Female Dress Code at interviews? Forum

[slayerbtvs]

Can I wear pants or pencil skirt best? Ideas about wardrobes would be amazing!

[bk1]

180 on the use of the anonymous feature.

[romothesavior]

Can I wear pants or pencil skirt best? Ideas about wardrobes would be amazing!

I'd go with pants. Especially do not wear a pencil skirt if you are chubby. Nobody's tryin to see that.

[jennylynn]

Wear a skirt to interviews. It's sexist and whatever, but conservative dress for women is still considered a skirt suit over a pant suit. Most likely the pants won't ding you, but it never hurts to be on the safe side.

[kmap]

What about hair? I have waist-length wavy hair, and a lot of it. I normally just wear it down, but would that be considered unprofessional in some settings?

[findlayswimmer28]

Our career services did a dress for success program to help prepare us for interviews. This is the basic gist:

It's best to wear a dark skirt suit with nylons and the skirt should be long enough that when you sit down, it doesn't hike more than 3 inches above your knees. Your shoes should be fairly plain with a lower heel. Also, your top should not be low cut or revealing. Your hair should be either pulled back or styled in a way that it won't get in your face and you won't feel the need to touch it during the interview. Jewelry should be minimal and not distracting. As far as make-up, don't go to excess...try to keep it natural.

Hope that helps!

[jennylynn]

What about hair? I have waist-length wavy hair, and a lot of it. I normally just wear it down, but would that be considered unprofessional in some settings?

For an interview, I'd put it up. Basically, you don't want your appearance to distract from the fabulous potential employee you are! You want to be remembered for doing X or having dominated Y class, not the "girl with a lot of hair", even if your hair is beautiful.

[hiromoto45]

--ImageRemoved--


--ImageRemoved--

[Anonymous User]

--ImageRemoved--


--ImageRemoved--

These outfits are all hideous. Makes me sad that interviewers want to see nothing but a sea of boring - and couldn't give a crap about what personal style says about a person. I feel like there are other ways to be professional. But, it's like you can't risk not wearing a boring dark suit - because it probably would count against you.

[jennylynn]

I have a grey suit and normally wear a light blue shirt under it. It's not that uptight. Just don't draw major attention to your wardrobe.

[deneuve39]

The skirt in the second pic is too short--skirts should be at the shortest right above your knees. Also it's totally fine to wear a shell instead of a collared shirt under your suit jacket.
Also, unless you're interviewing at one of the SUPER old-fashioned firms (think Cravath, S&C, or DPW), where you could get a partner who's over the age of 60 as your interviewer, it's totally fine to wear pants.

[purpl333]

http://corporette.com/2008/08/11/reader ... generally/

[DeseoQueSea]

Personally, I tend to avoid button down shirts (under suits) for interviews because if I wear the wrong undergarment that day, I get an unsightly pulling around the button near my chest. No interviewer, male or female, wants to be distracted by that. So I'll wear a conservative sweater or blouse that is...more generous up top.

[jks289]

The keys with pencil skirts and jackets is correct fit. Too loose and you'll look like a slob, too tight and it will look like a sexy secretary Halloween costume. I agree the skirt suit is technically more formal, but I think it is easier to do it wrong so a pant suit may be safer.

[Rikkugrrl]

Not all firms require suits. I interned at one of the bigger firms in my city, and we had a business casual environment. Though a few of the female lawyers wore suits (especially during large meetings), a lot of times I'd see cardigans, dresses, skirts, slacks, whatever. None of it was crazy or loud or anything, but I thought they were pretty stylish.

If you want to wear a blazer though and still have a little style of your own I'd pair a basic black blazer with this skirt:

http://images.anthropologie.com/is/imag ... oduct-zoom$

It is my absolute favorite skirt and I have gotten nothing but compliments when I wear it and no complaints. It hits me about an inch above the knee. The nice thing about is since there are so many colors in the skirt you can pair it with just about any color of shirt, and the belted black top of the skirt looks great with a black jacket. Just don't get too crazy on top. I have a very plain, oatmeal colored blouse that tones down the uniqueness of the skirt nicely.

A few more unique but still appropriate skirts:

--LinkRemoved--

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ahclQ22-rjo/S ... _skirt.jpg

Again, I've worn all of these and have never had a problem. The key is to tone down the look with a plainer blouse and jacket. Pick one special focal piece and center the outfit around that.

[romothesavior]

Rikkugirl, OP is asking about interviews. Obviously TCR for office attire is to mimic what the other women do, but formal is ALWAYS TCR for interivews.

[BaiAilian2013]

What about hair? I have waist-length wavy hair, and a lot of it. I normally just wear it down, but would that be considered unprofessional in some settings?

For an interview, I'd put it up. Basically, you don't want your appearance to distract from the fabulous potential employee you are! You want to be remembered for doing X or having dominated Y class, not the "girl with a lot of hair", even if your hair is beautiful.

Same here, and I haven't had to put it up up since high school ballet recitals. Do you think a subtle hair net would be out of line? lol. Seriously though, how up are we talking? Like all in a bun?

[NYAssociate]

.

[Pearalegal]

Same here, and I haven't had to put it up up since high school ballet recitals. Do you think a subtle hair net would be out of line? lol. Seriously though, how up are we talking? Like all in a bun?

Yes. Half up can be fine for someone with hair just an inch or two past the shoulders, but if its any longer, you're gonna want to bun it up without a doubt.

[Bingus McBadger]

Wear an underpants and a brassiere then post your pics on this forum. Wait. Nevermind. You're law school chicks. Shave your legs turdlings.

[jennylynn]

Same here, and I haven't had to put it up up since high school ballet recitals. Do you think a subtle hair net would be out of line? lol. Seriously though, how up are we talking? Like all in a bun?

Yes. Half up can be fine for someone with hair just an inch or two past the shoulders, but if its any longer, you're gonna want to bun it up without a doubt.

Bun or even just a pony tail if it won't be half way down your back still. In that case, you need a hair cut anyway.

[12262010]

Can I wear pants or pencil skirt best? Ideas about wardrobes would be amazing!

I'd go with pants. Especially do not wear a pencil skirt if you are chubby. Nobody's tryin to see that.

lol wrong, wear a skirt

[pehaigllleises]

I have two takes on the skirt suit vs pant suit thing. First, if you're a pants suit kinda girl, do you really want to work at the kind of place that would ding a woman for wearing a nice, conservative, clean, pant suit, because it's a pant suit and not a skirt suit? What are the chances they're really going to let you climb the ranks? Second, the skirt bottom is great because you can change from flats to walk around to heels for your interview without worrying about dragging and ripping your hems. I would wear some sort of hosiery either way, which is probably the part of the skirt suit we all like least, because I wouldn't want bare ankles with a pantsuit.

I'm doing grey skirt suit + pastel-colored (pink, blue, purple, white, etc) button down shirt + hosiery + low black heels + pearl studs. And obviously underwear and a bra. I am very fair skinned, so I like that the shirt will allow me to get some color in, but it should still be dull enough to not get remembered.

Still debating whether or not to wear my engagement ring. I want them to know that I am married, because that provides my geographical connection, but I don't know if there's a blinginess limit. My wedding band alone looks goofy by itself because it's such a thin band.

[12262010]

Still debating whether or not to wear my engagement ring. I want them to know that I am married, because that provides my geographical connection, but I don't know if there's a blinginess limit.

I think that would be tacky.

[pehaigllleises]

You think it's tacky to wear an engagement ring, period, or you have some sort of opinion that some engagement rings are appropriate and some are not? If so, what would you find distasteful to wear to an interview? I almost never take it off, so regardless of what other people think of the appropriateness of the ring itself, it's not like debating whether or not to wear a diamond necklace or diamond studs. Keep in mind that I will (and generally do) wear very little other jewelry--I wear small pearl studs and that's it. No right hand rings, no necklaces, no bracelets.