Wrinkles and Suits

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somemaybedoc

somemaybedoc

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I'm doing a back to back interview this week and will be on the road before that. As a result my wordrobe is limited. I have one gray suit, one white shirt, one conservative red tie, 2 pairs of gray socks, and black shoes.

Do you think it would be weird to use the exact same outfit at both interviews, some of the same people might be there. Should I try to buy a tie and shirt on the fly? Shirts are tricky because I'm hard to size.

BTW what do people think about a gray suit with white shirt and a patterend gray tie? I am curious about the reaction that look would get.

Also when traveling that close together how to you get the wrinkles out of the suit that fast>
 
somemaybedoc said:
I'm doing a back to back interview this week and will be on the road before that. As a result my wordrobe is limited. I have one gray suit, one white shirt, one conservative red tie, 2 pairs of gray socks, and black shoes.

Do you think it would be weird to use the exact same outfit at both interviews, some of the same people might be there. Should I try to buy a tie and shirt on the fly? Shirts are tricky because I'm hard to size.

BTW what do people think about a gray suit with white shirt and a patterend gray tie? I am curious about the reaction that look would get.

Also when traveling that close together how to you get the wrinkles out of the suit that fast>
Click to expand...

man it would be such a tragedy if a fellow interviewee saw you at 2 interviews with the same tie...they will surely tell the Dean of Admissions who will promptly reject your application for your failure to appear richer than everyone else.
 
quantummechanic said:
man it would be such a tragedy if a fellow interviewee saw you at 2 interviews with the same tie...they will surely tell the Dean of Admissions who will promptly reject your application for your failure to appear richer than everyone else.
Click to expand...

Haha, I really am going insane.
 
hot shower, steamy bathroom does wonders for wrinkles
 
somemaybedoc said:
I'm doing a back to back interview this week and will be on the road before that. As a result my wordrobe is limited. I have one gray suit, one white shirt, one conservative red tie, 2 pairs of gray socks, and black shoes.

Do you think it would be weird to use the exact same outfit at both interviews, some of the same people might be there. Should I try to buy a tie and shirt on the fly? Shirts are tricky because I'm hard to size.

BTW what do people think about a gray suit with white shirt and a patterend gray tie? I am curious about the reaction that look would get.

Also when traveling that close together how to you get the wrinkles out of the suit that fast>
Click to expand...


The only people who will know that you're wearing the same outfit will be other interviewers. You'll recognize them because they'll be wearing what they were wearing at the other place. :laugh:

Gray/white/gray: too blah. Get a tie with snappy color(s)

Hotel rooms usually have an iron. Don't put the iron directly on the fabric but use a piece of cloth between the suit and the iron. If your suit is wool, a little steam can help. Hanging the suit in the bathroom & running the shower can sometimes help. Learning to pack to avoid wrinkles is another trick that you can learn. If you have $ to spare, you can have the hotel press the suit and deliver it to you in the a.m.
 
LizzyM said:
The only people who will know that you're wearing the same outfit will be other interviewers. You'll recognize them because they'll be wearing what they were wearing at the other place. :laugh:

Gray/white/gray: too blah. Get a tie with snappy color(s)

Hotel rooms usually have an iron. Don't put the iron directly on the fabric but use a piece of cloth between the suit and the iron. If your suit is wool, a little steam can help. Hanging the suit in the bathroom & running the shower can sometimes help. Learning to pack to avoid wrinkles is another trick that you can learn. If you have $ to spare, you can have the hotel press the suit and deliver it to you in the a.m.
Click to expand...

I didn't know the hotels could do pressing overnight. The only thing I can iron is a shirt, preferably permanent press. So no go on all the gray, how about a pink tie with some gray flecks.
 
somemaybedoc said:
I didn't know the hotels could do pressing overnight. The only thing I can iron is a shirt, preferably permanent press. So no go on all the gray, how about a pink tie with some gray flecks.
Click to expand...

Eh, I'de shy away from pink. Not only is it kind of uh, not masculine, but it's just not a very good looking color. I think blue could be your magic color....but not a solid blue tie...some sort of pattern.

And yeah, there have been many a business man in your situation, and that's why hotels have been pressing suits since the day after the first hotel was invented :laugh:
 
somemaybedoc said:
I'm doing a back to back interview this week and will be on the road before that. As a result my wordrobe is limited. I have one gray suit, one white shirt, one conservative red tie, 2 pairs of gray socks, and black shoes.

Do you think it would be weird to use the exact same outfit at both interviews, some of the same people might be there. Should I try to buy a tie and shirt on the fly? Shirts are tricky because I'm hard to size.

BTW what do people think about a gray suit with white shirt and a patterend gray tie? I am curious about the reaction that look would get.

Also when traveling that close together how to you get the wrinkles out of the suit that fast>
Click to expand...


Why not just invest in a second shirt and tie... I am sure you will wear them again at some point.
 
jillibean said:
Why not just invest in a second shirt and tie... I am sure you will wear them again at some point.
Click to expand...
I have them, but am going to the interviews right after a business trip and do not have extras with me because i didnt think about it. Also I have to find shirts that are tapered a lot or have the waist taken in by a tailor, otherwise I have a lot of excess fabric at the waist. Makes buying shirts a pain.
Edit: I thought about it some more and I'll just shell out. That's what money's for anyway
 
Don't waste your time or money on a new outfit. Find one, and stick with it. You may want a back-up though just in case. But why show your style sense to premeds you will probably never see again? You are supposed to hate the little bitches who are trying to steal your spot!!

Whatever you do, do not go anywhere with wrinkles on your cloths. It exhumes irresponsibility and laziness. Could ruin your first impression.

Have fun and good luck. :meanie:
 
I AM WEARING THE SAME OUTFIT FOR ALL MY INTERVIEWS!

Please look for me and make a point of it...(j/k).....

I am too poor at this point to do anything about it...
 
booswim542 said:
I AM WEARING THE SAME OUTFIT FOR ALL MY INTERVIEWS!

Please look for me and make a point of it...(j/k).....

I am too poor at this point to do anything about it...
Click to expand...

It's not a big deal.

But if a douche comments, just hit them with kindness (not with a fist). They'll look really stupid, and hopefully flub on their interview...sinister, I know. Pero me no care.
 
I am sure there are people out there who would make a big deal of it. But for those who have been through this, do you really see people multiple times? It just seems like there are so many interview dates that you would not run into people that often.
 
I was just browsing the picture thread, and some people in there were like "😱 I saw you weeks ago at the XXXXXX SOM interview date!" But if you are really serious about clothing, just mix it up with different button up shirts and coordinated ties. Nothing more, or else you are wasting your time and money.
 
Well I'm obsessed with medical school interview fashion. I don't like red because it's considered aggresive and a strong red is a "power tie."

The light blue will be what 99% of applicants come in. A good choice if everyone wasn't doing it. Light blue has recently been popularized by "W," and in the corporate world they know refer to light blue as the "W."

Anyway, that's a strike against red and blue. You're left with what goes with your suit. If you have a black suit, avoid navy of course. Look for something odd that goess well with the off colors in your suit if their is a patern in it.

I like the idea of going with a risk color. Avoid green because it's green. Yellow is a good one. Black with colors is good. Pretty much any off color that is a little risky but not outlandish.
 
buy a little portable steamer. theyll have it at like bed bath and beyond or some place like that. im wearing the same outfit every time...hears hoping the admissions committees at all the diff schools dont have a caucus to discuss my wardrobe!
 
acrobat said:
Well I'm obsessed with medical school interview fashion. I don't like red because it's considered aggresive and a strong red is a "power tie."

The light blue will be what 99% of applicants come in. A good choice if everyone wasn't doing it. Light blue has recently been popularized by "W," and in the corporate world they know refer to light blue as the "W."

Anyway, that's a strike against red and blue. You're left with what goes with your suit. If you have a black suit, avoid navy of course. Look for something odd that goess well with the off colors in your suit if their is a patern in it.

I like the idea of going with a risk color. Avoid green because it's green. Yellow is a good one. Black with colors is good. Pretty much any off color that is a little risky but not outlandish.
Click to expand...


I know nothing about businesswear so please help... I have a pants suit with subtle white pinstripes. Will a colored blouse underneath look good, or should I stick to white?
 
DE12MD said:
buy a little portable steamer. theyll have it at like bed bath and beyond or some place like that. im wearing the same outfit every time...hears hoping the admissions committees at all the diff schools dont have a caucus to discuss my wardrobe!
Click to expand...
Do those really work? I've always been skeptical about them.
 
Hypothetical situation: You are enjoying your lunch at first interview and accidently spill something on your suit, shirt, tie etc. What do you do without time to get things dry cleaned?

This is precisely why you need two suits if you are going on back to back interviews without access to a dry cleaner.
 
DF38 said:
Do those really work? I've always been skeptical about them.
Click to expand...

I bought one today. I'll tell you once I try it out, but probably not today. Stanford's sent me two e-mails and a letter urging me to finish my secondary. Stanford, if you're listening, I say, "Get in line and wait your turn like all the others!" :meanie:

BrettBatchelor said:
Hypothetical situation: You are enjoying your lunch at first interview and accidently spill something on your suit, shirt, tie etc. What do you do without time to get things dry cleaned?

This is precisely why you need two suits if you are going on back to back interviews without access to a dry cleaner.
Click to expand...

Nice hotels do dry cleaning service.
 
bodhisattva said:
I bought one today. I'll tell you once I try it out, but probably not today. Stanford's sent me two e-mails and a letter urging me to finish my secondary. Stanford, if you're listening, I say, "Get in line and wait your turn like all the others!" :meanie:



Nice hotels do dry cleaning service.
Click to expand...
Might be an assumption here but someone on a budget too tight for a second suit is probably on a budget too tight for nice hotels.
 
Buy a nice tie that costs some money if you can afford it. It will be heavier than a regular tie and have fuller color.

Most people use half-windsors, and this is probably the ok. if your tie is not thick. Expensive ties tend to be very thick. You can use a military style tie method (where you wrap around 4 times) to make the knot epecially thick, which looks nice. Then be sure to pucker it.

I don't know that much about fashion, I just know what I like. I know nothing about girl fashion.

I don't like the blue shirts although some have advised me strongly to do it. At serious interviews, a blue shirt seems tacky to me. Of course you can dresss down to the point of coming across as an old man as Lizzy says.

But if you choose the right tie with good color and correct knot tieing, you're set. The Tie is really the main bright point of male outfits.
 
BrettBatchelor said:
Might be an assumption here but someone on a budget too tight for a second suit is probably on a budget too tight for nice hotels.
Click to expand...

Well, if you were uber desperate, you could wait in the lobby of a nice hotel and ask a guest to "lend his dry cleaning privileges" and comp him for it. But sometimes your two- to three-star hotels will have dry cleaning service. Just check.
 
BrettBatchelor said:
Hypothetical situation: You are enjoying your lunch at first interview and accidently spill something on your suit, shirt, tie etc. What do you do without time to get things dry cleaned?

This is precisely why you need two suits if you are going on back to back interviews without access to a dry cleaner.
Click to expand...


Limit yourself to a diet of bread & water for the duration of the interview. Change into "play clothes" & get something to eat later.
 
BrettBatchelor said:
Hypothetical situation: You are enjoying your lunch at first interview and accidently spill something on your suit, shirt, tie etc. What do you do without time to get things dry cleaned?

This is precisely why you need two suits if you are going on back to back interviews without access to a dry cleaner.
Click to expand...

You've always got a birthday suit you can wear to the second interview. You will definately stand out...
 
booswim542 said:
I am sure there are people out there who would make a big deal of it. But for those who have been through this, do you really see people multiple times? It just seems like there are so many interview dates that you would not run into people that often.
Click to expand...

You'd be surprised! I saw two people I interviewed with elsewhere at subsequent interviews. But I agree--it doesn't matter that you're wearing the same outfit as the previous interview. Most people will be in the same situation (if they even remember what you wore last time--if they do, that might not be a good thing 😉 ). I have no idea if my fellow interviewees wore the same thing for each interview--I just recognized their faces. 😳
 
acrobat said:
Buy a nice tie that costs some money if you can afford it. It will be heavier than a regular tie and have fuller color.

Most people use half-windsors, and this is probably the ok. if your tie is not thick. Expensive ties tend to be very thick. You can use a military style tie method (where you wrap around 4 times) to make the knot epecially thick, which looks nice. Then be sure to pucker it.

I don't know that much about fashion, I just know what I like. I know nothing about girl fashion.

I don't like the blue shirts although some have advised me strongly to do it. At serious interviews, a blue shirt seems tacky to me. Of course you can dresss down to the point of coming across as an old man as Lizzy says.

But if you choose the right tie with good color and correct knot tieing, you're set. The Tie is really the main bright point of male outfits.
Click to expand...

I think most people go with four in hand for their tie knot. If someone wants a big knot I think they should go with a full windsor, it's very symmetric. To pull of huge knots though, one needs a huge spread collar, I think a point collar with a half windsor is a good way to go.
 
I gotta admit I spend 1.5K on my suit :/
130 on the shirt
110 on the tie
170 on shoes

WAY WAY outa my normal spending range, but to me it's 100% worth it. I could care less what I look like at weddings, dates, events etc etc, but a med school interview is the one time I actually want to look sharp.
 
Now I'm confused. I know half windsor, and I know military academy style. Most in the corporate world use the military way although I'm sure it has a real name.

Military style and make sure it's puckered is what I'm planning on doing.
 
Nope,

What I am talking about is not on there. It's a four over wrap then underneath and overtop and through. Academies do it with those little skinny ties they use. I'll look into the name. It may be some vairation of one of those.
 
acrobat said:
I gotta admit I spend 1.5K on my suit :/
130 on the shirt
110 on the tie
170 on shoes

WAY WAY outa my normal spending range, but to me it's 100% worth it. I could care less what I look like at weddings, dates, events etc etc, but a med school interview is the one time I actually want to look sharp.
Click to expand...

I spent $45 on a $300 suit that was on super-sale at Macys, and about $50 on shoes... But it was seriously the most attractive suit I tried on... Am I not gonna get into med school now?? :scared:
 
acrobat said:
Nope,

What I am talking about is not on there. It's a four over wrap then underneath and overtop and through. Academies do it with those little skinny ties they use. I'll look into the name. It may be some vairation of one of those.
Click to expand...
Half Windsor, Full Windsor, Four in Hand, Square? Any of those ring a bell?
 
acrobat said:
I gotta admit I spend 1.5K on my suit :/
130 on the shirt
110 on the tie
170 on shoes

WAY WAY outa my normal spending range, but to me it's 100% worth it. I could care less what I look like at weddings, dates, events etc etc, but a med school interview is the one time I actually want to look sharp.
Click to expand...

Uh K&G Men's Superstore. I guarantee I can find your complete outfit for a third of what you paid. (Unless of course you got it at K&G).
 
FujiApple said:
I spent $45 on a $300 suit that was on super-sale at Macys, and about $50 on shoes... But it was seriously the most attractive suit I tried on... Am I not gonna get into med school now?? :scared:
Click to expand...

I personally don't think it makes much of a difference unless you look like a clown. Ugly people get in and so do imperfectly attired people. There is something more to the process than appearence, but it can be mildly amusing to try to look as good as possible.
 
4 in hand is what I think it may be equivalent too, but instead of going around once, you go around 3-4 times.

Rage- what is K&G?
I looked at a couple Jos A Banks stores, Boston Store, another upper store I can't think of name of.

Nothing compared to one I bought: /
Not even in the same ballpark in my opinion.

You could upgrade to Armani, Oxford, Brioni suits and spend 2 grand to 6 grand.

My suit just looks hella sharp without a pretentious Oxford logo on the sleeve.

Also the stitch quality and being hand made influences the quality and tailoring.

You can go up to super stitch 300 if you like. You're not going to find that at men's warehouse.
 
LizzyM said:
I think that pink is perfectly acceptable and may even signal a guy that is not afraid to stand out in a crowd. (in a good way)
Click to expand...
Seconded. I used to work at UCSF and see folks on the interview trail and the best piece of advice I can give is this:

Never take fashion advice from a premed.

Seriously. Please. Go to Men's Warehouse with your suit and ask for shirt color/tie combinations. They usually give solid recommendations. When premeds talk about colors that are "good" and colors that are "bad" without seeing the suit/shirt/skin, that's a bad sign.
 
I don't trust the sales (oops corrected typo I had "sails" boats before) clerks at Men's warehouse frankly nor JC Pennies nor plug in a department store with any employees working on near minimum wage. Don't take that the wrong way- nothing against hard working Americans, but I just don't trust them for a serious interview.

Anyhow, what I use is called a rep knot or a military knot. I can't even find a reference to it on google.....

hmmmm, O well, I'll just march to my own drummer cause I like it a lot

Lizzie- I agree, that is why it's best to spend the extra money if you can scrum mage it up and dress like a CEO. I just begged for an early birthday present form parents. At least I'll have no regrets during years off thinking about why I didn't get in. This is the same reason why I never hand write envelopes or fold my applications. Microsoft publisher is a jewel for making custom pretty envelopes to send stuff in. I've become paranoid probably partially as a result of reading this site. I intend to further propagate the paranoia.
 
somemaybedoc said:
I'm doing a back to back interview this week and will be on the road before that. As a result my wordrobe is limited. I have one gray suit, one white shirt, one conservative red tie, 2 pairs of gray socks, and black shoes.

Do you think it would be weird to use the exact same outfit at both interviews, some of the same people might be there. Should I try to buy a tie and shirt on the fly? Shirts are tricky because I'm hard to size.

BTW what do people think about a gray suit with white shirt and a patterend gray tie? I am curious about the reaction that look would get.

Also when traveling that close together how to you get the wrinkles out of the suit that fast>
Click to expand...

I don't think it's a problem.
 
acrobat said:
This is the same reason why I never hand write envelopes or fold my applications. Microsoft publisher is a jewel for making custom pretty envelopes to send stuff in.
Click to expand...

Once upon a time I had the task of opening envelopes for a sub-section of the admissions office (don't ask), I can tell you, no one here cares what the envelope looks like. The envelope goes in the trash. Sometimes, someone (like frugal me) will look at the envelope with the 39 cent stamp and the one with the 15.00 stamp and wonder which applicant will make the most cost effective decisions down the road but that sort of idle thought never influences med admission decisions just as your suit doesn't have an impact as long as it fits (don't pop a button during the interview) and is clean (never mind if someone recognizes you from another interview -- if they can identify what you had for lunch at the other interview by one look at your lapel and tie... that's another story).
 
Lizzy you're ruining my self- conceived priorities. Envelopes are very important to me.
 
To the OP-

It's impossible to tell you what will look good with your suit without seeing it in person.
Take it down to a place like Men's Warehouse, pick out the best dressed person there, and tell them what you're looking for.


And grey with a blue tie? :barf:
 
Wackie said:
To the OP-

It's impossible to tell you what will look good with your suit without seeing it in person.
Take it down to a place like Men's Warehouse, pick out the best dressed person there, and tell them what you're looking for.


And grey with a blue tie? :barf:
Click to expand...

There are a million shades of gray and a million shades of blue. Men's Warehouse actually suggests a blue tie with a gray suit.
 
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