I am currently thumbing through the Summer 2013 Jack Wills lookbook. Jack Wills, as I would describe, is H&M with a British twist. I started to follow Jack Wills when I heard about #thebestsummerinternship through Her Campus last year, but my love of the brand has skyrocketed now that Jack Wills has a branch in Princeton. Hopefully, my fingers are crossed, they will work with Her Campus Princeton on our upcoming photoshoot–the fifth and last photoshoot that I will plan–and fashion show.

Back to the point: I am in dire need of clothes for the interviews I will, fingers crossed again, have this interview season. Health Professions Advising gave simple advice: make sure you are more memorable than your attire. Nonetheless, I think there is a way to dress in a fashionable, professional manner. I put together a collage on Polyvore of a few business professional pieces that I think embody the qualifiers I mentioned before; however, it’s extremely hard to find business professional attire on a college budget.

I know that clothing seems like it is the least important component of the interview process; shouldn’t I worry more about: the questions, the MMI set-up, or actually receiving interview invitations. According to former UCLA professor Albert Mehrabian, 55% of the first impression is derived from nonverbal cues (hence, appearance). The rest of the first impression is due to inflection and tone of voice (38%) and what is said (7%).

Classic stores Brooks Brothers, Ann Taylor, Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer, and Banana Republic are quite expensive. While Jack Wills is definitely a cheaper alternative, from what it looks like in the lookbook, everything is just a bit too casual. Also, the search for black pumps that are cute but not too high (I’m trying not to fall when I enter the interview room) has been largely inconclusive. I think the most affordable way for collegiettes to procure interview appropriate attire is through private sales sites. Sites like Hautelook, Gilt, Ruelala,and Ideeli provide amazing products for discounted prices over a short period of time. I’m officially on the hunt for separates and pumps on all four of the sample sale sites mentioned above. I’ll keep you posted; let me know what you find and please let me know where you shop!