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If you're planning to attend an alumni lunch for your law school — and you'll be taking the opportunity to network there — how should you dress? Is wearing a suit a must in this situation? (Pictured, Boss Juicy 6 Jacket, $575 at Nordstrom — check out our full guide to women's suits for more ideas.) Reader K wonders…
I am starting to network to look for a new job and have decided to attend my law school's annual alumni lunch (I am a lawyer). It's on a Friday in a hotel ballroom. Should I wear a suit or is a professional business dress (with sleeves) sufficient?
Interesting question, Reader K! For my $.02, I would say SURE, wear a suit. Why not? You have one, and you want to look professional. If anyone at work asks why you're in a suit, there's nothing suspect about attending an alumni event — and at the event if anyone asks why you're in a suit, you can just say you have another big meeting. (I doubt they will — my guess is that 95% of people there will be in suits. But I'm sure this depends on your geographic location, as well as your law school.) Particularly given the fact that this is a lunch — and the law school alumni lunch at that — I would say that a suit is the easiest, no-brainer answer here — throw it on and be done with it. (Read some of our best business lunch tips here, as well as some of our thoughts on alumni networking here.)
In fact, I would say this is a perfect opportunity to start wearing a suit in your regular wardrobe rotation. Some of the best advice I got when I was just starting out was that you should wear a suit as often as you can, even if you don't “have” to — at least once a week! — because it gets coworkers and bosses used to seeing you in a suit. Then, when you're trying to secretly interview for new jobs, when you come to work dressed in a new suit, it doesn't scream “I have an INTERVIEW today!”
Ladies, what are your thoughts? How often do you try to wear suits? What would you wear to an alumni networking lunch with lawyers?
Ellen
Yay, Kat! This is such an INTERESTING p’ost!
I think that you should ALWAYS look your best b/c you NEVER know who will be there. I got busness just by watching a parade weareing my work clotheing, and you can alway’s get busness by being very well dressed.
When I was workeing for the process server, I did NOT have to wear good clothe’s, but my dad told me that by dressing well, I would have a much better chance of moving up, and also by meeting peeople at the companie’s I was serveing with process in case they were in need of a young, smart and pretty legal councilor. So I did dress well even tho back then I had NO clotheing allowance.
And what do you know, I go into the manageing partner’s building to serve a supeenie, and who do I literally bump into but the manageing partner! I am sure that if I were dressed like the other schlub’s, he would NOT have taken the time to chat with me, let alone offer me a job. But he did, and now, onley a few year’s later, I am an EQUITY partner at our firm! All because I was dressed well and was abel to carry on a conversation with a man interested in me for my MIND, and not my boobie’s! YAY!
That is the lesson. Dress well, and you will do well. Also, consider askeing for a clotheing allowance like my Dad did b/c I spend so much on clotheing! DOUBEL YAY!!!
Coach Laura
I’d wear a suit but perhaps not a standard interviewing blouse. Wear something with a bit of personality.
Diana Barry
+1, this is my regular outfit for work, alum lunches, etc., anything not an interview.
Shopaholic
I think I would wear a sheath dress and a jacket to something like this. Still professional but not as stuffy as a suit.
OP
+1. This is my go to outfit for these type of events.
Bonnie
I agree. Unless you work in a place where a formal suit is the norm, I’d wear a dress and jacket. you want to look professional but not like you showed up for an interview. Frankly, I don’t notice what others wear to these types of events unless someone is wildly underdressed (leggings or casual jeans).
Anonymous
+3. I don’t think a suit would look bad per se but I doubt 95% of attendees will be wearing them.
Anonymous Associate
A suit would be overdressed in some locales, and being overdressed isn’t really a good thing. I have no idea about the east coast; I am in CA. I work in biglaw, and the only time I wear a suit is for (1) court, (2) some but not all depositions/pitches/meetings for stuffier clients, and (3) interviewing. For CA, I would imagine that you’d be one of the only people at an alumni lunch in a suit-there would probably be people there in jeans. I would probably wear a dress since I wear a dress almost every day, but could see nice slacks or a skirt working too. If you really want a jacket, why not do a blazer with a non-coordinated bottom? It’s not as dressy, but still looks sharp.
Anonymous
I agree. It would really stand out in California. Nobody wear suits here except for the most formal occasions.