Should I dry-clean a brand new suit for an interview? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Or should I just wear the suit? Also, would it be acceptable for me to leave the blazer unbuttoned if I feel more comfortable in it that way? (first time I'm wearing a suit, as you might be able to tell)

[Anonymous User]

Or should I just wear the suit? Also, would it be acceptable for me to leave the blazer unbuttoned if I feel more comfortable in it that way? (first time I'm wearing a suit, as you might be able to tell)

1. Doesn't matter if you dry-clean it or not. No one will care or notice
2. Doesn't matter if you keep it buttoned or unbuttoned. No one will care or notice

[Anonymous User]

Dry-clean it if it's a wrinkled or dirty; if neither then leave it alone.

It is fine to have the jacket unbuttoned the entire time. If you aren't used to wearing a suit and the suit actually fits (i.e., it won't look weird on you while unbuttoned and standing) then I'd just leave it unbuttoned so you don't have to fumble with it.

Note, if it's a 2 button jacket, only button the top button. If it's a 3 button, only button the top two buttons.

[Anonymous User]

Or should I just wear the suit? Also, would it be acceptable for me to leave the blazer unbuttoned if I feel more comfortable in it that way? (first time I'm wearing a suit, as you might be able to tell)

1. Doesn't matter if you dry-clean it or not. No one will care or notice
2. Doesn't matter if you keep it buttoned or unbuttoned. No one will care or notice

Don't sit down with the jacket buttoned, it's likely to look real awkward.

[Anonymous User]

Or should I just wear the suit? Also, would it be acceptable for me to leave the blazer unbuttoned if I feel more comfortable in it that way? (first time I'm wearing a suit, as you might be able to tell)

1. Doesn't matter if you dry-clean it or not. No one will care or notice
2. Doesn't matter if you keep it buttoned or unbuttoned. No one will care or notice

Don't sit down with the jacket buttoned, it's likely to look real awkward.

I was going to add that in. I never keep a jacket buttoned during an interview. The moment you sit down, it looks weird. And you dont want to be continuously fumbling with buttons to open and close it as you sit and stand. Keep it buttoned until you get there, but you can open it as soon as you sit down for the first time.

[MrPapagiorgio]

I would dry clean it, but I clean all new clothes once before I wear them. So no, you don't have to.
And a quick tip about suits and jacket buttons: when you are standing, you typically leave it buttoned and unbutton it when you sit.

Three button: Sometimes fasten the top button, always fasten the middle, never fasten the bottom.
Two button: Fasten the top button, don't fasten the bottom button.
One button: Obvious

[snailio]

Tonight at your leisure, take a black light into a dark room and run it ova the suit to check for area's of contamination, if it passes this inspection the suit is safe to wear. Also try to make sure you put the button into it's matching hole.


Good luck

and stay well my friend

[Helmholtz]

Dear people who need to be anonymous to give dry-cleaning and suit-buttoning advice: This is why we cannot have nice things.

[Grizz]

Press the suit, don't dry clean it, broseph

[crumpetsandtea]

Dear people who need to be anonymous to give dry-cleaning and suit-buttoning advice: This is why we cannot have nice things.

[Bronte]

For future reference, this is a good thread for questions and some background reading on the subject: http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 23&t=63606. Standard practice to button the jacket's top button (assuming it's two button) when you're standing and unbutton it when you're sitting. If you're not comfortable executing this procedure, just leave it unfastened. Also, FYI, a blazer is a casual jacket, not a suit jacket.

[traehekat]

you dont really want to dry clean a suit unnecessarily, so i wouldn't bother.

[snailio]

For future reference, this is a good thread for questions and some background reading on the subject: http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 23&t=63606. Standard practice to button the jacket's top button (assuming it's two button) when you're standing and unbutton it when you're sitting. If you're not comfortable executing this procedure, just leave it unfastened. Also, FYI, a blazer is a casual jacket, not a suit jacket.

This: A golden thread

[mrloblaw]

I can't be the only one who notices when law students do not observe standard suit-buttoning protocol; a buttoned suit looks better while standing, especially if everything does not fit perfectly (and let's face it: most law students do not properly update their wardrobe every time they gain/lose five pounds).

If you feel that it's awkward to fumble with the suit buttons when sitting/standing, practice at home. Seriously. Looking like a freaking idiot for an hour in front of the mirror alone is better than looking like you don't know how to dress yourself in every interview you'll have for the rest of your life. You should be able to button/unbutton with one hand in a smooth, non-attention grabbing motion.

[dixiecupdrinking]

I can't be the only one who notices when law students do not observe standard suit-buttoning protocol; a buttoned suit looks better while standing, especially if everything does not fit perfectly (and let's face it: most law students do not properly update their wardrobe every time they gain/lose five pounds).

If you feel that it's awkward to fumble with the suit buttons when sitting/standing, practice at home. Seriously. Looking like a freaking idiot for an hour in front of the mirror alone is better than looking like you don't know how to dress yourself in every interview you'll have for the rest of your life. You should be able to button/unbutton with one hand in a smooth, non-attention grabbing motion.

Counterpoint: 75% of the attorneys you meet with at an interview will look like they tied their necktie like they tie their shoes (or, if business casual, like they haven't pressed their pants in 20 years, etc.).

Yours is certainly the proper style advice but is vanishingly unlikely to be something most interviewers notice or care about. Worth taking into consideration but fairly low on the typical law student's list of proper concerns going into a job interview.

[Naked Dude]

I can't be the only one who notices when law students do not observe standard suit-buttoning protocol; a buttoned suit looks better while standing, especially if everything does not fit perfectly (and let's face it: most law students do not properly update their wardrobe every time they gain/lose five pounds).

If you feel that it's awkward to fumble with the suit buttons when sitting/standing, practice at home. Seriously. Looking like a freaking idiot for an hour in front of the mirror alone is better than looking like you don't know how to dress yourself in every interview you'll have for the rest of your life. You should be able to button/unbutton with one hand in a smooth, non-attention grabbing motion.

As a stress not-eater (not that I've been stressed yet, just that I'm too lazy to go to the grocery store or leave my apartment to get food) , I've lost 10 pounds since starting law school, and my suit is looking boxy. Still, needed to lose that weight...feels good...I daresay I won't stop until I'm Christian Bale in The Machinist.

[03121202698008]

Press the suit, don't dry clean it, broseph

[Naked Dude]

Press the suit, don't dry clean it, broseph

Also this-you'll get a lot more mileage out of your suit if you press it instead of dry clean. My father (who is not an authority, just wears lots of suits) dry cleans them once a year--and no more than that unless they're filthy-i.e. shootout in the Sonoran Desert filthy.

[mrloblaw]

I can't be the only one who notices when law students do not observe standard suit-buttoning protocol; a buttoned suit looks better while standing, especially if everything does not fit perfectly (and let's face it: most law students do not properly update their wardrobe every time they gain/lose five pounds).

If you feel that it's awkward to fumble with the suit buttons when sitting/standing, practice at home. Seriously. Looking like a freaking idiot for an hour in front of the mirror alone is better than looking like you don't know how to dress yourself in every interview you'll have for the rest of your life. You should be able to button/unbutton with one hand in a smooth, non-attention grabbing motion.

Counterpoint: 75% of the attorneys you meet with at an interview will look like they tied their necktie like they tie their shoes (or, if business casual, like they haven't pressed their pants in 20 years, etc.).

Yours is certainly the proper style advice but is vanishingly unlikely to be something most interviewers notice or care about. Worth taking into consideration but fairly low on the typical law student's list of proper concerns going into a job interview.

Fair enough. Fashion is indeed a dying art in this country. If you'll excuse me, I need to go change into my Air Jordan's, a pair of khakis, and an un-stuffed thigh-length dress shirt, sans collar stays.

[dixiecupdrinking]

I can't be the only one who notices when law students do not observe standard suit-buttoning protocol; a buttoned suit looks better while standing, especially if everything does not fit perfectly (and let's face it: most law students do not properly update their wardrobe every time they gain/lose five pounds).

If you feel that it's awkward to fumble with the suit buttons when sitting/standing, practice at home. Seriously. Looking like a freaking idiot for an hour in front of the mirror alone is better than looking like you don't know how to dress yourself in every interview you'll have for the rest of your life. You should be able to button/unbutton with one hand in a smooth, non-attention grabbing motion.

Counterpoint: 75% of the attorneys you meet with at an interview will look like they tied their necktie like they tie their shoes (or, if business casual, like they haven't pressed their pants in 20 years, etc.).

Yours is certainly the proper style advice but is vanishingly unlikely to be something most interviewers notice or care about. Worth taking into consideration but fairly low on the typical law student's list of proper concerns going into a job interview.

Fair enough. Fashion is indeed a dying art in this country. If you'll excuse me, I need to go change into my Air Jordan's, a pair of khakis, and an un-stuffed thigh-length dress shirt, sans collar stays.

TYVM. Can I offer you a job?

[Naked Dude]

sans collar stays.

By far my biggest dress pet peeve. *Shudder*

[azntwice]

all buttoning advice applies if you are male. if you are female, button all buttons if standing and unbutton all buttons if sitting. also, i wouldn't take the risk of dry cleaning it before the interview as you have no clue what the cleaner might do to a perfectly good suit. just hang it up in the bathroom while you take a hot shower and let it steam out a bit.

[Eco]

Don't dry clean a new suit, it is already dry cleaned, assuming you bought it from somewhere nice. And make sure your suit is nice- don't target or JC penny this. The firms want someone who looks good to represent them.

Finally, buttoning your suit is not important, but it is more professional to do so. In your case, I don't reccomend it. You will have trouble opening the button when sitting down and you'll look dumb.

[Grizz]

Finally, buttoning your suit is not important, but it is more professional to do so. In your case, I don't reccomend it. You will have trouble opening the button when sitting down and you'll look dumb.

Ya if you have Parkinsons.

[anongoodnurse]

Also this-you'll get a lot more mileage out of your suit if you press it instead of dry clean. My father (who is not an authority, just wears lots of suits) dry cleans them once a year--and no more than that unless they're filthy-i.e. shootout in the Sonoran Desert filthy.

This. Every time you dry clean a suit, the chemicals strip off the very top layer of fabric. It doesn't take too many times before the suit gets threadbare. I just lost my favorite suit a few months back because of this. I took it in to the tailor to try to fix the holes in the crotch, and he said don't bother because there will be new ones after a few more wears. He asked how often I dry cleaned it, and I said every half dozen wears or so (usually a couple of months, but sometimes as often as a few weeks). He said that that was the problem -- I was basically dry cleaning it 6-8 times a year, which is about 5-7 times too many.

Here's what he recommended: Dry clean once a year, or even less often if you can get away with it. When it gets wrinkled, have it pressed. For any spots or smudges, first try to dab it off with a damp cloth. If that doesn't work, take it to the cleaners and ask if they can get the spot off without dry cleaning. If that's impossible, dry clean the jacket only (if that's where the spot is) -- the wear on that is less than on the pants. If you have to wear suits on back-to-back days, alternate them so the pants don't get too smelly. If that's starting to become a problem anyway, gently spray with Febreeze, but use as little as possible.

And yes, I had an issue with wearing a pair of pants 20-30 times between washes. The tailor said it's my choice -- replace the suit every five years or so, or do what he says.