I received the following cry for help this past weekend:
I’m flying to Kentucky in several weeks for graduate school interviews, then Maryland, and then Florida. Memphis is a maybe. Sooo my issue is a few pieces to swap around to create several interview outfits, in addition to more casual attire for a dinner at a prof’s house. I want to look professional but still bring some fashion into it, if not quirk. I personally am wondering if a plain white t-shirt could be placed under a suit and then a turquoise necklace added to keep it youthful and interesting. On that note, I need ideas for what to wear under a suit jacket, and how (if possible) to avoid wearing pants to every interview. What color tights are acceptable, and what kind of shoes?? And for a coat, what do I do then? It’s winter in some of these places, and Kentucky said the weather is super unpredictable so bring rain stuff.
This is a phenomenal question and one that is relevant to a lot of people. Whether you’re traveling for work, interviews or even a wedding, if there’s business or formal attire required it can be hard to decide how much clothing to pack. If you read my Wanderlust post you’ll know that I’m a big fan of interchangeable pieces and mixing & matching articles of clothing so that you can take a smaller bag. That’s especially relevant in this case since the reader will be on the road for nearly a month – who wants to carry multiple heavy bags around for that long?
The key here is going to be separates and layering, that way you can add to the outfit or take pieces off without losing the professional feel of the look. Since she’s going to be attending graduate school interviews the foundation of her suitcase needs to be a suit. Or two. I recommended that she buy two suits – a pants suit and a skirt suit. (I sent her three emails covering clothes, packing and accessories. Including pictures and links. Overkill?)
SUITS
For the pants suit you want something simple but of nice quality so that you can mix it up for different occasions – pants with a button down & no jacket, full suit with a t-shirt or just the jacket over jeans w/ a striped t-shirt.

(L) AK Anne Klein 3-Button Pant Suit - $99 (sale price), (C) Who*s Who - $225 (sale price) @ Yoox.com & (R) Tahari by ASL Suit - $105 (sale price) @ Macy's

(L) Anne Klein Belted Skirt Suit - $140 (sale price), (C) Nine West Belted Flared Suit - $240 @ Macy's & (R) AK Anne Klein Speckled Skirt Suit - $100 (sale price)
For cocktail parties, receptions, dinners etc a Little Black Dress is a bit too informal so I would go with a sheath dress paired with a blazer that can be taken off. This can easily be spiced up with heels & funky jewelry to keep it fun and young, but remains professional.

(L) Black & White Ponte Colorblock Sheath Dress - $60 @ New York & Company, (C) Fluid Travel Knit Sheath - $100 @ Coldwater Creek & (R) Calvin Klein Ponte Colorblock Sheath Dress - $100

(L) Lauren by Ralph Lauren Dress Long Sleeve Knot Dress - $135 @ Bloomingdale's, (C) Lauren by Ralph Lauren Long Sleeve Boatneck Sheath - $100 (sale price) @ Macy's & (R) 3/4 Sleeve Sheath Dress - $130 @ Ann Taylor

Top Left: Tommy Hilfiger Military Button Down - $80 @ Macy's, Center: J.Crew's Perfect shirt with french cuffs - $80, Top Right: Ann Taylor Perfect Long Sleeve Shirt - $70, Bottom Left: Canna Tie Blouse - $75 @ Piperlime & Bottom Right: Tie Neck Button Down Shirt - $40 @ LOFT

Top Left: Knitted Tape T-Shirt Jumper - $70 @ TopShop, Center: Women's Striped Boat-Neck Top - $15 @ Old Navy, Top Right: Classic Long Sleeved T - $80 @ Alexander Wang, Bottom Left: Pia Ponte Knit Tee - $50 @ Banana Republic & Bottom Right: Boatneck Long Sleeve Tee - $35 @ Ann Taylor
- Bottoms: A pair of black pants and a pair of nice, dark wash jeans – no holes!
- Outerwear: Either a black or tan trench coat or a black coat (cashmere, wool – whatever), something that will cover you backside and is big enough to layer over a sweater.
- Travel clothes: I recommend choosing a comfortable, non-wrinkly outfit that you can use for all your traveling. I usually pack black pants with a long-sleeved shirt, boyfriend cardigan, scarf and flats.
ACCESSORIES
You can really let your personality shine through with how you choose to accessorize your outfits, I would pack lots of accessories and add them to each look to give it a bit of punch, but you need to keep in mind your audience and not go overboard.

Top Left: c.A.K.e. by Ali Khan Champagne Beaded Collar - $85 @ Macy's, Center: Anna & Ava Multi-Row Pearl Necklace - $60 @ Dillard's, Top Right: Juicy Couture Pave Chain Link Starter Necklace - $70 @ Lord & Taylor, Bottom Left: Spike Spray Collar - $25 @ TopShop & Bottom Right: Oval Stone Collar - $30 @ TopShop

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