Friday, February 10, 2012

SUIT UP!


Any other How I Met Your Mother fans out there?

While I'm not entirely referring to one of the Barney Stinson catchphrases, I'm more talking about finding a suit. Today I have a mock interview for one of my assignments for a business class, and it's basically a staged, practice interview with a real company but it just has no real job! It's supposed to be a great way to practice for real interviews and a HUGE career EXPO we have coming up next week. I'm wearing this great structured black, tweed Tahari dress that my mom picked up for me a while back: 
I'm adding black tights and plain black heels to make it dressier. It runs a little longer on me than this model, but you get the idea. Anyway, I am now a junior in the business school which means that it's officially time to start looking at REAL business wear: AKA SUITS. I've found a few that are more "me" and less "suit-y" than most:
(it even comes in tall--a major PRO for me!)
I just love that bow--too bad I can only find it in navy!
You're probably like WHAT--let me just say, their skirts and jackets are SO LONG that I'd just have to try it to test it out and see!
This one even has the TINIEST bit of pink in it!

So to all my fellow business scholars out there, do you just stick to structured dresses or have you gone with a skirt suit? I have friends who have done both, but nearly everyone owns at least one of both just to make sure that she's covered in every situation! This is one of the ONLY times I wish I was a boy because getting ready would be so easy!! To my business power women out there, what do you recommend?

Please let us know! This is very real life for many of us!

xxKatie

9 comments:

Buckhead Belle said...

I recommend whatever you feel most comfortable in! Some interviews told me up front NOT to wear a suit. Not sure why, but I think they wanted to see what you put together outside of the realms of a classic suit.

You can never go wrong with a structured dress. I always go with a great dress and pearls on days in the office when I have a big meeting.

But I think the most important thing, suit or not is to wear something that you fits well and flatters you so that you feel confident and ready to SHINE during that interview!

kelseaf said...

I interviewed for many of internship and full time job as a business student and I would go with a suit. It's always better to be a little overdressed then underdressed. And suits are expected in accounting and consulting firms!

Anna H said...

I love HIMYM! So obsessed with the 'Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit' number. I'm working at the Limited right now, and basically all of our suits come with pant, skirt, and jacket components, which is nice because you can mix it up. And IMO, a suit is always a good investment because you can break it up. A jacket over a dress or less-dressy pants, the skirt/pants with a cardigan. Most companies dress business casual now, but you can never go wrong with owning suits.

Maria Larsen said...

Oh I'm obsessed with Ann Taylor Loft; I feel like she can do no wrong! Good luck on your mock interview! I know you'll do great. Also, HIMYM = best show ever.

Kelly C said...

I love my J. Crew pencil skirts!! They are perfect.

Hilary said...

Like Buckhead Belle, I recommend wearing what's comfortable! If you're not a suit person, don't wear a suit. Personally, I think they're stuffy - but i'm not a business major/person. My sister went through undergrad business school & got her MBA without ever wearing a suit.

Express has AMAZING pants (for tall people, too!) that are so much more fashionable than suits - and they are extremely tasteful. Pairing a nice shirt (i.e. something with ruffles for example) with pants & topping it with a cardigan + belt or another jacket of sorts is JUST as acceptable as a suit and allows for your personality to shine.

Like everyone else has already said, you can't go wrong owning a suit, but ALWAYS wearing a suit can just get sort of 'blah' after a while!

Gracie Beth said...

I think I have gone CRAZY since I have been on so many interviews and still don't have a job (trust me you aren't in specialized engineering so you are good) I now start panicking and sweating when I put my nice tweet talbot's suit on. I am sure that isn't normal but also at this point since I have nothing to lose I now wear colored shirts and more fun accessories on interviews and don't fret over non-neutral nail polish.

Allison Hope said...

I saw this one girl who was a law student and what she did was she would wear Lilly Shifts, just not the bright ones, and pair them with a blazer or nice jacket and heels. I thought that was a great idea!

Anonymous said...

I've been in the business working world for about 5 years now and you should definitely invest in a nice skirt suit. Banana Republic and J. Crew suits are perfect for younger women. You can't go wrong wearing a suit and you can jazz it up with jewelry and beautiful blouses. In some places you may be able to get away without a suit, but here in the DC-area it's a must!