Comments on: Reader Mail: How to Look Professional and Cover My Bug Bitten Legs?

By: Ashley

Ashley — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:57:43 +0000

Black Skirt suit (I would still argue that it is simply the best interview color.) + sally hansen spray + pantyhose. It sucks, but the interview probably won’t last that long. Also, I still advocate that a skirt suit looks dressy and a pants suit looks more casual. Drive to the interview and splurge on parking very close to the building. That way, you can go from air conditioner to air conditioner very quickly. If you get the job, it’s totally worth it.

By: Lourdes

Lourdes — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:12:32 +0000

As a female lawyer in a firm who lives in the tropics (Puerto Rico) where it is HOT and humid year-round, and mosquitoes are ever-present, I’ve gotten used to pantyhose with suit skirts. They do a VERY good job of covering up all sorts of things going on on the legs without the need for concealer. There are several brands (expensive and inexpensive) which have very light pantyhose which are a bit more airy for the summer months. As a last option, I would wear a pant suit, but I would not leave mosquito bite-ridden legs unconvered.

By: Dalls Atty

Dalls Atty — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:22:29 +0000

I vote skirt suit. Pants (especially suit pants) are miserable in this heat, and if you aren’t comfortable, you won’t be on. However, do NOT use Sally Hansen in this heat. The second you get a little leg sweat you’ve got a streaky mess that starts coming off on chairs. I know, I’ve been there, on an interview no less. Try some Benadryl (but not day of — don’t want to be sleepy) and cover up, I love corrector from Bobbi Brown.

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:53:43 +0000

To me there’s no question that in a formality contest between a pants suit and a neat/clean appearance versus a skirt suit and either bug bitten splotchy legs or makeup running or visible band-aids, the pants suit just has to win. I just don’t think makeup will stay put or that band-aids will convey a professional look. Pants suit all the way.

By: Luuci

Luuci — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:01:34 +0000

While I’m not totally against the pant suit, if you’re worried, play it safe and go with the skirt. However… being from the south I would really really be cautious with the spray on tan stuff. If it’s hot, and you sweat and cross your legs there is serious potential for smearing. Test it out a lot beforehand. Personally though, I wouldn’t touch it.

In terms of the suit… the south is formal but you can do a lighter color/fabric suit.

By: AIMS

AIMS — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:18:35 +0000

Makeup and spray on leg makeup, especially, tends to run in the heat. Smeared & streaky legs would be worse than any bug bites.

What about wearing a lighter fabric/color pant suit at the interview? Something that’s still professional but not black wool.

By: C

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:19:58 +0000

Pants suit! Make up used to cover bite marks will run in the heat and humidity. Band-aids would look awful. I have worked in a major law firm and the government in DC. I see more pants suits on women than skirt suits.

By: Megan

Megan — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:41:33 +0000

Great post. But what about bug bitten legs when you aren’t on an interview – just a regular workday? I spend my weekends hiking about, and for most of the summer my legs have bites (and scratches and even poison ivy). So come Monday morning, I always face a decision. Most of my summer wardrobe is skirts, which I greatly prefer. But am I offending my clients (I’m in strategy consulting) by wearing skirts when my legs are not exactly pristine? Is it ever seen as a badge of honor? Or is it just a badge of bad taste?

By: la péagoise

la péagoise — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:17:04 +0000

wow! thanks for all the great advice! the interviews were a week ago, so i can happily report on what i ended up doing. i was RELIGIOUS (ha! i work at a church camp) with bug spray- three times a day at LEAST for a week, neosporin every night on the bug bites, serious chigger medicine (probably illegal stuff we have at the camp), etc. my legs ended up looking
great, especially after a day at the camp pool!

i did some serious shopping and tried on a bunch of pants suits but let me tell yall, there just weren’t many good choices. coupled with my long legs and love of heels and nothing was fitting right. i found a skirt suit that looked perfect so i went with that and no hose (i know what yall say about hose, but to be honest, i was meeting with the presidents of the companies and they were dressed like football coaches, so i was definitely professionally dressed *for these companies*) and tried it on for my uber-conservative dad, and he approved of the entire look (even sans hose!).

one of the men had actually heard about my summer camp, so it would have been ok to discuss that with him (he mentioned it on the phone when i called him before the interviews).

aaannndddd the sad outcome- no one’s hiring, but they’re both trying to create an internship for me (just out of college pretty much, so it’s how you get started in publishing). and i might be getting some contract work out of another company. basically, the two presidents met with me as a favor/introduction sort of thing and one of them got me another meeting with another company. so…. that’s the whole story.

thanks again! i’m definitely completely eaten alive right now, so if they call me up tomorrow wanting to meet i’ll be trying out yall’s suggestions!

By: Erica Foley

Erica Foley — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:34:21 +0000

You’ve gotten a lot of good advice here. One thing that was not clear to me is whether you own a nice pants suit. It sounds as though you prefer skirts, so perhaps not? If not, then I would not obsess about it – but you either need to go with a skirt suit you own or be sure to invest in a decent pants suit. A casual slacks outfit will not work.

Ifyou have both a pants suit and a skirt suit but prefer the skirt, then see how your legs look wearing pantyhose in the skirt suit. If the bites are really noticeable, then I think you should just go with the pants rather than trying to lather on concealer or whatever.

Just my $0.02! Good luck with the interviews.