Dress to Meet the Firms

February 14, 2007

Why dress special for an interview?

Because looks can kill—opportunities

Because it shows you recognize this as an important occasion

Because it shows respect for your interviewer

Because it shows you can adapt to company expectations

Hair

Clean Neat Professionally styled/cut No unusual hair colors No big barrettes or combs Nothing distracting

Body

Clean and fresh smelling Natural looking makeup (women only) No jewelry except:

wedding ring functional conservative watch that doesn’t beep

during the interview Clean and well manicured hands Natural colored, clear, or no nail polish No visible tattoos or body piercing Perfume—when in doubt don’t Be sure to brush and floss your teeth—carry small

mints

Clothing

Women Skirted suit or pantsuit, conservatively

tailored Skirts usually knee-length Appropriate colors are navy, black or gray Cleaned and pressed Not flashy

Clothing—buying guide

You should be able to button and/or zip and still allow you to move and sit comfortably—“pinch an inch”

Clothing should be smooth, without pulls or wrinkles

Sleeves should cover the bend in the wrist

Hem should be even and stitches well hidden

Samples

No visible blouse would be worn under this jacketA little trendy

Traditional blouse would be better

Sleeve length good

Needs blouse, nojewelry

Good except for ruffle on skirt

Notice the soft drape of the fabric.

Blouse or shell could be worn under jacket

Non traditional collar

Double breasted

Double Breasted Jackets

Double breasted jackets add bulk Use only if you need bulk

Double breasted jackets should remain buttoned

Never wear a button down collar with a double breasted jacket

Blouse or shirt

White, ivory or light colored blouse or shirt

Long sleeved Conservative lines Neckline should

compliment jacket lapel

Quality-silk or cotton Cleaned and pressed

Avoid tight fit Avoid sheer Avoid low necklines Avoid sleeveless and

short sleeved If button up, make

sure buttons don’t gape at bust line

Blouse/shirt examples

Shirt

Linen wrinkles

Wrap around--possible peek-a-boo problems

Mentioning the unmentionables

Panties, no thongs—thong lines are distracting

Appropriately colored underwear--so it doesn’t show thru

Always wear hose with a skirt— Color? Plain-style, non-patterned in a neutral

color. Take an extra pair “in case”.

Shoes and accessories

Wear low heeled pumps in a neutral color that matches your accessories

Be sure they are clean and polished Avoid open toed shoes If you wear a belt or carry a purse or

briefcase (one, not both) be sure they are the same color, polished and conservative

Keep is simple

A little more risky for some situations

Younger Women can wear a little higher heel to the office

But NOT theseLike these

Oops1 color2 texture3 heal height

Good heal height

What to wear for men

Suit Fit

Shirt Accessories, socks, shoes

Suit—Objective

Conservative—Two-piece two- buttoned, vented, single breasted business suit, 100% Worsted Wool, fully lined coat, half lined trousers in navy blue or charcoal gray (pinstripe, muted plaid, solid or herringbone)

Suit—Objective

Semi-Conservative—Same as conservative plus three or four button suit in navy, charcoal, earth tones or possibly even black. Additional options are textured fabrics in lighter to medium tones, as well as non-vented jackets. The more creative your work environment the more creative you clothing options.

Jacket Fit

Jacket should lie smoothly over your shoulders and across your back

Shoulders cut too wide diminish the head. Shoulders cut too narrow make the head appear larger than it is. The jacket's shoulders frame the head--A balanced presentation.

Collar should follow neck silhouette closely—no gaping Jacket length should cover your entire seat and should be half the

distance from the collar seam to the floor. Jacket hem should line up with the thumb knuckle.

Sleeves should cover the break of the wrist, allowing ¼ to ½ inch of shirt cuff to show

Hollywood knows about sleeves length

You should too.

Trouser fit

The waist of your trousers should be just at or slightly below your navel and should fit snugly without feeling tight. This puts the crotch of the pants at the crotch of the wearer, which allows for movement without stressing the pants.

Trousers should fit smoothly across the top of the buttocks, then follow the curve about halfway down, then fall straight down. When pants follow the curve all the way down, we call them jeans!

Hems may be either straight or cuffed—if cuffed, make sure they are proportional to the wearers height.

Shirt

White is best. When in doubt wear white. 100 percent cotton is preferred Point, button tab, or spread collars best

Point collar for fuller faces Spread collar for narrower faces

Collar should show ½ inch above jacket collar at nape of neck

Cuff should show ¼ to ½ inch below sleeve. Sleeve must have enough length for the arm to bend without pulling on the cuff. Cuff must fit snugly so additional sleeve length will not fall over the hand.

Very clean and well pressed Shirt should fit well and have an index finger of breathing

room at the collar.

Shirt samples—spread/point collar

                                

Narrow face, spread collar

Wide face, pointed collar

Accessories

Ties Conservative pattern in silk or silk like fabric Must coordinate with suit, but contrast with shirt

Shoes Lace-up, wing tip, cap toe or split toe styles Clean and polished in very good condition No tassels, loafers or cowboy boots

Socks Should match your pants Wear over the calf socks that won’t slide down

Belt, briefcase Leather matches leather—shoes, belt, briefcase Metal matches metal—belt buckle, watch metal, etc.

Tie samplesSubtle or simple patterns enhance credibility

Men’s Dress Shoes

The little things count

Wear a tee shirt under your shirt Make sure your nails are well

manicured and hands not rough Moisturize your face No beards or mustaches Line it up

tie/belt buckle/zipper

Unbutton your suit coat when sitting Never button just the bottom button of a suit coat

Presentation

Use a full length mirror Repeat what is good or compliments Do not repeat what is not good or

minimizes Proportionalize your patterns Beware of texture Ladies—use proportion to your

advantage

References

www.menswarehouse.com www.brooksbrothers.com www.thejobexchange.com/women_attire.html www.amdt.wsu.edu/research/dti/general_guidelines.ht

ml

www.seekingsuccess.com/articles/art166.php3 http://www.mens-fashion-tips.com/index.html www.zappos.com Style and the Man by Alan Flusser MBA Style Magazine’s Color and Patterns to Wear for

Interviewing