<p>Do you think it would be risque for a girl to not interview in the traditional skirt/dress and rather go for a suit and tie? Not a mans suit and tie of course, but still definitely not exactly a feminine approach. </p>
<p>It's just an interesting question that came to me the other day. Over all, do you think it would matter?</p>
<p>It should not matter. From what we saw even at the more “traditional” schools (and we visited 14 during the course of our search), girls have quite a bit more leeway in their manner of dress. And a suit and tie, or jacket and slacks (and tie) are not as uncommon for girls as you might think. One of our dd’s friends definitely dressed in something similar (not sure about the tie, but I could find out), and was accepted at good schools.
YMMV.</p>
<p>No offense but I think that (especially the tie) would stand out as either trying too hard or just weird, unless that is your angle. Too much at stake IMO.</p>
<p>Nothing wrong with pants and a nice blazer and blouse or oxford shirt. Agree that women should wear the “men’s equivalent of a tie.” At least this is what I was told in how to dress for oral board exams in medicine and or job interviews. This just means something at the neck, or something that draws your eye to something formal, such as a single strand of pearls, a nice necklace or a brooch on the blazer lapel or left shoulder area. tie? not sure the Annie Hall look is what you want except if it’s really you. Then by all means, be yourself.</p>
<p>Well, as for the “Annie Hall” look, this generation won’t get the reference. But years of Harry Potter and girls in house ties, and it’s become something of a fashion trend. I have to say, I think a <em>little</em> self-expression in interview wear, at least for girls, seemed to be the norm at the schools we visited (14 of ‘em)… I’ve seen girls in blazers and jeggings, for goodness’ sake. And plenty of boys in blazers, slacks and hella-expensive brightly colored footgear. I think that, as long as you look like you are taking the process seriously, slight deviations from the norm, or what passes for it these days, are okay, all other things being equal.</p>
<p>I’m not sure, but I know that I can’t stand (!) dresses or anything remotely feminine like that, so I’m opting for a slightly frilled blazer…but it’s all up to you, really. What do you feel like suits you better? Don’t try to conform to “norms” if you feel wholly uncomfortable about it. After all, you will be stuck in the outfit for hours; what would you rather feel during this period: itchy, fidgety, and uneasy, or comfortable? I think we can all agree that we’d rather feel the latter, especially at a crucial time like this! :)</p>
<p>Instead, feel free to add your own embellishments-nothing too crazy, of course! And if you are going for the blazer, you should definitely try to accessorize with something else other than the tie (which might come off as a bit too masculine…) But really, “be yourself”…whatever that is!</p>
<p>Blazers are definitely common among girls, ties/bowties not so much, but girls accessorize with scarves.</p>
<p>For my interviews here in the UK, I went in a blazer, long sleeved plain tee and silver/grey pants that were sort of like jeans. I was told this is a better apporach than a skirt/dress because it’s more formal and looks like you’ve made an effort.</p>
<p>When I interviewed for schools, I was told by placement to wear either a cardigan or a blazer over whatever else we were wearing (pants or skit or dress). That’s a conforming look, and NOT where the original poster seemed to be going. It sounded more to me like this person wanted to use the suit and tie as a gimmick, just to be different on that particular day, NOT because it was their thing, and that they wanted to be noticed and remembered for what they wore. I still think wearing a complete suit and tie will look like you are trying too hard and unless you wear that sort of thing a lot, basically a waste of money. That’s all I was saying.</p>
<p>I’m reminded of my mother’s comment to me during my own interview days (in the dark ages)… She said, “you want them to remember YOU, not what you were WEARING.” So while I do not, as I noted above, think there is anything wrong with a bit of self expression, deliberately dressing “out there,” seems not terribly wise. And if you’re thinking of a nice blue/purple/black dye job? Save it for March 11.</p>