Women's Interview Attire #4

BU Medical Sciences
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Would these shoes be okay? I tend to be wobbly in pumps and still wanted some height, but I haven't seen that many mentions of thicker heels here
 

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beesrat said:
Would these shoes be okay? I tend to be wobbly in pumps and still wanted some height, but I haven't seen that many mentions of thicker heels here
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That's because nice-looking (moderately graceful) thicker heels are hard to find. But you found some!
 
This is a business casual question, not an interview question, but I thought y’all might have some input:

I bought a pair of those skinny ankle pants that people are wearing these days, and I like them, but I’ve got super long legs, and these pants don’t come anywhere near my ankles. They stop about 2/3 of the way between my knee and ankle, so more like Capri/culotte length. I don’t mind the way they look, but they seem a little more cookout casual than business casual to me. What say y’all?

Edit to add:

They look basically like this on me:
https://m.macys.com/shop/product/al...MI3OTjhYaG3AIVW7jACh02nA0MEAQYASABEgJHkPD_BwE
 
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ADSigMel said:
This is a business casual question, not an interview question, but I thought y’all might have some input:

I bought a pair of those skinny ankle pants that people are wearing these days, and I like them, but I’ve got super long legs, and these pants don’t come anywhere near my ankles. They stop about 2/3 of the way between my knee and ankle, so more like Capri/culotte length. I don’t mind the way they look, but they seem a little more cookout casual than business casual to me. What say y’all?

Edit to add:

They look basically like this on me:
https://m.macys.com/shop/product/al...MI3OTjhYaG3AIVW7jACh02nA0MEAQYASABEgJHkPD_BwE
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It does not look business casual, looks too casual. I would mistake it for high end leggings.
 
Is this pant acceptable? It says they are "skinny" but they look reasonably straight to me.
 
LizzyM said:
They look skinny to me. Is there a matching jacket? Will you wear a contrasting jacket?
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Planning on matching jacket. I'm very short so I always worry about wider shapes.
 
Sagebrush said:
Would this top be acceptable under a charcoal suit?

The pinstripe top would be wrong under a suit jacket. It's basically a jacket-substitute.

kpcm said:
Is this pant acceptable? It says they are "skinny" but they look reasonably straight to me.
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The "skinny" pants are indeed almost certainly too skinny. Plus they're knit, which (unless it's a VERY good knit -- so NOT from The Limited) will read as too casual. If your legs are skinnier than the model's and they hang straight without clinging, you might be able to get away with it, but there are much safer choices out there, and tailoring straight pants to reduce the width slightly is a very easy and inexpensive alteration.
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beesrat said:
Would these shoes be okay? I tend to be wobbly in pumps and still wanted some height, but I haven't seen that many mentions of thicker heels here
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Mind sharing where these are from? Like you, I prefer thicker heels and these look like a great find.

Also, related question: what kind of bags/purses are you ladies planning to carry?
 
queencaffeine said:
Perhaps not in November - December, but September/warmer climates? I don't like the look of dark gray personally. Looking for a nice alternative to black.
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It's not terrible but I can't recommend it.
Cotton suits are not business professional and they certainly don't have a serious vibe...
 
queencaffeine said:
Perhaps not in November - December, but September/warmer climates? I don't like the look of dark gray personally. Looking for a nice alternative to black.
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Gotta agree with @gyngyn on this --
If you're looking for something a bit different, what about a dress suit? A [generally sheath-style] dress and matching [same fabric] jacket. That's a very elegant look that's a little bit different but still very appropriate. (The shoes shown are NOT)

rBVaG1Sgz1GAD282AAH68aWQGqc219.jpg
 
Would these shoes be appropriate?

They're actually dance shoes, but they are very comfortable!

81Qd0ZCavZL._UX695_.jpg
 
ithrowtofu said:
Would these shoes be appropriate?

They're actually dance shoes, but they are very comfortable!

81Qd0ZCavZL._UX695_.jpg
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I actually wear character shoes pretty often - they fit my personal style really well. I don’t think it would be wrong to wear them to an interview, as long as it works with your suit.
 
gyngyn said:
They are fine.
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Oh wow, really? This is awesome. I have a couple pairs of character shoes back from my dancing days and never would have worn them out and about back when I was dancing for obvious reasons. But if these are acceptable then that just saved me about $100 in shoes! Not to mention the nostalgia of my dancing days and the fact that the ones I have are certainly broken in already 🙂
 
ithrowtofu said:
Would these shoes be appropriate?

They're actually dance shoes, but they are very comfortable!

81Qd0ZCavZL._UX695_.jpg
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looptheloop said:
Oh wow, really? This is awesome. I have a couple pairs of character shoes back from my dancing days and never would have worn them out and about back when I was dancing for obvious reasons. But if these are acceptable then that just saved me about $100 in shoes! Not to mention the nostalgia of my dancing days and the fact that the ones I have are certainly broken in already 🙂
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Yeah I would just say that I definitely wouldn’t wear a pair of character shoes that you intend to keep using for dancing, as interview days often involve a lot of outdoor walking which would wreck the soles of a good dancing pair! But if your dancing days are behind you then I think you’d be just fine wearing them to an interview instead.
 
While I'm hopeful about my interview chances, I keep putting off buying a suit because I'm worried that I'll jinx myself and never actually have a chance to wear it. Part of me wants to just wait until I actually have a II before I get anything, but I also reasonably know that that's a terrible idea in case there ends up not being much time between the invite and the actual interview. Especially because I'm fairly thin/petite and think I might have trouble finding something. Guess I just need to bite the bullet and start looking...
 
Also, I genuinely have foot problems. Totally flat feet, need to wear orthotics, and until I put more leg muscle on, I have some knee pain. Would dressy flats be ok with a skirt suit then? Heels hurt a lot.
Edit: Some pagecatching told me that it has to be nude hose, so I will get that.
 
Confocal said:
Also, I genuinely have foot problems. Totally flat feet, need to wear orthotics, and until I put more leg muscle on, I have some knee pain. Would dressy flats be ok with a skirt suit then? Heels hurt a lot.
Edit: Some pagecatching told me that it has to be nude hose, so I will get that.
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Even a very small heel is better that flats.
 
kpcm said:
Is this pant acceptable? It says they are "skinny" but they look reasonably straight to me.
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"Straight" refers to the pant being straight from the hip/thigh. Fold the pants up from the bottom; if they are narrower at the cuff than at the thigh, they are not straight. These look skinny as advertised. Interesting factoid: we called them "cigarette" back in my day. Probably un-PC now.
 
DokterMom said:
If you absolutely need to wear flats, opt for a pantsuit instead of a dress or skirt suit.
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gyngyn said:
Even a very small heel is better that flats.
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Hmm, I can see if I can find anything. It's not that flats are that comfortable, they just have seemed to be the least worst dressy option :-/ For the last 10 months or so, I've been having problems with misalignment of my knees causing my kneecaps to rub against my condyles. The fix is to put on more muscle/do physical therapy and wear orthotics, and I haven't been able to do the former since I've been so busy. Even with orthotics while wearing sneakers, it can be rough. Shoe shopping sucks for me.

Anyway, I have a very conservative Calvin Klein skirt suit that I quite like (similar to this) and 1 more navy pant suit from nine west that I've worn for shadowing etc. with flats, so in the interests of having a diverse wardrobe, back to the shoe shop I will go. Maybe I will try to a shoe with a strap and a very modest heel. Thank you for the advice!
 
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Is a thin heel acceptable? It’s about 2.5- 3 inches, very comfortable to walk in... or are thicker heels the norm?
 
Are pantyhose absolutely necessary if wearing a skirt suit? I'm attending an interview next week and it's supposed to be almost 90 degrees and I'm just trying to stay as cool as possible.
 
queencaffeine said:
Is a thin heel acceptable? It’s about 2.5- 3 inches, very comfortable to walk in... or are thicker heels the norm?
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Thinner (kitten?) heels are fine. Stilettos are not. Your shoe should be dressy, neither sexy nor clunky. If you're not sure, better to err on the side of clunky though.

sam_jones1 said:
Are pantyhose absolutely necessary if wearing a skirt suit? I'm attending an interview next week and it's supposed to be almost 90 degrees and I'm just trying to stay as cool as possible.
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Yes, absolutely necessary.
 
I have a very subtle cartilage piercing in one ear. I would rather not take it out because it can close pretty quickly but do you guys think it will pose a problem? It is just a stud, not a hoop.
 
itsalwayssunny96 said:
I have a very subtle cartilage piercing in one ear. I would rather not take it out because it can close pretty quickly but do you guys think it will pose a problem? It is just a stud, not a hoop.
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The safe bet is to take it out.
 
I am much much more comfortable in a dress than in a skirt or pants. I have this dress in both black and the dark purple, and I also have this suite jacket. Would that be appropriate? Everyone keeps saying the dress should be the same material as the suit jacket and for this it isn't 100% the same but it is the same designer and looks very nice together. Also, I'm stringing together 3 interviews in a row and the dress doesn't wrinkle and only worrying about 2 pieces would be very helpful in minimizing stress before the interview.
 
jessicaday95 said:
I am much much more comfortable in a dress than in a skirt or pants. I have this dress in both black and the dark purple, and I also have this suite jacket. Would that be appropriate? Everyone keeps saying the dress should be the same material as the suit jacket and for this it isn't 100% the same but it is the same designer and looks very nice together. Also, I'm stringing together 3 interviews in a row and the dress doesn't wrinkle and only worrying about 2 pieces would be very helpful in minimizing stress before the interview.
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That is a scuba dress!!!
To be a suit, the jacket material must be the same as the trouser, skirt or sheath. In no circumstance should it be the same material as a scuba dress for business professional.
 
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For anyone suit shopping on a budget, JC Penney has all their Worthington suit separates 50% off right now. They’re nice, classic conservative suits.
 
I bought this pant suit today (in navy blue) and was looking back at the advice on pants suit not hugging your butt or hips. I have a small waist/no real hips, but have thicker thighs and a butt so it is more fitting around these areas, but not anything revealing. Should I try to size up? My only issue is it not fitting my waist and looking unfit.

The length on the model is about similar length on me, with heels and all.

Also are belts fine? Thinking of a thin black or navy color
 

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So I know that heels > flats if possible, but I have an ongoing foot injury so heels are really going to be tough for me. I don’t want to mess up my interview because I’m distracted by foot pain. I found the shoes in this picture and they seem professional to me. They are flats but have some structure to them.

Any thoughts?

Also - what color shoes should be worn with a navy suit?

Thanks!
 

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Is it absolutely necessary to buy a suit? I was thinking formal pants/ nice blouse/ black blazer would be okay
 
Reading through this thread makes me wonder if I’m some of the few that actually likes to wear heels? I wish I could wear 4 inch pointy stilettos (don’t worry I’m not). High heels make me feel more confident and in charge (and also taller lol).
 
sherlock_obsessed_m&m said:
Is it absolutely necessary to buy a suit? I was thinking formal pants/ nice blouse/ black blazer would be okay
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If you don’t get have a suit this would be a great opportunity to get one. You’ll prob need one again to wear in med school if you attend any professional things or do clinic work (at least you’ll wear the pants). It’s not unheard of for people to wear a dress and jacket for II’s but you prob don’t want to stand out in a sloppy/lazy/cheap way after putting in years of work to get to your interview (imo). That’s why I ended up buying a suit for this app cycle, but maybe someone with more experience can chime in?

Edit: if the pants and blazer are a perfect match you may be able to get away with it?
 
bugMed said:
So I know that heels > flats if possible, but I have an ongoing foot injury so heels are really going to be tough for me. I don’t want to mess up my interview because I’m distracted by foot pain. I found the shoes in this picture and they seem professional to me. They are flats but have some structure to them.

Any thoughts?

Also - what color shoes should be worn with a navy suit?

Thanks!
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I'm no expert but at my two interviews last week with about 40 other females I was the minority in my low block heel as almost all other interviewees wore shoes like this. They looked great to me so I'd say you'd fit right in with them.
 
bugMed said:
So I know that heels > flats if possible, but I have an ongoing foot injury so heels are really going to be tough for me. I don’t want to mess up my interview because I’m distracted by foot pain. I found the shoes in this picture and they seem professional to me. They are flats but have some structure to them.

Any thoughts?

Also - what color shoes should be worn with a navy suit?

Thanks!
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If you have a SteinMart near you (not sure if they’re nationwide), I found some very nice kitten heels there.
 
Thoughts? I really like this suit but want to make sure cut of pants is okay (they are a very high quality material but are cut narrower than many suits). This is actually the first pair of suit pants I've found that fits well in the hips, so I'd love to keep this suit ideally but will definitely return if it would be seen as too informal! Thanks in advance 🙂
 

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Gals, I'm sure this has been asked before but what's the consensus on gray suits?
 
Potatoes&Avocados said:
Thoughts? I really like this suit but want to make sure cut of pants is okay (they are a very high quality material but are cut narrower than many suits). This is actually the first pair of suit pants I've found that fits well in the hips, so I'd love to keep this suit ideally but will definitely return if it would be seen as too informal! Thanks in advance 🙂
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To me the pants look too skinny around the ankles but I'm not sure.
 
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