What to Wear to Make a Good Impression
Let’s talk about interview attire.
By: 
Date: 11/6/2018
Congratulations! You successfully presented yourself on your resume and now you have an interview! While the resume is technically your very first impression, the way you present yourself in person is incredibly important. Something as little as wrinkled pants could tell your interviewer that you are sloppy or lazy. Although this might not be true about you, your attire is still telling them this. Here are some tips on how to put your best and most stylish foot forward!
What type of style do I wear and when??
- The two main types of interview wear are business formal and business casual.
- Usually, the interviewer will indicate whether the attire is formal or casual. However, if they don’t indicate this, then you should do your research on the company and decide which would be more appropriate.
- If you are still at a loss then business formal is the safe option. It is better to be overdressed than underdressed in this particular situation. Moreover, this will make you stand out even more!
General Tips
Whether it is business casual or business formal, you should always look clean and professional. This means:
- Don’t wear crazy patterns! Try to stick to solid and dark colors.
- Limit your jewelry! Dangly earrings, lots of loud bracelets, and cheap jewelry can be distracting and could give the wrong impression.
- Lay out your clothes the night before. This way you can make sure there aren’t any stains or wrinkles on your attire.
- Clean and trimmed nails. Remember to take off old, chipped nail polish and trim your nails.
- Manage unruly beards and/or hair by shaving, trimming, or getting a haircut. Rock a professional hairstyle that doesn’t cover your face!
- Remember to go easy on the aftershave! It could be potentially distracting if there is too much.
- Wear what makes you confident! The attire is only half the look, wear your confidence proud enough for your interviewer to see.
Business Casual
- For men:
- Appropriate pants include slacks, chinos, corduroy, and khakis!
- Cotton long sleeve button-ups and professional sweaters are ideal for tops.
- Leather belt and closed toed shoes.
- For women:
- Pants that would be best include khaki, corduroy, twill, or a conservative length skirt.
- Dresses are also good, but use good judgment in what would be professional.
- The types of shirts that can be worn are sweaters, knit shirts, button-ups, and cardigans.
- Closed toed shoes would be the most ideal, but some sandals can be appropriate. Keep heels on the smaller side!
- Pants that would be best include khaki, corduroy, twill, or a conservative length skirt.
Business Formal
- For men:
- Default to a fitted suit in either navy, black, or dark grey.
- Wear a long button-up shirt with a tie that coordinates with your suit.
- Dark socks and conservative shoes.
- For women:
- Wear a suit in either navy, black, or dark grey.
- You can either wear pants or a skirt just above or below the knee.
- Neutral colored pantyhose.
- Low and closed toed heels.
Don’ts
- Avoid bringing gum, coffee, or soda into the interview!
- Don’t wear jeans or tee shirts ever!
- Don’t wear clothes that don’t fit! Too large clothes can make you look childish and too small clothes can be uncomfortable.
If you present yourself appropriately with your clothes, then you can focus on confidently answering the interviewer’s questions!