Dress for success, but be conservative
By Jane Hirt
Staff Reporter
In the rush for resume and portfo
lio material, many students don’t
stop to think about how they dress for
interviews.
Dressing appropriately is a part of
the interview process, and according
to Christine Funkhauser, a business
placement adviser at the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln internship of
fice, the key to dressing for success is
to dress conservatively.
Funkhauser said no matter what
position a person is applying for,
whether it’s for a desk job or to be a
bus driver, it is important that he or
she dress conservatively. She said for
both men and women, dressing con
servatively means a suit with a white
shirt or blouse.
Funkhauser, who said she has at
tended many seminars on dressing
\
for interviews, said the best suit col
ors arc navy, gray and pinstripe. She
said it is not necessary for a student to
buy an expensive suit, and she rec
ommended Ben Simon’s or Younk
ers for students with limited budgets.
“Invest in quality,” Funkhauscr
said.
Doug McDaniel, assistant direc
tor of human resources at Bryan
Hospital, said the attire of the person
being interviewed should match the
level of the job for which he or she is
applying. He said for an office or
business job, the person should ap
pear conservative and businesslike,
and sportscoats for men arc appropri
ate.
He said that although a person’s
outfit shouldn’t enter into the bias of
interviewing, it docs subconsciously.
He said what he really looks for in a
person’s appearance is cleanliness
and neatness.
Sally Schneider, assistant vice
president and employee manager at
FirstTier Bank, said that in an inter
view for any kind of financial institu
tion, a nice suit—either gray or navy
for both men and women — is appro
priate.
She said that although a person’s
dress doesn’t determine whether he
or she gets the job, it sets the tone for
the interview.
Kate Smith, manager of the Tai
lored Woman for four years, said that
since she’s worked there, she has
seen no changes in the conservative
business suit, and shedoesn’t foresee
any.
She said the top color in business
suits is navy blue, followed by gray
and pinstripe.
Smith said white and off-white
blouses with bow ties or a pin or
pearls are the most appropriate to
complement a conservative suit.
Smith said the suits in her store begin
at $195. Don Steward, buyer of
men’s clothing at Ben Simon’s for 30
years, said the “power look” colors
for men are navy, charcoal and
medium gray.
He said the “power look” has tra
ditionally indicated a man of power.
He said brown is not a power look.
There is a definite “accepted cor
porate look,” he said. This look, he
said, is a suit with a burgundy or
yellow tic, a white shirt, and lace-up
or wing-lipshocs. Steward said that if
a student’s budget limits him to a
sportscoal, it should be navy.
Steward said a student buying an
entire outfit, including shoes, could
expect to pay about S470 at Ben
Simon’s. He said the store’s suit
prices range from S250 to $695.
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Dave Hansen/Daily Nebraskan
By Lisa Donovan
Staff Reporter
Shoe styles this season have taken a step back.
Many popular shoes resemble styles from the 1950s and
1960s, said Lowran Schrocdcr, manager of Baker’s Shoe
Store.
“We’re seeing a lot of pointed toes, boat shoes and loafers,
which were popular at that time,” he said.
Ractha Smith, manager of J. Bragg’s shoe department,
said the high, thin-heeled women’s shoes resemble those
popular in the 1940s.
Men’s canvas high-tops, wing-tipped shoes and women’s
crocodile-type shoes arc reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s,
said Stephanie Nimmcr, salesperson at Famous Footwear.
“A lot of people have come in and asked about saddle
shoes.” she said.
Even the 20()-ycar-old Birkcnstocks, which made their
debut in the United States in the 1960s, are gaining popularity
with people who don’t necessarily have foot ailments.
“It’s being recognized more as a real healthy shoe,” said
Pat Lee, salesperson at Footloose and Fancy.
Lee said some of the comfort shoe’s popularity is due to
trend, but much it is because people realize “it has good
support and allows the body to be in balance.”
Traditional, preppy styles remain popular.
Boat shoes, white canvas shoes with navy trim and plain,
w hite, canvas shoes are still big sellers, Nimmer said.
The camp moc, a brown or tan top-sider w ith dark brown
soles, is still popular, she said.
Schrocder said many conventional shoe styles never go
out, but there arc always a few trendy styles.
“This year, the Spuds Mackenzie tennis shoes arc really
big. Last year it was the metallic shoes,” he said.
The style for both men and women this year is dressy.
Smith said.
“There’s a lot of textures, a lot more details, combining
leather and canvas, and two-tones arc popular, too,” said
Dawn Allen, a salesperson at Backstage Ltd.
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