Dress for Success

Dress For Success

Would you show up for a job interview wearing jeans, shorts, or grubby sneakers? Would you chew gum during the interview or arrive in disheveled or wrinkled clothes? Wearing inappropriate or outlandish attire to a job interview can potentially cost you the job. How you present yourself during an interview is important.

However, it does make sense to dress your best for the interview, regardless of the dress code at the organization.

If you’re in doubt about how to dress for an interview it is best to err on the side of conservatism.

It is much better to be overdressed than underdressed. If you’re not sure, check with the person who scheduled the interview and ask.

Here’s a quick look at the basics:

Men's Interview Attire

Here are examples of interview outfits for men. For a professional interview, men can default to wearing a suit. All clothes should fit well and not have any stains. Here are the fundamental items a man wears during a professional interview:

Suit (solid color – navy, black, or dark grey)
Long sleeved shirt (white or coordinated with the suit)
Belt
Tie
Dark socks, conservative leather shoes
Little or no jewellery
Neat, professional hairstyle
Limit the aftershave
Neatly trimmed nails
Portfolio or briefcase

Women's Interview Attire

In general, fashion for women is more complicated and varied, which makes assembling an interview outfit a bit more challenging for women than it is for men. For instance, for any job interview where a woman is wearing a dress or skirt, she needs to determine if she should wear pantyhose or if bare legs are acceptable. Women also need to consider interview accessories, and choose an appropriate purse – here are the best interview bags, options that are professional, large enough to fit a resume, and aren’t flashy.

Here are some examples of good interview outfits for women, and here are your best interview outfits if you’re a woman in college. And here are the fundamental building blocks of what women should wear to professional interviews:

Suit (navy, black, or dark grey) – make sure the suit’s skirt is long enough so you can sit down comfortably
Coordinated blouse
Conservative shoes
Limited jewellery (no dangling earrings or arms full of bracelets)
No jewellery is better than cheap jewellery
Professional hairstyle
Light make-up and perfume
Neatly manicured clean nails
Portfolio or briefcase

Less Formal Interview Attire

When the workplace or the job is less formal, the dress code may be as well. If you’re not sure what to wear, it’s fine to check with the person scheduling the interview. However, it’s still important not to dress like a slob.

Business casual sounds like a breeze — no more worries about what to wear to work, right? Not quite. How do you dress down for work or an interview without looking like you’re headed to a day at the beach?

For men, appropriate business casual attire is dress slacks or chinos, a shirt with or without a tie, dark socks and dress shoes. Avoid wearing polo shirts to an interview, even if they are acceptable for the job in question.

Women should wear a combination of a skirt or dress slacks, blouse, sweater, twinset, jacket (optional) and hosiery (optional) with closed toe shoes.

Business Casual Attire Basics

Khaki, corduroy, twill or cotton pants or skirts
Sweaters, twinsets, cardigans, polo/knit shirts
Solid colors work better than bright patterns

Men

Khaki, gabardine or cotton pants, neatly pressed
Cotton long-sleeved button-down shirts, pressed, polo shirts or knit shirts with a collar
Sweaters
Leather shoes and belt
Tie optiona

Additional Code Rules to Consider

Look before You Leap: If you’re new to the company, avoid dressing like you’re heading to a picnic until you understand the company standard. Err on the side of being conservative rather than showing up under dressed until you check with HR or a colleague to determine what exactly business casual means for your company.

Maintain Consistency: If you wear professional and conservative outfits Monday through Thursday, don’t show up Friday looking unrecognizable.

No matter what kind of company you work for, maintaining a consistent image helps to establish trust and credibility with you as an employee.

Consider Your Calendar: If you’re meeting with clients or scheduling a business lunch, dress on the conservative side out of to respect the people you’re meeting with; save the casual comfort for a time when you’ll be in the office all day.