Women's Interview Attire #4

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I have a lightweight top with bell sleeves from last year that I tried on with my suit just to see if it would work. The sleeves bunch up in weird spots in the jacket and I looked like I had cartoon muscles.

Also, big sale at Banana Republic going on... but very little that was interview appropriate... and even the 2 possible contenders were not great. Thanks to my former career, I'm lucky to have other options in my closet, but I feel for everyone who has to buy this season. It's slim pickings for sure. If we all lived in the same city, I'd invite you all over to borrow from my closet. And if I wasn't interviewing myself, I'd try to figure out a way to lend clothes to those who are stuck. It would be great if we could create med school loan closets for interviews.
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DBC03 said:
And the weird hemlines and pirate ruffles. I can't tell if some of these are supposed to be dresses!
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Seriously - I've seen this shirt EVERYWHERE
 
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Laterthansooner said:
Wrinkle-free! That in itself makes it worth it. What about the one on the right in light blue?
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I'm thinking about the light blue or pink as well. I now have the white one (they had only two options at the store), but I may need at least one more shirt...
 
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wysdoc said:
I have to say, blouse styles in the stores this year are just weird. I thought once the fall styles were up there would be fewer of there cold shoulder, asymmetrical hem, and oddly styled blouses. Nope, still there! Try a Dillard's, Nordstrom, SteinMart, or similar department store and grab a good clerk to help you find what you want. Tommy Hilfiger has some "twisted neck" blouses that might work Tommy Hilfiger twisted neck blouse usually in stores at Macy's, Kohl's or Nordstrom
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I'm glad I'm not the only person who has been struggling to find good tops this year! I have one blouse that I really like that I'm planning to use for most of my interviews, but I have one two-day interview scheduled and am struggling to find a second good top. I keep finding things that are almost perfect, but then have some weird lace detail or other odd feature that ruins it.
 
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Have to mention again, if anyone has a Van Heusen outlet store near them, they have amazing basic shells in many colors, with sleeves, and boatneck necklines (and they're extremely reasonable, always under $20 with the promotions they have going). I found them too late for my interviews but have developed my wardrobe for clinical things in med school solely around these tops haha. Hope it helps someone!
 
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happypandaquestion said:
Is a broach appropriate?
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I wore a brooch to a few interviews, when I wore my dress/suit combo. If you do wear one, limit other jewelry and acknowledge it could be a statement piece. Which means you could become brooch girl without your knowledge. The focus should be on you.

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happypandaquestion said:
Is a broach appropriate?
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They're not inappropriate (unless your brooch is tacky - many are). But they're also uncommon. That's what makes them make you stand out. AKA 'Brooch Girl' (Love that @raiderette !) You've got to decide if that's a good thing or not.
 
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wysdoc said:
Silk Shells by Royal Silk®, $42-$55. Silk Tee - Silk Shell.

These blouses are shown on Amazon.com too but Amazon links don't seem to paste well
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Those are nice @wysdoc , and reasonably priced even. But as much as I love a nice silk, I'm going to suggest that for interviews, you gals should stick to polyester.

Why? Because stuff happens. Coffee spills. Food dribbles. Perspiration. A polyester shell can be spot-cleaned in the bathroom mid-day if necessary and/or rinsed and hung to dry in the hotel sink. All without showing obvious signs of damage. Silk will almost certainly require expensive dry-cleaning.

Yeah, they're usually not as nice. They're also usually not as pricey -- which probably helps. And you'll have your jacket on most of the day, so the quality of fabric will not be as 'on display' as it might otherwise be.

Fabrics that will probably work well: Polyester, nylon, acetate, microfiber and blends containing those fibers.

Fabrics that are likely to not work well: Silk, Rayon, Tencel
 
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DokterMom said:
Those are nice @wysdoc , and reasonably priced even. But as much as I love a nice silk, I'm going to suggest that for interviews, you gals should stick to polyester.

Why? Because stuff happens. Coffee spills. Food dribbles. Perspiration. A polyester shell can be spot-cleaned in the bathroom mid-day if necessary and/or rinsed and hung to dry in the hotel sink. All without showing obvious signs of damage. Silk will almost certainly require expensive dry-cleaning.

Yeah, they're usually not as nice. They're also usually not as pricey -- which probably helps. And you'll have your jacket on most of the day, so the quality of fabric will not be as 'on display' as it might otherwise be.

Fabrics that will probably work well: Polyester, nylon, acetate, microfiber and blends containing those fibers.

Fabrics that are likely to not work well: Silk, Rayon, Tencel
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All true, @DokterMom. That's why I usually wear a print blouse ;).
 
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Laterthansooner said:
Most of us have developed a fairly strong sense of personal fashion and want to translate that to our med school interviews. However, common wisdom mandates that we dress in a way that fits the interview but isn't necessarily our personal style now--or ever. For those of us who are used to expressing ourselves with clothing, it can feel fairly inauthentic to put on a plain suit and shoes. And on top of it all, it's super frustrating to spend money on clothes that we might only wear a few times. But here's the thing...after all we have done to get to this point, it seems crazy to risk a fashion choice for those few hours that may decide whether we become doctors or not.

I have been analyzing my suit/shoes/bag choices too, but finally concluded that if I am questioning whether my choices are appropriate for my interview to the extent that I need feedback, then they probably aren't. It isn't that I don't want to look nice; I do. It's more that i want my words to be what the adcom will remember instead of the cute suit I'm wearing.

That suit from Zara is adorable, but you probably don't want that to be the word your interviewers use to describe you afterward. As soon as med school is over, you can be the most on point doc out there. But you have to get there. Bite the fashion bullet, wear something unquestionably non-controversial and let your personality be what your interviewers remember you for.
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You're exactly right. Thank you for your comment. I'll make sure to pick out something more traditional.
 
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gyngyn said:
The risk of gaposis is high with this style.
A shell is safer
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Oh don't get me wrong, I'm not going near a button-up shirt with a 10 foot pole - my curves definitely prevent that! Just replying to someone who was looking for that style of shirt.
 
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I found a few simple options at LOFT, though I'm not sure how their options have turned out this fall with all the ruffles and huge sleeves going around. They've also been surprisingly forgiving when I roll them up to stuff in my travel backpack. :)

Bar Back Clean Tee | LOFT
 
Okay, so JC Penney's Worthington line just released a solid dark green cold shoulder top - I snagged it in a heartbeat. Nobody's going to know it's cold shoulder under a suit jacket, and the sleeves don't make the jacket sleeves bulge. Score! The neckline's a little high but I'll live. I'd rather go too high than too low.

I kind of hate my suit - found it at JCP also, weeks ago. It's a skirt suit and I hate skirt suits. Not to mention it feels way too long - it comes down to maybe two inches below my knee. However, it's literally the only thing I tried on that fit worth anything - and I looked in the local Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, JCP, Macy's, Belk's, Dillard's, and several others. Everything else made me look like a box, regardless of the size. I have literally been looking 3 days a week at least for the past several weeks and never found anything better. I agree that finding business professional clothes sucks this year. I'd find a jacket I really liked, but then the only pants in the same material would be those stupid fitted ankle pants. That happened a lot.

First interview is in the morning so there's no going back now. At this point I'm just hoping I don't die of anxiety on the way there.
 
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gyngyn said:
The risk of gaposis is high with this style.
It works for men because the tie holds the collar together and they (usually) don't have breasts.
A shell is safer.
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What about for us ladies that, for all intents and purposes, also do not really have to worry about breasts?
 
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gyngyn said:
The problem then becomes the collar flopping around...
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I have noticed that issue (the collar not staying put). The Calvin Klein shirt is stiff, so it took care of that problem, but I really prefer a shell. The problem is finding a shell for those of us who are tall, but wear very small sizes up top (like XS). Most shirts, especially shells, become far too short when they fit properly.
 
Would this dress and jacket be acceptable? The dress is solid black from Loft and the jacket is a subtle herringbone pattern from Ann Taylor. The waistline seams on jacket and dress line up perfectly. the jacket sleeves are shorter - 'bracelet' length.
 

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utazo said:
Would this dress and jacket be acceptable? The dress is solid black from Loft and the jacket is a subtle herringbone pattern from Ann Taylor. The waistline seams on jacket and dress line up perfectly. the jacket sleeves are shorter - 'bracelet' length.
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If you look through earlier parts of this thread, the advice given is that the suit you wear for interviews should always be of the same color and fabric. This includes dress suits. @gyngyn and others have mentioned this at length.
 
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I searched SDN forums for "Poshmark" to no avail, so I thought it might be helpful to share what I've done for others on a budget. The website/app Poshmark is a great way to save some money without compromising quality. Found a suit that fit me perfectly, no tailoring needed. I initially purchased with a credit card, only to arrive home and feel guilty about purchasing the two most expensive items of clothing I've ever owned. Took note of the style name and size, and I was able to quickly find several gently used options available on the Poshmark app for $20 or less... when I received the jacket in the mail (seams unripped, looks brand new) I returned my $148 jacket to Banana Republic and no one would ever know the difference. It seems like there are many ladies buying suits for interviews or one-time wear and later selling them on the app at a very discounted price. If you register with a friend's referral code, you won't end up paying for shipping.
 
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Almost none of the other women I interviewed with followed the recommendations on this thread today. I counted two patterned/print shirts, one set of almost pirate-level white ruffles, shoes that just looked like casual flats, and several non-matching suits - the kind where the person mixed and matched pieces of clearly different fabrics.

I'm hoping it made me come across as more put together... though in reality I'm sure none of the interviewers actually cared. It seemed like a super laid back day.
 
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Can I wear black pants, a white shirt, and a grey suit jacket? Or should the shirt be black, so that I only have 2 colors going on?

Also, I cannot walk in heels, really, cannot. How much of a no-no are ballet flats if that is all I have?
 
Of course I find this thread after three interviews! LOL I'm concerned about an outfit I wore to my first one. I've lost a bunch of weight since coming home from college and I'm pretty petite (women's sizes don't fit me.) Anyways, I thought my pant suit from the last cycle would fit but it didn't (and of course I tried it on the night before.) I ended up opting for my grey blazer with blouse and BLACK pants. Does the not matching hurt me a lot? Also girls with tattoos (I have 10), how do you cover them up? Makeup gets all over and band-AIDS look silly. For reference, I have visible ones on my wrist and tops and sides of my feet.
 
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As someone who just finished several interviews, I want to share some information! Sorry if someone already posted something similar, I just skimmed through and then skipped to the end.

1.) I would say that maybe half or more of my fellow female interviewees did not follow the "rules" on this thread regarding pants. Specifically, nice pants that are fitted at the ankle were ok. Bootcut or the more relaxed fit is not necessary. I wish I knew this, because I might have considered different suits.
2.) Most people followed the suggestions about heel height. Chunky, low heels were the norm.
3.) Overall the jewelry is super toned down. Pearls and simple gold strand necklaces were common, but nothing flashy or obvious. I was thinking about buying a statement necklace, and am glad I didn't.
4.) While printed blouses or shells were not unusual, the overall majority wore a white button down shirt or a single color blouse/shell.
5.) No one cares about the bag, and in reality they often stick you in a room when you arrive and you leave all your stuff there before heading off for your actual interview. Big or small it doesn't really matter. Something nice looking without crazy patterns is still a good idea.
6.) A few people wore jackets that did not match their pants, and still looked good, but they were in the small minority. Just to be safe, I would still recommend getting a matching suit set.
7.) Pantyhose (unfortunately) seems to still be the norm, but only if wearing a skirt or dress. I remember reading on here that you need to wear them with pants, and that is definitely not the case.
8.) Plenty of the girls (myself included) wore very minimal makeup. I wear nothing on a daily basis, and for my last few interviews I just put on concealer under my eyes and some mascara.

These are suggestions if your goal is not to stick out! I'm not on any admissions committee, so I don't know what they actually care about. My goal was just to blend in, and look like I belong at my interview day.
 
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Is it necessary for women to keep the suit jacket on all day and buttoned up all day?
 
utazo said:
Is it necessary for women to keep the suit jacket on all day and buttoned up all day?
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Everyone including myself kept it on and buttoned up all day at my interview. Not sure if anyone had a different experience


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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utazo said:
Is it necessary for women to keep the suit jacket on all day and buttoned up all day?
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chappikachu said:
Everyone including myself kept it on and buttoned up all day at my interview. Not sure if anyone had a different experience


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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On the contrary, all the women at my interviews have kept their jackets on, but unbuttoned. I'd probably try and gauge how other people are wearing their jackets, and try to blend into the crowd!
 
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chappikachu said:
Everyone including myself kept it on and buttoned up all day at my interview. Not sure if anyone had a different experience


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

All the women at my interview kept jackets on and buttoned as well.
 
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All the women at my interview kept their jackets on, but several unbuttoned their jackets during lunch. Except for one woman who had a jacket that didn't have buttons.
 
Is a simple high ponytail too causal for the interview?
 
utazo said:
Would this dress and jacket be acceptable? The dress is solid black from Loft and the jacket is a subtle herringbone pattern from Ann Taylor. The waistline seams on jacket and dress line up perfectly. the jacket sleeves are shorter - 'bracelet' length.
Click to expand...

I'm going to depart from the crowd and say 'yes' -- especially if you are over 25. Assuming the fabrics are nice (they appear to be) and that the fit is good, that is an outfit a high-level professional woman would wear to an important meeting. Points for being entirely appropriate and a bit different. You'll need good shoes and either a watch or simple gold bracelet to optimize the look.

SquigglyQ said:
Can I wear black pants, a white shirt, and a grey suit jacket? Or should the shirt be black, so that I only have 2 colors going on?

Also, I cannot walk in heels, really, cannot. How much of a no-no are ballet flats if that is all I have?
Click to expand...

The problem is not the number of colors, but rather the 'casualness' of black pants and a non-matching jacket. Ballet flats exacerbates the problem. That outfit suggests you rummaged through your closet at the last minute and pulled the "most appropriate" things you already owned.

hales1120 said:
Of course I find this thread after three interviews! LOL I'm concerned about an outfit I wore to my first one. I've lost a bunch of weight since coming home from college and I'm pretty petite (women's sizes don't fit me.) Anyways, I thought my pant suit from the last cycle would fit but it didn't (and of course I tried it on the night before.) I ended up opting for my grey blazer with blouse and BLACK pants. Does the not matching hurt me a lot? Also girls with tattoos (I have 10), how do you cover them up? Makeup gets all over and band-AIDS look silly. For reference, I have visible ones on my wrist and tops and sides of my feet.
Click to expand...

You'll need a pants suit, and either trouser socks (thin & opaque) with elegant low heels, or (not the best generally, but in this case) ankle boots. Long sleeves for the wrist tattoos.

kgm110 said:
As someone who just finished several interviews, I want to share some information! Sorry if someone already posted something similar, I just skimmed through and then skipped to the end.

1.) I would say that maybe half or more of my fellow female interviewees did not follow the "rules" on this thread regarding pants. Specifically, nice pants that are fitted at the ankle were ok. Bootcut or the more relaxed fit is not necessary. I wish I knew this, because I might have considered different suits.
2.) Most people followed the suggestions about heel height. Chunky, low heels were the norm.
3.) Overall the jewelry is super toned down. Pearls and simple gold strand necklaces were common, but nothing flashy or obvious. I was thinking about buying a statement necklace, and am glad I didn't.
4.) While printed blouses or shells were not unusual, the overall majority wore a white button down shirt or a single color blouse/shell.
5.) No one cares about the bag, and in reality they often stick you in a room when you arrive and you leave all your stuff there before heading off for your actual interview. Big or small it doesn't really matter. Something nice looking without crazy patterns is still a good idea.
6.) A few people wore jackets that did not match their pants, and still looked good, but they were in the small minority. Just to be safe, I would still recommend getting a matching suit set.
7.) Pantyhose (unfortunately) seems to still be the norm, but only if wearing a skirt or dress. I remember reading on here that you need to wear them with pants, and that is definitely not the case.
8.) Plenty of the girls (myself included) wore very minimal makeup. I wear nothing on a daily basis, and for my last few interviews I just put on concealer under my eyes and some mascara.

These are suggestions if your goal is not to stick out! I'm not on any admissions committee, so I don't know what they actually care about. My goal was just to blend in, and look like I belong at my interview day.
Click to expand...

There are some clear flaws in your logic. Your aim is not to 'blend in and not be noticed', but rather to 'appear professional, polished and together'. So repeating the mistakes of the other women (blending in) is not really OK; it's just not unusual. Lots of people mispronounce certain words -- doesn't make it OK.
  1. A 'taper to just below the ankle' when worn with pumps is probably fine now. But be very moderate here.
  2. Chunky low heels are often just plain ugly. There are comfortable low-to-mid-heel pumps that are much more polished and professional.
  3. A white button down shirt is the most boring choice you can make. It often gaps at the bust and rarely enhances the complexion. Small prints and colors are absolutely fine in a shell/blouse. 'Statement' necklaces (provided the statement is simple and conservative) are also fine.
  4. A bit of makeup will make you look more mature and more put together. Your interview is NOT the time to experiment or have your make-up "done" -- but a bit of something is better than nothing.
utazo said:
Is it necessary for women to keep the suit jacket on all day and buttoned up all day?
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On, yes. Buttoned, no. Your jacket should be able to be buttoned. But if it's a typical business blazer-style, real professional women usually wear them unbuttoned most of the time.

Rhee said:
Is a simple high ponytail too causal for the interview?
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Yes. Too casual and too youthful. A low pony with a discrete ribbon or half-up would be better.
 
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DokterMom said:
Yes. Too casual and too youthful. A low pony with a discrete ribbon or half-up would be better.
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I think a caveat to this might be "unless you are attempting to appear younger than you are." I have deliberately made some hairstyle and suiting choices during interviews to make me look a little younger than I am (not high ponytails, though - I agree that would be unprofessional). I'm in my mid-30s, and, although most of my interviews have been open-file, so people are able to do the math to figure out my age, I want to come across as "accomplished and competent," not "will have fewer than 20 years to practice medicine prior to her demise." I'm also not a skinny woman, so a more conservative appearance tends to scream *matronly* on me, anyway.
 
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ADSigMel said:
I think a caveat to this might be "unless you are attempting to appear younger than you are." I have deliberately made some hairstyle and suiting choices during interviews to make me look a little younger than I am (not high ponytails, though - I agree that would be unprofessional). I'm in my mid-30s, and, although most of my interviews have been open-file, so people are able to do the math to figure out my age, I want to come across as "accomplished and competent," not "will have fewer than 20 years to practice medicine prior to her demise." I'm also not a skinny woman, so a more conservative appearance tends to scream *matronly* on me, anyway.
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I'm also doing anything I can to appear a little younger. I grew my hair out, put it up in a hairstyle that keeps it out of my face but makes me looks a little younger, and dress accordingly. My fellow students believe I'm in my early to mid 20s, but the wrinkles under my eyes and on my forehead say otherwise.
 
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Wait... why all the ponytail talk. Can I wear my hair down?
 
Linalool said:
Wait... why all the ponytail talk. Can I wear my hair down?
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Every female at my last interview had hair down. My problem is I play with mine, so I put it in a half-up style - more like just get the hair out of my face.
 
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Linalool said:
Wait... why all the ponytail talk. Can I wear my hair down?
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Sure -- Your hair can be in a wide variety of styles. Just something reasonably conservative and low-maintenance. You shouldn't look like you're afraid to get your hands dirty or that your 'do would get ruined in a scrub cap
 
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Thanks for clarifying all! First interview is tomorrow and I almost panicked lol.
 
Linalool said:
Thanks for clarifying all! First interview is tomorrow and I almost panicked lol.
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Yeah, don't fret! As long as your hair doesn't look untidy or unkempt, it would be fine. I have fairly straight hair, but it's frizzy, so I always straighten it the night before. Which worked great until I had an interview in the south, haha. Also, I've seen a lot of different hair styles on the interview trail, ranging from ponytails, to frizzy hair, to just rolled out of bed hair. It took me a while to decide on keeping it down, but I felt more confident that way.
 
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Linalool said:
Wait... why all the ponytail talk. Can I wear my hair down?
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My hair texture is pretty wavy, but I wore mine down except for bobby-pinning the piece that likes to fall into my face. If hair-in-the-face is something that happens to you frequently, wear it back or pin it so it's not a problem. Most of the women I saw at my first interview wore their hair down (and straight, except for me).
 
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