Professional Attire/Dressing for an Interview when you are PETITE

[Shopmom]

Before resigning to raise my son two years ago, I was an HR manager for a contracting company. When interviewing with a new potential employee, I almost always took them more seriously if they were dressed in a more executive/corporate level outfit. This almost always translates into a suit...a sheath dress with suit jacket is a nice option for you if you dont want to invest in tailoring a suit.

[Anonymous]

As a professional stylist, if you are petite, you need to create a long, unbroken line of color to help create height. If you wear a mismatched suit or a skirt, then you are visually making your body appear shorter. Studies show that you are perceived as being more credible the taller you are.

For the petite woman, the very best look you can have is one line of color (matching jacket and pants) with shoes in a similar color. If pants are swallowing you up, they are the wrong proportion. You do need to buy petite clothing as the line and proportion is cut smaller everywhere, not just in length. And a tailor is crucial to helping it appear that you are wearing the clothing - and that the clothing is not wearing you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a professional stylist, if you are petite, you need to create a long, unbroken line of color to help create height. If you wear a mismatched suit or a skirt, then you are visually making your body appear shorter. Studies show that you are perceived as being more credible the taller you are.

For the petite woman, the very best look you can have is one line of color (matching jacket and pants) with shoes in a similar color. If pants are swallowing you up, they are the wrong proportion. You do need to buy petite clothing as the line and proportion is cut smaller everywhere, not just in length. And a tailor is crucial to helping it appear that you are wearing the clothing - and that the clothing is not wearing you.

Interesting - thanks. I'm glad to discover the petite suits at Ann Taylor seem to work. I do think suits are most appropriate for interviews, but lately I've noticed that younger women (like under 40 crowd) seem to be gravitating away from the full formal suit at meetings. But meetings are typically more casual than an interview.