Women's Interview Attire #4

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ChopinLiszt said:
This is it. I guess it might be too big. But maybe I don't care if it's exactly the 'right' size and maybe they won't either? It's like we have to be neurotic to get to the point of not *looking* neurotic.. haha 🙄View attachment 222253
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I had a similar bag for my last interview and honestly I thought it was perfect. I could put everything I needed in it without it overflowing, including the papers they gave me, but it's certainly not an oversized tote either. I'm the type of person who wants to have essentials with me -- a tiny bag was not going to cut it.
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I used a bag similar to the ones shown. Some key items to carry: sewing kit, band-aids, notebook, emergency tampons, flats/ballet flats, mints, hand sanitizer. When walking to my interview, I was hit with a puddle. The ballet slippers saved me. I also kept spare hosiery after that, but so many people had bare legs, I didn't feel this stood out.

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Hi all!

What are your thoughts on the "flanneled" gray look? Is it too casual? Subtle, but adds an element of design, at least in my opinion. (via J.Crew)

Screen Shot 2017-08-07 at 3.40.09 PM.png Screen Shot 2017-08-07 at 3.39.59 PM.png Screen Shot 2017-08-07 at 3.39.55 PM.png
 
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I have my first interview on the 28th 😱.
1. Back to the 3/4 sleeve debate: I am TALL. We're talking 6ft, with a 6'1"wingspan. It is impossible for me to find suits with long enough sleeves. If I can find them, I feel ridiculous, especially with handshakes. Can I wear 3/4 sleeve suit, a button up, and fold the cuff of the button up back over the suit sleeve. It adds a pop of color (a pale pink/salmon) on my otherwise black suit. It also matches the way the collar of the button up folds over the collar of the suit. Acceptable?
It would be the only part of the ensemble that isn't extremely conservative. Black skirt suit, nude tights, black heels, black bag, dark brown/almost black hair, pearl necklace, and pearl earrings.
2. Someone mentioned unbuttoning their jacket when they sit down. I thought that was a thing only guys did? My experience with women's suits was that you buttoned all the buttons and always left them buttoned, unless you were going to remove the jacket. Could someone wise and experienced chime in?
 
Smoak said:
I have my first interview on the 28th 😱.
1. Back to the 3/4 sleeve debate: I am TALL. We're talking 6ft, with a 6'1"wingspan. It is impossible for me to find suits with long enough sleeves. If I can find them, I feel ridiculous, especially with handshakes. Can I wear 3/4 sleeve suit, a button up, and fold the cuff of the button up back over the suit sleeve. It adds a pop of color (a pale pink/salmon) on my otherwise black suit. It also matches the way the collar of the button up folds over the collar of the suit. Acceptable?
It would be the only part of the ensemble that isn't extremely conservative. Black skirt suit, nude tights, black heels, black bag, dark brown/almost black hair, pearl necklace, and pearl earrings.
2. Someone mentioned unbuttoning their jacket when they sit down. I thought that was a thing only guys did? My experience with women's suits was that you buttoned all the buttons and always left them buttoned, unless you were going to remove the jacket. Could someone wise and experienced chime in?
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A tailor is your friend; if you have to buy a bigger suit jacket to get the arms long enough and have the sides tailored, then so be it.

When wearing a 3/4 or bracelet length jacket, you do not roll up sleeves to meet the end of the jacket; it ruins the line.

Women do not need to unbutton their jackets when they sit down.

BTW, please do not wear "tights"; tights are opaque and very casual. You should be looking for sheer pantyhose.
 
Hey ladies! Just wanted to chime in here real quick. I went suit shopping today and if anyone is trying to find a jacket on a budget, I saw some great finds at H&M for under 50 dollars.

hmprod
 
I also went suit shopping yesterday and just wanted to update you all that Macy's is having a 25% off sale Thursday through Sunday! They let me get it on pre-sale, so I got a really nice suit for ~$100!
 
fldoctorgirl said:
I also went suit shopping yesterday and just wanted to update you all that Macy's is having a 25% off sale Thursday through Sunday! They let me get it on pre-sale, so I got a really nice suit for ~$100!
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On this note, I can assure those of you with curves that after trying on pretty much every suit in one of their stores last week, Calvin Klein pant suits are relatively curve-friendly. In particular, I had luck with this set:
https://www.macys.com/shop/product/calvin-klein-single-button-stretch-blazer?ID=371065&CategoryID=39096&LinkType=&selectedSize=#fn=BRAND=Calvin Klein%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D240%26ruleId%3D78|BS|BA%26slotId%3D19
https://www.macys.com/shop/product/calvin-klein-classic-fit-trousers?ID=479669&CategoryID=157&tdp=cm_app~zMCOM-NAVAPP~xcm_zone~zPDP_ZONE_A~xcm_choiceId~zcidM05M17-14729535-a41e-480e-b383-0d697e58c224@H7@customers+also+shopped$120$479669~xcm_pos~zPos3
 
If you are looking to get your suit tailored but don't know who to use, I had luck calling Banana Republic and asking who they recommend. It will be $24 to get the jacket taken in, which I feel like is a steal.
 
Winged Scapula said:
A tailor is your friend; if you have to buy a bigger suit jacket to get the arms long enough and have the sides tailored, then so be it.

When wearing a 3/4 or bracelet length jacket, you do not roll up sleeves to meet the end of the jacket; it ruins the line.

Women do not need to unbutton their jackets when they sit down.

BTW, please do not wear "tights"; tights are opaque and very casual. You should be looking for sheer pantyhose.
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Thank you!!! I have nude pantyhose, but called them by the wrong name. I was never very clear on the difference, but I think I get it now. I figured as mush for the buttoning, but wanted to double check. What would you recommend wearing under a 3/4 length jacket? Boatneck shell?
 
Smoak said:
Thank you!!! I have nude pantyhose, but called them by the wrong name. I was never very clear on the difference, but I think I get it now. I figured as mush for the buttoning, but wanted to double check. What would you recommend wearing under a 3/4 length jacket? Boatneck shell?
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A boatneck or jewel neck shell is lovely under a jacket.

Normally a fan of the 3/4 length/bracelet jacket (am wearing one right now) but I really think you should try and buy a larger/tall suit and tailor to fit elsewhere if possible.

As for your hosiery, finer ones will list the denier # The lower the denier, the more sheer the hosiery is; the higher the denier, the more opaque the hosiery becomes ("tights"). < 10 = ultrasheer; more for evening wear; 15-30 = sheer; all purpose; 30-40 = semi-opaque; usually casual, wear with autumnal clothes, can usually see some skin through them, >40 = opaque or tights; these are what you wear with winter boots; > 60 = maximum opacity, you wear these to keep warm. These numbers somewhat vary but the picture tells the story
bb-denier.jpg
 
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So ... do we really have to wear pantyhose? I'm planning on it, but I'm also going to hate it.
 
DBC03 said:
So ... do we really have to wear pantyhose? I'm planning on it, but I'm also going to hate it.
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I did for all but one, due to emergency, but it is better safe than sorry. If it makes you feel better, male applicants are discouraged from Black suits and purple ties.
 
blackroses said:
Ahhhh pantyhose... my sole reason for sticking with a pant suit.


...kidding



...sort of
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And to think I wear skirts so I don't have to wear pants. Thankfully I have a suit jacket with both a skirt and a pair of pants...
 
raiderette said:
I did for all but one, due to emergency, but it is better safe than sorry. If it makes you feel better, male applicants are discouraged from Black suits and purple ties.
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So I'm assuming we can wear black suits, right? I have a gray one that I plan on getting altered this Friday, but I prefer my black one, if possible.
 
DBC03 said:
You're killing me. Alas, this flip-flop wearing Florida girl is going to be out of her element. But I still want an interview invite.
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Sorry I don't make the rules.

And being a Californian who lives in Arizona now, I love flip-flops just as much but you got to wear shoes LOL.

You may be surprised: pantyhose make your legs look better and the clothing will lay smoother and flatter against your skin. They're also surprisingly warm, even the very sheer ones add an extra layer.
 
Anyone have recommendations for finding very low dressy shoes? My first interview is in 2.5 weeks but I'm dealing with a minor knee injury, meaning I'll need either very low/chunky heels or dressy flats, both of which seem to be hard to find.
 
twentyeightmiles said:
Anyone have recommendations for finding very low dressy shoes? My first interview is in 2.5 weeks but I'm dealing with a minor knee injury, meaning I'll need either very low/chunky heels or dressy flats, both of which seem to be hard to find.
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And COMFORTABLE. I've been meaning to ask this for weeks.

So recommendations for comfortable low-heel dressy shoe brands??
 
DBC03 said:
And COMFORTABLE. I've been meaning to ask this for weeks.

So recommendations for comfortable low-heel dressy shoe brands??
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Clarks (yes they make some awesome low heel pumps that I can walk in all day), Naturalizer, Hotter shoes (a British brand that runs a little wider across the widest part of the foot than American shoes, if your feet need it), and Dillard's house brand shoes
 
wysdoc said:
Clarks (yes they make some awesome low heel pumps that I can walk in all day), Naturalizer, Hotter shoes (a British brand that runs a little wider across the widest part of the foot than American shoes, if your feet need it), and Dillard's house brand shoes
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I have wide feet, so I'll look into that British brand. Thanks for the recommendations!
 
Naturalizer is my favorite. I have chronic ankle problems and I was able to wear their 2" heels (they even come in cordovan!) for 12 hours without any problems.
 
Also, I'm done interviewing, but does anyone have advice for getting your heels to stay snug with hose? Whenever I wear nylons with heels they end up so slippery and my heel pops out constantly. I tried the little heel inserts but those dont seem to help.
 
DBC03 said:
So I'm assuming we can wear black suits, right? I have a gray one that I plan on getting altered this Friday, but I prefer my black one, if possible.
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You can wear black and almost everyone else will be as well.

It's just that it's generally considered too formal for a business interview, it's typically not as flattering, and it's frankly not very interesting since the army of clones will be wearing them.
 
W
Winged Scapula said:
You can wear black and almost everyone else will be as well.

It's just that it's generally considered too formal for a business interview, it's typically not as flattering, and it's frankly not very interesting since the army of clones will be wearing them.
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Would I be better off wearing the dark gray suit? I'm thinking of getting it tailored this week (it's $24, so not a huge investment). Thanks!
 
moggat said:
Naturalizer is my favorite. I have chronic ankle problems and I was able to wear their 2" heels (they even come in cordovan!) for 12 hours without any problems.
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I just found a great pair of 1.75" Naturalizer "Donelle Pumps" at Macy's. Ridiculously comfortable even with my tweaked knee, thanks!
 
DBC03 said:
W


Would I be better off wearing the dark gray suit? I'm thinking of getting it tailored this week (it's $24, so not a huge investment). Thanks!
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I think so. As long as the suit is otherwise appropriate, you should stand out in a good way amongst the field of the funeral attire wearing clones.


When I see someone wearing something appropriate but not "the uniform", I automatically think favorably of them and they're easier to remember. This should not mean that you should be wearing a bright purple or red suit but dark gray sounds perfectly appropriate.
 
Winged Scapula said:
I think so. As long as the suit is otherwise appropriate, you should stand out in a good way amongst the field of the funeral attire wearing clones.


When I see someone wearing something appropriate but not "the uniform", I automatically think favorably of them and they're easier to remember. This should not mean that you should be wearing a bright purple or red suit but dark gray sounds perfectly appropriate.
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Perfect! Thanks! Now I just need to get an interview...
 
twentyeightmiles said:
I just found a great pair of 1.75" Naturalizer "Donelle Pumps" at Macy's. Ridiculously comfortable even with my tweaked knee, thanks!
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In store or online? I suppose in store since you already know they are comfortable? Good luck at the interview - I hope it goes perfectly!
 
DBC03 said:
In store or online? I suppose in store since you already know they are comfortable? Good luck at the interview - I hope it goes perfectly!
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Thank you! I hope so too 🙂 I found the shoes in store but only in tan, but I was able to order them with free shipping in black.
 
wysdoc said:
only if it's not as tight or as short as it is on the model :chicken:
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It says knee length. But I'm tall so I was thinking the same thing about length. Regarding the tightness, it's really hard to find a maternity dress that isn't tight without it looking like cocktail attire or a summer dress. I was hoping adding a blazer would distract from how tight it is.
 
Inspired Chaos said:
It says knee length. But I'm tall so I was thinking the same thing about length. Regarding the tightness, it's really hard to find a maternity dress that isn't tight without it looking like cocktail attire or a summer dress. I was hoping adding a blazer would distract from how tight it is.
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Sure, maybe if the blazer is pretty long. I know you have a challenging shopping task here, good luck!
 
I have this to go with a basic black pant suit and heels. I plan to keep the jacket on. Is this okay? I didn't want a boring solid shirt but now I'm slightly worried about it?
 

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earthdaybirthday said:
I have this to go with a basic black pant suit and heels. I plan to keep the jacket on. Is this okay? I didn't want a boring solid shirt but now I'm slightly worried about it?
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personally, think it looks classy/unique. Since you'll be in a jacket anyways I don't think not having sleeves will be a big deal
 
earthdaybirthday said:
Okay thank you for the opinion!!. My boyfriend said it was ugly so I freaked out hahaha
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Hm we must have complete different tastes, lol. Imo its more unique than what women usually wear on the interview trail. Ive always been into the idea to be classy/professional but be unique as well. On interview day its extremely hard to be remembered, Imo
 
grapefruit17 said:
Hm we must have complete different tastes, lol. Imo its more unique than what women usually wear on the interview trail. Ive always been into the idea to be classy/professional but be unique as well. On interview day its extremely hard to be remembered, Imo
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i feel the same way! I think its simple, but just a little something extra to help me stand out in the sea of black suits lol
 
earthdaybirthday said:
i feel the same way! I think its simple, but just a little something extra to help me stand out in the sea of black suits lol
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Even during residency interviews I felt like it was the same thing. Same outfit, rinse and repeated. How do interviewers remember you if you say the same things as pretty much everyone else and dress like them? Every little thing seems to matter to stand out, imo. I remember an interview group where every female wore heels, and one girl wore flats. She looked very out of place.

I learned a lot about women's fashion indirectly, lol. Being tasteful/classy but not gaudy or over the top. Delicate balance.
 
I think the shirt is beautiful. Just make sure your jacket is loose enough that it doesn't bulge over the detail on the blouse, or that the flowy ruffle doesn't get caught on the outside of your lapel or something. I personally would feel devastated at having to hide such a lovely top under a boring old suit. LOL
 
blackroses said:
I don't suppose we can get away with printed tops like so:

MCY

MCY
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I would defer to more learned minds, but I personally don't mind printed tops as a rule - it's just a matter of how it looks under your suit jacket. Make sure it stays tucked into your skirt or pants securely enough not to peek out from under your jacket. Make sure the design elements don't look weird or awkward once your jacket is on and buttoned over it. That kind of thing. I wear a lot of suits to work, and, although I don't have to dress as conservatively for court as medical school interviewees apparently do, I still tend to avoid most prints, because I just don't think they look good with most suits.
 
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