What to wear to a job interview--mid-level management?

[eks6426]

I''m currently job hunting and have sent out several resumes. Over the weekend, I realized that I don''t own intereview clothes anymore. I''ve been in my present job for 8 years so I haven''t had to buy any.

I''m in a mid-size city in the midwest so things are not super trendy here. Our nicest store is a Marshall Fields that will become a Macy''s soon. We do not have Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdales etc.

I will be interviewing for mid-upper level marketing jobs. Think Marketing Director --but generally for rather conservative companies. What would be considered the right dress these days? In the past I used to wear a suit with a skirt, nude pantyhose and pumps. But that just seems so old fashioned. I normally wear pants. Would a nice pants-suit be appropriate?

Any suggestions hugely appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[ame]

I tend to think that being in marketing allows just a little less conservative dress.

Maybe a nice pants suit with a really neat bright button up shirt or stripey button up shirt? A black or charcoal gray suit would be great iwth bright blue or red.

I tend to think JC Penney''s has decent suits, not too expensive.

 

[Mara]

It''s hard when you don''t have lots of stuff to try on but keep in mind that with your height you''d probably need some tailoring anyway, so you may have a bit more leeway on fit. If you wanted to order online, check out Nordstroms...and I really am in love right now with Theory for their business wear, I got a sweet pair of black pinstriped suit pants that are snazzy with side pockets and they fit my butt perfectly and don''t have that old lady suit feel! The jacket didn''t fit me (didnt have my size) but it was cute, shorter with a closer fit...and the whole thing would have been perfect with a colorful top OR just a cream top and colorful shoes or similar. I agree in Marketing you can get away with more, the companies may be conservative but dressing a bit out of the box shows imagination which is crucial in any high-level Marketing job.

I don''t wear skirts really at all so I''m a pantsuit kinda gal, also you''d be surprised but Juicy also makes pant bottoms, I''m not sure about tops but I got the cutest pair of thick wool khaki striped pants that have a huge lime green grosgrain ribbon running down the outside of each leg. I wear them with a tight fitting scooped neck Theory sweater and heeled black and tan shoes and I get tons of compliments on the ensemble. Not necessarily for an interview but it''s fun.

I would say nix the top and wear a thin classy sweater with pearls or something but you mentioned conservative so I''d say a pantsuit is very appropriate. But will be harder to find online I think. In terms of shopping locally, see what the stores have for the basic suit part and you can alwyas order the snazzy top or shoes online! I will say I was really shocked at STILL how old-fashioned some of these suit brands still are out there, even popular ones. I tried on a Tahari suit which I typically like and it was like a boxed huge old lady thing..it wasn''t until I put the Theory outfit on that I went WOW this actually works and makes me look thinner rather than some old fuddy duddy!! Good luck gal!

 

[selflove]

I used to be an executive recruiter.

Yes, you can definitely wear a pantsuit, just make sure it''s a suit and not slacks with a coordinating jacket. I think in marketing you could wear any color suit as long as it''s a neutral color (as opposed to navy blue or gray). I saw a lot of black suits that looked really sharp, when I was recruiting (west coast). Plus, with black, it won''t stand out as much so you could wear it on like your 1st and 3rd interviews (and not buy one new suit for each additional interview with the same company). A funky blouse with good accessories would be nice under a black suit. I think anything knit under the suit gives a more casual look--not that you can''t pull it off but if you do wear a sweater under a suit, make sure it''s of the highest quality and again, good quality accessories.

If you have time, I''d get the suit(s) tailored.

 

[eks6426]

I am thrilled to hear that a pant-suit is appropriate instead of a skirt-suit. Right now I have lots of separates..pants with jackets that aren''t the same material as the pants so I know I need a matching set.

I think black will be the most versitile color for me. I used to wear a lot of navy but it is hard enough to find modern cut pant-suits in black let alone navy.

I know that wool suits are generally considered the best, but I am allergic to all things wool (even if lined) so I am pretty much stuck with the rayon/poly stuff. I saw some suits on the Ann Taylor Loft site that I thought could work. The suits in my local stores are still very boxy. The only possibility is things at the LIMITED but they are low on stock right now.

As far as what to wear under it...I''m with Mara on a light knit sweater. Blouses don''t tend to work well on me since I''m bigger on top and they always gap at the buttons. I like to wear silk camis under my current jackets but I''m not thinking that''s appropriate for interviewing either.

I agree on tailoring. Unforunately I live in a city where it is hard to find someone to hem pants let alone do true tailoring.

 

[monarch64]

ID, have you checked out J. Crew for suiting? They have a beautiful navy suit that is very modern in cut. Most of their suiting pieces also come in petites, so you may not have to worry about hemming after all...

 

[eks6426]

The JCrew suits are cute...but unforunately all the darker color ones are wool and I cannot wear wool at all

Love the light blue cotton one but I''m thinking that''s a no for interviewing!

 

[sxn675]

Check out the Ann Taylor triacetate suits. I used to wear a suit every day for work and I had a couple of black jackets, a black skirt and black pants from there which really stretched my suit wardrobe. I did that so I could mix and match and have many black suits. I''d say a black pantsuit is something which will serve you well in a number of situations, so it''s good to have in your closet anyway (not just for this interview).

 

[monarch64]

Amen, I second the triacetate movement. For someone like ID who can''t wear wool, it is a wonderful option! Dammit, I miss Casual Corner! I have some great pieces from about 7 or 8 years ago from their collectibles collection that I can still wear, they are so classically cut.

Good luck with your interview apparel search, ID...let us know what you come up with!

 

[eks6426]

A big thank you to sxn675...I hit Ann Taylor to look for their triacetate suits on Saturday. I managed to shop off the clearance racks (yeah) and found a nice black pant-suit. The jacket is shorter and more fitted than anything else in the mall I was able to find. The pants fit great and will need no alterations. I liked that their pieces would mix and match from year to year since the fabric stays the same.

Monarch--I hugely miss Casual Corner. Most of my regular work clothes came from there. I was really sad to see them go. I will also miss their customer service. No matter which Casual Corner I''ve gone shopped, the staff has always been really helpful. I was really surprised at Ann Taylor that no one even bothered to say "hello" to me or offer to start a dressing room. Strange for a store that is more expensive than Casual Corner.

Now, I have the black suit, but I still haven''t figured out what to put under it. I know I definitely want something more eye catching than a basic white or cream top. I tried on all sorts of things with it, but nothing worked well. I thought maybe a thin sweater would look good but since I can''t wear wool or cashmire any sweater I tried on looked to casual. Would a silk or knit print pull over (no buttons) blouse work?

 

[monarch64]

I think a print sweater like you''re talking about would work, ID. I haven''t been shopping for work clothes for so long that I have no idea where you could find something like that. The only thing that comes to mind (of course) is J.Crew--they have beautiful egyptian cotton sweaters that are super-thin, but they''re solid colors. Hmmm...I would think you''d be able to find a fun top in a department store, or even a TJ Maxx. Watch out for patterns that are TOO busy, you want your interviewer to look at your face, not your chest, LOL!

 

[sxn675]

I''m glad you found something! What about a silk tank? You know, like the bottom part of a twinset? It''s probably a good idea to get a twinset (maybe silk or some sort of blend) anyway so if you can find one, then you can wear the bottom part underneath your suit. Otherwise, hit Marshalls or TJMaxx for something. Good luck!