Business attire for women

Hey ladies, I need a bit of advice.

Suits look absolutely ridiculous on me. Always. I think the biggest problem is that I have a really young face, which creates a weird contrast (even though I'm an adult in my 20s, whenever I try on a suit, I look like a kid playing dress up). Suits just look too old for my face. The darker colors in particular, like navy and black, make me look like a 14 year old in her mom's clothes. Perhaps another part of the problem is that I'm fairly short and have a ruler shape, which makes suits look boxy and masculine on me. So whenever I try on a suit, I essentially have the problems of poor fit and looking too maturely dressed.

I do fine with business casual, but as you can imagine, I have a REALLY hard time with business formal.

So I was wondering - could I pull off a dress for business formal (assuming, of course, that it's dressy enough, made of an appropriate material, and conservatively cut)? I have a much easier time finding dresses that fit well and look appropriate. But would it be completely taboo?

I was thinking something like this: https://www.austinreed.co.uk/pws/images/catalogue/products/0370739506/large/0370739506_1.jpg (but perhaps paired with some kind of blazer).



EDIT: I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes, but I live on the west coast - which I've always perceived to be less strict than east coast cities.

You're going to need at least one suit, imho, for applying to and attending bschool. Depending on what you recruit for, you may need two or three suits. I don't think you will be able to get away with a dress for formal interviews.

I agree with runnergirl, and will also add that I'd guess 90% of the problem is fit, rather than just looking too young. Finding a good tailor who can alter a suit to fit your body will make a huge difference. Alterations are generally expensive, but if you get a good quality suit, it can last years. It's definitely worth it.

Thanks girls. I'll be sure to give a second look to some of the stores listed on here.

nice discussion...
I think pant and shirt is best for interviews....

What are everyone's thoughts on a high neckline A line dress with a nice suit jacket over it for the b school interview?

I have a nice grey pin stripped suit that I plan to wear with a black button down tailored shirt. I wore this same outfit to my interviews with Citibank and Forbes magazine which worked out well.

My industry is focused on mobile technology and innovation though, which tends to be flooded with guys in t shirt and jeans.

Oh by the way, I don't know if this has been discussed already, but for those who are in the US, Rue La La and Ideeli are daily flash sales sites that sometimes have great business suit sales for women. Some of the brands I remember seeing include Tahari, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Ann Klein, etc.

I like Gilt and Hautelook too, but they don't seem to have as many suit sales.

This thread is a great resource for women's business attire. I have a question regarding shoes. Is patent leather appropriate in a professional setting?

I am fortunate enough to live close enough to an outlet mall with a Kasper. Kasper is a store that sells only suits. You can find Kasper suits at Macy's too.

I bought a black pant suit and a grey one. I couldn't resist the grey one because it looks cute on. I spent $200 total. Not too bad. I'll probably wear black to any interviews.

What should you wear? Are panthose always necessary?

How much make up for the workplace?

bpwfoundation org

It just depends on what you like .Even you can go to tailor accordong to your requirement.

I think patent leather is fine as long as it's a dark colour and not THAT shiny, and obviously, polished.

The phrase “business casual” indicates different things to different organizations. In some organizations it may be satisfactory for females to use Capri jeans or long tops – but prevent these for enterprise purchases. You want to venture that you are a enterprise lady, and not look like a mom returning to a getting together with from your kid's perform time frame.

Hi there - I was wondering whether anyone had an opinion on whether wearing a nice elie tahari one-piece knee-length dress with a nice cardigan would work. not as formal as it would be with a blazer, but still a good quality outfit. Thoughts?

Thanks

I would wear it with a blazer at least. In fact, I would probably recommend wearing a suit, especially if you're interviewing with a school like HBS. Considering that most of the men would be wearing suits, you don't want to come across as under-dressed or less than professional.

I used to think wearing a dress + blazer was professional enough, but a quick poll of the partners in my firm revealed that many of them consider that less professional / formal than a suit, and hence less appropriate for a formal business meeting. I think it's silly, but I rather err on the side of caution than worry that someone is judging me negatively because of what I'm wearing.

Thanks for your input

Blazer it is!

Not trying to beat a dead horse here... and I understand why this doesn't work for interviews and formal meetings. But is there anytime when a dress like this will be ok in business school? Or is it just too dressy for class but not formal enough for a networking event?

I already own several calvin klein dresses like this that I used to wear at work all the time, so it'd be nice to use them when I can. I don't mind standing out against the guys, but I don't want to look like someone's secretary.

FYI - also, I wouldn't often want to wear them with a cardigan/blazer only because I'll be in the sweltering south. So are bare arms an absolute no-no?

Thanks.