What To Wear To An Interview - Casual and Business Formal Outfits And Attire
You've landed that all-important interview for your dream job. Congratulations! Now, it's time to start thinking about what you're going to wear. Let's answer the question of what you should wear to an interview.
Dressing appropriately is key when it comes to job interviews, and you don't want to make any fashion faux pas in the process. In this guide, we'll give you tips on how to dress for a business casual job interview, and a business formal job interview.
The Two Types of Job Interview Attire & Outfits
As a summary of this article, let's quickly round up the three types of dress that you should be aware of:
- Business Formal - This is for a very professional environment where looking good is important. A suit should always be worn for these kinds of interviews - and you are unlikely to get the job if you break one of the classic menswear norms
- Business Casual - Normally the best thing to be worn to a business casual interview is jeans, a shirt, and either formal dress shoes or some smart sneakers (for example Premiata)
What is the difference between business casual and business formal?
The main difference between business casual and business formal is the level of formality. Business casual is more relaxed, while business formal is more traditional and buttoned-up. Both styles are appropriate for job interviews, but it's important to dress according to the company culture.
If you're not sure which style to go for, err on the side of caution and dress more formally. It's better to be overdressed than underdressed for a job interview!
Business formal is normally for jobs such as:
- Banking
- Casino dealing
- Accountancy
- Lawyer
- Entrepreneur
Business casual is different - it is for more casual jobs such as:
- Graphic design
- PR
- Start-ups
- Marketing
- Media jobs.
What to Wear to a Business Formal Job Interview - Interview Outfits & Attire from IsuiT
Firstly, the main question we would like to answer is what color suit is best to wear for an interview. Navy suits are without a doubt the best-colored suits to wear. This is because they are, by far, the most neutral color, and you are least likely to mess something up. Wear an entire suit, so it should also come with dress pants, then you can choose between brown and black dress shoes. Here are some of our favorite Interview outfits for men:
If you don't know any suit brands, then here are some we recommend:
Personally, our stylists recommend a nice tan pair of Italian-made dress shoes. You also need to consider some accessories, such as a pocket square (go for white) a white shirt is probably the best, but you can experiment with some other colors if want (light blue, or even patterned)
You don't need a tie - you can pull off the tieless look, which can also be business formal. We personally recommend a tie if you're seriously trying to make an impression - but it's not 100% necessary.
Here is a perfect example of interview attire for a formal interview:
What to Wear to a Business Casual Job Interview - Interview Outfits & Attire from IsuiT
For a business casual job interview, you should start with the basics - a shirt and jeans. But there are a few things to consider when choosing the right shirt and jeans.
The shirt should be tailored and fitted, not baggy. And it should be tucked into your jeans. The color of the shirt is up to you - but we personally wouldn't recommend something like a Zilli silk shirt, as they aren't quite formal enough to work in this context.
If you want more information on how to choose a pair of designer jeans, check out this article here.
As for shoes, you can definitely just wear a pair of clean sneakers, white or otherwise. Make sure you give them a good clean before your interview. You can also wear something like a pair of Timberlands - the boat shoes would work very well in this setting.
Polo shirts also make a great alternative to shirts, as they are both formal and casual. A lot of people don't like wearing shirts, so a Polo can definitely also do the trick.
Here is a list of more casual brands, but you can also check the brands that we listed above as they have a lot of casual clothes also:
IsuiT is a luxury Italian clothes reseller, and our team of stylists work together to release blog posts to help you follow your passions of classic menswear. We feel that classic menswear should never die, and with our help, it never will. If you want to talk to one of us, don't hesitate to get in touch either on the live chat or at info@isuit.it
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this article, and please feel free to share it with your friends if you did. And remember - if you're ever unsure about what to wear, just err on the side of caution and go for something more formal. Better to be overdressed than underdressed!
