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What you wear to an interview and how you present yourself will be the first impression your interviewer makes of you and can be just as important as what is on your resume.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on what you wear, but you should prepare for it just as much as you prepare for the other aspects of the interview.
In this article, we will go over what to wear to an interview for women and men, and provide some tips to help make your interview outfit a success.
Key Takeaways:
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It takes an interviewer about seven seconds to make a first impression of you at an interview.
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Men and women should stick to neutral colors in their outfit and avoid any busy or loud patterns that may be distracting.
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Pick out and try on your interview outfit a few days prior to make sure everything fits and you are comfortable in it.
What To Wear To A Job Interview For Women
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Shirts and blouses. Shirts and blouses should not be distracting and avoid wearing any busy or loud patterns. Try to pick pastel colors because they are flattering and not distracting. Avoid anything that is low cut or have cutouts in them because it can be seen as unprofessional.
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Skirts and dress pants. The choice to wear either of these is yours. Wear what makes you the most comfortable. If you choose to wear dress pants, try to wear neutral colors, and darker colors often look dressier than light ones. Try to pick wide leg dress pants but not bell bottoms. Avoid any skin-tight pants because it is not professional.
Shirts should be a pencil shirt or an A-line skirt because it looks flattering and nice for the office. Try to go with subtle prints or solids, and dark colors are still better. Your skirt should land right at the top of the knee. You can go longer but never shorter than that.
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Dresses. If you want to wear a dress, try to find a business one. Avoid wearing anything that you might wear out on a night out or to a wedding. Try to pair a dress with a cardigan or with a blazer over top if the dress does not have sleeves.
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Shoes. Flats are often the most common to wear to a job interview. High heels should be a medium to low height and avoid wearing any stilettos. Try to avoid wearing any open toe or open back shoe because those are unprofessional.
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Accessories and makeup. Keep jewelry to a minimum because it can be distracting if you choose to wear a lot. Perfume should be subtle because you don’t want to overwhelm the interviewer, and you don’t know if they are allergic.
Bags should be small and be large enough to fit your essentials. Makeup should be neutral and minimal. A lot of makeup with bright colors can often be distracting from your features.
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What To Wear To A Job Interview For Men
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Suits. Suits should be a neutral color like navy or charcoal grey. Avoid black because it can often come off as too formal. Suits should also be fitted. Avoid having a suit that is too small or too large.
If your suit is a three-piece, avoid wearing the vest because it can also come across as too formal for a business setting.
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Button-down shirts. Stick to solid white or a light blue. These colors usually match every suit. If you choose to wear a patterned shirt, make sure it is not a busy or loud pattern because it can often be distracting. Make sure that your shirts are long sleeve. Avoid wearing a black shirt to the interview. Iron the shirt before the interview because a wrinkled shirt can give off a bad first impression.
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Tie. If the shirt that you are wearing is patterned, wear a solid tie. If the shirt is solid, there is more room to play around with the tie. The tie should be a darker color than your shirt. For example, if your shirt is light blue, make sure your tie is a darker blue.
Avoid wearing bow ties or any patterns that may seem unprofessional for the workplace. A job interview is not the time to show off your cat tie or the beer bottle tie that you have in your closet.
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Accessories. Your socks should generally be in the same family and shade as your shirt or tie. Socks often be have a more lively patter and vibrancy, but a good rule is to keep them darker than your tie. Avoid wearing white socks, athletic socks, or anything that would show skin when your legs are crossed.
Your shoes should be black lace up shoes. Your belt should match your suit, but typically a black belt can go with anything. The cologne you wear should be subtle and not overwhelming.
Interview Outfit Tips
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Plan ahead. Don’t wait until the night before to pick out and try on your outfit. A few days prior to your interview, pick out what you want to wear and try it on. This will help avoid finding out your outfit doesn’t fit right before your interview.
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Research the company. Do some research on the company and their dress code before you go to your interview. This will help you determine how business causal or business professional you should dress. This will also show your interviewer that you can fit in with their company culture if you are dressed similar to everyone else.
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Avoid wearing revealing clothing. Stay away from anything that is low cut, short, or anything that shows too much skin. This also goes for anything that might be attention grabbing. If you have any doubts if it is too revealing or attention grabbing, don’t wear it.
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Don’t wear anything uncomfortable. You will want to feel comfortable in your outfit so avoid wearing anything that is too small or doesn’t feel like yourself. If you are uncomfortable in what you are wearing, it can affect your interview performance and your interviewer will be able to tell.
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Get feedback. Ask your friends and family if what you are wearing is appropriate for an interview. They will be able to give you honest feedback about your outfit. They will also be able to see you from the same perspective as your interviewer, unlike you who will only see it in a mirror.
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Iron your outfit. Make sure your outfit is ironed and wrinkle free before your interview. You should also make sure that your outfit is stain free and there are no holes or snags in your outfit.
How To Dress For A Job Interview Infographic
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Author
David Luther was the Content Marketing Editor for the Zippia Advice blog. He developed partnerships with external reporting agencies in addition to generating original research and reporting for the Zippia Career Advice blog. David obtained his BA from UNC Chapel Hill.
