Women's Interview Clothing (thread #2)

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Hey, so this is an odd and possibly obnoxious question, but hopefully it won't irritate anyone.

How do you think designery-type stuff looks? I have a great raincoat I got as a graduation present, and it's black, and I figured I'd take it with me anywhere I interview just in case, but the inside has the Burberry pattern...I also have a Burberry scarf I got like 10 years ago and it's my favorite (soo soft) so ideally I'd wear that outside...

I know you guys said you're rarely ever outside, but just in case, do you think it'll be seen as obnoxious to have these two things?
 
lacrossefiend73 said:
haha been there done that... UTMB was hot, and I was there in November! They set it up where there are 2 groups: one goes on the tour in the morning while the others head to interviews, and then after lunch they switch. I got the morning tour so it wasn't as hot. The problem w/ UTMB as I said above is that you walk outside... and their campus is huge (trying to actually find your interviews is fun, too)! I would say you would be fine taking your suit coat off while walking and wearing a short sleeved top... as for if you wanna get a skirt, think about the pantyhose problem too. Man, that place was hot... I remember a guy in my group was from Utah and had a wool suit coat... :laugh: bad idea.
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Thanks for the advice. I have a long sleeve shirt from Ann Taylor, but I think I'm going to have to get a short sleeve top for the Texas interviews. Nothing beats the Texas heat in August!
 
LET said:
Hey, so this is an odd and possibly obnoxious question, but hopefully it won't irritate anyone.

How do you think designery-type stuff looks? I have a great raincoat I got as a graduation present, and it's black, and I figured I'd take it with me anywhere I interview just in case, but the inside has the Burberry pattern...I also have a Burberry scarf I got like 10 years ago and it's my favorite (soo soft) so ideally I'd wear that outside...

I know you guys said you're rarely ever outside, but just in case, do you think it'll be seen as obnoxious to have these two things?
Click to expand...


No one will think it's obnoxious unless you say stuff like "You like my coat? It's Burberry," and then smile smugly.
 
Another note is consider wearing a suit that isn't black. Everyone wears black. Every interview you go to its like a sea of black - its boring. Consider a tan or grey suit. I wore a tan skirt suit and at 3 of the 4 interviews I went to one of the adcomms/interviewers commented to me about not wearing black and how it was refreshing.

You look a little different, just as professional and may stand out in someone's mind as the person brave enough to not wear black.
 
alwaysaangel said:
Another note is consider wearing a suit that isn't black. Everyone wears black. Every interview you go to its like a sea of black - its boring. Consider a tan or grey suit. I wore a tan skirt suit and at 3 of the 4 interviews I went to one of the adcomms/interviewers commented to me about not wearing black and how it was refreshing.

You look a little different, just as professional and may stand out in someone's mind as the person brave enough to not wear black.
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I tried so hard >.< I couldn't find a suit that fit me and wasn't black in the entire mall that I went to. I am a rather small and short person, so most suits made me look like a tiny child dressed up in her mother's clothing. I got the only thing that fit - I'm planning on trying to stand out via the blouse that I wear underneath or something, I think. I don't know. I'm very grumpy about all of this.
 
vbdoc77 said:
what is everyone doing for coats over your suit during the winter? i really don't want to freeze during a tour...but don't have anything too professional. suggestions?
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Try Burlington Coat Factory. They have beautiful professional winter coats for decent prices. A good coat will last you years if you take care of it.
 
So what's the deal with black? Is this an SDN myth that your suit has to be either black or a light color?
 
I wore a gray pinstripe suit to a couple interviews and a chocolate brown suit to some others. Black and light tan are bad with my skin tone. I just went with what was flattering...
 
I love chocolate brown suits. I think that brown is much more flattering and not nearly as severe as black. Very light colors often wash out pale skin as well (which would be me... even though I work 40+ hours/week in the sun). I'm thinking about a nice blue blouse underneath, maybe pink if I can find one of the right shade.
 
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LET said:
Hey, so this is an odd and possibly obnoxious question, but hopefully it won't irritate anyone.

How do you think designery-type stuff looks? I have a great raincoat I got as a graduation present, and it's black, and I figured I'd take it with me anywhere I interview just in case, but the inside has the Burberry pattern...I also have a Burberry scarf I got like 10 years ago and it's my favorite (soo soft) so ideally I'd wear that outside...

I know you guys said you're rarely ever outside, but just in case, do you think it'll be seen as obnoxious to have these two things?
Click to expand...

I actually think Burberry is very classy! Go for it. Just don't bring an obnoxious Coach or D & B bag with crazy colors.
 
house vs god said:
Haha despite my "appearances" I am actually female. 🙂
Click to expand...

Hey ladies!

This thread is great! I love all this advice..

Here's my question.. what about a dress? I saw this dress @ Macy's, it's got cap sleeves and it's quite professional.. pinstripe, comes down to past my knee (I'm 5'9 though so it'll probably still look short!) What do yall think??
 
I agree w/ angel... black suits aren't bad, but if you have the choice, branch out! Greys, navys, and browns are always nice. If you have to go black, make sure its a colored shirt under... I remember at one interview, someone giving a presentation mentioned something about "the sea of black and white"

DrDiva06 said:
Hey ladies!

This thread is great! I love all this advice..

Here's my question.. what about a dress? I saw this dress @ Macy's, it's got cap sleeves and it's quite professional.. pinstripe, comes down to past my knee (I'm 5'9 though so it'll probably still look short!) What do yall think??
Click to expand...

mmm I'm not so sure. I really think you need that suit jacket. I remember reading a book saying that the suit is your power suit and that dresses often look too soft.
 
alwaysaangel said:
Another note is consider wearing a suit that isn't black. Everyone wears black. Every interview you go to its like a sea of black - its boring. Consider a tan or grey suit. I wore a tan skirt suit and at 3 of the 4 interviews I went to one of the adcomms/interviewers commented to me about not wearing black and how it was refreshing.

You look a little different, just as professional and may stand out in someone's mind as the person brave enough to not wear black.
Click to expand...

I agree. In addition to standing out, some people just don't have the right coloring to wear black. Black is way too over powering on me (light skinned, blue eyes, light hair). I have not gone shopping for anything yet, but I will definitely be looking for something navy, brown, or gray.
 
black with pinstripe help stand out some from the sea of black? probably not, just wishful thinking. I plan on wearing a light blue shirt under the jacket if that helps.
 
My grandfather just bought me a navy pinstripe skirt suit from Brooks Brothers. I just love it, and I love him for buying it for me! I think it makes him happy that I wanted a suit and not something casual or revealing, haha.

I also have a black suit from Banana Republic that is just a sheath dress and a jacket. I thought it was really practical to just have the dress and not worry about picking out or ironing a shirt to go underneath the jacket. This is what I wore to my early interview at EVMS as a sophomore, and it was pretty perfect.
 
Very pricey, so definitely don't misconstrue this as saying anything so fancy is needed! But just a general recommendation for all women -- Theory has great suits that look amazing and fit perfectly. They will last forever, so while it's expensive I've been able to hold on to mine and use it for all kinds of interviews over the years.

Just some info! 🙂
 
Personally, I plan on wearing a skirt suit and 2-3 inch heels. I wear opaque tights in black - I've never managed to get a run in them, and they are a lot more comfortable than pantyhose. Also, some simple gem stud earrings with a matching gold pendant necklace and my wedding ring. No other jewelry.

I was taught a long time ago that skirts/dresses tend to be viewed as more "professional" than pants for women, and in my experience, that seems to be the case if you are dealing with older, more conservative people.
 
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LET said:
Hey, so this is an odd and possibly obnoxious question, but hopefully it won't irritate anyone.

How do you think designery-type stuff looks? I have a great raincoat I got as a graduation present, and it's black, and I figured I'd take it with me anywhere I interview just in case, but the inside has the Burberry pattern...I also have a Burberry scarf I got like 10 years ago and it's my favorite (soo soft) so ideally I'd wear that outside...

I know you guys said you're rarely ever outside, but just in case, do you think it'll be seen as obnoxious to have these two things?
Click to expand...

As long as your interviewer isn't a recent transplant from Brittan, you'll be fine. (The Burberry pattern has come to be associated with Chavs. If you don't know what that is, look it up on wikipedia.)
 
Mayday said:
Personally, I plan on wearing a skirt suit and 2-3 inch heels. I wear opaque tights in black - I've never managed to get a run in them, and they are a lot more comfortable than pantyhose. Also, some simple gem stud earrings with a matching gold pendant necklace and my wedding ring. No other jewelry.

I was taught a long time ago that skirts/dresses tend to be viewed as more "professional" than pants for women, and in my experience, that seems to be the case if you are dealing with older, more conservative people.
Click to expand...

The pre-med committee at my undergrad did a mock interview type thing where you have to dress up like you would at a real interview (do all schools do this?). They wouldn't let women interview with them in pants 😱


I used to think you really should wear a skirt, it's the professional thing to do, why take the chance, etc. but now I think it's bs...who cares what you wear, as long as it's professional...most people probably look better (and are more comfortable) in pants.
 
Revilla said:
So what's the deal with black? Is this an SDN myth that your suit has to be either black or a light color?
Click to expand...

Your suit can be any color you want - although I would avoid hot pinks and other things that are gaudy.

Black is common and frankly there have been threads here where non-trad business people have explained that it is actually considered inappropriate to where black in the day time in the business world. Obviously no one is going to hold it against 22 year old premeds. But those nontrads explained that non-black colors are actually MORE appropriate for day time events like interviews.
 
alwaysaangel said:
Your suit can be any color you want - although I would avoid hot pinks and other things that are gaudy.

Black is common and frankly there have been threads here where non-trad business people have explained that it is actually considered inappropriate to where black in the day time in the business world. Obviously no one is going to hold it against 22 year old premeds. But those nontrads explained that non-black colors are actually MORE appropriate for day time events like interviews.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I'm a non-traditional so I have a lot of suits. I'm planning on either red or plum purple, but wasn't sure if it was considered a giant faux pas for med school interviews since many are going with black.
 
healthyhappy said:
Very pricey, so definitely don't misconstrue this as saying anything so fancy is needed! But just a general recommendation for all women -- Theory has great suits that look amazing and fit perfectly. They will last forever, so while it's expensive I've been able to hold on to mine and use it for all kinds of interviews over the years.

Just some info! 🙂
Click to expand...

Theory has some beautiful stuff! I have some Theory items and I loooooove them. I would definitely recommend their suits. Tahari suits are great as well.

LET said:
How do you think designery-type stuff looks? I have a great raincoat I got as a graduation present, and it's black, and I figured I'd take it with me anywhere I interview just in case, but the inside has the Burberry pattern...I also have a Burberry scarf I got like 10 years ago and it's my favorite (soo soft) so ideally I'd wear that outside...
Click to expand...

Burberry trenches are classic items (hell, my aunt has had one for like 20 years) so I would say it's fine. I think designer apparel/accessories at interviews is fine so long as it's not flashy. And the scarf-yeah, nobody is going to see it except some other students so I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Revilla said:
Thanks! I'm a non-traditional so I have a lot of suits. I'm planning on either red or plum purple, but wasn't sure if it was considered a giant faux pas for med school interviews since many are going with black.
Click to expand...
Hmm, the only color suits I've ever seen at interviews are black, dark gray, navy blue, and brown (and pinstripes, of course). I've never seen anyone wear a red or purple suit; even though I've seen those in the workplace, I feel that that would stand out quite a bit (not necessarily in a favorable way) in an interview room.
P10774412.jpg

This kind of thing, right?
 
In any big city where the temperature regularly goes below freezing, you will not be faulted for wearing pants. I've seen things become much more liberal over the past 20 years in that regard. You won't be faulted for wearing a skirt, but pants are certainly acceptable. (Many of the women doing the interviews wear pants.)

I was a little confused by the references to "button down shirts" but I think you mean "blouses" with buttons down the front. A button down shirt is the type with buttons that hold down the points of the collar.
 
silverlining1 said:
Hmm, the only color suits I've ever seen at interviews are black, dark gray, navy blue, and brown (and pinstripes, of course). I've never seen anyone wear a red or purple suit; even though I've seen those in the workplace, I feel that that would stand out quite a bit (not necessarily in a favorable way) in an interview room.
P10774412.jpg

This kind of thing, right?
Click to expand...

Yep! I don't feel comfortable wearing black or gray or brown because I have a dark complexion and they don't look very good on me, even with a bright blouse underneath the blazer.
 
silverlining1 said:
Hmm, the only color suits I've ever seen at interviews are black, dark gray, navy blue, and brown (and pinstripes, of course). I've never seen anyone wear a red or purple suit; even though I've seen those in the workplace, I feel that that would stand out quite a bit (not necessarily in a favorable way) in an interview room.
P10774412.jpg

This kind of thing, right?
Click to expand...

I really like this suit. I think the issue with other colors is the hot pink or baby blue suits. They look too unprofessional to me. However, when it's a bit darker like this one (aka not neon or pastel or any color that makes you think "young" when you see it) it certainly still looks professional.

It makes you stand out but in a good way. You were confident enough to wear a different color, but professional enough to stay with a color that's not screaming "look at me."
 
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trifry said:
Although these are on the more expensive side, I think I am going to get these to change into for the tours during the interview.
http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/shoes/flatsmoccasins/PRDOVR~95896/95896.jsp

My heels are from Nine West:
http://www.ninewest.com/n/browse/pr...3&listSize=94&categoryId=1040&codeName=CUPIDR

I got slingback heels because my feet are slightly different sizes, so the strap on the heels allows for both to feel comfortable.
Click to expand...

I love that your real shoes are $30 and your spare shoes are $130 🙂
 
silverlining1 said:
P10774412.jpg

This kind of thing, right?
Click to expand...


This would be a breath of fresh air in the interview waiting room, and I mean that in a good way. You can't imagine how it is to see the interview waiting room filled with grim looking young people in black suits day after day. It looks like a funeral.

One guy with the power to do so said he'd grant admission on the spot to any guy who would wear a red plaid sport jacket to the interview.😀 I don't know what the equivalent would be for the ladies.
 
shemarty said:
I love that your real shoes are $30 and your spare shoes are $130 🙂
Click to expand...


I know right! But I will wear those jcrew shoes all the time in everyday life and I will never wear heels like that except in professional situations.
 
I wore a black suit with subtle red pinstripes (alternated skirt and pants) with jewel toned sweaters/blouses. Not because I thought black was the conservative choice, but because I think I actually look best in black, heh. I know it's boring, but if it's your best color, it's your best color 🙂
 
Textuality said:
I wore a black suit with subtle red pinstripes (alternated skirt and pants) with jewel toned sweaters/blouses. Not because I thought black was the conservative choice, but because I think I actually look best in black, heh. I know it's boring, but if it's your best color, it's your best color 🙂
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im right with you.. i love black! that or bright neon colors! jhahaha
 
LizzyM said:
This would be a breath of fresh air in the interview waiting room, and I mean that in a good way. You can't imagine how it is to see the interview waiting room filled with grim looking young people in black suits day after day. It looks like a funeral.

One guy with the power to do so said he'd grant admission on the spot to any guy who would wear a red plaid sport jacket to the interview.😀 I don't know what the equivalent would be for the ladies.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Lizzy! I was starting to wonder if I was going to be rejected on the spot for wearing anything other than black.
 
LizzyM said:
This would be a breath of fresh air in the interview waiting room, and I mean that in a good way. You can't imagine how it is to see the interview waiting room filled with grim looking young people in black suits day after day. It looks like a funeral.

One guy with the power to do so said he'd grant admission on the spot to any guy who would wear a red plaid sport jacket to the interview.😀 I don't know what the equivalent would be for the ladies.
Click to expand...
What school is this? I just might try it 😉
 
lainapox said:
I'm planning on trying to stand out via the blouse that I wear underneath or something, I think. I don't know. I'm very grumpy about all of this.
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You can try bright jewel colors underneath, it softens the look up a bit and makes you look more energetic and less funeral-bound.

Haha, you think YOUR grumpy, you should have seen me blundering around Macy's trying to figure out pantyhose (after getting laughed at by the Payless Shoe people when I asked them if they sold it. I dunno...they go on your feet, I thought it would make sense to look there...). I spent like half an hour trying to figure out what the freakin color difference was between Nude, Bare, and Naked...THEY SHOULD ALL BE THE SAME! THEY ALL MEAN THE SAME THING! And Nude for who? For really pale people? For asian people? WTF is going on? And what are with the different kinds of tops?! AHHHHHH. I needed a fashion fairy godmother.

Yeah, I ended up just not wearing pantyhose (I've never worn them before in my life). Didn't prevent me from getting accepted, haha, just caused me to grump around the mall for awhile.
 
I'm very uncomfortable in suits. Can we just not wear trousers and a blouse? I have done that for my other interviews and it worked out fine. Anybody who has done this and not been frowned upon? Maybe LizzyM has seen some women on the itnerview trail dressed like this?
 
travelbug73 said:
I'm very uncomfortable in suits. Can we just not wear trousers and a blouse? I have done that for my other interviews and it worked out fine. Anybody who has done this and not been frowned upon? Maybe LizzyM has seen some women on the itnerview trail dressed like this?
Click to expand...


To the trousers and blouse, add a tailored jacket or blazer and you are good to go.

I saw one person without a jacket last year and I thought she looked pretty bad (particularly because the blouse and a sheen and a stretch to it (made with lycra, I bet) and was light colored and her bra (which was too tight, too) showed through the back of the blouse. 😱 I don't recall how it looked from the front.
 
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ar2388 said:
alright ladies.. so i was thinking about getting this for my moms black suit:
http://www2.victoriassecret.com/com...B-208786&page=1&cgname=OSCLOBLOSAB&rfnbr=3947
in sweet lavender. i would assume wild strawberry would be too much? 😛
but i also want to get one of these:
http://www2.victoriassecret.com/com...B-227932&page=1&cgname=OSCLOBLOSAB&rfnbr=3947
i am just not sure which color would work with a dark navy suit? i like aluminum, navy, raspberry, and aubergine.
thoughts? please? 🙁
Click to expand...

I don't think the wild strawberry would be "too much." I think it's pretty, but so is the sweet lavender. Keep in mind that most of your shirt will be covered by your suit jacket, so even a bright color won't look crazy.

For the silk charmeuse, I actually think a lighter color will look better with the dark navy suit. Otherwise you'll just look dark and depressing. My favorite colors available in that style to go with a navy jacket: maple (love that color combo), dove and winter white.
 
do girls really have to wear suits??? what about nice pants/skirt + top?
i HATE suitssssssssss i get all itchy and stiff in them. i'm probably jumping the gun, i haven't even been verified yet haha
 
ar2388 said:
alright ladies.. so i was thinking about getting this for my moms black suit:
http://www2.victoriassecret.com/com...B-208786&page=1&cgname=OSCLOBLOSAB&rfnbr=3947
in sweet lavender. i would assume wild strawberry would be too much? 😛
but i also want to get one of these:
http://www2.victoriassecret.com/com...B-227932&page=1&cgname=OSCLOBLOSAB&rfnbr=3947
i am just not sure which color would work with a dark navy suit? i like aluminum, navy, raspberry, and aubergine.
thoughts? please? 🙁
Click to expand...

If your suit is navy, I think a navy blouse would be too much/might clash if the blues are different. I like Aluminum and Aubergine
 
ar2388 said:
alright ladies.. so i was thinking about getting this for my moms black suit:
http://www2.victoriassecret.com/com...B-208786&page=1&cgname=OSCLOBLOSAB&rfnbr=3947
in sweet lavender. i would assume wild strawberry would be too much? 😛
but i also want to get one of these:
http://www2.victoriassecret.com/com...B-227932&page=1&cgname=OSCLOBLOSAB&rfnbr=3947
i am just not sure which color would work with a dark navy suit? i like aluminum, navy, raspberry, and aubergine.
thoughts? please? 🙁
Click to expand...

Eeep. I assume you will fasten more buttons than those models. 😱

The silk shirts are nice, but I wonder if the sheen of silk would be too much for daytime? I think if you're wearing black, bright colors are OK (lavender or strawberry or whatever), as long as you're not wearing neon.
 
Is perfume a bad call? Of course not a super thick musk or anything, but something subtle, maybe? Or would it be too distracting altogether?
 
Yay for being jet-lagged and browsing for suits at 5 in the morning.

I thought I had a more than adequate shoe collection until I measured mine and they were all 4-5 inches+. Oops. So I think I'll probably be looking into some of the more, um, appropriate suggestions in this thread. 😀

Is 5'11" + 3" too tall? I don't want to go too low. Skirts + flats are not fun on me. They make my feet look huge, my posture look like I'm pushing 70 years, my calves look a few cm bigger etc. The added height is more of an annoyance, not a benefit. I guess I could try pants + flats.
 
foodfood said:
do girls really have to wear suits??? what about nice pants/skirt + top?
i HATE suitssssssssss i get all itchy and stiff in them. i'm probably jumping the gun, i haven't even been verified yet haha
Click to expand...
Meh, I say why not. If you look at victoria's secret, all their "suits" are in this really comfy, stretch kind of fabric. Not the traditional, stuffy, wool kind. It essentially is the same as wearing "nice" pants but with a matching jacket too.
 
stixx said:
Meh, I say why not. If you look at victoria's secret, all their "suits" are in this really comfy, stretch kind of fabric. Not the traditional, stuffy, wool kind. It essentially is the same as wearing "nice" pants but with a matching jacket too.
Click to expand...

Yeah but you need to have the jacket - just a blouse and pants would NOT be professional enough.
 
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