26/30 & 27/30: Bowling Lessons and Interview Attire Musings

I didn't get a chance to get photos of outfit 26.  The day that I wore it I had a long day on campus followed by an excursion with the student organization that I advise.  Since it was the week before finals, they wanted to go bowling to blow off some steam.  I feared that I would throw nothing but gutter balls as the last time I had bowled was about 20 years ago, and I was embarrassingly terrible then.  I threw a couple of strikes and a spare!!  The moral of the story here is that if you suck at bowling when you are a tween, you might not in your 30s.

Outfit 26: 7. Dark Wash Bootcut Jeans - Express + 16. Black & White Striped Top + 21. Yellow Embellished Cardi - New York & Co. + 26. Bondgirls - John Fluevog + this scarf

I wore outfit 27 on the last day of classes for the semester.  I held review sessions in my two survey classes and, along with a colleague in modern languages, had coffee with a job candidate in yet another department.

 30x30 Items: 3. Blue Sweater Wrap Dress - Target + 30. Grey Slouchy Boots - Steve Madden

Accessories: Scarf - gift from friend (remixed), Tights - We Love Colors

It was a little weird to be on the other side of that particular job market experience, and I found myself paying special attention because as a VAP I could very well be back on the candidate side of that cup of coffee sometime in the near future (if I'm lucky).  If/when that happens, I won't be wearing brightly colored amethyst tights or slouchy boots like these, but I do want to emphasize that boots have a place on the campus interview circuit.

I have seen some people criticize the choice of a boot on job candidates, but if your interview is in, say, Nebraska or upstate New York in February, I would suggest that wearing boots indicates that you have done your research and understand your wintry surroundings. A colleague and I discussed this a while back.  He was telling me that someone once came to our upper Midwestern campus for an interview in February without a real winter coat and wearing shoes that raised some eyebrows because some wondered if the candidate would be able to negotiate snowy and icy paths without slipping and falling in them.  The moral of the story here is that if you have an interview you should check the forecast and plan accordingly.

What are your thoughts on boots at job interviews, academic or otherwise?

Edit: for my more general thoughts on interview attire see the guest post I wrote on the subject last year for What Would A Nerd Wear.