Interview Attire

[Blackwater]

I have seen some fairly petite suits in the junior's (not women's) section at Macy's, they were also reasonably priced! If you are in a bind you can consider buying the closest fit and then having it tailored. 

6 hours ago, hsrnl said:

Does anyone know where I can get a blazer or something to fit a very small person? I got an interview invite without much notice and I just went in basically every store in my subpar local mall and couldn't find anything that fit. I'm not that short but I am very thin, and professional clothing all seems to be huge on me for some reason. 

I have a feeling I'm going to have to buy a bunch of things online with express shipping... This is not going to be fun considering I'm both poor and Canadian. 

[Clinpsyc01]

15 hours ago, FacelessMage said:

I would try anywhere that has petites....Reitman's, Sears, Cleo, etc. They'll likely have stuff small enough. Express also carries smaller sizes. You can always have it tailored afterward to properly fit you. 

Feel free to PM me if you need more ideas.  

Thanks for the ideas! I don't normally wear petite sizes but I'll check out those places. 

9 hours ago, Blackwater said:

I have seen some fairly petite suits in the junior's (not women's) section at Macy's, they were also reasonably priced! If you are in a bind you can consider buying the closest fit and then having it tailored. 

Unfortunately I don't think we have Macy's in Canada, but I will look at juniors sections in other stores! 

 

[01848p]

What do people normally wear to the more social events like a diversity brunch or dinner at a faculty member's house?

[swil92]

Usually dress slacks, nice shoes, nice shirt, and maybe a sweater or jacket. I have seen people wear nice jeans and a blazer or sweater, too.

[01848p]

16 hours ago, swil92 said:

Usually dress slacks, nice shoes, nice shirt, and maybe a sweater or jacket. I have seen people wear nice jeans and a blazer or sweater, too.

Thanks! 

 

On a separate note, is it a problem if I have my nose pierced? Is it advised to take the piercing out for the duration of the interview day? 

[cheesecafe]

On 1/3/2017 at 7:12 PM, hsnl said:

Does anyone know where I can get a blazer or something to fit a very small person? I got an interview invite without much notice and I just went in basically every store in my subpar local mall and couldn't find anything that fit. I'm not that short but I am very thin, and professional clothing all seems to be huge on me for some reason. 

I have a feeling I'm going to have to buy a bunch of things online with express shipping... This is not going to be fun considering I'm both poor and Canadian. 

Try Banana Republic! Their petite section has some really small sizes that fit well on small and thin bodies. They also give you a discount if you're a student (only in stores I think) and they have a massive sale right now. I didn't have to tailor anything.

[JungAndNotAFreud]

1 hour ago, 01848p said:

Thanks! 

 

On a separate note, is it a problem if I have my nose pierced? Is it advised to take the piercing out for the duration of the interview day? 

I'm not taking mine out, I never do. But I have a small stud----I only wear my hoop when out with friends. I hope that's not an issue, but honestly I'm going to wear it all the time if I'm admitted, so I guess it makes sense to just keep it in. 

[Clinapp2017]

Okay, so I'm a guy and I'm definitely wearing a suit to my interviews! But my question is the following:

 

Is wearing a nice suit with a vest too much? I love how my navy suit and vest look on me with a specific tie, but I'm wondering if that's _too_ formal. 

 

I don't think so but my family is stressing me out by telling me it's too formal. I figure it can't be bad to slightly over dress (as long as I'm not wearing a tux).

 

Any thoughts?

 

Best of luck to everyone with the interview process! 

[Blackwater]

I would say it is more formal than what most men wear, but not so formal that is socially awkward. Since you feel really comfortable wearing it I say that is the best option!

22 minutes ago, Clinapp2017 said:

Okay, so I'm a guy and I'm definitely wearing a suit to my interviews! But my question is the following:

 

Is wearing a nice suit with a vest too much? I love how my navy suit and vest look on me with a specific tie, but I'm wondering if that's _too_ formal. 

 

I don't think so but my family is stressing me out by telling me it's too formal. I figure it can't be bad to slightly over dress (as long as I'm not wearing a tux).

 

Any thoughts?

 

Best of luck to everyone with the interview process! 

 

[cosimaniehaus]

should I wear a suit/blazer for a skype interview? or is a nice blouse fine?

[Anxiousapplicant01]

16 hours ago, cosimaniehaus said:

should I wear a suit/blazer for a skype interview? or is a nice blouse fine?

Nice blouse is fine. Really anything that you would wear out of your house and not be embarrassed to be seen in during the day is probably fine. 

[psychpride9]

Slightly off topic, but are people bringing their laptops to interview? I feel like it'd be really nice to just have your clothes and necessary papers with you, so I'm curious if people think carrying a laptop around would be necessary. 

[Anxiousapplicant01]

18 minutes ago, psychpride9 said:

Slightly off topic, but are people bringing their laptops to interview? I feel like it'd be really nice to just have your clothes and necessary papers with you, so I'm curious if people think carrying a laptop around would be necessary. 

Current grad student here who interviewed several places. No one at any of my interviews had a laptop with them, but many brought a nice leather portfolio to carry copies of CVs and other papers. If you're a guy, maybe you could get away with carrying a laptop bag and having it in there just in case, but carrying one around is def. not the norm. 

[psychpride9]

6 minutes ago, Anxiousapplicant01 said:

Current grad student here who interviewed several places. No one at any of my interviews had a laptop with them, but many brought a nice leather portfolio to carry copies of CVs and other papers. If you're a guy, maybe you could get away with carrying a laptop bag and having it in there just in case, but carrying one around is def. not the norm. 

Thank you, this is very helpful!  

[neur0cat]

I'm international and hail from a country with a tropical climate. Given interviews are in winter, I would like to seek some advice regarding how formal blouses should be. I'm trying to steer away from wearing a suit as not only is it costly to purchase, I've never worn one before and expect I might feel rather uncomfortable if I were to do so at interviews. I am also not interviewing for clinical programs so I'm not too sure if a full suit is expected/necessary. 

Do you think the following blouses would work (with dress pants) or are they too informal? Would regular black ankle boots work for interviews or is it necessary to change into heels? 

Thanks very much!

[Emotix]

I think those tops are fine for the other events during an interview weekend, but might be a bit too casual for the actual interview itself. You could try to find something similar that has a collar and/or is a button down blouse, or something that looks nice tucked in a bit so it isn't so flowy/casual-looking. Of course, these are just my opinions, but below are some styles that I think would work well without a suit jacket that are similar to what you have above. 

[soccerplaya]

Hi all, just wanted to say that I know several University of Michigan social psychology students, and to them, business casual is extremely appropriate (see example) and business formal, while not inappropriate, is slightly out of place. I imagine you wouldn't "lose points," but you just might feel a bit stiff compared to other people. Note that this definitely doesn't apply to the clinical or business areas, though.

[swil92]

Re: nose rings

 

It is your call. I am surprised how uptight faculty are now that I am admitted and in the program. I personally wouldn't wear it, even though I think it is super stupid if they think anything less of you for it. 

Edited January 8, 2017 by swil92

[swil92]

On 1/5/2017 at 10:02 AM, JungAndNotAFreud said:

I'm not taking mine out, I never do. But I have a small stud----I only wear my hoop when out with friends. I hope that's not an issue, but honestly I'm going to wear it all the time if I'm admitted, so I guess it makes sense to just keep it in. 

 

On 1/5/2017 at 8:05 AM, 01848p said:

Thanks! 

 

On a separate note, is it a problem if I have my nose pierced? Is it advised to take the piercing out for the duration of the interview day? 

It is your call. I am surprised how uptight faculty are now that I am admitted and in the program. I personally wouldn't wear it, even though I think it is super stupid if they think anything less of you for it. edit: If it is a small stud, I don't think it would be a problem.

Edited January 8, 2017 by swil92

[01848p]

5 hours ago, swil92 said:

 

It is your call. I am surprised how uptight faculty are now that I am admitted and in the program. I personally wouldn't wear it, even though I think it is super stupid if they think anything less of you for it. edit: If it is a small stud, I don't think it would be a problem.

I have a stud as well. I'm south asian so mine is for cultural reasons. I hope they won't mind it :/ 

[Le Chat]

Super thankful for this thread! I have a great skirt suit for the interview, but I'm considering what to wear for the student social. I have a yellow blazer that I pair with a black and white striped skirt, black tights and flats. Would this business casual outfit be too formal or colorful for the social? It's something I feel confident in, but I could always dress it down.

[Le Chat]

On 1/8/2017 at 9:11 PM, 01848p said:

I have a stud as well. I'm south asian so mine is for cultural reasons. I hope they won't mind it :/ 

I would think that any cultural attire is considered fine, especially in this field. You could always ask the graduate students their take if you aren't sure. In a past graduate interview (counseling program), at least 3 women in the group had nose/other facial piercings. They looked professional, and the interview panel didn't mind (they were accepted.)

[dormcat]

On 1/8/2017 at 4:12 PM, soccerplaya said:

Hi all, just wanted to say that I know several University of Michigan social psychology students, and to them, business casual is extremely appropriate (see example) and business formal, while not inappropriate, is slightly out of place. I imagine you wouldn't "lose points," but you just might feel a bit stiff compared to other people. Note that this definitely doesn't apply to the clinical or business areas, though.

UMich doesn't hold an interview weekend though, only a recruitment weekend. I plan on wearing my suit because, well, that's what I bought for interviews and they've ended up being on the phone. Once you're accepted they're not going to take away your acceptance because you've dressed more formally than others. In general, I would warn people that you can't go too formal unless you're wearing a ball gown or tuxedo. If you have a suit or can get a suit (skirt or pant for women), wear it.

[neur0cat]

Thank you @Emotix!  Would you think ankle boots (something like this) are fine, or would flats/heels be advised? I am mostly interviewing on the East Coast and it's expected that it'd be cold.

Also, what do people think of going with a boucle blazer?

Edited January 12, 2017 by neur0cat

[01848p]

24 minutes ago, neur0cat said:

Thank you @Emotix!  Would you think ankle boots (something like this) are fine, or would flats/heels be advised? I am mostly interviewing on the East Coast and it's expected that it'd be cold.

Also, what do people think of going with a boucle blazer?

Is the blazer black or patterned/colorful?