Help! Interview dress code (female)?

Hi everyone:

I'm a women (college junior ) preparing for a first round consulting interview. Can I get some feedback on what I should wear?

I'm wearing a dress shirt, jacket, and skirt. the skirt and jackets and my shoes are all black. Is it okay to wear black pantyhose with this set? I've heard from some websites that you can only wear sheer pantyhose...so i'm kind of confused...

any fellow female consultants here? what do you guys think?

Thanks!

Should I wear black pantyhose or nude colored ones? I've read on some websites that you can't wear black pantyhose and you can only wear nudes....what's your take?

18 Comments
 

Strictly speaking, black pantyhose are not suitable for business environment as they are considered "too sexy" (beats me why but those are the conservative dress code rules) but my women colleagues often wear black pantyhose to work and it's perfectly fine. Unless you're interviewing with a company that is known for being super-conservative I wouldn't worry about it at all since dress code for women is generally more relaxed than for men. Just wear what you feel comfortable in.

Having said that, your outfit seems to be very black, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to lighten it up a bit. I haven't seen it so obviously it's just a thought.

 
Best Response

Just look at yourself in the mirror, and think: if I were the CEO of the company and she walked in as the consultant I just hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire, would I take her seriously? Its really more about how you feel about your outfit yourself, I'm sure that if Elle Woods came in a bright pink suit and had all the poise, confidence, and interview skills of the best candidate, they wouldn't think twice about hiring her. Some people needs uber-conservative black suits and tan pantyhoise to feel like they will be taken seriously, others can get away with wearing something a bit more quirky, yet still have the same overall effect on people because they're comfortable with what they put on that morning. Whatever you do, don't let others influence your ultimate decision if you're not feeling it yourself!

 

I will not bore you with pep talks about confidence, if you don't know prepare your stuff and are not a good fit, you will not be hired.

As a successful woman who works in a corporate environments, here are some tips: 1. Navy in lieu of black. Avoid black if possible, too often it looks like you're going to a funeral. J Crew, Theory, Ann Taylor and Brooks Brothers make good ones at reasonable prices. I prefer pant suits but some conservative cos prefer skirts

  1. A clean, white dress shirt that does not show your under garments....(I've seen a chick walk in with a sheer shirt and sequined bra at a networking event to attract a GS guy, you read right a SEQUINED bra... no joke)

  2. Pantyhose generally sheer, but black opaque are ok if your outfit is black (again, you don't want to look like a funeral director). If you are going to wear a skirt suit, please remember to shave/wax your legs (I have seen women walk on streets with gorilla hairy legs which were not sufficiently disguised by their opaque pantyhose)

  3. Clean, polished sensible shoes (black, brown or cordovan are the typical colors - the heels should be comfortable for you to walk around in...this is not the time/place for the fuck-me heels)

  4. Jewelry or accessories should be kept to a minimum

  5. Well-groomed hairstyle (keep it simple, no scrunchies, no swarovski-crystal clips etc)

  6. Cleaned and trimmed fingernails (no nail art, we love M.I.A, Rihanna on our iPods but not at workplace)

  7. Pay attention to your body language, listen and take your time to answer

Spell check your resume and good luck on your interview

PS. remember to rock the suits but not look dyke

Let's make better mistakes tomorrow
 

Yes, never interviewed. Wanted to do academia. No one cares how you look or talk in academia or what you wear.

It ain't what you know, it's who you know
 

I'm not female, but I know the answer to these questions:

  1. Heels are generally the safe bet. Flats are generally considered too casual. But keep it to 2"-3" heels obviously. If you can't wear heels, there are many professional-looking options for flats and people will understand (if they take any notice at all) considering that heels aren't exactly the healthiest footwear option. And 5'6" is actually above average for a woman, so you're definitely not short or going to look out of place if you choose flats.

  2. Your hair usually shouldn't be totally down if it's on the longer side (to the shoulder or below). Halfway up is appropriate.

  3. It really doesn't matter. You can go either way with this, so whatever you prefer. If you feel insecure about looking overly young without glasses, then it sounds like perhaps wearing them makes you feel more confident?

 

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