Suit Question Forum

[thesealocust]

edit: n/m

[Grizz]

Thanks guys. I don't really get the third interview thing either, but maybe this is a good sign? Anyway, I've worn the charcoal suit with a white shirt underneath and the same tie twice now......so those who have suggested a different shirt, what color?

Blue. Light blue, not French blue.

[mstaten]

Charcoal FTW. Pair it with a nice white shirt and a snazzy tie. Keep it classy, A'nold.

[redsox]

Thanks guys. I don't really get the third interview thing either, but maybe this is a good sign? Anyway, I've worn the charcoal suit with a white shirt underneath and the same tie twice now......so those who have suggested a different shirt, what color?

Light, dull blue or a very inoffensive pink.

[Thomas Jefferson]

Thanks guys. I don't really get the third interview thing either, but maybe this is a good sign? Anyway, I've worn the charcoal suit with a white shirt underneath and the same tie twice now......so those who have suggested a different shirt, what color?

Something light that you can pair nicely with one of your ties.

[MrKappus]

^

It's already been said: because people associate them with funerals. Or the mod squad. Neither's appropriate for the office.

[mstaten]

Blue. Light blue, not French blue.

+1

[d34d9823]

Thanks guys. I don't really get the third interview thing either, but maybe this is a good sign? Anyway, I've worn the charcoal suit with a white shirt underneath and the same tie twice now......so those who have suggested a different shirt, what color?

Seriously, in an interview I'd be very conservative. Light blue or a conservative stripe or check (thin light blue, navy, or black stripes on white).

[Thirteen]

Thanks guys. I don't really get the third interview thing either, but maybe this is a good sign? Anyway, I've worn the charcoal suit with a white shirt underneath and the same tie twice now......so those who have suggested a different shirt, what color?

Wear a white shirt again, but wear a different tie.

[A'nold]

Thanks guys, this has been extremely helpful.

[Posner]

...

[rbgrocio]

I have four suits:

2 are black (one pants, one skirt), and then I have a navy one and a gray one. Really, the only time you have to wear a suit is for interviews and court. At the office no one wears a suit unless they are going to court.

[JordynAsh]

I've worked in really informal business settings thus far, so this whole "no black suit ever" thing is new to me. Just curious--why are black suits such a no-no?

Possibly a dumb question, but does this also go for females?

[06072010]

The black suit is the greatest weapon in any man's sartorial arsenal, and it saddens me that anyone would be petty enough to mark someone down for wearing one simply because it does not fit the tradition of conservative dress. That said, people with power over you can often be extremely petty, and I'm guessing you don't want to take any chances. Stick with the charcoal.

TITCR.

[06072010]

I've worked in really informal business settings thus far, so this whole "no black suit ever" thing is new to me. Just curious--why are black suits such a no-no?

Possibly a dumb question, but does this also go for females?

Negative. Saw lots of black on females at the firm. Almost never on guys.

[Mr. Matlock]

Wear the white shirt and buy a nice new tie A'nold!

Thread/

[JordynAsh]

I've worked in really informal business settings thus far, so this whole "no black suit ever" thing is new to me. Just curious--why are black suits such a no-no?

Possibly a dumb question, but does this also go for females?

Negative. Saw lots of black on females at the firm. Almost never on guys.

Thank goodness. I love my black suit and it was pretty expensive. Thanks!

[Ronaldo]

I've worked in really informal business settings thus far, so this whole "no black suit ever" thing is new to me. Just curious--why are black suits such a no-no?

Possibly a dumb question, but does this also go for females?

Negative. Saw lots of black on females at the firm. Almost never on guys.

Thank goodness. I love my black suit and it was pretty expensive. Thanks!

+1

[Renzo]

I've worked in really informal business settings thus far, so this whole "no black suit ever" thing is new to me. Just curious--why are black suits such a no-no?

Possibly a dumb question, but does this also go for females?

Negative. Saw lots of black on females at the firm. Almost never on guys.

I've seen plenty of black suits on men at the more formal firms. I wouldn't chance it in an interview, though.

[angiej]

So, I'm on my third interview and only own two suits: a charcoal one and a black one. I've now worn the charcoal one twice. Help?

This might be helpful:
http://mylawschooldreams.wordpress.com/

4. Attire.

You may have or may not have been concerned with your attire during law school, and sure you probably had to dress up on occasion for mock trials, interviews, socials, etc. I would say most of the associates in my firm attempt to look professional, but there are usually a few things lacking.Wrinkles. Most of the associates have wrinkled clothing. I can’t figure it out, perhaps they just wash their clothes and leave them in a hamper all crimpled up? Hanging your clothing takes 10 mins and will ensure a smooth garment. Even if you do not have time to remove a piece of clothing from the dryer promptly at the end of the cycle, or all you have time for is throwing it in a hamper and can’t hang the garment, at least take a few mins to steam a shirt before wearing it. I do not recommend ironing as it is tricky, and it takes a lot of time. While you may not be able to get the same creases with steaming as you can with an iron, steaming will at least get the wrinkles out. Clean lines and pressed seams do not get much attention anyway, but wrinkles do. Handheld steamers run $20 to $50. Do not get on that has a hose, as this often creates spurting which will leave water spots on your clothing. My favorite steamer is the Joy Mongano “my little steamer” which is often sold on HSN in a variety of colors.

Color Matching and Pattern Clashing. Most females do a pretty good job with this, so I’m speaking mostly to the males here. First, identify if one piece of clothing has a pattern. If said article of clothing has a pattern, DO NOT MIX WITH ANOTHER PATTERN! This is pertinent and you are sure to look like a clown if you wear more than one pattern. The simplest way to wear patterns is to wear a plain, one color collared shirt with a patterned tie. Somewhere within the tie, there should be at least one color that matches identically to the color of said collared shirt. Some stores make this really easy by allowing you to buy a “pre-made” combo, this really takes the guess work out of the equation. You can usually find a shirt in your size that provides a perfectly matching tie and voila your good to go!

Black is easy and is most acceptable in the law profession. The first clothing purchase you make should be a black suit. As an associate you may not have a lot of money, so hit the sales at Macy’s and rather than having the suit tailored at the store, (you must have it tailored) buy it untailored and take it to a local tailor, this will save some cash and usually will come out more “tailored” than if you had left it at Macy’s for them to ship off to a seamstress that never even saw you.For the ladies, its important to look professional but do not misinterpret “professional” to mean “boring.” Ladies can often find suit sets easier and for less money than men. Again, Macy’s is usually pretty good and can be cheaper than going Ann Taylor. I know it may be cheasy, but Dress Barn is also a really good place to find professional looking outfits, though their attire seems to be more geared to the 35 and up crowd. You should look professional, but not older than your age; it just looks like your faking it and its like a square peg in a round hole, it just doesn’t match up.

[Thomas Jefferson]

So, I'm on my third interview and only own two suits: a charcoal one and a black one. I've now worn the charcoal one twice. Help?

This might be helpful:
http://mylawschooldreams.wordpress.com/

4. Attire.

You may have or may not have been concerned with your attire during law school, and sure you probably had to dress up on occasion for mock trials, interviews, socials, etc. I would say most of the associates in my firm attempt to look professional, but there are usually a few things lacking.Wrinkles. Most of the associates have wrinkled clothing. I can’t figure it out, perhaps they just wash their clothes and leave them in a hamper all crimpled up? Hanging your clothing takes 10 mins and will ensure a smooth garment. Even if you do not have time to remove a piece of clothing from the dryer promptly at the end of the cycle, or all you have time for is throwing it in a hamper and can’t hang the garment, at least take a few mins to steam a shirt before wearing it. I do not recommend ironing as it is tricky, and it takes a lot of time. While you may not be able to get the same creases with steaming as you can with an iron, steaming will at least get the wrinkles out. Clean lines and pressed seams do not get much attention anyway, but wrinkles do. Handheld steamers run $20 to $50. Do not get on that has a hose, as this often creates spurting which will leave water spots on your clothing. My favorite steamer is the Joy Mongano “my little steamer” which is often sold on HSN in a variety of colors.

Color Matching and Pattern Clashing. Most females do a pretty good job with this, so I’m speaking mostly to the males here. First, identify if one piece of clothing has a pattern. If said article of clothing has a pattern, DO NOT MIX WITH ANOTHER PATTERN! This is pertinent and you are sure to look like a clown if you wear more than one pattern. The simplest way to wear patterns is to wear a plain, one color collared shirt with a patterned tie. Somewhere within the tie, there should be at least one color that matches identically to the color of said collared shirt. Some stores make this really easy by allowing you to buy a “pre-made” combo, this really takes the guess work out of the equation. You can usually find a shirt in your size that provides a perfectly matching tie and voila your good to go!

Black is easy and is most acceptable in the law profession. The first clothing purchase you make should be a black suit. As an associate you may not have a lot of money, so hit the sales at Macy’s and rather than having the suit tailored at the store, (you must have it tailored) buy it untailored and take it to a local tailor, this will save some cash and usually will come out more “tailored” than if you had left it at Macy’s for them to ship off to a seamstress that never even saw you.For the ladies, its important to look professional but do not misinterpret “professional” to mean “boring.” Ladies can often find suit sets easier and for less money than men. Again, Macy’s is usually pretty good and can be cheaper than going Ann Taylor. I know it may be cheasy, but Dress Barn is also a really good place to find professional looking outfits, though their attire seems to be more geared to the 35 and up crowd. You should look professional, but not older than your age; it just looks like your faking it and its like a square peg in a round hole, it just doesn’t match up.

Novice advice, at best.

[A'nold]

Wear the white shirt and buy a nice new tie A'nold!

Thread/

Thanks matlock!

[underdawg]

lol i still own one suit. charcoal. it was a stressful OCI though, rushing home to make sure i didn't spill shit on it, steaming it up every night, ugh.

but seriously no one is going to notice you wore the same suit. heck for OCI to callbacks, you can wear the same suit, and no one will notice or care.

but yeah owning one suit is oh so stressful

[A'nold]

lol i still own one suit. charcoal. it was a stressful OCI though, rushing home to make sure i didn't spill shit on it, steaming it up every night, ugh.

but seriously no one is going to notice you wore the same suit. heck for OCI to callbacks, you can wear the same suit, and no one will notice or care.

but yeah owning one suit is oh so stressful

Interesting. I was thinking of buying a navy suit so I had two for OCI season. I probably still will, but it's nice to know that they didn't notice.

[underdawg]

if its some crazy loud ass pinstriped suit they might notice. but imagine how many people they are interviewing, how much work they have to do, etc. would you notice something like that? only if it was super effing ugly would i remember