I had the pleasure and privilege of returning to University of Houston Law School this month to present on dressing for the interview. These are first and second year students who are preparing for the ultra-conservative style world of their first internships and jobs in the field and I love this group!! They are professional, engaged, and had great questions.
Huge thank you to Brooks Brothers Galleria for providing demo clothing, swag bags for attendees, and a great raffle prize for both the women’s and men’s sessions!
Presenting the men’s session this year, I covered the gamut from grooming, color psychology, finding the right fit, and how a scuffed pair of shoes can ruin an otherwise impeccable suit.
Here are a few of their questions you may have as well:
If you can only afford one interview suit right now, which color suit should you buy?
When going to buy a suit you’ll find three main options: grey, navy, and black. This is where color psychology can work in your favor. First, black is still considered evening wear, and the right suit to wear to a funeral. In addition to representing grieving, black is also considered the most aggressive color. (Now you know why body guards wear black suits.)
That leaves us with navy and grey which are the most common interview suit colors.
Grey is a symbol of neutrality, and represents a general detachedness while navy is a symbol of reliability and trustworthiness.
Going off of color psychology alone, navy wins. Couple that with the general rule that most everyone looks good in navy, and we have a clear winner. If you can only buy one suit at the moment, a great fitting navy suit should be your first option.
What shoes really go with a navy suit?
The age old question! Do the Europeans really know what they are talking about wearing cognac-colored shoes with their navy suits? Is black really an option?
Here is the short answer: Both brown and black shoes can be worn with a navy suit.
General rule of thumb – black should be worn in the evening, brown in the day time. For an interview, I recommend chocolate brown as it will compliment your suit without being a distraction. Especially if you are interviewing somewhere conservative like a law firm.
Should French Cuffs be worn to an interview?
French cuffs are a great way to show style and personality but can be perceived as being showy in an interview. You don’t want to potentially upstage your interviewer with your flashy style!
Go for a standard cuff dress shirt to make the best overall impression.
Bonus tip: How much shirt cuff should peek out from underneath your suit jacket varies with the trend but the timeless rule stays the same. Aim for a ¼-inch of shirt cuff showing below the hem of your jacket.
Besides the job, you want two main things out of the interview: to be perceived as a complete package, and to not have anything in your ensemble take away from your face, distract attention, or otherwise prevent an interviewer from interviewing you for who you are and what you bring to the table.
Knock ‘em dead!
What questions do you have about dressing for an interview?
Leave A Comment