Wednesday, February 20, 2013

more thoughts on the interview outfit


did you see this of a kind / fieldguided giveaway? i've been obsessed with the iacoli & mcallister spica light, which i first saw at thomas sires. i'm sorely tempted to order this necklace as part of my interview outfit. i think there's more leeway for creative pieces during this stage of the interview process.

the weather is the trickiest variable in my outfit planning. it may rain, or there could be snow in mid-march. sturdy shoes that offer some protection from muddy or wet ground are a good idea. i'm thinking of ordering the frye carson lace-ups in either dark brown or black. if only i still lived in the US, i would order them from bliss boutique in a heartbeat. a dressier option that may be more appropriate would be the rachel comey mars boots.


at this point i'm leaning toward a pencil skirt, maybe in a fun spring color, plus a cardigan and my trench.

22 comments:

jennifer said...

I can't say enough good things about the Rachel Comey Mars boot. I have the black nubuck/leather Mars Combos and wear them almost every single day in the winter. They pair really well with dresses, skirts, and jeans and go from casual to dressy really easily.

erica said...

How is the sizing for them? I'm an 8 or 8.5 in most shoes. I might be able to try them in town, but it's likely I'll have to order the specific colorway.

jennifer said...

I am also an 8-8.5 and went with the 8.5s. They're roomy enough where I'm able to wear thick socks with them. They're on the narrow side (I think most RC shoes are), but I haven't experienced any pinching.

They are really my favorite ankle boots. I'm thinking about buying them in brown since I get so much wear out of the black ones.

joyce said...

Ditto on the Mars and Jennifer's suggestions on sizing. I 'm a wide 8 and went with the 8.5. They are so versatile!

Jade said...

i wore the mars boots for pretty much all of my residency interviews. i am normally an 8-8.5 as well, but took a 9 in these (they do require insoles, though)! i started out with the 8.5, and exchanged for a 9. i think comey shoes are just cut strangely. literally, it's the only brand where i take a 9. but, they are a great interview/date night/look awesome/feel aweosome shoe.

erica said...

Just tried on the frye Carson boots, and boy are they comfortable! I was an 8 in them. I'm also an 8 in the Paige boots, but fryes tend to be cut wide. The carsons are definitely too casual for a pencil skirt.

I'm going to try to track down a pair of Mars to try on. I'm probably an 8.5 or 9. I think I can I can use a jcrew silk top with my Tom Scott half sleeve pullover. All I need is a pencil skirt in a fun color and black ankle boots. So I can manage a splurge. I can't bear to buy cheap uncomfortable shoes! And everyone seems to love the Mars!

leanne said...

I'm so happy to see all of the comments on the mars! I've been looking for a pair of black boots and unable to make up my mind. I love my dicker boots, but really unsure about spending that much money on another pair ... the heel is manageable for a lot of walking around? Would love to hear feedback on that!

Erica - as an aside I can't stop thinking about the Tom Scott cardigan that you purchased a few years ago around this time .. still love that color! Hope you're wearing it :)

jennifer said...

Leanne--the Mars might be half an inch taller than the Dickers. I find the Mars are comfortable enough for city wear (or anywhere where you're going to be doing several miles of walking), but my feet do get a little sore. They're not as comfortable as the Dickers since they're higher and narrower, but they're a good alternative. For what it's worth, the Mars are way more flattering on me than the Dickers. They're also a lot less delicate. I'm ok wearing my Mars out in any type of weather...can't say the same for my taupe Dickers.

leanne said...

Thanks, Jennifer! They also cost a bit less :) I do worry some about my taupe dickers and want to be able to wear shoes all weather. Maybe 1/2 size up and good insoles? I think I can deal with the heel because it is chunky.

Which do you have - black heel? Natural heel?

erica said...

I love the black leather heel, but afraid it would get damaged. Maybe the leather is thick enough to withstand wear and tear? Or maybe the wood heel would be as vulnerable with a klutz like me?

The heel scares me since I can barely stand 2", but they would be great for teaching and moderate walking, I hope.

I would go with black natural heel because I like the look of wood.

erica said...

Yes I still wear the cardigan, but moths made tiny holes in it along with nearly all my knits. Never had a problem with moths til last year, I was devastated!

Mona said...

I have the RC hitch boot in a 9 but I am usually a 8.5 in anything else - true FR39 my heel slips in them but I could not see how my a smaller size may have worked due to the narrow front.

Sarge in Charge said...

Same as Mona... even though the toe box is narrow the heels are strangely roomy on the Mars/Hitch. The consensus seems to be to go up a half size unless you have narrow feet, in which case get your true size!

Regarding the heel height and durability I can tell you that I don't even need a "commuter shoe" when I want to wear them to work... I can still walk at my usual breakneck pace and don't worry that the wood will get banged up on the train/sidewalks.

jennifer said...

I have the black leather heel. I was also worried that they would get damaged, but so far they're still in pretty good shape. There are a few punctures near the base of the heel from walking on uneven pavement, but I've been able to straighten the leather out so it's barely noticeable. I love the natural heel and think that it would probably be more durable than the leather one (my old penpal boots had a natural heel and could withstand anything).

The chunkiness of the heel definitely makes the shoe more comfortable.

erica said...

eeps, the roomy heel and narrow toe box is making me nervous! i'm going to try the Mars in whiskey at Gravity Pope this weekend and see how i feel about the heel height and fit.

thanks for all the helpful feedback, everyone! it's encouraging to hear that so many of you own this boot.

Jade said...

that whole roomy heel, narrow toe box situation is what prompted me go to up to a 9. i have very medium width feet, too. but you never know, i have the nash boots in 8.5 and the fit is pretty easy. the stacked wooden heel is not tough to balance on at all. no worries! let us know what you think!

erica said...

somehow i was convinced that i should buy the Mars in an 8. and now, 6 hours later post-dinner, they are soooo painfully small! the shopgirl said they didn't come in half sizes, which can't possibly be true, and i think i'm going to have to go back and exchange them for 9s. i can always toss in an insole.

Sarge in Charge said...

Oh how I can sympathize, I somehow convinced myself that the 8.5 was the right size (the length was okay and the heels were loose) and then a few hours later I realized that I couldn't even feel my toes because they were so tight :( Luckily I found someone on LoGE to exchange with. Hopefully you can return for the right size!

erica said...

I can definitely exchange them, although let's hope they have them in a 9. My feet definitely swell by the end of the day, but I had been walking for 35 min before I tried them on. And then there's my pair of brogues that stretched out and need midweight socks. It's so hard to find shoes that fit!

Jade said...

yeah, there's something weird about the mars! i don't think they come in half sizes, unfortunately. hope the 9's work!

jennifer said...

Oh no! I hope that you can exchange for the 9s. I am pretty sure they come in half sizes since I have the 8.5s, but maybe this season's boots are whole size only.

Jade said...

yeah, i apologize for my cray comment above! they DO come in half sizes because i tried an 8.5 before deciding the 9's were the best fit. jennifer might be correct regarding a change in sizes this season. i bought my mars in late 2012.