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Topic: What to Wear to a Job Interview When it's Hot Out
| Author | Message |
| nykl 85 | Posted – 6/10/2008 11:07:42 PM | show profile Hey everyone, I was wondering if I could get some advice as to what to wear for an interview at an agency. It's almost summer, and I do want to look and feel comfortable. It's a small agency, and I'm pretty sure it's a creative type of environment. I do have a dress I could wear, and a cardigan over it, maybe... and I do have skirts and some short-sleeved tops. Is sleeveless totally out of the question? And what's the opinion here on tights if you wear skirts? Some seem to be of the opinion that if you wear a skirt, you have to wear tights... but what if it's too hot that it seems unreasonable to wear tights? Thanks in advance. |
| nykl 85 | Posted – 6/11/2008 12:42:42 AM | show profile Also I should add that it's an assistant position at a literary agency. |
| bookmap | Posted – 6/11/2008 1:02:04 AM | show profile I'm in your same position...I've been basically wearing pencil skirts and short-sleeved tops. No tights, I don't think it is offensive to go without. It is so hot here in NYC I feel like a mess when I arrive at my interviews! I don't think I would go sleeveless for the interview, even though it may be work appropriate, I would save that for later after you already have the job. Just get there early and find a Starbucks or someplace nearby to cool off! |
| Agirlwalksintoabookstore... | Posted – 6/11/2008 9:30:06 AM | show profile I would definitely go with the skirt option--no tights; I never wear them, anyways, and it doesn't seem to bother people. Open-toed shoes are OK. Slleveless tops are only OK if you wear them with a suit--I usually carry the jacket with me and then put it on when I get inside. This reminds me of an interview I did one summer where the temperature was well over 90 degrees. Here's what I wore: black wool suit (the full thing,, including pants instead of the skirt option, which I had; tank top; 3/4-length button-down shirt; and close-toed heels. What can I say? It was my very first job interview EVER, and it was at a large publishing house. Goodness, I nearly died of the heat! So definitely, do NOT follow my example in this case. Good luck! And keep cool (literally and figuratively). |
| chucho | Posted – 6/11/2008 10:11:15 AM | show profile Tiddies, Glaciers, Ocean Pacific and Jam shorts! (I'm revealing my age.) Or, if you want the job: light colors, arrive early to let the sweat marks dissipate in the air conditioned lobby or the Starbucks across the street. |
| Agirlwalksintoabookstore... | Posted – 6/11/2008 10:15:36 AM | show profile Also, with regards to the dress, it depends on the type of dress it is. I remember I once, when I was working as a receptionist (and I've told this story a thousand times here), a girl came in for an interview for an entry-level job wearing a leopard print dress cut down to there, 4-inch boots with no tights (it was January) her hair in a messy ponytal held back with a buterfly clip, and far too much makeup. But then again, that was an extreme case. PS--regardless of whether you go with the dress or skirt, remember to shave! And be well-groomed, in general. |
| WordyBird | Posted – 6/11/2008 10:30:02 AM | show profile Sorry, but sweat it out. Always dress to impress. I went on an interview yesterday with short-sleeved shell under jacket, with skirt, hose, and closed-toe pumps. Everyone was impressed, and one of the interviewers even said, "Wow, you have a jacket and I look like I'm ready for the beach." You can leave the jacket off until you get into the building, but you should be willing to put up with a wee little bit of discomfort for a few hours to get a job that you might enjoy for several years. There is no way on earth I would EVER recommend bare legs, open-toed shoes, and sleeveless without a jacket for a job interview. You should look like you take the company and the time they are taking to meet with you seriously, not like you're going to a garden party. And you can never go wrong with looking sharp. Bonus if you can do it without wilting, so stay hydrated, put your hair up if you have to, and take your face powder with you. |
| kim780 | Posted – 6/11/2008 10:57:48 AM | show profile wearing hose in 90 degree weather makes you look stupid. bare legs are totally fine in my book (i work at a national fashion mag). open toe shoes are also fine and expected- cute sandals are absolutely perfect with a cute dress and belt. i would dress for the season and dress for the job. if it's a more corporate environment maybe the hose are ok, but at magazines it's best to just be yourself and look stylish and clean. |
| Agirlwalksintoabookstore... | Posted – 6/11/2008 11:13:04 AM | show profile Wordy Bird: I'm not sure that anyone here suggested wearing a sleveless top alone. |
| foodlit | Posted – 6/11/2008 11:41:31 AM | show profile Someone actually did ask if sleeveless was ok. It's not. Unless as Wordy suggested, you slip a jacket over it when you get into the lobby. I totally agree with Wordy on this. Suck it up and dress to impress. Bare legs are not okay for an interview. Sheer hose are fine. Open toed shoes are not. Yes, you could do it, and you might get the job, but why risk it? Basically you don't want people to pay attention to your clothes or have that be a distraction. Dress professionally, look polished and put together....give yourself plenty of time to hit a coffee shop nearby and cool down, visit the ladies to make sure your hair/teeth are all as they should be, then slip on your jacket and head into the interview. Good luck! Pam |
| blossom53 | Posted – 6/11/2008 11:47:06 AM | show profile I have worked at many formal offices in NYC and I DO think opened-toes shoes are perfectly OK--as long as you have a nice pedicure (no crazy colors, just a clear or a pale, pale, pale pink or beige). I wore opened-toes shoes in REALLY fancy offices with bosses from hell, and no one ever objected because my toes/feet were polished. Another idea is to put the suit jacket on when you walk into reception and wait to be interviewed. Just before you sit down, take off your suit jacket and put it on the chair behind you--but no short sleeves underneath. Just carry your jacket out with you when the interview is over. That way, you LOOK like you wore a jacket to the interview without LITERALLY wearing it and sweating to death. OR...wear short sleeves (a nice, nice, nice, formal top) but tie a VERY NICE (perhaps black?) long-sleeved sweater around your neck, so that it covers your shoulders but you're not actually wearing it. I think that look can be pulled off so long as you look polished and professional--cover the bare shoulders WITHOUT actually wearing the sweater/jacket. Ann Taylor Loft sells terrific black, thin sweaters you can wrap around your neck (by the sleeves) that cover your shoulders and look sleek and professional. I've interviewed in NYC in massive thunderstorms (No matter what I did, even with a huge umbrella, i got to the office soaked. I was devastated, but the woman who interviewed me told me she also got soaking wet on her lunchbreak and it made me feel better), in 90 degree NYC heat, and in -10 degrees. Just LOOK sharp and you should be OK. It's not like the people interviewing you aren't as hot/cold/wet as you are. Good luck! |
| gimmemags | Posted – 6/11/2008 11:50:21 AM | show profile I agree w/the posters who just said to arrive extra early and compose yourself at an air conditioned spot nearby. I would always wear a full suit (sometimes with a skirt bottom) and closed toed shoes, and I was used to doing interviews in super hot weather. Good luck! |
| DQ102 | Posted – 6/11/2008 11:52:50 AM | show profile I also agree with the posters who say you have to dress to impress. Actually, I remember interviewing in the summer, and what I would do was duck into the bathrooms at Rockefeller Center or another location close to the interview with public bathrooms and change into my interview outfit there. That way I wouldn't sweat up a storm in a jacket and hose and closed-toe shoes. If that seems like too much bother, wear everything but the jacket, then slip it on when you arrive at the interview. As hot as it is, you don't want to look like you're going to a summer picnic when you are interviewing for a job. |
| kim780 | Posted – 6/11/2008 12:40:40 PM | show profile hey. i think i need to clarify. i think there is a big difference in dressing to impress for HR people and dressing cool and hip for editors. i am an editor and i hire people all the time and it bothers me when they get too formal and dressed up. i feel like i can't see their personal style and who they are. i would suggest wearing the fancy clothes for HR and the dress with cute heels/sandals with dress and accessories when you meet with the editor. we want to see the personal style, not what they wear to church... |
| foodlit | Posted – 6/11/2008 1:31:35 PM | show profile Kim, Are you a fashion editor? Because trust me, this doesn't come from HR, it's from hiring managers themselves and it indicates respect...not a personal sense of fashion style. At least if a candidate wears a suit, you know it's just interview clothes...as a hiring manager it should make sense to you...especially as candidates often meet with hr and then directly after that, with hiring managers. The only exception to the professional dress would be if in fact you are a fashion mag, where you do care more about a candidates sense of style. But for most other interviews, its far less stressful on the candidate to just dress professionally. |
| wineaux | Posted – 6/11/2008 1:34:34 PM | show profile Can you sneak by the office the day before the interview and see what the dress code is? I have made the mistake of over-dressing for an interview on a hot day and getting quizzical looks and comments. Last summer, I interviewed at a small but well-known pr firm and dressed the part: closed-toed heels, slacks, button down, jacket, etc.. and the director dragged her eyes from my head to my toes with a sympathetic look in her eyes. I think she felt I was trying too hard. Especially since everyone in the office was clearly casually dressed. Including her. The next interview, I wore well-cut dark slacks that were lightweight, a cotton button up and cute sandals (a pedicure, too) and felt at ease and confident. Bare legs are a little bit troubling. There was a post last year that got very contentious over the bare leg issue, and now that I've been through the interviewing process over the summer months, I have to say that it's better to wear slacks and be safe than to possibly have those interviewing you think you are too casual or are not taking the process seriously enough. Now that I have been conducting interviews, I have to say that I would be concerned if someone showed up in a sleevless top w/ out a sweater or blazer/jacket. Or, if they look sloppy. The worst I've seen is ill-fitting clothes. One woman came to an interview with a too-tight, fairly transparent white top and scuffed-up shoes. I couldn't believe someone with such a great background would look like that for a well-paying job that would have made her very visible to clients. |
| bookmap | Posted – 6/11/2008 1:45:24 PM | show profile Forgive me for any generational gaps, but wearing hose, a matching pant suit, or a cardigan draped around the shoulders sounds completely out-dated. I would feel like I was playing dress up and totally not like myself. I think there is a fine line between showing your own style and looking professional. For example, for a first interview, I met with HR followed by the 2 people I would be working directly for. I chose a high-waisted pencil skirt and silk short-sleeved top with heels, no hose. Then this morning I met for my second interview with the same 2 people again for coffee, so I chose a black fitted cotton dress with open-toed shoes. Professional, but casual. I think both outfits fit the type of interview situation. I looked professional yet had my own style at the same time without wearing the stereotypical interview outfit. |
| mellowd | Posted – 6/11/2008 2:16:46 PM | show profile I took an interviewing class my last year of my undergrad and was told, "You can't wear the uniform until you make the team." Even if the people at the agency or company are dressed casual and cool, you should still be dressing to impress because you have not yet gained the privilege to dress as they do. |
| Mag Girl | Posted – 6/11/2008 2:54:55 PM | show profile Once again, it all depends on where you are interviewing and for what type of job. But I still wouldn't ever wear sleeveless shirts/dresses. I don't think I have ever worn pantyhose for an interview, either. |
| foodlit | Posted – 6/11/2008 3:51:25 PM | show profile Mag Girl, You've never worn hose for an interview? Does that mean you wore pants or went bare legged? Pants are fine, but I think bare legs are risky....especially if your legs are as pale as mine! Bottom line is almost anything could work, as long as you are well put together and feel confident in your clothes. Confidence goes a long way, and if a black fitted dress is going to make you feel more at ease and confident than a suit, go with the dress. (Although I never would, but that's just me and what I'd be comfortable in and it's always a suit.) |
| Mag Girl | Posted – 6/11/2008 4:11:53 PM | show profile foodlit, I usually wear pants, but I have worn skirts on occasion. I don't think it's ever been an issue with me wearing a skirt without hose- I actually got my present job in such an outfit, and we're a pretty conservative workplace. |
| WordyBird | Posted – 6/11/2008 5:19:36 PM | show profile Only gals... Pedicures don't matter. See, city streets are filthy, which means your feet are going to get filthy if you wear open-toed shoes while walking on them. That will make an impression, all right. Just not the one you want. As an aside, could you picture men asking about this? "It's hot out. Is it okay if I just wore khakis and a golf shirt? I shouldn't have to wear a tie in 90-degree weather. I don't want to wear an undershirt, either. My chest hair shouldn't bother anyone, right? And it's a creative field. I guess mandals would be out, but could I get away with woven Huaraches?" Heh. |
| RubyRed | Posted – 6/11/2008 5:27:23 PM | show profile I think this is really a generational (or perhaps regional?) issue, but I have never worn sheer stockings on an interview either. I don't even own a pair. (I'm in my late 20's and work in NYC.) Opaque tights or pants for winter, and bare legs in the spring, summer and fall is the way to go. Wasn't it Anna Wintour who said something along the lines that she would never hire a woman who still wore sheer hose? As long as your legs are freshly shaven and moisturized, and you're also wearing a decent length skirt, I think that bare legs look current, not casual. And for the record, armpits are definitely not okay. Open toe shoes and slingbacks can be, as long as they're classy. |
| jobhunter08 | Posted – 6/11/2008 5:49:00 PM | show profile I never realized that this forum was composed of so many more women than men. Wow. |
| hawkmail | Posted – 6/11/2008 10:33:13 PM | show profile If the interview is at any kind of fashion/lifestyle/shelter publication in NY a traditional suit and hose will look ridiculous. I agree with Kim780 - personal style, impeccable grooming, great accessories, all in keeping with the tone of the magazine. Imagine a dressy daytime look that they might feature on their pages. Nude hose will make you look like Melanie Griffith in Working Girl circa 1987. I don't think you can go wrong with a great dress. |
