Arizona State’s Campus Services Department hosted a fun and informative Career Fashion Show sponsored by Macy’s last Wednesday. It was held in the Innovation Auditorium of the Nursing and Health Innovation building, and the environment was upbeat and inviting to fashionistas and families alike. The night started with goody bags, raffle entries, and delicious refreshments of fruit, quesadillas and burritos.
Kathleen Cox, a student and representative of Macy’s, continued with a short presentation on Macy’s Retail Management Internship. The executive development program offers the opportunity for students from all over the country to spend the summer working on projects that will prepare them for any aspect of the retail industry. Cox’s presentation brought about much positive verbal feedback from the audience, a great hors d’oeuvre to induce excitement for the night’s fashion meal.
Following the presentation was the panel introduction. Four professionals in the valley were chosen to give honest feedback regarding how their industry would respond to each model’s “interview” and “business casual” looks. The panel included Susie Downey, representing the hospitality industry as the Manager of Human Resources for the Phoenician Luxury Resort, Jill Johnson, representing the non-profit industry as the Career Marketing Manager for the Boys and Girls Club of Arizona, Jenny Ho, representing the health industry as the Operations Manager for the Mayo Clinic, and Danny Arnaout, representing the corporate industry as a Financial Analyst for Wells Fargo Bank. After seeing 11 interview looks and nine business casual looks, modeled by students of Greek life, the panel had a lot of informative feedback to give. Here are the top dos and don’ts for dressing for an interview or business casual:
Do
-Research the company with which you’re interviewing to gain a better understanding of their workplace culture and dress accordingly.
-Incorporate jewelry (if you’re a woman), but make sure it isn’t the main focus of your outfit.
-Pull your hair back, wear light makeup, take out facial piercings, and cover tattoos.
-Cover legs and ankles with pants or hosiery if you’re wearing a skirt or dress.
-Incorporate a pop of color, but make sure it is complimented with a neutral black or grey outfit.
-Button only the top button of a blazer when standing, and unbutton when sitting.
-Tweak your outfits to make sure nothing is too casual (such as belts or soles of shoes).
-Dress conservative and professional if ever in doubt.
-Wear a winning smile, always!
Don’t
-Wear any jewelry (if you’re a man) except for a watch, but make sure it isn’t too big.
-Wear anything too tight, bulky, short, or sheer.
-Wear a bold lipstick color for an interview, but feel free to ease into it when you become more acclimated with your work environment.
-Go over the top with ties (men); pick a neutral color with the proper width, length, and material, do not wear a tie bar, and ease into bow ties as you get acclimated with the work environment.
-Wear a jacket for business casual, but don’t roll up your sleeves either.
-Disregard the company or their culture by trying to impress them with your style; do your research, be humble, and wait to make a unique statement until you’ve been working for a couple of weeks.
Interview
Business Casual
Attendee Attire
By Muriel Woodland, photos by Gianna Mocilnikar
The Chic 