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Interview suits for academic-types

akatsukira

I'm going on the job market soon; hoping to get on the career ladder in academia. Like most people at this career stage in my profession, I lack a good suit.

Do the well-informed and well-dressed members of the YLF forum have any advice on where I should start my hunt for the perfect interview suit? And coordinating tops and shoes?

NB: I've looked online at Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers and Banana Republic, and even peeked at expensive Theory on the Nordstrom site, but have either been unimpressed or disappointed because the style I like is not available in my size (US 6, sometimes petite). And if I'm going to spend $$$, I'd like these to be turned into wardrobe workhorses for if/when I get a job.

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19 replies

Latest reply was from maharani

LoP

Veteran

Hi! Are you on the job market for an academic position? If so, anything from business pants/skirt+button up shirt to a well-tailored black/grey/navy suit would work. I used to prefer the less dressy option (believe it or not) because I felt more like myself in just pants and a blouse rather than a full suit. It depends on how you feel since the biggest thing is for you to feel comfortable.

shipskitty

Veteran

When you choose a suit - make sure you like the pieces as separates as well as a suit. You will get so much more wear out of it if the pieces work separately and I have found with some designs they don't work as well individually for some reason.

Also it is nice if you can find a suit where you can have more options, like pants, skirt and jacket rather than just two options. Makes it more flexible plus does double duty by filling out your work capsule with some separates as well.

Also nice details are nice but suits in very unusual colours or bold textures will stand out more in people's memories so they are best avoided if you want to be able to re-wear pieces more than once in a week or several times during a conference.

Makrame

Veteran

I completely agree with LOP and shipskitty. Believe it or not, it may also depend on the specific area of research you are in - I know that in the humanities fields, Ann Taylor suits, often skirt suits, are (or at least least used to be) pretty much the standard while in my field (science) it is not uncommon to wear a mismatched jacket/pants combination or pants and blouse, as long as the overall effect is dressy. I was specifically aiming to do the latter to avoid looking overly formal.

My interview attire consisted of Brooks Brother grey wool pants, BR black tropical weight wool pants, a black suit I picked up at TJMax (I mostly used the jacket to go with the grey pants), and a tweedy-looking grey washable jacket from Kohl's. I added 2 silk blouses, a bright silk turtleneck and a short-sleeve shell to this, and had multiple combinations as a result that could take me through 2 days of interviewing + a follow-up visit. The fit may not have been ideal (that was pre-YLF) but it was OK, and I felt comfortable in these clothes, and had successful interviews. The clothes also fit my budget quite well (I think I spent $300 total on my interview attire).

akatsukira

Thanks for the advice, LegacyofPearl.

Yes, I'm on the market for a junior faculty position. Strictly speaking, a jacket is not essential in my field, but it helps me feel more put-together. I feel more comfortable in trousers and a top too, but am not confident enough in my wardrobe mixing skills to wing it with a separate jacket, hence the search for a suit.

akatsukira

Thanks, shipskitty, for the advice to make sure I like them as separates too. I like to make my clothes work hard.

And thank you for the ideas on the traveling capsule wardrobe, Makrame, and the suit type for different areas. I'm in the sciences, and most faculty I know don't wear suits at all, as you pointed out. I'll aim to pick pieces that look smart when combined. What do you think about dresses? I'm a dress-fiend, but generally wear trousers when in the lab or giving talks.

LoP

Veteran

That makes sense. A good suit is always a wardrobe staple. You can dress it down or up to make it more comfortable for yourself.

I've been an interviewer for academic positions for about seven years now and although clothing is the last thing on the list, it makes a difference in how I perceive a candidate. Also, in general for academics, over-dressed is just as bad as under-dressed. So classic pieces that show your self respect would be safe choices.

Isis

Veteran

Akasukira, I'm in the sciences and when I interviewed for a faculty job, I wore a skirt one day, and pants the next. Both times with jackets. So I think a dress is fine.

Keep in mind that you probably need 2 outfits as interviews are 2 days long. You want to travel in something presentable as you may be picked up at the airport and taken to dinner on the night before your 2 day interview. And you want to wear very comfortable shoes that you can walk all over campus, and up and down stairs in, keeping pace with a fast walker.

Everything should be in a carryon as you don't want to risk lost luggage.

I think a matched suit is not a great idea as you'll be way above the formality level of your interviewers. But a coordinated jacket/skirt, jacket/dress, jacket/pants willl work.

Good luck!

Makrame

Veteran

I personally would stay away from dresses for job talks, although I might be wrong. I generally feel that in the sciences, pants or a pantsuit are the safest choice when your audience does not know you, and especially when interviewing for a junior faculty position. On the other hand, as Isis mentioned, skirts are fine, so why not wear a dress? Must be my little idiosyncrasy.

The idea of wearing a mismatched suit first came to me when I was attending a presentation by a very well known female scientist in my field. She was wearing grey pants, a crisp shirt, and a heathered pink jacket. While pink would not be my color of choice for interview clothes, I liked the overall effect and noticed that it made her look appropriately dressed, yet not stuffy. However, the full pantsuit or skirtsuit would also be appropriate for an interview. I also like wearing a jacket (rather than just blouse and pants) to avoid any possibility of bra showing through, excess bust exposure etc.

Isis

Veteran

I agree that a matched suit can work, if that's what you feel most comfortable in. I felt best in coordinated outfits.

M- why don't you think a dress would work?

Makrame

Veteran

I guess I was just thinking that it is a lot harder to find a dress that is interview-appropriate than to find a pair of dress pants or a pencil skirt that looks "safe".

It also just occurred to me that dresses and skirts present a separate problem with footwear and hosiery - I did not really have to think about this too much when wearing pants. Most of my interviews were in January-February, and I think that is how academic job search calendars often work out. Many places were pretty cold but some were quite warm. With pants, I could get away with having one pair of comfortable and presentable black shoes. With skirts or dresses, would one wear boots and tights? pumps and hose? flats?

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I'll come back to comment more thoroughly when I have more time later tonight, but are you reading http://theprofessorisin.com/? This is a site specifically devoted to helping people get jobs in academia. The author was featured in this week's Chronicle.

sarah

Veteran

I agree with the other scientists (I'm a scientist, too). No need to buy a suit - coordinated separates will do nicely. And I agree with Isis about footwear - you cannot believe the walks that I was taken on by well-meaning department heads - steep, icy sidewalks, etc, etc. So be sure to wear comfortable shoes! Booties or shooties would be perfect (check out Clarks). For jackets, I buy a lot of mine at Talbots, mainly because they fit me well. But Ann Taylor and even the Loft have great jackets, too Makrame and I both have this jacket:

http://www.loft.com/loft/produ.....Color=7137

And in another color:
http://www.loft.com/loft/produ.....Color=6363

The Halogen seamed pencil skirts would be great interview skirts. It's available in about a thousand colors.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ha.....origin=pla

I think a simple sheath dress with a jacket could look great (like Sveta wears - you might check out her outfits).
Good luck!

rakushka

I am not sure in particular about academic positions, but I thought they're not particularly restrictive as far as attire is concerned - as long as you look professional and put together, it doesn't matter whether it's a suit or dress or whatever. I personally hate jackets, just don't like to wear them at all. So when I was looking for a job I decided to buy a dress. I bought a "suiting dress" from JCrew - see photo. I love it - it's very professional looking and kind of formal, but at the same time it's not a suit :). I wore it to several interviews, quite successfully, I might add. Right now there are similar dresses available in various stores. Just one more option to think about.

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KeepCalmAndCarryOn

This is a fantastic thread for those of us in academia--practical and illuminating. (I'm in a PhD in the humanities, Yr 2, which means I have a few years to get the most out of my jeans and converse.) It's good to hear alternatives to the pantsuit! Wishing you the best for your interviews, akatsukira!

Laurinda

Veteran

Depending on the department, dressing in a suit, or looking like a sales rep. (business-appropriate hose & pumps) might produce a backlash: "Wears a suit, must do bad science." Seriously, I've just been to a couple job talks for asst. prof. at a research university where the women wore dark denim or slacks and sweater tops. I'd stress more about your talk than your outfit, most people will have no memory of what you wore as long as it was within the range of 'appropriate'.

YMMV, and best of luck!

Jonesy

Veteran

I am an academic, but in the social sciences, so I will defer to the science YLFers about mixing separates (in my discipline, it would be perfectly okay to be in a full suit, or separates like a jacket and pants/skirt, or a structured dress/jacket combo). They know what they're talking about! I would think it would be relatively straightforward to buy some gray pants and a black jacket, or something along those lines. Pants do make it easier in terms of comfy footwear, weather conditions, etc.

As others have mentioned, the challenge is that interviews are a two-day marathon! It can be tricky to look professional, be comfortable and ready to walk a bit, not look overdressed or like you're "trying too hard," etc. I wore a full pantsuit on the day of my job talk (always the first day of the interview, as I recall), then some dressy trousers and a blouse (with a sweater or slightly more casual jacket, as I recall?) on my second day.

Of course, what you wear shouldn't make or break you, just be the icing on the cake. You want to be comfortable and feel confident and like yourself. We interviewed a woman wearing a snakeskin patterned jacket and matching pencil skirt, in some sort of poly blend, from the look of it. The jacket had a collar and a zipper up the front. Very memorable and pretty out of the ordinary :). She was invited to campus for an interview and she got the job, and I don't remember anyone on the search committee even mentioning anything about her appearance.

Good luck to you!

bj1111

Veteran

i would go with a safe outfit that still makes you feel like yourself. in a new situation, especially if it's a male dominated field, i wear something with a collar. so, jacket over dress or shirt with a collar if using knit separates.

for your job talk, i agree with pant or skirt suits, or at least, a jacket.

for an interview, i'd rather be overdressed than under/inappropriately dressed. at least i paid appropriate respect to the occasion.

after you've gotten the job and wow'ed them with your fab abilities, then, sartorially, anything goes .

akatsukira

Thank you to all of you fabulous YLF members! That is a worthy body of advice to work on!

Thanks Isis and Sarah for the tips on comfortable footwear. I feel more confident striding about with the fast walkers, so this is a key consideration for my feet. And thanks Jonesy for the tips on how to mix it up. Snakeskin isn't my style, but it's good to know that it did not preclude the candidate from landing the job! With bj1111's tip of having a collar, I can already start to shop my own wardrobe...

Thanks rakushka, for the idea of a suiting dress; it's one option for the multi-day process.

That was a interesting site, modgrl; the author also had an interesting story of why academia did not work out for her in the end.

And Laurinda raises an interesting issue about being too slick or business-like. There is a tendency in my area to dress down. The best dressed people in my building are biotech reps and interviewees for residency.

maharani

I was an academic too-former faculty position in Biology-I would encourage you to get a really sharp interview suit and accessories. I did in 1992 (Georgiou, now alas gone)-and I got the job!