By Frank
Zeccola
LCD
Graduate Fellow
Interview season is upon us—and it should go
without saying that we urge you to wear formal business attire to all
interviews. Beyond a doubt, you want the person you are interviewing with to be
confident in the impression you’ll create in their organization if they hire
you. However, we understand that many of our students graduate in debt, and you
might not be
in a position to spend a lot of money on clothing. Further, many of you are
applying for low-paying public interest jobs, or even unpaid positions, and we understand that money is always
tight.
To that end, here are several great ways to dress
professionally on a budget. Whether you
are a 1L interviewing for a summer position or a graduate trying to land that
first associate job, you always want to look your best for interviews. Here’s
how to do it for less:
The
mission of this organization is to help any woman in need of professional
clothing and career services. To that end, Dress for Success provides free
clothing to its referrals. “We work on a referral basis, so women are referred
to us and then we call directly to schedule an appointment,” says program
coordinator Amy Lynch. Further, Lynch has provided LCD counselors with the
referral forms, so if you are interested, book an appointment with an LCD
counselor today on LCDonline. “Once a woman makes an appointment, we call her
directly to schedule a time for her to come in and meet with one of volunteer
Personal Shoppers to find a complete interview outfit including suit or separates,
handbag, jewelry, and shoes,” Lynch adds.
In
addition, if you are a position to support this organization, Dress for Success
has its annual upcoming 5K Power
Walk on May 7 at Little Marina Green. “This is a great event that promotes
health and wellness and all funds go directly to support our women and programs,”
Lynch says.
With 96 cents out of every dollar earned
benefitting the care of HIV and AIDS patients, Out of the Closet offers you the
perfect way to dress on a budget and invest in a socially conscious cause. Their selection of clothing is great,
and their prices are generally lower than the more trendy thrift stores in the
area.
You’d be
surprised at the high quality business attire you can often find at Goodwill.
With a stated mission to improve employment opportunity for those in the
community, Goodwill aims to help people “reach their full potential through . .
. the power of work.”
Further,
here are some more recommendations from a former GGU Law student:
Macy’s: This
department store has a wide selection of suits. The prices are somewhat decent,
considering you can usually get 20% off your purchase, and the quality is decent
as well (somewhere between average and above average). I found it difficult to
find the right size, but they offer free shipping online when you spend $99 so
if they don’t have your size, you could order it at the risk of guessing the
wrong size. I also found it difficult to match the suit jacket and pants/skirt
(the fabrics seemed different). I eventually was able to get past these hurdles
and made a purchase. However, because the suit I purchased was not lined, it
was really itchy. I ended up returning. For business casual clothing I did not
find this store useful because there were not many plain options and everything
seemed to have too much design.
Gap: This store offers decent prices (offering up to 40% off on certain days). The quality is good and the items are very simple and modern. I found it difficult to find the right sizing in-store, but they offer free shipping online when you spend $50. Also, matching the fabric of the pants to the jacket was nearly impossible. The sizes are a bit irregular, running larger than average, resulting in a non-fitted look. For business casual clothing this store has a limited, but nice selection if you’re looking for a nice sweater or collared blouse.
Banana Republic: This company is under the same ownership as Gap and is their "higher-end" store. The prices are more expensive than Gap, but the quality is higher as well. They also offer up to 35% off on certain occasions. I had similar issues with this store as I did with Gap. For business casual clothing this store has a wider selection than its sister store. There were plenty of lovely blouses to choose from, but the prices can become overwhelming for a law student.
Express: This company has prices that fall between Gap and Banana Republic. The stock in this store was much better, but the options were very limited. The quality is a bit above average and they offer a very modern selection. They often have promotions, usually on holidays or weekends. The sizing runs a little small, resulting in a more fitted look, which I found not to be professionally appropriate. However, if you are more on the slender side, this might be a good option. For business casual clothing this store was limited in selection.
Ross: This store has really decent prices and the quality ranges from below average to above average. The look can also range, but there are some modern pieces. However, this store requires a bit of patience and determination since the pieces are all close-out, meaning there isn't usually a size selection and the piece you find might be the only one available. For business casual clothing you might have better luck as there is a wide selection, but the look was not as simple as I was looking for.
H&M: This store is very modern and the pricing is decent (and if you take in a bag of clothes to donate they give you 15% off your purchase). The sizes are European and can run a little smaller than average. There is not really a wide selection, but rather there is plenty of stock and the same suit can come in several different colors. I personally did not find the cut of their suits to be flattering, running a little tighter than comfortable. For business casual clothing there is a good selection, but I found a lot of their tops to be too oversized or too revealing so it takes some digging.
Nordstrom: This store has a wide, modern, and above-average quality selection. However, the prices can be a little steep for a law student budget. Prices can range from $200 to nearly $1000. I ended up purchasing a really nice suit from here for a little over $200, but considered it an investment because of the great quality. They offer free hemming and I was able to get the suit fitted for my body type. For business casual clothing this store has a nice selection, but the prices may be a little steep.
Gap: This store offers decent prices (offering up to 40% off on certain days). The quality is good and the items are very simple and modern. I found it difficult to find the right sizing in-store, but they offer free shipping online when you spend $50. Also, matching the fabric of the pants to the jacket was nearly impossible. The sizes are a bit irregular, running larger than average, resulting in a non-fitted look. For business casual clothing this store has a limited, but nice selection if you’re looking for a nice sweater or collared blouse.
Banana Republic: This company is under the same ownership as Gap and is their "higher-end" store. The prices are more expensive than Gap, but the quality is higher as well. They also offer up to 35% off on certain occasions. I had similar issues with this store as I did with Gap. For business casual clothing this store has a wider selection than its sister store. There were plenty of lovely blouses to choose from, but the prices can become overwhelming for a law student.
Express: This company has prices that fall between Gap and Banana Republic. The stock in this store was much better, but the options were very limited. The quality is a bit above average and they offer a very modern selection. They often have promotions, usually on holidays or weekends. The sizing runs a little small, resulting in a more fitted look, which I found not to be professionally appropriate. However, if you are more on the slender side, this might be a good option. For business casual clothing this store was limited in selection.
Ross: This store has really decent prices and the quality ranges from below average to above average. The look can also range, but there are some modern pieces. However, this store requires a bit of patience and determination since the pieces are all close-out, meaning there isn't usually a size selection and the piece you find might be the only one available. For business casual clothing you might have better luck as there is a wide selection, but the look was not as simple as I was looking for.
H&M: This store is very modern and the pricing is decent (and if you take in a bag of clothes to donate they give you 15% off your purchase). The sizes are European and can run a little smaller than average. There is not really a wide selection, but rather there is plenty of stock and the same suit can come in several different colors. I personally did not find the cut of their suits to be flattering, running a little tighter than comfortable. For business casual clothing there is a good selection, but I found a lot of their tops to be too oversized or too revealing so it takes some digging.
Nordstrom: This store has a wide, modern, and above-average quality selection. However, the prices can be a little steep for a law student budget. Prices can range from $200 to nearly $1000. I ended up purchasing a really nice suit from here for a little over $200, but considered it an investment because of the great quality. They offer free hemming and I was able to get the suit fitted for my body type. For business casual clothing this store has a nice selection, but the prices may be a little steep.
