obviously, a lot more goes into the decisions than my outfit, but i have a feeling i was probably just more comfortable in my own skin in the pantsuit and a lot can be attributed to confidence. so i think sticking to what you feel most comfortable in - within reason - is the best advice.

I too heard the advice to play it safe and wear a skirt suit for interviews. I decided to ditch the advice — I look fairly young and am fairly thin. I didn’t feel comfortable with the fit of any skirt suits I tried on. I felt like I looked as though I was just playing dress up. I felt much more confident in a pant suit, and I decided that the confidence boost was more important than the risk of offending an interviewer b/c I was wearing pants rather than a skirt.

For the same reason, I also wore higher heels than our career development office recommended (3″). I got 11 of 13 callbacks and offers from all the callbacks I accepted. I hardly think I missed out on the other two callbacks b/c of what I wore.

Re: long legs — where do the skirts hit your leg? They say that all women’s skirts should hit at one of three three curves on the leg: a) the curve just above the knee, b) the curve just below the knee, and c) the curve of the calf. If your skirts are mid-thigh, talk to your tailor (i.e. drycleaner) about them and see if they can do anything for you — ask if they could add stuff at the top of the skirt, also, to extent it lower. Otherwise, own your height! If you’re comfortable in heels, rock ‘em without a second thought.

Re: limits for heel heights in shoes… we’ve said before that we think anything higher than 3.5″ is too much for an office environment. But you’re one of the exceptions — if you can wear super high heels comfortably it’s like a show of power that you’re so tall.

Closed toe but sling-backs — they’re really not a problem. We said a few days ago that they walk a line, but if you’ve got great shoes that you feel comfortable in, wear them. It’s only going to be the craziest would-be employer who notices your shoes anyway.

Silk shells — def. okay beneath your suit jacket, but don’t get too casual in your down time between interviews or during lunch and take it off — bare arms are still considered a “no no” by a bunch of people.

“The willingness to visually blend” — nail on the head, here. IMHO, this is what interview week is all about — as it is when you’re a real lawyer and appearing in court (especially as a junior associate). The reason people think it’s a soul-crushing profession, though, is because they mistake interview week’s fashions and strictures for the job itself. I don’t think that’s true — at my firm lots of partners and associates dress with style and taste (and a bit of whimsy sometimes also). It’s just not recommended for interview week.

Regarding leaving the law — I like the analogy with cold feet.

- C

One commenter said the following on this post:
http://www.bitterlawyer.com/index.php/site/columns_detail_comment/can_i_date_a_spyder/?cat_id=1

“lol! The Big Firm Whore hasn’t figured out the NYC social ladder: 1) celebrities, 2) independently wealthy, 3) finance, 4) fashion, 5) publishing 6) musician/comedian, 7) advertising/marketing, 8) assorted hipsters, 9) policement/firemen, 10) lawyer, 11) accountant. Spyder likely has you beat.”

Ladies, do you all feel comfortable with a lifestyle of sensible buns, understated colors and a less desirable social image?

I mean, BFW seems to be a reasonable girl — and I’m sure everything is amped up for the sake of writing — but I feel like I read myself in between the lines in her pieces, and I’m nervous. All this talk about slingback shoes, skirt suits and button policies makes me wonder if I’m preparing myself to work at a law firm or a church. And if the very discussion of dress code has me on the ledge, what’s to come?

I truly admire the commitment you ladies exhibit. The willingness to visually blend in order to achieve your goals doesn’t’ come easy, I’m sure. And it’s too bad that it exists this way. I suppose I’ll simply continue to march on my cold feet till I warm up to one way of life or the other.

Re: light pink — absolutely! Hot pink might be questionable, but even then, if it looks great on you and the rest of the suit is conservative it’s fine. But light pink wouldn’t be wild at all.

Kelly — I read the other BFW posts and didn’t see anything about the PR stuff — could you please send me the link? Love the interviews on that site; another site with great interviews is JD Bliss. And hey, it’s never too late to leave the formation. (Although it might be something to weigh heavily if you’re just a few years away from breaking even with what law school cost you.)