Fashion show teaches dressing for success

As Penn women trade Locust Walk for the corporate fast lane, many face the question of what to wear on interviews, company tours and other corporate functions. To help them, Wharton Women held its second annual "Suit Yourself" Style Show in Harrison College House's Rooftop Lounge Tuesday night. About 50 undergraduate students, most of whom are in Wharton, attended the 30-minute fashion show. Brooks Brothers, Ma Jolie and Nine West supplied the fashions for the seven models, who strutted down the makeshift runway to dance beats. The Wharton models and Wharton Women board members were determined to prepare Penn females for the job search. "We found among ourselves that we don't know what's business casual and business formal," said Wharton senior Juliana Lin, the outgoing communications chair and secretary of Wharton Women. "And we had a lot of students asking us what's appropriate dress." The style show featured business casual and business formal attire, along with a few cocktail dresses. Two hosts supplied the audience with descriptions of the outfits and instructions on when to wear them. Students attending the event said they found the fashion tips helpful. "I'm not in Wharton," College sophomore Mayuko Endo said. "But, actually, I'm interested in a lot of the same careers... thinking about interviews, I could totally use this information." Other style-minded attendees came for the clothing. "I want to get into the fashion industry -- merchandising and buying," Wharton sophomore and incoming Wharton Women Communications Chair Alexis Decerbo said. "I came because I like to keep abreast of the styles." Similarly, College freshman Zoya Bozhko said she came, in part, because she's always wanted to be a fashion designer. "It's a hobby of mine," she said, adding that she also attended to get involved in Wharton Women and take a break from her studies. There are several College and Engineering students among the organization's 125 members, although 85 percent are Wharton undergraduates. The Wharton Women who planned the event said they got an education themselves. "Asking for [loaned clothing and] donations has definitely been a learning experience because we had to pitch the product we were trying to sell," Planning Committee member and Wharton freshman Diana Ricketti said, comparing the fashion show planning to a "mini-business." "It's good to come together to mix the love for fashion and business," added Wharton freshman Sona Karia, a model at the event. "And hopefully in the future we'll be wearing these clothes." The event was part of Wharton Women's life skills series, which encourages students to develop social skills applicable to the business world, like networking, tennis, golf and etiquette. After the fashion show, the organization raffled off prizes ranging from Auntie Anne's pretzel-making kits to gift certificates from Brooks Brothers.