I apologize for the crookedness of these photos. My tripod is wobbly and I'm still getting used to it.
Cardigan: A gift from my mother
Top: Lane Bryant
Pencil Skirt: Lane Bryant
Shoes: BCBGMAXAZRIA
I wanted to wear a cardigan because baring your shoulders is a no-no in the Mormon culture that dominates the local population, and since it was a job interview, I didn't want to give anyone any reason to look at me askance. Though my nose piercing always tips people off to the fact that I'm not Mormon, as well as my forearm tattoo, but I go for the more modest look when I'm first meeting people. Plus I have a big ole lezzie tattoo on my upper arm, which is not always the first impression I want to make. I wish the cardigan were more fitted, or that I had a jacket to go with this outfit, but we make do with what we have.
I had never worn this shirt before, despite it hanging in my closet (with the tags still on!) for at least six months. I love it. It's very comfortable, and polka dots are my favorite pattern. The ruffles on the front remind me of something that might be featured on Mad Men, my favorite TV show, and the pencil skirt makes me feel very dressed up. I think it fits perfectly, and it immediately puts me in a position of feeling professional and powerful. I love the ways in which clothing can transform our view of ourselves. For me, that's more important than how others view me. When I wear a pencil skirt, I feel more adult, like it is a uniform I'm donning to play that role, that part of my life.
The good news is that I got the job! I know it wasn't just my outfit, but my resume and interviewing prowess, but I have to admit, I'm thinking of this outfit as pretty lucky right now. This was not an interview for a faculty position, just a tutoring job, but it still was important to me to dress professionally.
What do you wear to interviews? Does it depend on the job? Do you have any go-to pieces? How conscious are you of the parts of your identity you reveal or conceal during an initial meeting?
1 comments:
congrats on the new job!! i totally just had an interview today and wore a very similar outfit! i opted to dress up a little bit more than needed (it was a barista interview) because i've been told that when in doubt, it's safer to go dressier. i wore a black pencil skirt from torrid, and a graphic print tank top under a sleeveless navy blue polka dot top tucked into the skirt. i paired it with my go-to pair of black flats.
... and i got the job, too!! :)
during an initial interview, i try to cover my tattoo's (especially the one on my chest) completely. however, i always ask about tattoo and piercings policies, and let the interviewer know i have a couple tattoo's that are hard to cover up. when i interviewed in creative fields or places where a personal style was beneficial, i felt more comfortable showing my tatts, just made sure my style was a bit more on point.
my last job was working at a (mostly) gay sex toy shop so there's usually the issue of dancing around that subject. i've been lucky to get a lot of young, female interviewers (who were familiar with the place sometimes!) so i didn't have to be super careful. there was definitely a certain level of feeling a person out before hand, though.
i live in chicago, so i don't deal with any conservative mormon types, but i hope this still helped! love your style and blog!! <3
Post a Comment