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[kimoncomics]

Hi all --

I'm on the market this year (again) and my discipline's annual meeting is coming up next month.  I hope to have many conference interviews there, and in preparation, I'd like to buy a new suit.   

I could use some advice about two things in particular.

a. what color would be best?  I'm leaning towards a nice brown wool with a very subtle plaid.  I was born, raised, and educated in the northeast, and I've heard that black suits alienate search committee members from other parts of the country, but I have no idea if that's true....

b. does it matter if I get a pants suit or a skirt suit?  I am inclined toward pants, because I loathe pantyhose.

Thanks!

[edwidge]

I guess it might depend on the discipline, but I've never heard anyone mention anything about black suits being inappropriate or alienating (I'm in a social science discipline). I think if black is your color, you should go with it; if brown is your thing, then what you're describing sounds nice too.

I say find a suit that makes you feel powerful and confident, yet is comfortable, fits well, and is "you," and don't worry so much about the color (as long as it's a basic like black, brown, gray, or navy).

[toledolefty]

We wear black even in "flyover country."  It's slimming.

:)

[seniorscholar]

Pants are just fine (if the Secretary of State can wear them to meet with heads of state, you can surely wear them to an interview). And if you do wear a skirt, make certain it's long enough to remain modest no matter what the seating should be. I well remember an interview in a hotel suite with ritzy architectural modern chairs at which the search committee worked hard at keeping our eyes off one candidate's underwear.

[kimoncomics]

Thanks for the helpful replies! 

Toledolefty, the black suit thing did seem like a myth, especially since the same clothing is sold at malls all over the country and I'm not going to be buying my suit from anywhere obscure, but, frankly, I'm so nervous at this point that if someone tells me never, never to wear a white shirt because interviewers will be blinded by its whiteness, I will give it a moment of credence.

Edwige, thanks for the vote of confidence; it helps.

Seniorscholar, yikes!  I'm going with pants.

[minor_t]

Find something that looks fresh even after a long day.  Pants are fine.  Wear comfortable shoes.  Check yourself periodically in the mirror for make-up, hair, and clothing snafus.  A white blouse is OK, but any light color is fine - or a muted print that goes with your suit.  Avoid loud colors (e.g. neon orange, lime green).  If you have an evening event (dinner or such) at the end of the interview day, bring along a twinset and scarf to change out the outfit.  The inner piece of the twinset also doubles as an extra blouse.  And, speaking of which, bring along an extra blouse in case you spill something or there's some other disaster.

Good luck with the interviews.

mt 

[toledolefty]

P.S. I think the black-suit advice might have been intended for men who were on trial -- I remember hearing that juries liked navy blue suits.  Hopefully that is not your situation.

I'd say grab a bunch of suits in your size, take them to the dressing room and try them all on. 

I have heard anectdotally that some people don't consider women to be dressed up if they are not wearing a skirt (and hose, and nice shoes). 

Good luck to you and congrats on making it to the interview!

[kimoncomics]

Thanks for more good advice!  I like the twinset idea for the later part of an on-campus interview. 

I went shopping last night and got a dark brown pants suit with a very subtle lighter brown stripe, and am happy with it.  I may not seem as dressed up, but I  am just less comfortable in skirts.   

Also, if I ever get put on trial, it will come in handy for my turn on the witness stand :)

[minor_t]

Great.  Looking good and feeling comfortable will make you more confident.  With skirts, you have the added issue of hose and possible runs, and the length of the skirt, so pants are a good option if you're running all day. 

I hope the interviews go well.  Come back and tell us what happened.

mt

[edwidge]

I love a pinstripe! One of my interview suits was a charcoal gray pinstriped pant suit. I felt very comfortable and confident in it, and received several compliments (usually from the doctoral students I was lunching with or being chauffered around by).

Good luck to you!

[dr_crankypants]

Brown suits are nice, and pant suits are fine.  :) 
Start breaking your shoes in now, if they're new.  And I second the advice about an extra blouse. 

[tamiam]

Make sure no VPL if wearing a pants suit!

Good luck!

[kimoncomics]

Thanks again for all the good advice and warm wishes!  There are 23 jobs I'm appropriate for in my field (last year there were about 8) and I just sent out my last cover letter/cv/etc packet, so I hope to be interviewing at my annual meeting in a few weeks!  I'll keep you all posted.

[expatinuk]

Make sure no VPL if wearing a pants suit!

Good luck!

I swear... I've never understood the NO VPL thing. Are you embarassed that you wear underwear? I'd much rather see VPL than a thong strap... or even worse... naked butt through shear linen pants.

[joey_engr]

Wear something you feel confident in and comfortable shoes.  My friends and I once asked one of our female Deans in our college this question and she said that a navy blue suit or gray suit would make us stand out since the other candidates are likely to wear the default black suit.  Anyway, I personally prefer pant suits than skirt suits because I don't have to worry about wearing nylons or not (I don't like them).  And, if you're interviewing at a more conservative place, older folks (I heard) tend to expect women to wear nylons.  With pants, you also don't have to worry too much how you sit -- to cross legs or not to cross legs, etc.