Where to buy Interview Clothing

[BlueLabel]

I don't know if you've read anyone's posts--but you
act like the choice is between a good suit or a bad suit. For a lot of people it's going to be "how do I get 600+$ for a suit? There are other things people have to pay for. No one is going in and getting the cheapest rags money can buy and calling it a suit.

Medical school interviewers don't expect you to be the BEST dressed applicant in the world. Wearing A suit and tie shows you're serious enough to learn how to dress professionally. Wearing THE NICEST doesn't necessarily add a ton to it. People applying to medical schools come from all financial back grounds. Interviewers have long understood that. They don't have the attitude of "Find a way to get a good suit or don't bother coming."

Yes the choice is quite often between a good suit and a bad suit. You can probably spend around the same amount of money on a Jos A Bank potato sack suit as you would if you shopped smarter and picked up a higher quality suit on sale from a department store, but if you go with option 1 because you don't think your appearance matters, you've clearly made a poor decision. As I said before - what could possibly compel an applicant who has invested so heavily in the admissions process in every other respect to decide they don't really care about looking as good as they possibly can (within their means) on interview day?

Nowhere in this thread or on this website have I ever said "Find a way to get a good suit or don't bother coming", nor have I portrayed this as the viewpoint of interviewers or admissions committees.

An example of a previous comment of mine to a poster in this thread who said he only had a black suit:

"It's sub-optimal but it probably won't make a difference. However, a suit in a superior color like grey, navy, or charcoal will serve you well for many occasions and events (not just your interviews) so if you have the means, I'd recommend picking one up."

If you're going to assail advice like that then you might as well be forthright and say you want people to show up looking like they got dressed in the dark.

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[Reckoner]

I don't know if you've read anyone's posts--but you act like the choice is between a good suit or a bad suit. For a lot of people it's going to be "how do I get 600+$ for a suit? There are other things people have to pay for. No one is going in and getting the cheapest rags money can buy and calling it a suit.

Medical school interviewers don't expect you to be the BEST dressed applicant in the world. Wearing A suit and tie shows you're serious enough to learn how to dress professionally. Wearing THE NICEST doesn't necessarily add a ton to it. People applying to medical schools come from all financial back grounds. Interviewers have long understood that. They don't have the attitude of "Find a way to get a good suit or don't bother coming."

That wasn't my point. I fall into the "how do I find $600" category, actually. I bought a ~$200 dollar suit at an outlet store, got It tailored, and bought a pair of dress shoes for $50 on eBay. The point is you don't have to break the bank to look professional, but it can only help you at an interview to make sure that cheap suit you bought isn't black and boxy.

 

[histidine]

Which schools judge you by your suit? I want to make sure I don't ever choose to matriculate there.

Uh, all of them to some extent. Of course they aren't looking to make sure your shoulder measurements are exact and your cuffs are 1/2inch showing etc. If you come in with a suit 2 sizes to big, a pair of black work shoes that are covered up by pants 6 inches too long, a tie that blends into you're dark navy dress shirt, then expect to be judged. Did you shave before your interview? Did you brush your teeth before your interview? Did you comb your hair before your interview? Of course you did, because you want to look professional, because medicine is a profession. Part of looking professional is dressing professional. You don't have to spend a crapload of money, but you do have to care about how you present yourself.

 

[jm192]

Yes the choice is quite often between a good suit and a bad suit. You can probably spend around the same amount of money on a Jos A Bank potato sack suit as you would if you shopped smarter and picked up a higher quality suit on sale from a department store, but if you go with option 1 because you don't think your appearance matters, you've clearly made a poor decision. As I said before - what could possibly compel an applicant who has invested so heavily in the admissions process in every other respect to decide they don't really care about looking as good as they possibly can (within their means) on interview day?

Nowhere in this thread or on this website have I ever said "Find a way to get a good suit or don't bother coming", nor have I portrayed this as the viewpoint of interviewers or admissions committees.

An example of a previous comment of mine to a poster in this thread who said he only had a black suit:

"It's sub-optimal but it probably won't make a difference. However, a suit in a superior color like grey, navy, or charcoal will serve you well for many occasions and events (not just your interviews) so if you have the means, I'd recommend picking one up."

If you're going to assail advice like that then you might as well be forthright and say you want people to show up looking like they got dressed in the dark.

I misunderstood you. I took your post to be, what kind of idiot wouldn't break the bank for a suit?

That said, I agree with what you're saying now that I understand. I've had no experience with Jos A Bank, but I'll probably avoid it now lol

 

[histidine]

Pyrrion89 - you've interviewed at Mayo Clinic, where all the doctors and students wear suits every day. Of course doctors don't need suits to talk to patients, and students definitely don't need suits to listen well in lectures. Doctors could do their job naked, but society doesn't work that way. Patients do prefer doctors that dress professional over doctors that dress sloppily. It's human nature.

 

[toostressful]

Pretty surprised at the lack of logical arguments in this thread.

"I did X and I got into medical school so clearly X is right!" is not a good argument.

And nobody is suggesting that somebody should fore-go food for a month so they can afford a fantastic suit.

I don't feel like re-iterating what BlueLabel has already succinctly said, but a suit is just one of those things that if you can scrap together the money- it's best to not cheap it out. It will be worth it to buy a good suit and have it for a decade; for when you attend residency interviews, job interviews, events, etc etc.

 

[jm192]

Pretty surprised at the lack of logical arguments in this thread.

"I did X and I got into medical school so clearly X is right!" is not a good argument.

And nobody is suggesting that somebody should fore-go food for a month so they can afford a fantastic suit.

I don't feel like re-iterating what BlueLabel has already succinctly said, but a suit is just one of those things that if you can scrap together the money- it's best to not cheap it out. It will be worth it to buy a good suit and have it for a decade; for when you attend residency interviews, job interviews, events, etc etc.

Where did anyone say that anyone said not to eat. No one said to get the worst 200$ suit you can find either. (Well, I guess the one guy was pretty whatever about it.

But, I would guess an awful lot if not most pre-meds don't have a 600$ suit. You can spend 200-300$ and look very presentable/professional.

I think if the money is there to get a really nice suit, and you want to, do it. Absolutely nothing wrong with it. But so long as your suit looks nice and fits reasonably well--it isn't the difference. I guess I was arguing with the premise that everyone thought a suit should fit.

 

[jm192]

Uh, all of them to some extent. Of course they aren't looking to make sure your shoulder measurements are exact and your cuffs are 1/2inch showing etc. If you come in with a suit 2 sizes to big, a pair of black work shoes that are covered up by pants 6 inches too long, a tie that blends into you're dark navy dress shirt, then expect to be judged. Did you shave before your interview? Did you brush your teeth before your interview? Did you comb your hair before your interview? Of course you did, because you want to look professional, because medicine is a profession. Part of looking professional is dressing professional. You don't have to spend a crapload of money, but you do have to care about how you present yourself.

See, this is pointless to me. 1. Find me the person that goes to the med school interview with their work boots that are covered in paint. You act like you've obtained some knowledge that the rest of the pre-meds don't possess. In dealing with the general public, there may be some job getting/interview skills. If you're dealing with pre-meds that have done well enough in their studies to obtain interviews--they usually have the common sense to wear decent shoes.

Your tie that blends in...? Really? I mean, it may say you aren't the most fashion savvy. But, again--I'd love to hear that conversation. "Yeah, good GPA, good MCAT, strong EC's, but his tie choice...man, what was that kid thinking. We better take the kid who knows how to match a tie to a shirt."

 

[histidine]

See, this is pointless to me. 1. Find me the person that goes to the med school interview with their work boots that are covered in paint. You act like you've obtained some knowledge that the rest of the pre-meds don't possess. In dealing with the general public, there may be some job getting/interview skills. If you're dealing with pre-meds that have done well enough in their studies to obtain interviews--they usually have the common sense to wear decent shoes.

Your tie that blends in...? Really? I mean, it may say you aren't the most fashion savvy. But, again--I'd love to hear that conversation. "Yeah, good GPA, good MCAT, strong EC's, but his tie choice...man, what was that kid thinking. We better take the kid who knows how to match a tie to a shirt."

Well I've been on a dozen interviews so far and I've seen some crazy stuff. I've seen girls in skirts that look like they were about to go out to the club. I've seen girls in colorful sweaters. I've seen guys wearing black sneakers. I've seen guys wearing white athletic socks. I saw a guy that wore a navy suit, navy shirt, and navy tie - all he needed was navy shoes.

Some schools have a specific section to grade "professionalism," so yeah things like that get weighed in. And for other schools that don't specifically score, it all factors in in some way. Why? Because it demonstrates a lack of caring. Before you go to an interview you attend mock interviews, prepare some answers, and look up the school again to see what is special about them. It only takes 1 min to Google "how to dress for medical school interviews." The first few results are guidelines by Hopkins, SDN, and AAMC for gods sake. **** getting things right for a med school interview is WAY easier and forgiving than in finance and business, but you still gotta try a little.

 

[eizeral]

I bought my suit at J.Crew. The suit, with the shirt, ties, and shoes came to ~$500. However, I work at J.Crew and got all of the apparel (minus the shoes) 50% off. They do free alterations and up to 60 days on returns.

 

[Goucher2013]

Not to sound like a broken record, but no one else has mentioned buying used suits, so I'll reiterate my point.

Seriously, there are few things better bought used than a suit, since the depreciation is insane. Good consignment stores and eBay can get you a high-quality suit for under $100, with no damage, smell or discoloration.

Also, as an added point, don't waste your money on the big label. If you buy a Calvin Klein or Sean John suit, you're paying triple the value because of the brand name (which doesn't matter with suits, since no one can see the tag).

Good suit makers to look out for: Southwick, Cohen, Hickey Freeman, Paul Stuart, Samuelsohn, J. Press. If you see any of those names on a used suit, grab it before someone else does.

 

[ThunderBear]

Hey OP, sorry to creep but it seems like you're in Socal? If that's the case, definitely hit up Hollywood Suit Outlets. They have one in Hollywood, one in Torrance, and one in Westminster. I got my suit, dress shirt, tie and pocket square (free if you check-in on yelp) for around $200. Check out the brand Cosani, the gray and navy ones with the gold tag don't look cheap at all and fits pretty well off the rack. But if you need tailoring, definitely find a good tailor and get the suit done well.

 

[SilentSoldier]

Macy's, omg Macy's. I got this great charcoal Alfani suit that came with an extra pair of pants for ~$200. I was also able to get it tailored there for like an additional $20 since I didn't need that much done. I also got some great shoes there for $60. Never knew all the cool stuff they had there since most of my clothes shopping is done at places like Marshalls and Ross.

 

[pyrrion89]

Why on earth would you spend thousands of hours over years of your life trying to make your application as competitive as possible and then turn around and say "welp, I don't care if I look like I don't know how to dress myself on interview day, and anyone who tries to judge me for it is a TOTAL JERK AND I'LL NEVER GO TO YOUR SCHOOL!!!!"

I don't understand why you and other posters continue to ignore these repeated disclaimers/caveats.

Uh, all of them to some extent. Of course they aren't looking to make sure your shoulder measurements are exact and your cuffs are 1/2inch showing etc. If you come in with a suit 2 sizes to big, a pair of black work shoes that are covered up by pants 6 inches too long, a tie that blends into you're dark navy dress shirt, then expect to be judged. Did you shave before your interview? Did you brush your teeth before your interview? Did you comb your hair before your interview? Of course you did, because you want to look professional, because medicine is a profession. Part of looking professional is dressing professional. You don't have to spend a crapload of money, but you do have to care about how you present yourself..

Yes, to reiterate, I would not want to go to a school that judges me by the suit I wear. But I do feel you're putting quite a few words in my mouth.

My point is I would not want to go to a school in which a major point of consideration is how expensive and well-tailored his suit is. I don't see how this necessarily implies I do not think an applicant should have proper hygiene. Nor did I ever say a candidate shouldn't be professional. But I would want to go to a school that places a higher premium on the candidate's record, behavior, and personal skills than whether he shopped at Jos A Bank or Brooks Brothers.

I'd want to attend a school that understands that not every applicant can afford a great suit. I think this application process is already prohibitively expensive and, as such, selects against poor people. Sure, you could take out a loan, but why should we have to?

 

[BlueLabel]

Stop putting words in my mouth. My point is I would not want to go to a school in which a major point of consideration is how expensive and well-tailored his suit is. I don't see how this necessarily implies I do not think an applicant should have proper hygiene. Nor did I ever say a candidate should be professional. But I would want to go to a school that places a higher premium on the candidate's record, behavior, and personal skills than whether he shopped at Jos A Bank or Brooks Brothers.

If that was your point, then it had nothing to do with our points.

 

[histidine]

Yes, to reiterate, I would not want to go to a school that judges me by the suit I wear. But I do feel you're putting quite a few words in my mouth.

My point is I would not want to go to a school in which a major point of consideration is how expensive and well-tailored his suit is. I don't see how this necessarily implies I do not think an applicant should have proper hygiene. Nor did I ever say a candidate shouldn't be professional. But I would want to go to a school that places a higher premium on the candidate's record, behavior, and personal skills than whether he shopped at Jos A Bank or Brooks Brothers.

I'd want to attend a school that understands that not every applicant can afford a great suit. I think this application process is already prohibitively expensive and, as such, selects against poor people. Sure, you could take out a loan, but why should we have to?

Sounds like you're putting words into my mouth. I never said they were looking for expensive suits or that what you wear matters more than your record and experiences.

 

[BlueLabel]

It's odd to me that interview attire discussions always become so contentious. In no other realm of optimal application process decision-making do people have such a visceral and antagonistic reaction to advice.

 

[histidine]

It's odd to me that interview attire discussions always become so contentious. In no other realm of optimal application process decision-making do people have such a visceral and antagonistic reaction to advice.

The rude awakening to the real world where people judge you on how you look.

 

[BlueLabel]

Hey OP, sorry to creep but it seems like you're in Socal? If that's the case, definitely hit up Hollywood Suit Outlets. They have one in Hollywood, one in Torrance, and one in Westminster. I got my suit, dress shirt, tie and pocket square (free if you check-in on yelp) for around $200. Check out the brand Cosani, the gray and navy ones with the gold tag don't look cheap at all and fits pretty well off the rack. But if you need tailoring, definitely find a good tailor and get the suit done well.

Sounds like a great deal, but if you do go for a pocket square opt for a cotton plain white square, tv fold. Subtle, stylish but reserved, understated but aware, elegant. Goes with everything. Cotton I recommend because it stays put better in your pocket while silk can slide. An excellent and traditional complement. Cheap too - especially at this price.

PS hack: opt for a cheap machine edged handkerchief and turn it upside down before inserting so the rounded fold is exposed. Looks nearly as good to most less-discerning eyes