could please help me out!
 
Anyone thinking about wearing nice/dress boots with a pants suit for interviews? I have a few interviews on the east coast and was contemplating this in anticipation of rain/snow. Any thoughts? Would love to get feedback. . .
 
Hi, this is kind of topic, but if someone could please help me out!

I have a job interview coming up this weekend (for Bombay Company the furniture store) and the lady said to dress business attire (I think she said that, or maybe interview attire). Anyway, I don't have any nice button up shirts that fit me right now (I'm planning on buying some later if I get the job).

Anyway, is it OK to wear a sweater to the interview(It's a fitted while front closed weater with brown buttons and a hoodie in back)? It's a group interview, I'm not even sure how that goes, do I bring a resume? This is my first job by the way, so any help is really appreciated!! Thanks!

Not sure if this is serious or not (how old are you that you've never had a job?!?!), but I'll go ahead and throw in my .02 anyway. I would not recommend wearing a hoodie to any interview, even at a retail store. For an interview like that I would wear nice dress pants and a conservative top of some kind, ie. a nice crew-neck sweater since you said you don't have any button up shirts. Also it wouldn't hurt to throw on a blazer-type jacket to tie it all together (not a suit, but just a jacket, like maybe a green jacket with gray pants). HTH.
 
Well this is the sweater. I was thinking wear a button up shirt under it with black pin stripe dress pants and boots?=
 
pG01-2835765reg.jpg


Well this is the sweater. I was thinking wear a button up shirt under it with black pin stripe dress pants and boots? I know this is lame, but I don't have many clothes and I do want the job. I'm 20 by the way and I've never had a job, guess I was too shy to get one. Thanks though!


If you're planning on wearing a button up shirt under it, perhaps you could just go without the sweater and just wear the shirt with the pinstripe pants. I'm not a fashion expert, but I think the sweater with the hoodie will "dress down" your outfit rather than add to it.
 
still looking for some more thoughts on dress boots with a pant suit??
 
I think boots are totally fine if they are dressy enough. With pants, no one can really tell what kind of shoes you have on and most of my boots look like pumps when they are covered. But, that being said, I am really short and all my pants are too long. What do your boots look like?
 
I like the look of dress boots with pants. I wore ankle boots with pants when I interviewed for med school.

Just an observation since I had my first interview last weekend - nearly everybody was wearing pinstripes... even the guys.
 
still looking for some more thoughts on dress boots with a pant suit??

I would just make sure that the heel on the boots aren't too high, I would also probably avoid a super-pointy toe. Very stylish, but potentially very distracting. That's just my opinion though, I could be wrong.
 
i'm all about wearing whatever shoes you want!! i bought some pointy toe black pumps with 3 inch heels. they're sooooo awesome:) incredibly similar to these: http://www.ninewest.com/n/browse/pr...x=11&prodIndex=11&listSize=55&categoryId=7006

i was thinking about buying a pair of boots too, but i feel guilty spending even MORE money than I already have.:oops:

i think these boots would be perfectly appropriate for a pantsuit:

http://www.ninewest.com/n/browse/pr...=2&prodIndex=2&listSize=30&categoryId=1801995


http://www.ninewest.com/n/browse/pr...=3&prodIndex=3&listSize=30&categoryId=1801995


http://www.ninewest.com/n/browse/pr...8&prodIndex=18&listSize=30&categoryId=1801995

no point in buying fugly shoes for interviews... because in a few months when interview season is over, all you'll be left with is fugly shoes and probably no change in your ability to match had you bought cute shoes:)

good luck:)
 
oh! and what brand were those low rise hose that were mentioned in an earlier post? i went to target - and there were ROWS of hose (hehe); it was intimidating!!!
(links would be appreciated:))
and what color goes with a grey pinstripe suit? (medium-dark grey with very fine cream colored pinstripes)
 
Hey girls, I have some questions, some responses, and a bargain heads-up...

Questions:
1) Is it OK to wear a no-sleeve shell under your suit? What if I get too warm, is it a total faux pas to take off your suit jacket and be wearing essentially a tank top under it? I am wondering if I should play it safe and get a long-sleeved collared shirt, but then I am almost guaranteed to overheat :(

Also most of the shells I have are open below the sterno-manubrial junction (no boobage obviously, but still), that seems like it could be bad.

2) Question for California girls. I am an East Coaster interviewing at some Cali programs. I felt like showing up in a black suit would a) make me overheat like crazy, and b) ping me for the stuffy East-Coaster that I am among the Birkenstock-clad hordes at, e.g., UCSD. So I bought a light gray-green suit. (It's very subtle, I swear.) Then I read all these responses on here saying light-colored suits are bad. Is that true? I can return it but am I still going to feel weird wearing a dark suit in SoCal? And can I get away with open-toed shoes in SD/LA? I know, I know. Pleeeeze? :)

Answers:
1) Color-match: For everyone who asked "can I wear tan/brown shoes with a gray/navy suit?" my vote is absolutely not. Cool-toned clothes need cool-toned shoes IMHO. I'd go for black, gray, or navy shoes. You can't go wrong if you match the suit.

2) Jewelry: I vote don't wear a necklace, it's distracting. Just stick with earrings.

3) Boots: I vote boots OK with pants, not with a skirt

4) Colored shells under suits (pink, maroon, whatever): Go for it! :)

Bargain Alert:
For anyone in NYC, Filene's Basement is having a "misses' suit sale." Brand-name suits, 2 for $179!! They are really nice too. I got an Anne Klein and an Arthur Tahari. I was considering returning one of them but it was only $50 more to get both and I have some two-day interviews so... :D
 
Hey girls, I have some questions, some responses, and a bargain heads-up...

Questions:
1) Is it OK to wear a no-sleeve shell under your suit? What if I get too warm, is it a total faux pas to take off your suit jacket and be wearing essentially a tank top under it? I am wondering if I should play it safe and get a long-sleeved collared shirt, but then I am almost guaranteed to overheat :(

Also most of the shells I have are open below the sterno-manubrial junction (no boobage obviously, but still), that seems like it could be bad.

2) Question for California girls. I am an East Coaster interviewing at some Cali programs. I felt like showing up in a black suit would a) make me overheat like crazy, and b) ping me for the stuffy East-Coaster that I am among the Birkenstock-clad hordes at, e.g., UCSD. So I bought a light gray-green suit. (It's very subtle, I swear.) Then I read all these responses on here saying light-colored suits are bad. Is that true? I can return it but am I still going to feel weird wearing a dark suit in SoCal? And can I get away with open-toed shoes in SD/LA? I know, I know. Pleeeeze? :)

Answers:
1) Color-match: For everyone who asked "can I wear tan/brown shoes with a gray/navy suit?" my vote is absolutely not. Cool-toned clothes need cool-toned shoes IMHO. I'd go for black, gray, or navy shoes. You can't go wrong if you match the suit.

2) Jewelry: I vote don't wear a necklace, it's distracting. Just stick with earrings.

3) Boots: I vote boots OK with pants, not with a skirt

4) Colored shells under suits (pink, maroon, whatever): Go for it! :)

Bargain Alert:
For anyone in NYC, Filene's Basement is having a "misses' suit sale." Brand-name suits, 2 for $179!! They are really nice too. I got an Anne Klein and an Arthur Tahari. I was considering returning one of them but it was only $50 more to get both and I have some two-day interviews so... :D
Last year the vast majority of people I saw at med school interviews as well the ones going for local surgery, ortho, IM, and peds interviews were all in dark suits (Most were black, but there was an occasional blue, dark green, and grey). Basically, I don't think wearing black here in Cali will make you stand out. Wearing what you described definitely would. Whether that is bad really depends on you and probably the specialty you are applying to. The same probably applies to the open toe shoe question, but I will admit I wasn't close enough to see shoes on most people except for my ortho interviews and no one had open toe shoes to my recollection.
 
I would just make sure that the heel on the boots aren't too high, I would also probably avoid a super-pointy toe. Very stylish, but potentially very distracting. That's just my opinion though, I could be wrong.

How about these boots (picture attached)?
 

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oh! and what brand were those low rise hose that were mentioned in an earlier post? i went to target - and there were ROWS of hose (hehe); it was intimidating!!!
(links would be appreciated:))
and what color goes with a grey pinstripe suit? (medium-dark grey with very fine cream colored pinstripes)

I believe the low rise hose mentioned were from Victoria Secret.
 
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