{outfit post} interview basics...

Interviews can be such an insanely nerve-wracking experience. I always fret over how much I should brush up on my company basics, what kind of questions I should have prepared, and if I've printed enough copies of my resume. The one thing I absolutely relish about the interview experience is dressing for it. My day-to-day wardrobe can feel mundanely casual, so any opportunity to really turn it out is one I embrace to the fullest. I had such an interview recently, and the look I put together really helped elevate my confidence.

Karen Millen coat (missing a button, blast!); J. Crew shirt; Theory pants; Mee Too flats; c/o Amanda Pearl Gobstopper earrings; Michael Michael Kors watch; various bracelets.

This is actually one of my favorite outfit posts so far on the blog. It's uncharacteristically restrained and simple. No Mr. T gold chains, no print mixing. I also don't think I've posted this J. Crew shirt before; because honestly it took me a while to really appreciate it. I probably bought it five years ago, and hardly wore it before moving to New York.  The fit is out of this world, but the color is just not me. Luckily, I never let it go, and it's going to be a staple for this spring season - I've decided to embrace the light pink.
Everything else you've seen before, but it's sort of amazing what an effect the shirt has on the overall look, right? Here's a side-by-side with the same pants and shoes from last September:

I wore that second look to a show for NYFW. I really prefer to wear the woven brown belt just because it dresses down the pants, and for exactly that reason I didn't wear it to the interview. Even at a fashion or lifestyle-based company, I think it's extremely important to put professional polish above personal style. You can absolutely still express your individuality and taste without compromising business-dress standards.

Take my pants, for example. They are by no means your standard dress pant, they've got a paper bag waist, pleats and are cropped above the ankle. I find that a traditional trouser style can look unflattering on my figure, so I chose an unconventional cut I like more, but made sure to pair it with a simple, conservative shirt. As far as flare, the oversized pearls were my little twist. My MK watch is one of those menswear-inspired pieces that is perfect for interviews: it illustrates timeliness and taste! So I wore it with just my slim, silver Tiffany bangle and no rings.

 (Don't you love Ari's little touch with the tulips?)

 I call this pose - Sears catalog, party of one.

One last note about this look, my hair! I am the world's biggest fan of the top knot. I wear one just like this all the time, for every kind of occasion. It was an extremely practical style for my interview though, because currently my mane falls about half-way down my torso. I love it, but it can be hard to wrangle and a bit of a distraction. I tend to fiddle with my hair when I'm nervous, so having it swept up and away from my face eliminated the urge.

**Confession: I thought about calling this post "Interview With a Vampire" because I'm so vitamin D deficient lately. Then I thought that might be really strange. So I went with 'interview basics' instead, because I felt that was a tad more accurate and a tad less frightening.