Is there anything better than the work conference, the kind that takes place somewhere cool and includes social functions like cocktails or dinner? It’s kind of like a vacation, but without the kids!

But it’s NOT a vacation, and you should not pack the same things you would pack for a vacation. This is work, and you need to dress like you are working.

Even for cocktails and dinner.

Ann Taylor Loft V-neck contrast stitch dress, $69.00
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I was recently telling my neighbor about my whole socks-are-against-my-religion thing (on a day when the temperature dropped I swear to you TEN DEGREES while we stood in her driveway) and she was coming up with all sorts of great solutions for me (because I was wearing a dress and no tights and was moaning about how COLD I was) (although in my defense the temperature went from the low 60s to the low 30s in about three hours that day so bare legs were SORT OF appropriate, for a little while at least).

Where was I? Oh right — what to wear if you don’t want to wear socks.
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A ridiculously long time ago, I had the following lovely email from Kristen:

I’m 30 years old with 4 yo boy/girl twins. I stayed home with them until they started preschool in August of last year. Now I have a flexible job where I work the same hours that they’re in school. My job is really casual i.e. jeans and sweaters are just fine. When I wore slacks, white blouse and a sweater vest one day, my boss wanted to know if I had an interview somewhere! I’m at a community development not-for-profit organization so I generally work/meet with people in similar offices and dress codes. Personally, I would prefer to spruce up a little more, but am met with comments *all day long* when I do so I just tone it down: dark jeans, button-down, thin knit sweater and a pretty necklace.

I recently bought a lovely pair of dark olive green driving mocs. They have a bit of sheen to them although I wouldn’t exactly say they’re patent. They have the treads on the bottom which lends a more casual feel. When I bought them, I envisioned wearing them with everything: khakis, jeans, etc. My problem? SOCKS! Color? Texture? I’m really sad because I haven’t worn my shoes at all yet. Trouser socks seem too insubstantial and slippery, but I don’t know about cotton crew socks. Both brown and black socks just look wrong to me with the beautiful green color.

Kristen, I hope those shoes haven’t been sitting the closet all this time, because they sound fantastic.
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We’ve talked about suits and what to wear under them, but what about your feet? When you’re going to a job interview, you want to be sure that from head to toe, you look professional and capable, which means that you want to choose shoes that are the right heel height and style for your suit AND are appropriate for the office and the job.

A couple of general guidelines: interview shoes should not be too sexy, nor should they be too flashy. Toe cleavage and fabulous embellishment are both completely appropriate in a work shoe, but not in an interview shoe. The idea is not to draw attention to your shoes but to create an overall impression of competence and professionalism. For this reason, your shoes should be clean and polished; this is a good time to take are of any repairs that you have been putting off, like new soles or heels or a good cleaning.

Beyond that, you have four basic choices; go with the one that fits both your style and the office’s style, and that works best with your interview suit.
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Hello, and welcome to Part Three of what may very well be a never ending series on suits! Which will be useful come fall when the Casual Friday look is replaced by the sheath dress and her cousin, the suit.

I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.

Stara started this whole thing with a question about what kind of suit to buy for a job interview, specifically an interview for a fairly conservative office; she also asked what she might wear UNDER the suit. She specifically wanted options that were NOT a button front shirt, and I have to agree that the button up shirt, while always appropriate, isn’t very exciting.

So let’s talk about what the other options are!
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It’s the Post You’ve All Been Waiting (and waiting and waiting and … ) for! The Where to Buy a Suit Guide!

Please feel free to chime in with your own suggestions; after all, I work from home and for all you know, I’m wearing yoga pants right now. (I am not, for the record; I’m wearing corduroys and a very lovely turtleneck sweater. But I could be wearing yoga pants …)
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Stara has a question about suiting:

As you may have noticed (not at all due to my incessant mentioning of this fact), I am an attorney. And I have been informed by an inside contact that I will likely soon be contacted by an ultra conservative employer regarding an interview. For which I honestly need a new suit. The last “interview” suit I bought was nearly 6 years ago, and it is showing it’s age.

My query is this- I am 27. How do I buy an interview suit that is both job appropriate and does not betray my age? I don’t particularly want to plop down $400 on a suit I will never want to wear again. I’m willing to spend a fair amount of cash so long as it is on something I actually like, and not something I feel forced into buying.

I think Stara has exactly the right attitude here: she wants a suit that will make her look professional and competent, but she doesn’t want to go into the interview pretending to be someone she’s not. And she absolutely wants to come out of this with a new job AND a suit that she can actually WEAR to the new job, something that will work with her current closet.

That sounds like a big request, but it’s actually fairly simple, as long as she keeps a few things in mind as she shops.
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Someone (I’m sorry, I can’t remember who just now because I am STILL SICK and apparently my brain has rotted from all the coughing) e-mailed me recently to ask about hair. I don’t usually give hair advice, because frankly, I’m not very good with hair, but I’m going to take this on because I am feeling daring.

And because my brain has been damaged by TWO WEEKS OF HACKING COUGH.

First of all, let me tell you that if you REALLY want good hair advice, you’re in the wrong place; you need to get yourself on over to Whoorl for Hair Thursdays. Please note that Hair Thursday is booked through fall of this year, but you can still learn a lot from reading about OTHER girls and their hair.

Also, Sarah is totally funny. And the woman knows her hair. And yours! Which is a huge help.
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I wear glasses — more specifically, I wear a pair of glasses that I bought in 1997, and occasionally another pair from 1999. Mostly, though, I wear contacts, because I really desperately need new glasses but I can’t bring myself to spend the money on the frames. And because my kids both wear glasses and good lord are little kid glasses EXPENSIVE.

Recently, though, the very pretty Mir introduced me to Zenni optical, where I have frittered away a substantial portion of the past couple of days looking at frames FOR UNDER $20.00! I don’t even know how that is possible, but there it is. You can read Mir’s full review of her new Zenni glasses at WantNot, and then you can fritter away YOUR day looking at totally cool frames for UNDER TWENTY DOLLARS.

Dude.
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