Husband Fashion Help-- Urgent!!

DVOM

Tue, Feb 14 2017, 8:55 pm

Hip Hip Hooray! My husband was offered an interview at a very prestigious graduate program that he applied to. Although he has already been accepted to a really good program, for many reasons this new program would suit our needs so much better.

The interview is in one week, and we need some fashion help. I know they're going to be looking at his application package much more closely than his wardrobe, but first impressions are important! Fashionable ladies: what does a guy wear to a grad school interview that screams "offer me a spot in your program, and while you're at it, through in a really good scholarship too??!" Does he wear a button down shirt? tie? sports jacket? shoes? sneakers?

To make this an even bigger challenge, my husband has no clothing. Finances are tight, and most of what he currently wears are very casual shirts and pants that I've scavenged from second-hand stores. He does have one good suit and pair of dress shoes, but I don't think that's appropriate for an interview.

We are going to (gulp!) buy him a new, appropriate outfit for this interview (Is 'outfit' the correct word for a guy?). I'm thinking of it as an investment, the building blocks of his new professional wardrobe.

Can anyone post any tips? Links would be so awesome!We are both totally clueless when it comes to fashion.

Thanks!

essie14

Tue, Feb 14 2017, 10:08 pm

amother wrote:

Med law or business school- suit and tie.

And anything not in those categories-- a nice, pressed button down shirt, nice slacks, and a sweater if it's cold weather.
My husband loves the merona no-iron button down shirts from target. You can literally pull them from the washing machine and hang dry and they look great.

Iymnok

Tue, Feb 14 2017, 11:40 pm

I'm assuming he doesn't wear black and white. Wear a sports coat. Like, khaki pants and a navy or tweed jacket or another simple combination. It adds seriousness, but not as stiff looking as a suit.
Actually my father keeps an old jacket in his office in case of a surprise important meeting.

DVOM

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 4:35 am

Hi all, its OP. Thanks for all the responses!

To answer some of your questions: Hubby's first interview was a phone interview, so he didn't need to dress up. He does not wear 'black and white' on a regular basis, but does wear a white shirt and suit on shabbos.

The consensus I'm hearing from y'all is button down shirt, dress pants, sweater or jacket (my gut says jacket, but I totally don't trust my gut when it comes to fashion).

What type of jacket would we buy? I love the idea of tweed (very scholarly!) Any leads/links of where we could buy this?

What type of button down shirt? He does have a few, but they are very colorful, louder plaids. I'd love some links to appropriate shirts.

Does he wear a tie? I have no clue how to match ties and shirts! Can anyone post coordinating links?

What kind of sox and shoes? Right now he wears sneakers, or sandals in the summer, and dress shoes (black and shiny, not sure how else to describe them) on shabbos. Is there something in between? I've seen male co-workers of mine wearing loafer type shoes in duller leathers and suedes. Is that more appropriate?

This is so helpful everyone! I can't thank you enough!

mommy3b2c

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 4:43 am

DVOM wrote:

Give me a few and I will give you links to a complere outfit.

ra_mom

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 4:50 am

I'd go with his dress suit that he wears for shabbos and break it up with a colored/patterned dress shirt. You might not need to purchase something new.
You need to be really savvy to pull off a tweed jacket.
Post a picture of what it all looks like together on a hanger so we can see if it works.
Maybe he can use a pair of new loafers.
Good luck!!

amother

Blue

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 6:17 am

Macys tends to have weekly sales, plus coupons. And they tend to have classic clothes, in style but not too trendy. Once you know the basics of what you want (button down, blazer/sweater...), you can walk in and put something together with the help of a sales associate or even based on what the mannequins are wearing.

iyar

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 6:52 am

Agree with ra_mom- A tweed jacket is hard to pull off.
You want the look to seem natural not contrived, and that "halls of academia"-look tweed you might be dreaming of has to have a somewhat worn, well-loved and much used look. Also in your present situation, you both might appreciate buying things your dh will get some use out of.
I think you're better off with a nice, well-fitting blazer that dh will use for years. If you can't manage that then go for a neat, solid v-neck or crew neck sweater. Be sure to have dh try it on to make sure it sits well over his shirt. (Sweater with no shirt underneath is a no-no in this situation.)
Definitely make sure there's a good crease in the slacks. Likewise the shirt collar should not be too chokingly stiff but should sit well, and the shirt cuffs should look pressed and clean. No loud patterns or colors on the shirt but not necessarily white.
As you guessed from your male colleagues, a good pair of loafers are a good idea and a good investment. Pebbled leather will last longer than suede and the like, so in the long run it's most economical. Sox- the cheapest you can find, plain dark sox that don't scream for attention against the color of the shoes or slacks.

iyar

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 6:58 am

Back again to say-
Leave time to check blazer for shatnez. If you're buying a sweater, check labels carefully. While this used to be almost unheard of, lately some clowns in the fashion industry have decided it's a good idea to mix wool and linen - I actually saw a label listing both recently.
And-
Good Luck!

seeker

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 7:30 am

I don't think you need to buy a new outfit or suit for a school interview. The Shabbos suit and shoes should be fine and I agree it would work well to buy a colored nice shirt to go with it. If he feels overdressed in the full suit, you can go for a sweater but keep the dress pants from the suit to save you a shopping trip.

If he plans to apply for professional jobs in the near future, this might be a good time to invest in an interview suit. But if he's not going to be job-hunting until after grad school, hold off on that.

I'm no maven but I don't think schools pay as much attention to your wardrobe as jobs would. You need to look clean and dignified but you don't need to dress-to-impress as much. (PS if you look like you are accustomed to spending $400 on your outfit then why should they give you a scholarship? JK that's not how they're thinking, that's just me being wry.)

DVOM

Wed, Feb 15 2017, 8:19 am

Hi everyone, op here. You guys have given me some really great replies. We took out hubby's shabbos suit. I think it's way too fancy looking for an interview. Also, at this point, it's a bit more on the shabby chic, frayed side than the well pressed, sharp creases side. I think we need to start from scratch. I sure hope this isn't going to cost is 400$ (!!!!!). Im sad you guys don't think we can pull off tweed! I know so little about men's clothing, so I'm gonna trust you all. Recommendations for places to shop are helpful. I can definitely try department stores. It would be great if they could put it all together for me. Any suggestions on where we can get leather loafers for not too much?