Women's Interview Attire #4

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beebreezy said:
I'm at the store trying on suits now. Is a red skirt suit okay? Or should I stick strictly to black, maybe navy?
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No red suit! Navy or charcoal. Black, if that is all you can find.
Wear a red blouse if you like.
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Okay maybe I'm being silly and over-thinking this, but...

I just bought a pair of pantyhose to wear with my suit for interviews. The color is called "barely there," and they ACTUALLY look like they're barely there. It doesn't look like I'm wearing anything on my legs, in my opinion.

Does this defeat the purpose? Should I look for different hose that actually look like they are on me? I'm worried someone would judge me for not wearing hose when I AM wearing them, with my current pair. But, I also would feel silly wearing obnoxiously obvious pantyhose...

Sincerely,
An Overly Anxious Pre-Med :oops:
 
SamBamShazam said:
Okay maybe I'm being silly and over-thinking this, but...

I just bought a pair of pantyhose to wear with my suit for interviews. The color is called "barely there," and they ACTUALLY look like they're barely there. It doesn't look like I'm wearing anything on my legs, in my opinion.

Does this defeat the purpose? Should I look for different hose that actually look like they are on me? I'm worried someone would judge me for not wearing hose when I AM wearing them, with my current pair. But, I also would feel silly wearing obnoxiously obvious pantyhose...

Sincerely,
An Overly Anxious Pre-Med :oops:
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I think you are over thinking things. The hose I wore really just made my legs look smoother - no hair no stubble no bruises. It didn't look like I was wearing anything, it was just like my legs but better. You wouldn't notice them unless I had one leg in and one leg out, then you would clearly be able to tell which was the hose leg. Your hose are probably fine, you don't want them to have a color mismatch or anything.
 
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SamBamShazam said:
Okay maybe I'm being silly and over-thinking this, but...

I just bought a pair of pantyhose to wear with my suit for interviews. The color is called "barely there," and they ACTUALLY look like they're barely there. It doesn't look like I'm wearing anything on my legs, in my opinion.

Does this defeat the purpose? Should I look for different hose that actually look like they are on me? I'm worried someone would judge me for not wearing hose when I AM wearing them, with my current pair. But, I also would feel silly wearing obnoxiously obvious pantyhose...

Sincerely,
An Overly Anxious Pre-Med :oops:
Click to expand...
You are fine.
 
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I had a nightmare last night that I drove hours to my interview and completely forgot my entire suit. I ended up wearing slacks from Target and a button up. It was a terrible terrible dream lol. Luckily one woman was wearing a skirt made out of doughnut sprinkles so that made me feel slightly better.
 
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SpaceyWacey said:
I had a nightmare last night that I drove hours to my interview and completely forgot my entire suit. I ended up wearing slacks from Target and a button up. It was a terrible terrible dream lol. Luckily one woman was wearing a skirt made out of doughnut sprinkles so that made me feel slightly better.
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Oh you could do much worse than Target. :)

Blazer:
http://www.target.com/p/-/A-16532352

Matching pants, skirt, and dress option in the same fabric and color, though the dress option is borderline sexy depending on fit:
http://www.target.com/p/women-s-bi-stretch-twill-pencil-skirt-merona/-/A-16531748

http://www.target.com/p/women-s-bi-stretch-twill-straight-leg-classic-pant-merona/-/A-16670744

http://www.target.com/p/women-s-bi-stretch-twill-wrap-sheath-dress-merona/-/A-16641435

Blouse:
http://www.target.com/p/women-s-convertible-sleeve-blouse-mossimo/-/A-51375386

Shoes (one option among many appropriate interview shoes):
http://www.target.com/p/women-s-journee-collection-retire-pumps/-/A-17285909

Hose:
http://www.target.com/p/l-eggs-women-s-silken-mist-waistband-free-control-top-pantyhose/-/A-14496586

Bag:
http://www.target.com/p/-/A-51203096

See? Now your nightmares will have to be about getting into town and the only store open is a Party City. In which case, I would say your best bet is going to be the Adult Pilgrim Woman Costume. http://www.partycity.com/product/pilgrim+woman+costume+adult.do?navSet=276566
 
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xxoxymoronxx said:
Hi All

I wrote this in the #3 thread this morning but just found this new and improved one! Was wondering if I could get some feedback on this suit. Is it too light? I already own the skirt so I would just need to purchase the blazer. http://www.express.com/clothing/wom...6b8b6&CID=550&pubname=Skimlinks&pubID=7313086
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I think the consensus has been that charcoal is preferred. More pressing though, where does the skirt hit you? If it fits as short as it does on the model then you need a longer skirt.

Just FYI, I bought an entire Calvin Klein suit on Amazon for less than the price of that blazer. I found the same suit even cheaper at Nordstrom Rack recently. They carry it in a charcoal color if that's what you are looking for


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ifnotnowwren said:
I think you are over thinking things. The hose I wore really just made my legs look smoother - no hair no stubble no bruises. It didn't look like I was wearing anything, it was just like my legs but better. You wouldn't notice them unless I had one leg in and one leg out, then you would clearly be able to tell which was the hose leg. Your hose are probably fine, you don't want them to have a color mismatch or anything.
Click to expand...

gyngyn said:
You are fine.
Click to expand...

THANK YOU!!!
 
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Grapefruit Juice said:
http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1061550&vid=1&pid=377636002

Is this shirt okay for an interview in a hot part of the country? I get hot rather easily so I wanted to avoid sleeves if possible. I would be wearing it with a black pantsuit. I am petite and small chested if that makes a difference for this shirt.
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I understand the desire for sleeveless so you stay cooler.

But the flip side is that you'll still be sweating, whether from nerves or heat or both, and if you're not sweating onto your blouse, you'll sweat onto your jacket lining, necessitating more frequent [expensive] dry-cleaning.

Nothing wrong with the shirt though -- unless you have to remove your jacket, in which case, it's sleeveless. Short sleeves is most versatile.
 
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Thank you DokterMom! I have been getting conflicting advice for interview clothes (until I started reading these posts which cleared a lot of things up), but I was still unsure about the shirt as I know very little about professional clothing or fashion.

You also make a good point about the dry cleaning, if I can't find a good short sleeves shirt in time I will keep that in mind and maybe wear extra antiperspirant?
 
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So I have a weird question. Not a super important question by any means but my family is telling me not to wear my small heels to my interviews because of my height. In a low heel I end up being around 6'2 and have been told I look way too tall before in them. Is this an issue or should I just wear flats and not worry about it :laugh:
 
Noxy said:
So I have a weird question. Not a super important question by any means but my family is telling me not to wear my small heels to my interviews because of my height. In a low heel I end up being around 6'2 and have been told I look way too tall before in them. Is this an issue or should I just wear flats and not worry about it :laugh:
Click to expand...

Wear them with confidence I'm 6'1" in mine and have never gotten weird looks or anything concerning. Own your height!


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tjo422 said:
Wear them with confidence
emoji1360.png
I'm 6'1" in mine and have never gotten weird looks or anything concerning. Own your height!


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Thanks! Thats what I was planning till my family told me the whole "are you crazy" thing. :laugh:
 
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DokterMom said:
I understand the desire for sleeveless so you stay cooler.

But the flip side is that you'll still be sweating, whether from nerves or heat or both, and if you're not sweating onto your blouse, you'll sweat onto your jacket lining, necessitating more frequent [expensive] dry-cleaning.

Nothing wrong with the shirt though -- unless you have to remove your jacket, in which case, it's sleeveless. Short sleeves is most versatile.
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If one did have to take off the jacket, is it appropriate to be sleeveless during the interview day?

I have a top very similar in style to this one (different color) that hopefully would be ok to wear without a jacket if it was too hot.

http://s7d9.scene7.com/is/image/LordandTaylor/762731132350_main?$PDPLARGE$
 
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tjo422 said:
Wear them with confidence I'm 6'1" in mine and have never gotten weird looks or anything concerning. Own your height!
Click to expand...

Yes, yes, Yes! A very tall woman in flats and a skirt 'advertises' that she considers herself "too tall" -- it projects a lack of confidence. In pants, flats generally fly under the radar, so are fine. But heels and a skirt says "I'm fabulous!"

Pusheen said:
If one did have to take off the jacket, is it appropriate to be sleeveless during the interview day?

I have a top very similar in style to this one (different color) that hopefully would be ok to wear without a jacket if it was too hot.

http://s7d9.scene7.com/is/image/LordandTaylor/762731132350_main?$PDPLARGE$
Click to expand...

Sleeveless is fine for the tour outside. But once you go indoors, jackets on.
 
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DokterMom said:
Yes, yes, Yes! A very tall woman in flats and a skirt 'advertises' that she considers herself "too tall" -- it projects a lack of confidence. In pants, flats generally fly under the radar, so are fine. But heels and a skirt says "I'm fabulous!"
Click to expand...


I didn't ask this, but thank you!!! I am tall (5'9) as well and never wear heels because of it. I always though people would be intimidated or turned off. It's great to hear that this is not the case
 
Pusheen said:
I didn't ask this, but thank you!!! I am tall (5'9) as well and never wear heels because of it. I always though people would be intimidated or turned off. It's great to hear that this is not the case
Click to expand...

Insecure short men will be turned off in a dating context. But you don't want the insecure short guys anyway -- they'll make you pay for it. :( The right guy will want you to shine and be prouder of you the brighter you do shine.
 
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This may be off-topic, but I think its still somewhat on topic. Following my back to back interviews last week, my pants are a bit loose and don't fit as well as they did when I first bought them. I have two more interviews tomorrow and the next day, one of which is at my top choice, so I want the pants to fit well. They're Ann Taylor - 60% polyester, 33% rayon, 4% spandex. Neither the tag nor the website nor the customer service rep told me they were dry-clean only, but there are NO washing instructions to be found. I am a total n00b when it comes to dress clothes, and am wondering how I go about:

a) cleaning these pants
b) getting them back to their original fit after being stretched with wear. I would normally throw them in the dryer, but from what I have read re: rayon, that may ruin them.

Help, oh wise ones! @DokterMom @Winged Scapula @gyngyn
 
gribear said:
This may be off-topic, but I think its still somewhat on topic. Following my back to back interviews last week, my pants are a bit loose and don't fit as well as they did when I first bought them. I have two more interviews tomorrow and the next day, one of which is at my top choice, so I want the pants to fit well. They're Ann Taylor - 60% polyester, 33% rayon, 4% spandex. Neither the tag nor the website nor the customer service rep told me they were dry-clean only, but there are NO washing instructions to be found. I am a total n00b when it comes to dress clothes, and am wondering how I go about:

a) cleaning these pants
b) getting them back to their original fit after being stretched with wear. I would normally throw them in the dryer, but from what I have read re: rayon, that may ruin them.

Help, oh wise ones! @DokterMom @Winged Scapula @gyngyn
Click to expand...
I would steam them if you can't get them dry-cleaned in time.
 
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gyngyn said:
I would steam them if you can't get them dry-cleaned in time.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick response. I do have a steamer I can use, and was also going to press them again before tomorrow. But I'm concerned about the loose fit they have after a few wears. Would steaming help bring them back to pre-wear size and fit? Is this something dry cleaning can accomplish? I won't have time for my two interviews this week, but j/w for future reference.
 
Rayon's tricky stuff... (Which I rarely buy for exactly that reason) Steaming is your best bet for now certainly, and honestly, I don't know if dry cleaning will restore them or not. But at least they're not too tight! Spandex implies they're intended to have a close fit, which may actually be too close for interview wear...

Good luck on your interviews though!
 
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gribear said:
Thanks for the quick response. I do have a steamer I can use, and was also going to press them again before tomorrow. But I'm concerned about the loose fit they have after a few wears. Would steaming help bring them back to pre-wear size and fit? Is this something dry cleaning can accomplish? I won't have time for my two interviews this week, but j/w for future reference.
Click to expand...

Maybe you could try dryel or something like it? I've used it on my Ann Taylor pants a thousand times, and it hasn't hurt or worn the fabric at all. When I was working at Ann Taylor I probably wore them once a week or so, so they've gotten a lot of dryel!! The heat from the dryer might help them shrink back up just a tad.


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gribear said:
This may be off-topic, but I think its still somewhat on topic. Following my back to back interviews last week, my pants are a bit loose and don't fit as well as they did when I first bought them. I have two more interviews tomorrow and the next day, one of which is at my top choice, so I want the pants to fit well. They're Ann Taylor - 60% polyester, 33% rayon, 4% spandex. Neither the tag nor the website nor the customer service rep told me they were dry-clean only, but there are NO washing instructions to be found. I am a total n00b when it comes to dress clothes, and am wondering how I go about:

a) cleaning these pants
b) getting them back to their original fit after being stretched with wear. I would normally throw them in the dryer, but from what I have read re: rayon, that may ruin them.

Help, oh wise ones! @DokterMom @Winged Scapula @gyngyn
Click to expand...

DokterMom said:
Rayon's tricky stuff... (Which I rarely buy for exactly that reason) Steaming is your best bet for now certainly, and honestly, I don't know if dry cleaning will restore them or not. But at least they're not too tight! Spandex implies they're intended to have a close fit, which may actually be too close for interview wear...

Good luck on your interviews though!
Click to expand...

I hate rayon and refuse to buy it. I have wasted so much money on clothing that is literally disposable because it's rayon or viscose and shrinks when washed, even in cold. I'm glad I got that one figured out but it always bums me out to see a beautiful print or cut done in rayon because I can rarely justify the cost for something that I will not be able to wear more than 5 times. (Looking at you Ann Taylor Mojave Shift Dress, make it in poly please!).

While I was on the Ann Taylor website, I noticed that their clothing items contain a "Fabric and Care" tab. Try and find your pants, or an item with the same fabric % content as your pants, and check out the Fabric and Care tab for them. I found an item with a similar % break down and it does state dry clean only. http://www.anntaylor.com/seasonless-pencil-skirt/413316?skuId=21567391&defaultColor=6555&colorExplode=false&catid=cata000013
 
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Thanks to all of the advice on this thread and #3! If anyone is still looking, here's what I ended up purchasing...(Let's just promise not to match on interview day)
Black Suit from Zara, <$100 total
Blazer: http://www.zara.com/us/en/woman/blazers/basic-blazer-c756615p3697047.html
Pants (I sized up here to avoid them being too tight): http://www.zara.com/us/en/woman/trousers/view-all/high-waist-trousers-c733898p3776546.html
Green Blouse from H&M, $15: http://www.hm.com/us/product/47646?article=47646-F
Black low heels from Aldo, $80: http://www.aldoshoes.com/us/en_US/Women/Shoes/Low-Mid-Heels/c/116/Sieria/p/48017805-97#
 
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For shoes, is something like this appropriate or should I be looking for something with a less spiky heel? This particular heel is about 2.5''
 

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Has anyone been able to find a white shell that isn't sheer? I've been looking for one, but all the shells that I tried on at Ann Taylor and JCrew were too sheer (if I had to take my jacket off).
 
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Eleithyia said:
I would shy away from a vee that sharp--you want to draw the eyes up, not down. What about something like this? Not as many color choices, unfortunately, but the round neck (not a deep scoop) is a pretty safe bet.

http://www.anntaylor.com/back-pleat-mixed-media-top/401786?skuId=21422157&defaultColor=1246
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Thank you! I didn't even think about that. Actually, I was more curious if the buttons are too casual.

Also Addison is the best.
https://67.media.tumblr.com/1c4b87d50914e4377fae958dd21ead28/tumblr_mtfqpk3KBS1qfmzxdo5_250.gif
 
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kittridge1141 said:
Thank you! I didn't even think about that. Actually, I was more curious if the buttons are too casual.

Also Addison is the best.
https://67.media.tumblr.com/1c4b87d50914e4377fae958dd21ead28/tumblr_mtfqpk3KBS1qfmzxdo5_250.gif
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I <3 Addison. She's great! And Kate Walsh in real life is a pretty cool lady, too :)
The buttons are probably okay themselves, but overall the shirt does come off a little casual--maybe it's the mandarin collar?

Pusheen said:
I think it would be ok buttoned up with an appropriate blazer. I feel like those side pleats would look weird though peeking out the top of a blazer.
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I'm with you on that, buttoned up might be okay, but that's something I would want to try on first. So if kittridge were able to find it in-store it might be worth trying on with a jacket, but if I were shopping online I would probably hesitate (since I suck at returning online purchases).
 
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Not really an attire question.. but, I have my normal ear piercings and I have two cartilage piercings on the same ear. Do you think I should take them off during the interview or just leave my hair down to cover it? Can I get away with taking one of them off??
 
broken_gymnast said:
Not really an attire question.. but, I have my normal ear piercings and I have two cartilage piercings on the same ear. Do you think I should take them off during the interview or just leave my hair down to cover it? Can I get away with taking one of them off??
Click to expand...
I would definitely take them off. Even if you got an interviewer who didn't mind..Why risk it?
 
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It looks like it will rain in one of the places where I'll be interviewing...any tips other than bring an umbrella?
 
PHgeek123 said:
It looks like it will rain in one of the places where I'll be interviewing...any tips other than bring an umbrella?
Click to expand...

I don't know how much time you have...but this is a phenomenal, professional looking rain coat. I'm in AZ and we have a crazy monsoon season. I soon realized I would need a rain jacket based on an experience where I looked like I was dipped in the pool without one. I got it in black and it keeps me 100% dry even in torrential, diagonal rain. They have free 3-5 day delivery with a purchase over $50, and it's $66. If you sign up for their e-mails, as a first time customer you get 20% off, making it ~$52. I feel like it's a good investment, especially if you are going to live somewhere that experiences frequent rain. They also have a cotton one with the same water repellent coating for $116 or $92 with this first time customer code.

If you aren't sold, here is the cotton one out-performing similar coats.

I'm not a Mark and Spencer shill I promise.
 
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ifnotnowwren said:
I don't know how much time you have...but this is a phenomenal, professional looking rain coat. I'm in AZ and we have a crazy monsoon season. I soon realized I would need a rain jacket based on an experience where I looked like I was dipped in the pool without one. I got it in black and it keeps me 100% dry even in torrential, diagonal rain. They have free 3-5 day delivery with a purchase over $50, and it's $66. If you sign up for their e-mails, as a first time customer you get 20% off, making it ~$52. I feel like it's a good investment, especially if you are going to live somewhere that experiences frequent rain. They also have a cotton one with the same water repellent coating for $116 or $92 with this first time customer code.

If you aren't sold, here is the cotton one out-performing similar coats.

I'm not a Mark and Spencer shill I promise.
Click to expand...

I wish I had asked earlier but my interview is very soon so I guess I won't have time to buy that. :( Hopefully my umbrella will suffice for one day. Crossing fingers for no crazy wind!

Edit: on another note, maybe this could be added to the original post?
 
PHgeek123 said:
I wish I had asked earlier but my interview is very soon so I guess I won't have time to buy that. :( Hopefully my umbrella will suffice for one day. Crossing fingers for no crazy wind!

Edit: on another note, maybe this could be added to the original post?
Click to expand...

Added it!

Do you have Amazon prime? If the rain is bad I would rather have any coat than none. They have things like this which would look fine and get good reviews. Select the prime 2 day or prime 1 day shipping option when searching for things and hopefully that will be fast enough! If not...the only place I know of that would 100% definitely be carrying a raincoat would be somewhere like REI. Go for something simple in a neutral color.
 
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ifnotnowwren said:
Added it!

Do you have Amazon prime? If the rain is bad I would rather have any coat than none. They have things like this which would look fine and get good reviews. Select the prime 2 day or prime 1 day shipping option when searching for things and hopefully that will be fast enough! If not...the only place I know of that would 100% definitely be carrying a raincoat would be somewhere like REI. Go for something simple in a neutral color.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link! I think I might get something like that. :)
 
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