What To Wear To A Job Interview

What To Wear To A Job Interview

The job-search and interviewing process can surely be a difficult—and stressful—time of your life, especially if it’s your first job out of school! We can all agree that it can be tough to put together just the right look for your interview, but it isn’t something you should just wing — the right outfit requires thoughtful planning. 

First impressions are a very real thing, and it’s very important to make a good first impression on your potential employer! In our minds, a huge part of making that great first impression is showing you care to details — such as the way you are dressed and how you present yourself. Here is an article all about interview attire for men. We hope that it will help you make a great first impression on a potential employer.

Have A Few Basics to Select From

Whether you’re just starting out with building your wardrobe or you have a collection of beautiful garments to choose from, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed about what to do to develop a selection of interview outfits that you’ll look great in and feel confident in.

Fortunately for you, however, the same basic rules of menswear are at play whether you’re putting together a date-night outfit, a holiday outfit, or for a job interview. Using a few basic items, it is pretty straightforward to put together a tasteful and professional outfit.

Sport Coat or Suit

We believe every man should own at least one suit or sport coat for these types of needs. If it is your first-ever suit, we recommend going with a navy blue or dark grey two-button suit. These are very versatile colors that can be worn more conservatively or dressed-down to be more casual or fun should you want it to be. These colors are also the most versatile — with the ability to match with just about any color option you would want to wear!

Slim-fit Pants or Dark Denim

A staple in any man’s wardrobe should be a slim-fit pair of non-denim pants. We love the Traveler’s Pants by Riviera because they are non-iron, have a good amount of stretch for all-day comfort, and are something you can feel great about wearing dressed-up or down.

Denim is becoming more and more acceptable in the modern workplace. As companies are ditching the suit-and-tie dress code and embracing casual attire, it’s becoming more normal to wear denim to work. For some organizations, a pair of great-fitting and nicely tailored denim would be acceptable for an interview. To know for sure though, you should know a bit about the organization’s dress code. Read more on that below.

A Solid Sweater

A sweater, whether the pullover or zip/button variety, is a great option to have available to you as you’re developing an outfit to wear to your job interview. For a more casual office this can be the perfect look (dress pants and shirt/sweater combo), or for a more professionally-dressed office, it’s a layer to wear under a sport coat.

A Great Sport (or Dress) Shirt

This one is simple! You should have a great sport shirt or dress shirt to be worn as the base of your interview outfit. For professionally-dressed offices, a dress shirt and sport coat with or without a tie is a great option; and for a business-casual office you can wear a sport shirt and sport coat with dress pants or even jeans.

Know The Office Dress Code

Ok, so you’ve got the outfit essentials ready. You’ve landed the interview. Now it’s time to put together your outfit. So at this point you’re jumping up to head to your closet right?

Wrong! The first thing you should do is get to know the company you’ve applied to. Research the company by looking at their social media accounts (especially LinkedIn) to get a feel for how the company presents itself and how people dress for work. If you can find the profiles of anyone that works at the company, check them out as well. If you can’t figure out how people tend to dress for work by their social media accounts, then we would say to err on the side of caution and instinct… ask yourself how other people in the industry dress?

Then, go just one step beyond what everyone else would wear. So, if it seems that people dress casually to work — like jeans with a sport shirt — then consider taking it up a notch by wearing a pair of great slim-fit jeans, shirt and sport coat for your interview. If people dress a little more conservatively there — like khakis and sweaters — then you may opt for a suit (with or without a tie). 

The name of the game here is to look great, but also to show that you understand the culture of the organization to which you’re applying. 

Remember That Grooming Matters

Although this is not 100% on the topic of clothing, it definitely is on topic for overall style and for interview preparation! Do remember to clean up any facial hair, get a haircut or at least put some effort into styling your hair, and put some effort into looking fresh for your interview!

Go Ace Your Interview

Use these tips to put together a look that will make you feel confident and make you look great while on your interview. Not sure where to start? Look into your own closet—no doubt you’ll be able to put together an outfit that you’ll feel great in. Or look at inspiration from your social media feed—the Ticknors Instagram and Facebook pages are a great place to start— to see how other guys are doing it and learn from them. 

And if you want a little extra help, drop in at a Ticknors store or make an appointment to talk to a style advisor.