Women's Interview Clothing (thread #2)

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ami1983 said:
Did you buy those tops/bottoms together? It doesn't look like the blacks match.... might just be the pic.
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i can also tell that they are different colors. i wonder if you can only tell in a photograph or if it's also noticable in real life.
 
so i had my first interview at last week. there were 3 girls out of a group of 10. one girl wore pants and the other one and me wore skirts... maybe its just me, but the one who wore the pant suit looks less professional. also her bag was a beige color that didnt match with anything. also, dont put too much eyeliner! esp on your lower lashes.. looks like youre going out partying, or partied all ngiht and didnt have time to take oyur makeup off and it smudged all over under your eyes...
 
yeahhh i usually wear HEAVY dark pencil on my lower lid i LOVE IT. but for interivews i'm going to do a thin line w/liquid liner on my top lid. god i love eyeliner.
and i've decided to leave my conch peircings in, yay! man i'm getting nervous!
 
foodfood said:
yeahhh i usually wear HEAVY dark pencil on my lower lid i LOVE IT. but for interivews i'm going to do a thin line w/liquid liner on my top lid. god i love eyeliner.
and i've decided to leave my conch peircings in, yay! man i'm getting nervous!
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haha i suck at eyeliner, but ballroom has made me a little better with liquid lol.
but that sounds like a good plan 🙂
 
So, can someone give me a quick rundown on what defines a "proper" suit? For example, I just learned that 1 button is not considered appropriate. I don't know anyone who is familiar with this stuff so I appreciate all ur help. Thank You!
 
jancutie15 said:
So, can someone give me a quick rundown on what defines a "proper" suit? For example, I just learned that 1 button is not considered appropriate. I don't know anyone who is familiar with this stuff so I appreciate all ur help. Thank You!
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this is one of my suits

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2977639...Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=2377668&P=3

I bought the skirt and the pants but will probably only wear the skirt.

I also bought a plain black suit.

Under the suit just wear a nice, conservative shirt.

Hope this helps.
 
jancutie15 said:
So, can someone give me a quick rundown on what defines a "proper" suit? For example, I just learned that 1 button is not considered appropriate. I don't know anyone who is familiar with this stuff so I appreciate all ur help. Thank You!
Click to expand...


One button suits are fine, it really depends on your body type. If you have a really large chest a one button suit would not look good because your boobs would be falling out the top. If you are rather petite and not too curvy a one button suit can look very nice.

The suit is a bit trendy, but I think that's okay, it's age appropriate...just be sure to go with a more conservative shirt underneath.
 
I was thinking that it really doesn't matter what type of suit or clothes you wear as long as you look clean, well-groomed, dressed formally. Am I wrong?
 
Wow! I missed a lot, but I love that there are new shoes and clothes to look at. 😀

jancutie15 said:
I fell in love with this suit but they have this stretch belt in the back. do you guys think it is okay? PLease tell me.
http://www.express.com/catalog/prod...ntCategoryId=2&categoryId=32&subCategoryId=32
I appreciate your input.
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To be honest, I don't love this suit. It doesn't even look good on the model. She'd need to have bigger hips to pull that proportion off (the puffed sleeves make her shoulders too wide). If you have narrow shoulders and wide hips, those sleeves might work on you. Additionally, the one button (and maybe it's just her pose in the picture) makes it look like a cut-away jacket, which is too casual a look. Not all one-button jackets are like that.
Generally though, much as I love David Bowie, this is somehow a bit too Ziggy Stardust for me.

kac714 said:
this is one of my suits

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2977639/0~2376776~2374327~2374330~2377668?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=2377668&P=3

I bought the skirt and the pants but will probably only wear the skirt.

I also bought a plain black suit.

Under the suit just wear a nice, conservative shirt.

Hope this helps.
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I *love* this suit! It's cool without being too immature and, if it fits well, looks pretty powerful too. 👍

jancutie15 said:
What do u guys think about this one? I m 5'2" and skinny so I don't want the longer suits...im afraid it might look weird on me.
http://www.nyandcompany.com/nyco/browse/product_detail_with_picker.jsp?productId=prod680150
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I'm short too (5'3"). A shorter jacket is definitely the way to go, maybe something that hits you at the top or widest part of the hip. I don't like stretch very much though. The pants in the picture not only look too tight, they also look cheap (because of the stretch). And, like jancutie15, NY&Co doesn't usually fit me either (but maybe I never tried "petites" in the store).

I got my first "complete" today! So maybe I will finally have a reason to freshen up my suit soon! *crossing fingers*
 
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jancutie15 said:
What do u guys think about this one? I m 5'2" and skinny so I don't want the longer suits...im afraid it might look weird on me.
http://www.nyandcompany.com/nyco/browse/product_detail_with_picker.jsp?productId=prod680150
Click to expand...
I agreee with the above posts. i'm 5'3 and skinny also, and everything i've tried on and ny and co is huge on me. nordstrom has great suits, their petite section is great too. if you don't want to spend as much, nordstrom rack is awesome, they have suits from last season basically.
 
This might be a bit of a silly question, but I don't know where else to turn to other than SDN:

Is it really necessary to wear the suit (as in pants + blazer/jacket)?

I was planning on just wearing a nice (white, grey, or black) blouse, probably not silk, but cotton with a nice sweater (or sweater vest) to match. For pants, I have some nice slacks in black(w/pinstripes) and charcoal to match.

I still need to get pumps and a handbag (is this important too?). I want to have a nice outfit, but just booking the airfare is making a huge dent in my wallet.
 
As a 5'3" non-curvy female, I HIGHLY recommend checking out the petite section. I had never really shopped petite before buying the suit, but all the petites I tried on fit much, much better than the regular sizes (i.e. the suits shorter sleeves/pants, narrower shoulders, higher stances). I didn't have to get anything tailored, which cut down on the cost. I tried on suits at a bunch of places but I ended up finding a relatively reasonably priced, lovely suit at Macy's. I can't wait to wear it tomorrow for my FIRST interview....even if I bomb it, I'll look damn good doing it.
 
splotchy3754 said:
This might be a bit of a silly question, but I don't know where else to turn to other than SDN:

Is it really necessary to wear the suit (as in pants + blazer/jacket)?

I was planning on just wearing a nice (white, grey, or black) blouse, probably not silk, but cotton with a nice sweater (or sweater vest) to match. For pants, I have some nice slacks in black(w/pinstripes) and charcoal to match.

I still need to get pumps and a handbag (is this important too?). I want to have a nice outfit, but just booking the airfare is making a huge dent in my wallet.
Click to expand...

Yes! Wear a suit. LizzyM attests to this earlier in the thread. When I had premed committee interviews, I didn't wear a suit, and they looked at me and said, "You're going to wear a suit, right?"
 
linguini said:
As a 5'3" non-curvy female, I HIGHLY recommend checking out the petite section. I had never really shopped petite before buying the suit, but all the petites I tried on fit much, much better than the regular sizes (i.e. the suits shorter sleeves/pants, narrower shoulders, higher stances). I didn't have to get anything tailored, which cut down on the cost. I tried on suits at a bunch of places but I ended up finding a relatively reasonably priced, lovely suit at Macy's. I can't wait to wear it tomorrow for my FIRST interview....even if I bomb it, I'll look damn good doing it.
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Ooh! Good luck! Knock 'em dead, if not with your wits, then with your fashion sense. 🙂 (But I'm sure your wits will be fabulous too.)

It is always wise to check out petites, for us diminutive ladies. However, we can't all be as lucky as you. My arms are long, but my torso's short, and I'm curvy... Basically a mess. 😉 Macy's had great suits when I looked, but alas, none fit me properly.
 
i had my first interview on thursday and i notciced that one of the girls was wearing a very nice suit but a frilly multicolored shirt that looked a little weird... i like button down shirts or tank top.. nothing too frilly where it doesnt look compeltely neat.
 
Are nose pirecings appropriate for your interview? I have a small stud on the right side, it's so tiny I never notice it. When I take it out there is an obvious hole. Is it ok to keep it in?
 
Alexafluor said:
Are nose pirecings appropriate for your interview? I have a small stud on the right side, it's so tiny I never notice it. When I take it out there is an obvious hole. Is it ok to keep it in?
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I'm keeping mine in (also a stud). I feel like they're pretty standard these days... that and people rarely notice mine when we meet (months later they'll be like, "Did you get your nose pierced?")

jancutie15 said:
Do you guys think this suit is okay to wear to an interview? http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/pr...vory Combo&defaultSizeTypeFromCategory=Petite
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Cute. I agree that a colored blouse would be better/more fun.


This thread makes me think of that scene in the '80s classic "Working Girl," where Melanie Griffith says to Harrison Ford,
"I have a head for business and a bod for sin. Is there anything wrong with that?"
(Just switch "medicine" in for "business.")
 
hey guys, so please please wear a suit. i had an interview today and one girl wore a black dress and the other a blouse and skirt.. it really didnt look good...

also, i also think skirts are more professional
 
Great advice so far in this thread. Thanks gals (and guys)! 😀

So, seeing as how I definitely need to buy a blazer to complete the look, does anyone have any suggestions about how to go about this?

I've never worn a full suit before, but I have a good selection of slacks.

(1) How does one go about shopping for a blazer that won't precisely match the color of the slacks?

(2) Does everyone wear a silk/shiny material blouse underneath the blazer? Or is cotton weave fine?

If possible I don't want to have to buy another outfit from scratch cause...I can barely afford food at the moment after buying some of my plane tickets. Suggestions are greatly appreciated. 😀
 
I'm sure this question has already been asked, but I couldn't find it.

Is it a good idea to bring a briefcase-type bag to the interview? I have one that I use for my laptop, and it's got tons of pockets, I'm just worried about dragging it around all day.
 
Kerowyn said:
I'm sure this question has already been asked, but I couldn't find it.

Is it a good idea to bring a briefcase-type bag to the interview? I have one that I use for my laptop, and it's got tons of pockets, I'm just worried about dragging it around all day.
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I'm sure it doesn't matter what type of bag you bring as long as its professional looking. I personally just got a large purse that has an inside pocket for laptops so I can carry my laptop on the plane and then pretty much empty it for interviews. I definitely don't want to carry my laptop around all day and will probably store it in my luggage until the day is over.
 
You don't NEED a bag but most women don't want to fill their pockets (if the suit even has pockets) so most women carry a bag of some kind. I've seen everything from a tiny bag the size of a paperback to laptop bags. You'll also have a safe place to keep luggage in the admissions office so you don't need to worry about carrying everything with you all day. Most schools will give you a cardboard folder with printed information inside so you'll have that to carry, too.


For the suits: a blue blazer with charcoal gray or beige pants used to be "the uniform" for everyone from applicants to alumni. It is rarely seen any more and might seem to casual to other applicants but to most interviewers it would seem oddly familiar and comforting. A trendy, bright colored jacket or a light neutral with dark slacks or skirt might be OK, particularly in urban areas. Look at Sarah Palin's outfit at the Republican convention: ivory colored, high neck jacket, no visible blouse, dark pencil skirt.

Consider checking out the thrift shops. LizzyM's secret: I've interviewed dozens of applicants while wearing my thrift shop finds. My favorite store collects donations from corporate office types and sells the donations to raise money for battered women. You can find a suit for a few dollars and even if you have to pay to have it drycleaned or tailored you are coming out way ahead of the department stores.

Blouses can be any material. I think that non-shiny material looks better but that's just me. Some semi-shiny silks look very nice; just don't look like you are going out for New Year's Eve.
 
.
 
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lisasimpson87 said:
Hi I have my first interview on Friday and was trying to decide what to wear underneath my suit....I prefer the tank top because it's more comfortable/less bulky, but I thought it might look less professional? What do you guys think is more acceptable to wear? I put pics of the tank top and the button down shirt....to be honest I feel like a man in the button down shirt and would really prefer not to wear it unless you guys think the tank top is unacceptable
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What is that tank top made out of? I can't really tell from the picture. If it's a nice material, I think it is acceptable to wear. I also am not a fan of button down shirts under shells for girls.
 
lisasimpson87 said:
Hi I have my first interview on Friday and was trying to decide what to wear underneath my suit....I prefer the tank top because it's more comfortable/less bulky, but I thought it might look less professional? What do you guys think is more acceptable to wear? I put pics of the tank top and the button down shirt....to be honest I feel like a man in the button down shirt and would really prefer not to wear it unless you guys think the tank top is unacceptable
Click to expand...
I think the tank looks better then the button down as well.
 
lisasimpson87 said:
Hi I have my first interview on Friday and was trying to decide what to wear underneath my suit....I prefer the tank top because it's more comfortable/less bulky, but I thought it might look less professional? What do you guys think is more acceptable to wear? I put pics of the tank top and the button down shirt....to be honest I feel like a man in the button down shirt and would really prefer not to wear it unless you guys think the tank top is unacceptable
Click to expand...

First of all, good luck for your interview Friday!

Second, I don't love either look, but if I had to choose, I'd say the tank. The white collared shirt with the dark suit says "waiter" or "caterer." The tank isn't just a tee or wife-beater, is it? I worry the white tank'll be *too* casual if it's too simple.

P.S. If you decide to go with the collared shirt, make sure you tuck it in.
 
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http://www2.victoriassecret.com/com...D-218155&page=1&cgname=OSCLOSUISTC&rfnbr=4697

What do you all think of this jacket? I am in love with the "cinched waist" look, especially since I have a waist to cinch. 🙄 However, I don't want to look too "casual." Does the belt cross the line or could I get away with it? I was thinking the darker tan or the chocolate because I look deathly in black. Other than the belt I'd keep the rest of the outfit really conservative: low heels, low-profile jewelry, neutral makeup.

Haha, figures that the first time I buy anything from Victoria's Secret is for my first med school interview... :laugh:
 
MidwestMedGurl said:
http://www2.victoriassecret.com/com...D-218155&page=1&cgname=OSCLOSUISTC&rfnbr=4697

What do you all think of this jacket? I am in love with the "cinched waist" look, especially since I have a waist to cinch. 🙄 However, I don't want to look too "casual." Does the belt cross the line or could I get away with it? I was thinking the darker tan or the chocolate because I look deathly in black. Other than the belt I'd keep the rest of the outfit really conservative: low heels, low-profile jewelry, neutral makeup.

Haha, figures that the first time I buy anything from Victoria's Secret is for my first med school interview... :laugh:
Click to expand...

Cute! I don't see anything wrong with it. And I'm all for the tan or chocolate.
 
yeah, that suit in chocolate i think would be outstanding
 
MidwestMedGurl said:
http://www2.victoriassecret.com/com...D-218155&page=1&cgname=OSCLOSUISTC&rfnbr=4697

What do you all think of this jacket? I am in love with the "cinched waist" look, especially since I have a waist to cinch. 🙄 However, I don't want to look too "casual." Does the belt cross the line or could I get away with it? I was thinking the darker tan or the chocolate because I look deathly in black. Other than the belt I'd keep the rest of the outfit really conservative: low heels, low-profile jewelry, neutral makeup.

Haha, figures that the first time I buy anything from Victoria's Secret is for my first med school interview... :laugh:
Click to expand...
very cute. is there a skirt instead of pants? i think that would dress it up more. but as you can see from all my posts i am a huge fan of the skirt with suits instead of pants.
 
I agree with the chocolate consensus. The belt would perhaps be too extreme with the tan suit (like in the picture) but if it blended in more with the suit (aka chocolate color), it'd look great. Very flattering!
 
I think the VS suit above is a bit unprofessional myself. The pants are ultra low-rise and made in stretch cotton. Since the jacket is so short, there's a significant gap where the top of the pants and your shirt will be visible.

All in all, cute, but I think not interview attire.
 
sindadel said:
I think the VS suit above is a bit unprofessional myself. The pants are ultra low-rise and made in stretch cotton. Since the jacket is so short, there's a significant gap where the top of the pants and your shirt will be visible.

All in all, cute, but I think not interview attire.
Click to expand...

i agree. i think its cute but not for the interview. i think the jacket should really be longer. i guess it depends on how you think it looks on you...
 
I think the jacket is cute, and if it didn't seem like everything was super conservative in this interview process, I'd love to see someone wear it.

I don't have the legs to wear skirts (being short (5'2") and what I think qualifies as stout cause I've been sitting around all summer and year without exercising regularly) so I have to wear pants, which I'm normally okay with, but matching it with a blazer makes me feel like a man. Gahh....How I would love to just wear soft shells or slightly trendier, but probably just a professional items. Ah well. Conformity here I come.

To make this a not so completely useless post: Does anyone think this would be too casual to pair something like this: http://www.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=11449 with a pair of semi-dark grey slacks. I have not been able to find, for the life of me, a matching blazer of the same material as the slacks (which I bought on sale from BCBG a while ago for $50). The color of the slacks, is something similar to the smoke color offered here in this jacket from VS, which I'm considering as the other option to pair the slacks with: http://www2.victoriassecret.com/com...D-230409&page=1&cgname=OSCLOSUIZZZ&rfnbr=4695

I also have a wool coat, princess cut that would match the slacks...I guess...basically the question I'm trying to get as: Does the blazer have to be of the same material as the slacks (relatively speaking)?
 
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MidwestMedGurl said:
http://www2.victoriassecret.com/com...D-218155&page=1&cgname=OSCLOSUISTC&rfnbr=4697

What do you all think of this jacket? I am in love with the "cinched waist" look, especially since I have a waist to cinch. 🙄 However, I don't want to look too "casual." Does the belt cross the line or could I get away with it? I was thinking the darker tan or the chocolate because I look deathly in black. Other than the belt I'd keep the rest of the outfit really conservative: low heels, low-profile jewelry, neutral makeup.

Haha, figures that the first time I buy anything from Victoria's Secret is for my first med school interview... :laugh:
Click to expand...
To counter the "trendiness" of this suit, maybe choose black (I'm sure you don't look "deathly" 🙂). Especially in a black suit, everyone really does blend together. And as I've seen, a suit with some style wouldn't especially stand out or appear too nonconservative.
 
lainapox said:
I really want to get one of those bodysuits - how is the sizing there? I've heard (from here) that they tend to be bigger than average for their sizes, but how much bigger? Sorry if this is a weird/difficult question to answer
Click to expand...

I didn't read through all the posts since this question, but thought I'd answer cuz I think the idea of the body suit is so great! I hate it when my tucked in collared shirts un-tuck - im constantly conscious about it and worried about fixing it. So, I bought one of the VS body suits a year or two ago and they really are pretty big. I'm a small framed 5'4" and the smallest size was really big. I was so disappointed. I wish someone else would come up with the same thing for my size. So, if you're petite, I'd suggest looking somewhere else, unless they've changed their sizing since then....
 
splotchy3754 said:
To make this a not so completely useless post: Does anyone think this would be too casual to pair something like this: http://www.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=11449 with a pair of semi-dark grey slacks. I have not been able to find, for the life of me, a matching blazer of the same material as the slacks (which I bought on sale from BCBG a while ago for $50). The color of the slacks, is something similar to the smoke color offered here in this jacket from VS, which I'm considering as the other option to pair the slacks with: http://www2.victoriassecret.com/com...D-230409&page=1&cgname=OSCLOSUIZZZ&rfnbr=4695

I also have a wool coat, princess cut that would match the slacks...I guess...basically the question I'm trying to get as: Does the blazer have to be of the same material as the slacks (relatively speaking)?
Click to expand...

A trench coat/wool coat is the not the same as a blazer. Keep trying/looking. It doesn't have to match exactly. What if you got a colored blazer (maybe maroon or something) or even black? I think it's okay as long as they "go" together. I'd rather look like I intentionally went for mismatched then I tried really hard but missed and am pretending like it matches.

flipz said:
To counter the "trendiness" of this suit, maybe choose black (I'm sure you don't look "deathly" 🙂). Especially in a black suit, everyone really does blend together. And as I've seen, a suit with some style wouldn't especially stand out or appear too nonconservative.
Click to expand...

MidwestMedGurl, if you look "deathly" in black, I believe you. You want to look approachable and you'll feel more confident if you look good. If you're nervous about the cut of the suit, try something else, but I wouldn't compromise on the color, especially if you know you don't look good in black.
 
re: bodysuits
VS has some nice ones. I bought 2 in XS. They run kinda big but XS was perfect for me. Although im tall, 5'7, that doesnt really matter for a bodysuit, but I am fairly skinny and i wasnt swimming in it or anything.
 
I'm interviewing on Wednesday, and I'm trying to find a pair of comfortable pumps to wear with my skirt suit (black). I already have one pair of pointy-toed pumps, but they KILL my feet.

What do you think of these? They were super comfortable in the store, but I'm worried about whether the chunky heel will look out of place with my knee-length skirt--any tips?

3315-01185-1000-060.jpg
 
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