Originally posted by No Egrets
Hello,
Although it may seem important to you what color/pattern your shirt and tie are, allow me to share what I think are more important things about guy's dress that many men on my interviews failed at:
1. Wear a suit, with jacket and pants that are the exact same color & material, that is made of a nice wool-based material (not stretchy express fabric).
2. Make sure the suit has a perfect fit!! This means going to a store where a sales clerk will help you try on suits and that offers alteration service. The suit should be black or dark blue. If it has pinstripes, they should be SUBTLE, not like something al capone would wear.
3. Wear BUSINESS shoes, not clubbing shoes (like those dumb chunky clunky black loafers that every guy our age has).
4. Iron your shirt and tuck it in.
5. For the love of god, do not wear white/light colored socks! Dress socks, people, dress socks.
6. You do not need to go out and buy a briefcase--you won't take everything with you to the interview, they have places to leave your stuff. Just have a nice leather padfolio to carry with you.
7. I would lay off the highlights, especially if you are asian or some ethnicity that doesn't naturally get highlights... You will inevitably get some 70 year old cardiologist who is bewildered by today's youth and wouldn't understand why that young man's hair was lighter in some areas. (This happened to me in an interview a week after I got my hair highlighted--his eyes kept darting up to my hair)
Hope this helps!
No Egrets, you are right on with every point. I am by no means a fashion expert but I have worked in a high end retail store for four years and feel like I have a pretty good hand on fashion. I can't tell you how many guys I saw wearing those 80's looking blue sport coats with gold buttons and khaki pants. Get real, that look is so out dated. And then to top it off they either have white socks on or aren't sporting a tie. I would reject just for that if I was the adcom. Here is what I would recommend.
1. Black or blue suit only, maybe charcoal if its dark enough.
2. Pinstripes are fine but not too loud like NO Egrets stated. It is nice to have a little jazz to the suit though. If you are going with a solid color try to find something with a unique stitch like a herring bone pattern or something. This helps to create texture to your suit. Window pains are nice, but often times too sporty like the bold pin stripes. Keep them subtle.
3. For ties, one thing to know, "YOUR TIE MAKES YOUR OUTFIT. IT IS WHAT TELLS YOUR STORY PER-SAY". The rule of thumb is anything in the blue family is generaly a winner. Red tends to show power, and since you aren't the adcom and just a mere applicant I would avoid it. If you do want to do red then maybe a lighter, less bold shade would work. Don't do black with a black suit. You aren't going to a wedding or a funeral. I would not wear stripes myself, because it is a more conservative look but most people do so you'll see it a lot. Don't roll with anything outlandish or bold. You wan't people to acknowledge your tie but not stair at it or be blinded by it. I myself went with something very modern but simple. If you want to see what is hip and very trendy in the tie market I would recommend going to Neiman Marcus. Yes, I know it is super exspensive, but those guys are on top of the fashion world. Go there for ideas and then shop around for better deals.
One more key thing about ties. Suit ties are woven and NOT screened printed like most of you probably have now in your closet. Woven ties tend to be a little thicker which give you a nice knot. Plus woven ties don't have three thousand different things going on on the tie. They are simple and elegant. This is probably the number one mistake I have seen on guys.
3. Dress shirts, in my opinion must be white. This is a professional interview, white is the standard. I may be a little conservative here, but nothing looks better than a crisp white shirt. Please, please don't pull the Regis look with a matching tie and shirt. That is absolutely horrible for interviews. Try and find a shirt with a nice collar. Avoid the button down or tab collars. That is old, old school. Plus don't buy those shirts that you don't have to iron but instead can wear them straight from the drier. Looks cheap.
4. Belts, just keep it simple and make sure the buckle doesn't look like you just one a rodeo championship. No braided belts. No belts where the tongue of it is so long that it hangs down by your crotch. If you are wearing a black or charcoal suit then buy a black belt and shoes. Blue suits can be worn with black or brown, though I prefer brown. BELTS MUST MATCH THE COLOR OF YOUR SHOES.
5. Shoes, same rules apply as did for the belt. I prefer lace ups over loafers, just make sure and keep it simple. Kenneth Cole and Banana Republic have some very modern yet proffesional shoes. Go there for ideas if you can't afford them.
6. Lastly socks. YOUR SOCKS ARE SUPPOSED TO MATCH YOUR PANTS, not your shirt or you tie.
I myself decided that I was going to invest the money on an a really nice outfit. It makes you feel more confident, look good and people recognize you more. If you can't afford it, go to the high dollar places for ideas, and then look somewhere else much cheaper to buy them. It can be done. Don't be the odd ball, spend the money and look good.
