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1. Doesn't matter if you dry-clean it or not. No one will care or noticeAnonymous User wrote: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)
Don't sit down with the jacket buttoned, it's likely to look real awkward.Anonymous User wrote:1. Doesn't matter if you dry-clean it or not. No one will care or noticeAnonymous User wrote: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)
2. Doesn't matter if you keep it buttoned or unbuttoned. No one will care or notice
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.Anonymous User wrote:Don't sit down with the jacket buttoned, it's likely to look real awkward.Anonymous User wrote:1. Doesn't matter if you dry-clean it or not. No one will care or noticeAnonymous User wrote: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)
2. Doesn't matter if you keep it buttoned or unbuttoned. No one will care or notice
Helmholtz wrote:Dear people who need to be anonymous to give dry-cleaning and suit-buttoning advice: This is why we cannot have nice things.
Bronte wrote: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.
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.).mrloblaw wrote: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.mrloblaw wrote: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.
Grizz wrote: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.blowhard wrote:Grizz wrote:Press the suit, don't dry clean it, broseph
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 wrote: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.).mrloblaw wrote: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.
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.
TYVM. Can I offer you a job?mrloblaw wrote: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 wrote: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.).mrloblaw wrote: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.
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.
By far my biggest dress pet peeve. *Shudder*mrloblaw wrote:sans collar stays.
Ya if you have Parkinsons.Eco wrote:
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.
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.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.