Here are a few suggestions for dressing for an interview:
Men's Interview Attire
- Wear a suit. The men’s interview standard has traditionally been a navy suit, white shirt and red tie. It is considered the power suit. It can also be considered “stodgy,”but there is no denying it looks professional.
- If the power suit is not the look you want to portray, then just be sure to stick with a classic suit; 2-button or 3-button, light stripe, window pane/plaid pattern or no pattern is best, in blue, black or gray.
- Make sure your suit fits properly. If it does not, spend a few dollars to have it altered. An inexpensive suit can look great if it fits properly. Pay close attention to the shoulder, waist/chest and sleeve length when having it alrered.
- Try your suit on with your shoes. If your slacks have more than two breaks in the leg, they need to be hemmed. Oh, and make sure the pants are sitting at your waist! No middle-of-the-butt with your boxers hanging out!
- A white, long sleeve shirt is best, but blue or yellow is also acceptable. Make sure it fits properly. DO NOT leave the top button opened under your tie because your shirt is too tight – get one that fits instead.
- To properly fit a shirt, button it completely and place two fingers between the collar of the shirt and your neck. The fingers should fit comfortably. If you can fit three, the shirt is too big (change the neck size). Put your suit jacket on over your shirt. About ½” to 1” should show below your suit sleeve. If the sleeve is hitting in the middle of your hand it is too long. Your shirt sleeve should be longer than your suit sleeve; your overcoat or topcoat sleeve should be longer than the shirt sleeve.
- Choose a classic tie. Stripes are good. Nothing too loud or too bold, although I am a fan of a beautiful printed tie. This is one of the few places a man can express some personality, but it is best saved for after you get the job.
- Make sure your belt and shoe color match. There always seems to be some confusion as to what color shoe to wear with a navy suit. Cordovan (deep burgundy) is always a good choice, but if you only have black or brown, either will do as long as it is a dark brown. A good rule of thumb is that the shoe color should be darker than the suit.
- Wear dark socks and professional, polished shoes.
- If you do not own a suit, a sport coat is acceptable. It should be plain or have a subtle pattern. Wear it with black, gray, navy or tan slacks and a white or blue dress shirt and a tie. Again, make sure everything fits properly.
- Very limited jewelry. No visible chains/necklaces or earrings.
- Neat, professional hairstyle. Trim facial hair if not clean-shaven and trim your neck, ears and nose.
- Go easy on the aftershave and cologne.
- Neatly trimmed /manicured nails.
Remember, it does not have to cost a fortune to look good for an interview. Even if you don't have any basics to start with, you can still dress for an interview for under $100. Utilize TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Wal-mart or your local thrift store, Goodwill or Salvation Army. Buy something inexpensive that looks good and spend your money on having it altered. Also, there are plenty of resources out there now to help get people into the professional world by helping you with donated business clothing.
Check out these sites for additional information on dressing to make the right first impression at an interview:
A word to the wise is sufficient.
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