Men's Interview Clothing #3!

[MShopes]

Hahahaha Luda!

I think both will be fine. Just eenie meenie minie moe it.

Also... guys... this may sound odd. But for the love of god...

MATCH YOUR BELT TO YOUR SHOES
AND DO NOT WEAR WHITE SOCKS WITH BLACK DRESS SHOES!

Lmao white socks with black dress shoes? Who wears white socks any ways with a white shoes?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[CodeBlu]

+1

Can someone give me their opinion about vests?

I think overkill...

 

[CodeBlu]

Lmao white socks with black dress shoes? Who wears white socks any ways with a white shoes?

Dude, it happens all the time. My PI calls it as he sees it. He's like oops there goes another candidate with white socks and black shoes *shudder*... what a noob. (My PI used to be a football player/model type)

 

[FlowRate]

I have a strong personal interest in men's clothing. I've read books, blogs, and forums about it for years now. At my interviews, I often got compliments for my dress. I can explain the color/pattern/fit theory behind any of the recommendations I'm about to make below and will in some cases.

How do you guys plan on packing suits and dress shirt?

The garment bag idea is OK. I'll let you know what I did:

Each interview is only one or two days. All plane flights allow carry-ons: a backpack and a small suitcase. Reserve your small suitcase for your suit, dress shirt, dress socks, and undershirt. Buy nice/comfortable dress shoes so that you can wear them on your body. You can fold your suit in such a way that it will not get any wrinkles or creases while lightly folded inside your small suitcase. I did this for all of the interviews that I flew to.

light grey suits?

Fantastic. Buy one. Not as appropriate as navy/charcoal during winter, but excellent for fall interviews. Pair with light/desaturated blue, green, pink, purple, or white, grey, and black.

True. Never wear a sold black suit. You can wear a navy blue, charcoal, blackish suit, or blackish suit with light stripes. I have a charcoal suit and saw many others too.

Black suits on most people are bad, as are black shirts. It washes out your complexion. Not to mention the super-formal nature.

I'll wear whatever Barney Stinson wears!!!

Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) is dressed SUPER well in almost every episode. Copying any of his looks will put you above 90% of your fellow interviewees. Any suit that looks black on TV is probably actually charcoal or dark navy.

This suit is dope. Also what do you all think about wearing a vest?

Don't wear a vest. Trust me. You are not a banker, you are not an insurance company CEO, and you're definitely not james bond (I am).

Hmmm what about for a black male, I would think that a black suit would be too Men In Black-ish. How bout a grey suit? Any thoughts?

Black males are the exception to the hair-face contrast rules. Black males can wear virtually anything, but look especially good in high-contrast outfits. Grey with a white shirt and a dark tie will look good.

Gonna say that I disagree. I hate navy suits... charcoal is OK I guess.

But black suits are awesome. No matter what. You break it up with a white shirt and a nice tie.

Don't give people bad advice. Black suits are terrible.





GC: I'd recommend copying the post by Captain in one of the threads that gives a good overview. I could also write up some stuff.

EDIT: darnit, didn't see this until page 2.

 

[MShopes]

Dude, it happens all the time. My PI calls it as he sees it. He's like oops there goes another candidate with white socks and black shoes *shudder*... what a noob. (My PI used to be a football player/model type)

Lol that's crazy. I seen people wearing a suit with a sneaker in the train. That's more worse.

 

[HealthHare]

I think overkill...

I dunno, you might be able to get away with one in the winter

 

[CodeBlu]

Flowrate... it's my opinion. It's not wrong. It differs from yours. Chill dude.

PS. Way to edit your original post.. where you told me to get out of here.

In any case, a black suit is great for slimming those guys down who have a little extra weight. Not everyone is a toothpick.

 

[MShopes]

Flowrate... it's my opinion. It's not wrong. It differs from yours. Chill dude.

+1...Idk why would he assume it's bad advice if it is your opinion and some people might agree with it. Everyone has an opinion dude. At the end of the day, I think the general consensus is to buy a good quality suit that is matching with the shirt and tie and the color won't matter much because everyone's opinion differ. It is confidence about your cloth that matters in your reactions in interview day. I might be wrong but that's how I see it.

 

[FlowRate]

Flowrate... it's my opinion. It's not wrong. It differs from yours. Chill dude.

PS. Way to edit your original post.. where you told me to get out of here.

In any case, a black suit is great for slimming those guys down who have a little extra weight. Not everyone is a toothpick.

I saw you give some good advice when I read the rest of the thread that was updated while I was writing my post. Also, black is really not that slimming. Black is a disjarring color in most circumstances--it makes you stand out from the background. In effect, it can make you look bigger. Proper fit is much more helpful in waist suppression. Suits are made to make you look fit.

+1...Idk why would he assume it's bad advice if it is your opinion and some people might agree with it. Everyone has an opinion dude. At the end of the day, I think the general consensus is to buy a good quality suit that is matching with the shirt and tie and the color won't matter much because everyone's opinion differ. It is confidence about your cloth that matters in your reactions in interview day. I might be wrong but that's how I see it.

Regardless, it's not just my opinion. Men's business dress is defined by a set of standards, rules, and heuristics that were developed over literally hundreds of years. Men's suiting has not changed dramatically in over 100 years. There have been a couple swings in fashion, but they still have minor effects on suiting, which are only temporary. Black was a fashion trend 4 years ago--it's neither fashionable nor stylish to wear a black suit any more.

Moreover, color theory is also pretty standardized.

You can wear a black suit. You will look like 75% of your fellow interviewees. People that understand what I just explained will think you're just another clueless premed.

Dressing well gives the impression of confidence and experience. Why spend hundreds of hours trying to optimize the rest of your application and then throw away your first impression?

 

[NightGod]

Lol that's crazy. I seen people wearing a suit with a sneaker in the train. That's more worse.

More often than not you are seeing people who are low/mid-level employees who changed into their shoes after work. They can't afford the really comfortable dress shoes on their salary so they do this to cope.

 

[MShopes]

More often than not you are seeing people who are low/mid-level employees who changed into their shoes after work. They can't afford the really comfortable dress shoes on their salary so they do this to cope.

I understand and I'm not one of those guys whose parents make even 100 thousand+ income a year...I'm more like a middle class guy but I think if someone can't afford the good comfortable shoes, then they shouldn't bother wearing a suit and spend the money on something that will match better.

 

[Calvinball]

More often than not you are seeing people who are low/mid-level employees who changed into their shoes after work. They can't afford the really comfortable dress shoes on their salary so they do this to cope.

Or you're in the Canadian Brass....

 

[MShopes]

I saw you give some good advice when I read the rest of the thread that was updated while I was writing my post. Also, black is really not that slimming. Black is a disjarring color in most circumstances--it makes you stand out from the background. In effect, it can make you look bigger. Proper fit is much more helpful in waist suppression. Suits are made to make you look fit.




Regardless, it's not just my opinion. Men's business dress is defined by a set of standards, rules, and heuristics that were developed over literally hundreds of years. Men's suiting has not changed dramatically in over 100 years. There have been a couple swings in fashion, but they still have minor effects on suiting, which are only temporary. Black was a fashion trend 4 years ago--it's neither fashionable nor stylish to wear a black suit any more.

Moreover, color theory is also pretty standardized.

You can wear a black suit. You will look like 75% of your fellow interviewees. People that understand what I just explained will think you're just another clueless premed.

Dressing well gives the impression of confidence and experience. Why spend hundreds of hours trying to optimize the rest of your application and then throw away your first impression?

You are right and I'm not disagreeing but then again it was just his opinion and you bumped into the guy in a bad way. What about pink tie with a grey suit (striped with white ) and a white shirt? Like that of Luda's suit above despite that his tie is more of a light purple tie.

 

[trypanosomiasis]

Just find yourself a BAMF doppelganger to copy a style from, and you'll be fine. Confidence is key, so whatever you feel good wearing, wear . Popular suit guys include:

Frank Sinatra. Classy, timeless. Just leave your cigs and hat at home, gentlemen.

Zachary Levi, of "Chuck" fame. What we all want to be: attractors of hot women while retaining our nerdy pre-med side.

Hugh Laurie. Gracing the cover of French GQ. Need I say more?

For lighter material, J. Crew's got some excellent looking cotton twill suits that are also fairly cheaper than your average suit:
http://www.jcrew.com/mens_category/suitinganddressshirts.jsp?iNextCategory=-1

I'd recommend The Esquire Book of Style as an excellent, fairly basic guide to menswear in general.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/15..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1A02JNKX8P3C1NC4WPRE

 

[FlowRate]

You are right and I'm not disagreeing but then again it was just his opinion and you bumped into the guy in a bad way. What about pink tie with a grey suit (striped with white ) and a white shirt? Like that of Luda's suit above despite that his tie is more of a light purple tie.

I won't lie, I posted something rude, felt bad, edited it.

Anyway, the color combo is good. I would be hesitant the copy the fit/details of a suit from rappers and basketball players (typical images you see of wealthy black men wearing suits), as they're usually trying to be edgy, which is not what you want for interviews. Consider a Navy colored tie with a grey suit for the darker/dingier seasons/months.

 

[MShopes]

I won't lie, I posted something rude, felt bad, edited it.

Anyway, the color combo is good. I would be hesitant the copy the fit/details of a suit from rappers and basketball players (typical images you see of wealthy black men wearing suits), as they're usually trying to be edgy, which is not what you want for interviews. Consider a Navy colored tie with a grey suit for the darker/dingier seasons/months.

I think navy would be good with a grey suit but doesn't it look better with a black one? I won't wear a black suit for sure. I have always liked light lavender or pink colored ties on suits. I'm not trying to copy any rapper or basketball player but the color combo on that guy is nice. I'm only hesitant about wearing a pink tie or light lavender with a grey suit as this is more for occasions like weddings, prom...etc. Ughh it gives a headache to think so much about it!

 

[hiyaman]

So glasses,

I have two pairs one is squared with medium thickness and its black. My other pair is square without the bottoms? and its kinda wirey looking. I'm guessing wearing the one that is less noticeable looks better? I don't wear contacts btw.

 

[FlowRate]

I think navy would be good with a grey suit but doesn't it look better with a black one? I won't wear a black suit for sure. I have always liked light lavender or pink colored ties on suits. I'm not trying to copy any rapper or basketball player but the color combo on that guy is nice. I'm only hesitant about wearing a pink tie or light lavender with a grey suit as this is more for occasions like weddings, prom...etc. Ughh it gives a headache to think so much about it!

Navy and black is a hard pairing to get right in suiting. It's more easily done with denim and black clothes, which is a different subject.

You do raise a good point. Pink is generally a less formal color. Since your grey suit is already less formal (GOOD THING), you might want to wear a more conservative tie (black, navy, grey) to look more serious.

 

[FlowRate]

So glasses,

I have two pairs one is squared with medium thickness and its black. My other pair is square without the bottoms? and its kinda wirey looking. I'm guessing wearing the one that is less noticeable looks better? I don't wear contacts btw.

The black ones sound like the current fashion. They would probably fly. The wire ones are a more classic design IMO. Lots of the style people when they talk about classic design mention some glasses that would look downright outlandish right now. I would go with the wire ones, personally. There's no real rule here tho. If your personality is more trendy/edgy, it should be fine to go with the black ones.

 

[911 Turbo]

If Captainnerd doesn't come back I'm following flowrate's advice. Solid

 

[911 Turbo]

The black ones sound like the current fashion. They would probably fly. The wire ones are a more classic design IMO. Lots of the style people when they talk about classic design mention some glasses that would look downright outlandish right now. I would go with the wire ones, personally. There's no real rule here tho. If your personality is more trendy/edgy, it should be fine to go with the black ones.

Also, how do you feel about khackis with tennis shoes?

 

[FlowRate]

Also, how do you feel about khackis with tennis shoes?

Not sure if srs. But if you are, it looks nerdy. Tennis shoes are for working out. Casual dress is less regimented though, this post is just my opinion and is only based off of experience, not rules or theory.

 

[bambam02]

Black suits are a no no to interviews...

read what GQ says about it:
http://www.gq.com/style/style-guy/miscellany/200203/interview-overdressed

they also say no cuff links or flashy distracting things (like a monogram)

The color you wear should match your type of personality, this is a great guide to how interviewers perceive the colors the applicants wear:

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Colors-To-Wear-To-A-Job-Interview&id=1090450

They say to stay away from black, red, orange, purple,

keep yellow and pink at a minimum


Just some things from my experience--> don't get dressed too earlier in the day so that your clothes will wrinkle b4 you sit for interview

Also, if you reach into your pockets, and pull down your tucked in shirt periodically throughout the day, it will keep the front of your shirt nice and flat.

Bow ties are not appropriate as an applicant, even though your interviewer may wear one

 

[CodeBlu]

Black suits are a no no to interviews...

read what GQ says about it:
http://www.gq.com/style/style-guy/miscellany/200203/interview-overdressed

they also say no cuff links or flashy distracting things (like a monogram)

The color you wear should match your type of personality, this is a great guide to how interviewers perceive the colors the applicants wear:

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Colors-To-Wear-To-A-Job-Interview&id=1090450

They say to stay away from black, red, orange, purple,

keep yellow and pink at a minimum


Just some things from my experience--> don't get dressed too earlier in the day so that your clothes will wrinkle b4 you sit for interview

Also, if you reach into your pockets, and pull down your tucked in shirt periodically throughout the day, it will keep the front of your shirt nice and flat.

Bow ties are not appropriate as an applicant, even though your interviewer may wear one

While I love GQ... this is saying for a job interview. They say wear a black suit to an audition. At the point of a medical school interview, it is pretty much an audition, aka can you play the part of the doctor? Whether you wear black, navy, or grey... doesn't matter. Black is NOT too formal if done properly with a light pin stripe.

If you've never heard it... "it's better to over-dressed than under-dressed"

So what if you're the only one not wearing a charcoal suit? Some would argue that makes you stand out even more. Personally, no matter what you wear as long it's presentable... should be just fine. Instead of obsessing over what color suit... we should focus on speaking clearly and thinking on the spot quickly. I don't think I've ever heard of an interviewer (my brother is a physician and his friends sit on adcoms), say they have a check box for color of suit on their interview marking sheets. They all say things like...

"yeah some girl interviewed last week, she wore a tight leather mini-skirt... it was hard to listen to her answer with that low cut pink blouse."

"Some guy wore a mr.bean suit combo... I gave him some extra points for that"

Try and tell me that this DG suit doesn't look sharp.

 

[FattySlug]

Bunch of neurotic premeds trying to make fashion into some sort of study and research. Shocking. I know.

Are you seriously quoting GQ on this? If some big name research comes out and said that wearing pink bow tie will get you in med schools then the next day all the pink bow ties are sold out to SDNers.

Excuse me for not being up to the latest trend of navy suit. I am sure I will make a terrible physician and won't ever deserve make it to med schools.

What exactly so bad about being "too" formal with black suit? This is obviously a formal affair or else I should be able to wear my khakis.

 

[CodeBlu]

Bunch of neurotic premeds trying to make fashion into some sort of study and research. Shocking. I know.

Are you seriously quoting GQ on this? If some big name research comes out and said that wearing pink bow tie will get you in med schools then the next day all the pink bow ties are sold out to SDNers.

Excuse me for not being up to the latest trend of navy suit. I am sure I will make a terrible physician and won't ever deserve make it to med schools.

What exactly so bad about being "too" formal with black suit? This is obviously a formal affair or else I should be able to wear my khakis.

Nothing at all!

Wear what you feel comfortable in, and look presentable. S'all good! I think it's more important what comes out of your mouth.

 

[Illinois2012]

Nothing at all!

Wear what you feel comfortable in, and look presentable. S'all good! I think it's more important what comes out of your mouth.

Or what goes in your mouth. Poop hot dog anyone?

 

[FearAndInsomnia]

.

 

[FearAndInsomnia]

Try and tell me that this DG suit doesn't look sharp.

 

[CodeBlu]

Hahahah great pic man.

And I like your post.

There ain't nothing wrong with black!

But I do like the charcoal gray suits.

 

[FlowRate]

Black suits are a no no to interviews...

read what GQ says about it:
http://www.gq.com/style/style-guy/miscellany/200203/interview-overdressed

they also say no cuff links or flashy distracting things (like a monogram)

The color you wear should match your type of personality, this is a great guide to how interviewers perceive the colors the applicants wear:

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Colors-To-Wear-To-A-Job-Interview&id=1090450

They say to stay away from black, red, orange, purple,

keep yellow and pink at a minimum


Just some things from my experience--> don't get dressed too earlier in the day so that your clothes will wrinkle b4 you sit for interview

Also, if you reach into your pockets, and pull down your tucked in shirt periodically throughout the day, it will keep the front of your shirt nice and flat.

Bow ties are not appropriate as an applicant, even though your interviewer may wear one

Good post. I don't usually like to quote GQ because their job can sometimes be to sell fashionable clothes, which occasionally means bad advice, but this article in particular is spot-on.

While I love GQ... this is saying for a job interview. They say wear a black suit to an audition. At the point of a medical school interview, it is pretty much an audition, aka can you play the part of the doctor? (1) Whether you wear black, navy, or grey... doesn't matter. Black is NOT too formal if done properly with a light pin stripe. (2)

If you've never heard it... "it's better to over-dressed than under-dressed" (3)

So what if you're the only one not wearing a charcoal suit? (4) Some would argue that makes you stand out even more. Personally, no matter what you wear as long it's presentable... should be just fine. (5) Instead of obsessing over what color suit... we should focus on speaking clearly and thinking on the spot quickly. I don't think I've ever heard of an interviewer (my brother is a physician and his friends sit on adcoms), say they have a check box for color of suit on their interview marking sheets. They all say things like...

"yeah some girl interviewed last week, she wore a tight leather mini-skirt... it was hard to listen to her answer with that low cut pink blouse."

"Some guy wore a mr.bean suit combo... I gave him some extra points for that"

Try and tell me that this DG suit doesn't look sharp. (6)

1. No. It's a professional school interview, not an audition. By audition, they're referencing music auditions. Black is appropriate because musicians are usually expected to dress extremely formally (it can be appropriate to wear a tux to a music audition).
2. Yes, if you MUST wear black, make it a subtle pinstripe.
3. It is not appropriate to show up to your med school interview in a white-tie tux.
4. You'll be one of the other 75% wearing a black suit. You will blend in and contribute to the jokes about the funeral parade.
5. Yes, but I usually try not to shoot myself in the foot before a race.
6. That DG suit is Navy. It looks great.

Bunch of neurotic premeds trying to make fashion into some sort of study and research. Shocking. I know.

Are you seriously quoting GQ on this? If some big name research comes out and said that wearing pink bow tie will get you in med schools then the next day all the pink bow ties are sold out to SDNers.

Excuse me for not being up to the latest trend of navy suit. I am sure I will make a terrible physician and won't ever deserve make it to med schools.

What exactly so bad about being "too" formal with black suit? This is obviously a formal affair or else I should be able to wear my khakis.

I'm going to use wikipedia for this, because it's the most convenient right now. You know how I mentioned that men's clothing follows a strict set of rules (in western countries) which were developed over hundreds of years? Similarly, there is a set of terminology used to describe which items one is expected to wear.

Formal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formal_wear

Medical school interviews are "informal" or "business dress."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informal_attire

Or what goes in your mouth. Poop hot dog anyone?

blah blah blah. same crap as usual. "Black is OK to wear" "Who cares, I wore sneakers, a black suit, Hawaiin shirt, and a red gingham bow tie to my interview and I got in." "Dress shoes cost $200!" Honestly this thread is not for those of you with that mind set.

If you came here looking to learn about classic menswear then pay attention. Listen to what Captainnerd and Flowrate have to say. And ,if you really don't care about what you are wearing to your interview then stop reading and go on your way. I couldn't care less. I just want to help those who like me, wanted to look well dressed, yet have no idea wear to start.

With that said, this is what I would tell someone if they knew nothing and wanted my advice.

Suit: Keep it simple. Navy or Charcol. Buy the best you can afford (JCP or Macys is fine if thats all you can do.) When trying jackets on, the most important thing is the fit on the shoulders. The jacket shoulders should end where your shoulders end. Also, check where the the sleeves come in to the body of the jacket aka the "armhole." Their should not be a large amount of fabric dangling bellow your arm as if it were an extra 10lbs of fat. Second is length. Your jacket should fall approximately at your knuckle or in the middle of your proximal phalanges, depending on your proportions. These three are the most important aspects of fit as they are often difficult and expensive for a tailor to fix.Sleeve length and the waste of the jacket are less important as they can usually be altered easily. Pants are often sold unfinished and must be hemmed. The tailor will likely go for a full break (the first fold in the pants caused by the pant resting on your shoe.) However, most stylish men prefer a very light to no break. The old school rule for cuffing your pants is only to cuff if the pants are pleated. However, cuffed pants look perfectly fine with flat front trouser (IMHO) just keep the cuff at or under 2".

Even if the jacket fits well, be sure to set aside some money for alterations. If you don't know of a good tailor in your city try this: Google " 'your city' tailor styleforum." It will be a good starting point to find someone in your area. If you want to spend some money on a suit their are some companies (Hugo Boss and Joeseph Aboud) to stay away from, and some you haven't heard of that you should be looking at (Hickey Freeman and Hart Schaffner Marx). I recommend doing your research (read styleforum) knowing your size and then checking out Ebay or Nordstrom Rack.

Don't we wish!

Shirt: Again Keep it simple. White or light blue. Your shirt should fit in a specific way. Read this article to see how. For most guys the brooks brothers extra-slim fit or slim-fit dress shirts are a good bet. They are a relatively high quality shirt and are affordable at ~$70-80. Trust me you'll want the ESF or SF. "Traditional" fit shirts are serious tents and when tucked in, will puff out and look blousy and horrible.

This spread collar will help eliminate any "collar gap"


Tie: Do I even need to say it? Keep it simple. Navy repp stripe (or dott) is probably the safest and most conservative bet. Honestly just go to http://www.drakes-london.com look at what they make and try to find something similar. Their ties are classic and simple. If you want to spend a little extra to get something nice check out Sam Hober the quality is top notch and they are semi affordable at ~$80.

Shoes: Here is where most people **** the bed. save some money and buy a good pair of dress shoes. If you take care of them, they will last you 10+ years. Turn to styleforum again for this one. Send a message to member Allaboutshoes. He is some kid of wholesaler for Allen Edmonds and can get any appropriate model (park ave. or 5th ave) for ~$225 shipped. The styleforum classified and ebay will have lots of great shoes for steep discounts as well.

I understand money is tight for everybody, and if you can't swing that much for shoes its fine. Just don't wear square toed slip on hush puppies or loafers or anything square toed. Stick with a balmoral cap-toe or punch cap. This Florsheim Lexigton can be found for about ~$70 and fits the bill.

Fit: The best way to get an idea of how everything should fit is to check out some menswear blogs. I think some of the best are:

Mostexerent.

Ethan Desu

P. Johnson Tailors

The Armoury

and of course Put This On. Id strongly recommend watching all of their videos.

Seriously try to dress like GW:

Hope this helps those that are interested.

Great post!

For shoes, if you don't have $250 to drop, look at something like Bostonians. They're between 70 and 130 and will get you through interview season in proper form. It's a toss-up as to the quality of a particular shoe from Bostonians. My dad has had great success with them, while my pair had some sort of film that got all screwed up when I shined mine. If you refrain from shining the cheaper ones, they'll be fine (the film gives them a gloss). These do not constitute "good dress shoes" but they are good enough for interviews.

I don't like this look at all. The fat horizontal stripes on that tie look terrible with that pinstripe. And brown shoes with a dark suit?

People reading this: do not ever match patterns (don't wear a pinstriped tie with a pinstriped suit). When combining patterns, you want them to be different in scale or type or both. It's easiest to stick to only one pattern per outfit. Brown shoes look strange to Americans right now because of the bad stuff that happened to business fashion for the last 20 years. It is very well accepted that brown or black can be worn with a navy suit. Brown is more continental (european), black is british.

 

[Alejandro]

http://www.florsheim.com/shop/style/13039.html

Sale for 60 bux? win?

 

[FearAndInsomnia]

.

 

[MightyMoose]

What about like a navy jacket with khaki pants? Too informal? I'm just thinking walking around El Paso, or anywhere in TX for that matter, in August in a charcoal suit is going to be incredibly uncomfortable... break the shades out

Don't do it. Khaki's are way too informal, at least in my opinion. I saw a few guys in khaki's at a couple of my interviews and it just looked... odd. You have to remember, you're going to be a sea of suits, so why stand out as the under-dressed one?

This suit is dope. Also what do you all think about wearing a vest?

Skip the vest. Unless you plan on getting married right after the interview...

I got this last week. It fits 2 suits, and basically everything else you need for 1-2 days, and it's small enough to be a carry on.

That bag looks great! I wish I had one like that when I was traveling for interviews.

Hmmm what about for a black male, I would think that a black suit would be too Men In Black-ish. How bout a grey suit? Any thoughts?

The guys I knew who pulled off the grey suit well had a darker complexion and a more olive skin tone. As a black male, I think you could pull off the grey suit quite well. Just make sure to get it tailored, this is key to making a suit look sharp. A good tailor can make a $50 suit look and fit like a $400 suit (slight exaggeration, but you get the point).

 

[MightyMoose]

I understand and I'm not one of those guys whose parents make even 100 thousand+ income a year...I'm more like a middle class guy but I think if someone can't afford the good comfortable shoes, then they shouldn't bother wearing a suit and spend the money on something that will match better.

What does parents' income have to do with it? Often people will also switch to sneakers for train rides/walks home so they do not scuff up their shoes unnecessarily on the way home or so they don't get wet in the rain, etc.. The commute to and from work creates quite a bit more wear on your dress shoes if you're using public transportation (usually entails quite a bit more street/sidewalk walking.

Remember, these guys are wearing their shoes Mon-Fri for 8-12 hours a day. Cut them some slack.

 

[Uwish]

So, is it ever ok to wear black loafers with a gray suit? Are loafers ever allowed with any suit?

 

[mitchlucker]

Bought a navy suit a few years ago for interviews. Need to have it tailored again but it fits pretty well.

Suit is navy with subtle pinstripes.

Black, round toe shoes.

I am wearing a white shirt with french cuffs (I like the look) and the links are not shiny/gaudy.

The problem I'm having is what color socks to wear and what color tie to wear.

If you guys could help me out I'd appreciate it.

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

So, is it ever ok to wear black loafers with a gray suit? Are loafers ever allowed with any suit?

I think loafers look fine with a suit. There are a lot of deisgns which are just leather and look like regular pair of formal shoes. I have seen a lot of ads and articles in GQ and Details, and a lot of time they look fine.

 

[Uwish]

Thanks Meow. Anyone else care to comment? I already have to buy the garment bag/duffle thingy and new dress shoes are pricey.

 

[MightyMoose]

And brown shoes with a dark suit?

This can work and actually look really sharp. Brown shoes are riskier, but if you know what you are doing, with a navy suit, they can look really good. Just be sure to match your belt to your shoes.

 

[MightyMoose]

Thanks Meow. Anyone else care to comment? I already have to buy the garment bag/duffle thingy and new dress shoes are pricey.

I wouldn't go for loafers. I am of the mind that they are a casual shoe. Here is an article from GQ addressing this question. Now remember, this guy is asking about wearing them to work and not to an interview, which is considered more formal than a day at the office.

http://www.gq.com/style/style-guy/shoes/200907/when-to-wear-loafers

 

[MightyMoose]

So glasses,

I have two pairs one is squared with medium thickness and its black. My other pair is square without the bottoms? and its kinda wirey looking. I'm guessing wearing the one that is less noticeable looks better? I don't wear contacts btw.

I had this same dilemma last year and decided to go with the square ones for the very reason you state, they are more pronounced. The square glasses, depending on style, can act as facial jewelry to accentuate your features and impress a sense of style. They are slightly bolder and can portray confidence and intellect at the subconscious level. Either would work, but I decided on the square in black and felt it worked quite well.

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

I had this same dilemma last year and decided to go with the square ones for the very reason you state, they are more pronounced. The square glasses, depending on style, can act as facial jewelry to accentuate your features and impress a sense of style. They are slightly bolder and can portray confidence and intellect at the subconscious level. Either would work, but I decided on the square in black and felt it worked quite well.

Somewhat related, but what about deciding on glasses vs. contacts? I currently alternate between glasses and contacts from day to day so it is not really a permanent style. They are a pair of black Burberry frames, ones that just have the frame on top. Nothing special, but look decent in my opinion.

Is there any reason to go with glasses over contacts?

 

[bucks2010]

for those still on the market for shoes, I recommend spending ~$100 for a pair of Allen-Edmonds Park Avenues on ebay. I spent about that much for a used pair. The uppers are in fantastic condition, the shoes fit like gloves, and when the soles wear out I can have them re-soled. AE shoes are known to last for decades with appropriate maintenance - you could not make a better investment than going with a shoe that will last.

also - go to Dillards, Nordstrom, et al and try on a pair of AE's, then go buy a used pair on ebay for $200 cheaper.

 

[MightyMoose]

Somewhat related, but what about deciding on glasses vs. contacts? I currently alternate between glasses and contacts from day to day so it is not really a permanent style. They are a pair of black Burberry frames, ones that just have the frame on top. Nothing special, but look decent in my opinion.

Is there any reason to go with glasses over contacts?

I went with glasses for a few reasons.

1) I didn't want my eyes to dry out and have to start blinking or making odd faces during my interview as a result of my dry lenses.

2) I was worried about what would happen if one fell out or I got something in my eye.

3) Even though most people won't admit it, people wearing glasses are perceived as being more intellectual. Obviously, wearing glasses won't make you smarter, but they will give a subconscious impression to others that you are smarter. This one was somewhat important for me, because I'm a bigger guy and look kind of like a jock, so I decided to go for the intellectual impression, rather than the meathead impression.

 

[bucks2010]

Park Avenues - doesn't get any more classic than this:

 

[Coffee Machine]

+1

Can someone give me their opinion about vests?

Vests are too formal. Three piece suits are for weddings, imho.

 

[FearAndInsomnia]

.

 

[MrLahey]

From what I have heard light grey is the original traditional ie that's what has been worn since the 50's and Navy and Charcoal have kind of taken over not that light grey isnt traditional.....Black however is not considered traditional at all...it's not bad, but black is defianaetly a modern trend

 

[rxnfiend]

If going with a charcoal suit and a light blue shirt, what color tie should I wear?

Also, I have interviews lined up in late August - should I go with the charcoal suit for those also or for a more fallish suit such as light gray? I guess I will be buying two of the same shirts to wear because I have interviews only 3 days apart first.