It's the question that plagues every student's mind when it comes to dressing for job interviews: what to wear?
With the job market becoming increasingly scarce and with this year's graduates entering the work field at the worst time imaginable, making a strong first impression is more important now than ever.
To help students hone in on essential interviewing looks, Katie Skomra and Lacey Duell, graduate student assistants with Career Services organized "Dress for Success."
Along with the aid of the Student Association, Student Life and Macy's, the goal for the show was to provide students with the dos and don'ts for dressing for an interview.
With the help of UB's faculty, staff and students modeling various work appropriate looks, "Dress for Success" took over the stage in the Student Union Lobby Thursday between 1 and 2 p.m., while Macy's Kim Brooks and WGRZ-TV local personality Pete Gallivan emceed the fashionable event.
As the show began, event organizers Skomra and Duell warmed up the audience as the models put the finishing touches on their outfits before they braving the runway. University faculty and staff exhibited the quintessential "what not to wear" look while students were dolled up in styles that could win over any head of human resources.
For men who want to put their best foot forward, sleek suits with a clean dress shirt, simple tie and polished shoes were the most professional look of the day. A plain V-neck sweater pulled over an Oxford button-down shirt, with khaki slacks and loafers, was the ideal look for business casual.
For the ladies, pants or skirt suits with flats and minimal jewelry worked for the professional side. A ruffled top with brown high-waisted pants and pointed heels was a refreshing idea for appropriate business casual that was both sleek and comfortable.
The biggest don't that the faculty donned were excessive makeup, overwhelming perfume, untamed hair, wrinkled clothing and inappropriate footwear such as flip flops or athletic shoes, all giving off the lackluster attitude towards solidifying a great interview.
Winning the award for the worst dressed faculty member went to Mary Dahl, representing the School of Management. Her painfully awful all-red assemble, worn exclusively for the show, included a plaid jacket, checkered sleeveless button down, knee-length ruffled skirt, and alligator loafers. Ludicrous crowd pleaser or not, Dahl's ensemble was absurd enough to scare Clinton Kelly straight into Stacy London's arms.
The "Dress for Success" team did just as they promoted-they successfully put out a show that exhibited helpful hints for students who were unsure of what was appropriate for scoring their dream interview.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
