What To Wear To an Interview – Men
If you’ve spent weeks, even months, landing a meeting with a potential employer, you don’t want to make a fashion faux pas by deviating from the traditional interview attire for men. If you want to wear jeans and ratty t-shirt or the latest cutting-edge fashions from Milan, fine – just do it somewhere else! Knowing what to wear and what not to wear on your big day will help you make the right first impression – that hopefully scores you the job!
Pretty much without exception, a suit is the standard men’s wear for an interview. Choose a dark colored suit such as a charcoal gray or navy blue – black will probably look too much like a tuxedo! A light pin stripe is acceptable on your suit, but an all over pattern, such as a plaid, is just way too loud! You’ll be remembered, but not in a good way. As for the style and fit of your suit, the jacket should be tailored without being too snug and the sleeves should show approximately A�” of your dress shirt peeking out from underneath. Select a traditional two or three button suit and leave your four-buttoned or double-breasted suit at home.
As for your shirt and tie, a white button-down shirt in 100-percent cotton conveys the most conservative image but ivory and light-blue shirts are also popular. Both point and spread collars are fine for the interview. Guys often pick ties to reflect their personalities – splattered with fishes for the angler, decorated with golf balls for the golfer and so on. This is way too much information for the interview, just stick with a silk tie with a traditional pattern such as stripes, checks or dots. When tying your neck tie, it should read to the top of your waistband or belt buckle without hanging down further.
Shoes for the interview should be dark such as black, oxblood or brown and should preferably lace up – loafers are too casual for an interview. Socks should complement and blend in with the suit, no one wants to see a blinding flash of white between your shoe and pant cuff. Limit the jewelry you wear to simply a wedding ring and possibly a low-profile pair of cufflinks – no earrings, bracelets, necklaces, etc. Also avoid heavy cologne because it may become overbearing in a small office space.
To summarize, your image on interview day should say “I’m the best guy for the job.” If you need to learn about the corporate culture to determine precisely what to wear, visit the company web site or find out from a buddy who works there. Dress for success by wearing for the position you aspire to – that way you’ll look the part, reflect who your resume says you are, and become more likely to get hired!