What to wear to your business school interview

I recently sat down with Earl Raehsler to get some practical advice for prospective students who have made it to the next phase of the admissions process. Earl is the Assistant Director of Admissions for the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, so this advice is coming straight from the source! He’s shared some sound advice on how to prepare for your big interview at the GSM, which I have summarized for you here.

Before I dive in to specifics about wardrobe, however, I thought I’d share an extremely important piece of insight I got from Earl – if you take anything away from this blog post, it should be this: the admissions team is looking first and foremost for candidates who can tell their story in an engaging and authentic manner. Ultimately, Earl and his team are looking at the person you will become two years down the road if you are accepted. They are evaluating you today, but also what you will look like to job recruiters when you graduate. Savvy candidates will keep this in mind every step of the way!

And now, on to the fashion! Read on to learn specific tips that came up in our conversation.

Job interview outfits can be fun!

I'm going on a visit to the headquarters of one of my favorite online retailers next week and I have to say it's been pretty fun trying to figure out what to wear. Those of you that have been reading my blog since the beginning might remember how tortured I used to be about getting dressed for job interviews, business school events and business life in general. I had this strange notion going into business school that I would be forced to conform to the kind of corporate culture that I'm allergic to. Since then I've realized that is not the case at all!

I should say this is mostly due to the fact that I'm interested in fashion and other creative industries, where wearing a suit is not required. In fact, at many companies, particularly in the tech world, showing up wearing a suit will actually make the WRONG impression. The career website at Amazon actually states "A suit and tie won't impress anyone here." So, yeah, I'm not exactly trying to work on Wall Street. But I think there is definitely a bit more leeway in how people dress in general for job interviews and professional life than there used to be. And that makes me happy!

Anyway, that was the impetus for this post. The photos in the collage above are all from Stockholm Street Style. I think these looks are polished and interesting. They have character, which I find to be the best part of dressing for any occasion. 

xoChr


Images via here. 

Obsessed: Peter Pilotto for Target

How gorgeous are these looks by Peter Pilotto? To me, this is by far the most exciting collection presented by Target in collaboration with any designer. The items will be available in early February, so it remains to be seen how these stunning prints will translate (look/feel) to the actual fabrics, but I am totally obsessed.

I'm actually not a huge prints person, but I can see a lot of the more casual pieces fitting in well with my student lifestyle. I'm most excited to inject some excitement into my business attire. There are so many office-appropriate looks that would stand out for job interviews or work wear. He's taken the pencil skirt to a whole new level.

We'll see what my student budget will actually allow...but here are a few of my favorite items:

Like I said, obsessed.

xoChr

(images via fashionista)

Business School Attire: Dressed for Classes

Hi guys! I took a few minutes to put together an example of a look I'd wear for class days now that I'm in business school. I didn't really have to adapt my wardrobe at all since most of us aren't too worried about looking business-y in class. We're just there to absorb knowledge from our professors and get through the many to-do's of our day.

I plan to do a lot more of these posts to share how I have been dressing (or plan to dress) for various events related to business school. Let me know if you have any questions/thoughts/ideas about how to approach dressing for certain events. I feel like I overcomplicate this stuff sometimes, but I guess that's the whole point of this blog!

xoChr

Zara peter pan collar dress / Topshop shoes / Topshop black satchel bag / Karen Walker Eyewear sunglasses / Tom Ford plum lipstick / Butter London gold nail polish

Business School Attire: Scholastic Style

Have I mentioned yet how much I have been enjoying the weather in Davis? I hate to harp on such a trivial topic, but the freedom I've felt from the death-grip of black tights has been tremendous! I think you have to live in San Francisco to truly appreciate why it's such a big deal, but let's just say there's nothing like wearing a dress bare-legged from morning to night when you're used to covering 90% of your skin in layers of warm clothes from November-August. I was even bare-legged on Saturday when it rained! FREEDOM, I SAY!!

Above are a few street style photos from around the web that I really like as transitional summer-to-fall outfits. I'm not sure what the business school dress code will be like, but I'd copy each of these looks if I had time to actually go shopping :) For now, I am stuck browsing all the pretty things online. Be sure to check out my Back to School board on Pinterest to see these shots and more!

xoChr

PS school starts so soon! I'm so excited...I'm so...scared...
PPS anyone? anyone? :)

ON A MISSION: The Perfect Bag

I don't know about you guys, but I feel like I'm constantly on a mission to find "The Perfect ________." Whether it's an all-weather coat for the perma-winter that looms over San Francisco, or a vintage accessory for my living room, I feel like my yearning can sometimes turn me into quite the Captain Ahab. Last year it was booties, which not only had to be black and sufficiently mod / Chelsea-style, but also had to have a precise toe shape (not too pointy, not too round), the perfect heel height, just the right amount of shine or texture in the leather, and so on. I bought and returned a few pairs, finally settling on a relatively inexpensive studded bootie from Zara. In past pursuits, such as "The Great Rust Colored Scarf Hunt of 2010," I gave up entirely after an unsuccessful winter.

I was quite sated with my Chelsea boots until the school year began creeping up, which brought on a new batch of obsessions, the most urgent of which is to find "The Perfect Bag." I have looked high and low, strongly considering a wide range of options from brands like Clare Vivier, Kate Spade, Madewell, Orla Kiely, and yes, for a brief moment of complete insanity I really did consider rewarding myself with that lovely Proenza Schouler tote. For one reason or another, I haven't really been sold yet--namely because the bag needs to be as functional (biking to school with laptop in tow) as it is cute. I'm also generally annoyed at how heavily branded so many bags are (Michael Kors, I'm looking at you). My philosophy with anything I wear (designer or not) is simple: if you know, then you know. I don't need a giant emblem to tell people how much money I've spent!

For that reason, I never even considered Coach. I am not a huge fan of their signature fabric, which I personally feel took over the brand's identity and sadly diluted the classic luxury of the brand. It wasn't until my friend Leia recently mentioned the Coach Classics collection, which hearkens back to the brand's original leather bags, that I was curious enough to take a peek. I have to say I totally love these bags! They look so timeless and academic, and I would believe it if you told me they can last forever. I'm going to have to try some of these out in person to see how they fit/feel and examine how much I can manage to shove inside, but Coach has somehow shot to the top of my Perfect Bag list with this collection. (Thanks Leia!)




What do you guys obsess over? I know I'm not alone! I can already feel the "Great Watch Hunt of 2013" coming on, heaven help me.

xochr

BAGS: Legacy Duffle; Legacy Swingback; Willis Bag; Stewardess Bag.