CB46 - I don’t recommend spanx. They don’t really work and it’s too hot for additional layers. Confidence matters more than body shape. Stand up straight and wear darker colors - navy, charcoal, etc.. Vertical stripes can also have a slimming effect.
ASA Employment Fair Interview Dress Code
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I'm a fat but not like morbidly obese guy, and I am worried about this. I think there's a lot of bias. Is there a Spanx for fat men's stomachs? Essentially I'm asking for girdle recommendations, yes I do understand.
Don’t wear baggy clothes to try to cover your body. Wearing something that might feel tighter than your normal baggy clothes can in fact make your body look better. Wear black and grey. Buying expensive, fancy clothes in larger sizes is worth it for fat guys, since the cuts will be correct. You won’t find this with less expensive brands that slim guys can get away with.
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At the risk of providing sincere advice when others are using this thread to troll:
The new edition of Queer Eye fits a few beefier guys into more business-y appropriate attire.
It is worth noting that ASA is an extremely casual conference compared to other disciplines (and most professions). For men, a sportcoat with cotton chinos and no tie will put you in the top 25% easily--regardless of brand. The modal outfit is simply a tucked in oxford or dress shirt. If it actually fits your body, congrats, you're in the top 10%. Honestly I have too many ties to count and I'm slightly disappointed how out of place they look at ASA.
There's really only two important things to keep in mind: Don't wear a shirt and tie with no jacket or sweater; this isn't a 2011 JCrew catalogue and you're not a 6th grade math teacher. And find a good tailor in your area. If you generally don't feel comfortable in this type of clothing, a tailor will help a lot.
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Interesting that this turned into a discussion of men's dress because absolutely no one of any import cares what men wear at ASA. Enjoy the male privilege and worry about something else.
sorry to tell you i'm much harsher when judging men's attire for an interview. partly because i think there are fewer excuses
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sorry to tell you i'm much harsher when judging men's attire for an interview. partly because i think there are fewer excuses
I am legitimately surprised, if you're talking about the finer points of fashion as opposed to just not looking like a total slob. Would you really ding a candidate because they were wearing an off-the-rack suit instead of a tailored one? If so, you're building in all kinds of class bias into your search process.
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Also, for what it's worth (and it may not be much), I'm a SC chair who will be participating in the Employment Fair and I couldn't care less what people wear at that event as long as it's not shorts and/or t-shirt. As for the campus interview, you should dress up to show people (especially admin) you are taking the process seriously, but no one will care if you're not fashionable. I actually find it a bit endearing if you show up looking like it's 2005.
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Nope. I'm here because I knew there'd be idiots like 1c05 spouting how their personal preference or norms in other professional arenas should be the standard in ours.
^ asshole confirmed
Point is, these people exist. Why is it so difficult to accept that ASA and campus interviews are time to put your best foot forward, avoid taking risks and spend $100-200 on neutral, professional clothes if your wardrobe is full of jeans and tshirts? Why would you die on that hill? These are some of the most important interviews in your whole career.
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I am legitimately surprised, if you're talking about the finer points of fashion as opposed to just not looking like a total slob. Would you really ding a candidate because they were wearing an off-the-rack suit instead of a tailored one? If so, you're building in all kinds of class bias into your search process.
it's not about buying a bespoke suit. It's about spending $40 to do alterations so that your jacket or slacks fit.
Of course it's not mandatory, of course most people in America wear ill-fitting clothes and of course sociologist rarely dress up, but people here come for advice and alterations/tailoring is a cheap way to make clothes (even cheap ones) look way better. -
I've hired and been hired multiple times. I can't recall a time that one's dress ever factored into an evaluation of a candidate. Period.
Of course no one is going to admit that 'we rejected John Doe because he looked terrible'.
But I'm amazed that we sociologists suddenly become idealistic and forget about unconscious biases as soon as image is mentioned, while there's a range of studies that indicate that attractiveness is tied to success. -
I've hired and been hired multiple times. I can't recall a time that one's dress ever factored into an evaluation of a candidate. Period.
We’ve only ever talked about clothing when it was extreme. Like the bull d#ke who wore a track suit. The guy who wore an antique Edwardian suit. And the guy who wore slacks with a bright pink dress shirt (no tie, no jacket). We actually hired that last one.
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7c49, you've made it clear you want to hold the discipline to standards it doesn't hold. Move on. If you want to play the "being a poor sociologist" card, you should look at the glaring contradiction between your acknowledging that the vast majority of the field doesn't care about style, then wanting to apply style standards to hiring practices. Don't get up on your bull s**t "you might not want to admit it" high horse. You think people should care about how they dress. Most sociologists don't. Get over your damn self.
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You think people should care about how they dress. Most sociologists don't
People are not interviewed by 'most sociologists' and OP is looking for advice.
If you want to make it personal, my dissertation chair (and mentor, and role model) dresses like garbage. The most impressive person in my PhD cohort has a very distinct style that wouldn't work at an ASA interview. They both make basic efforts when they go on TV/interview.