Clothing to not wear to an interview, so to speak, was one of the topics Clinton and Stacey love to talk about pretty often. And while I adore What Not to Wear and the way they turn frumpy people into fabulous success stories, I’d really love to see them doing an entire show on dressing up for an interview and making the best first impression. We’ll have to wait for that one, I guess, but that doesn’t mean we can’t trade both well and lesser known tips while we wait. Let me break the ice with a short list of clothing to not wear to an interview all job seekers could find extremely useful:
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1. Black Suit
TLC’s dynamic duo, Clinton and Stacy do have a few things to say when it comes to clothing to not wear to an interview. And while Stacy advises you to go for a suit, Clinton believes it most definitely shouldn’t be a black one. Go for smart grey instead of a too traditional, too no-nonsense black, he says while Stacey follows right behind suggesting you pair it up with a nice feminine blouse.
2. Obviously Pricy Items
Showing up with a Chanel on your shoulder, fancy fur on your back or a pair of the world’s famous red soles doesn’t fall into the “research your future workplace and dress up a notch” strategy. It kind of sends the message that you’re way above others (maybe even your boss) and that’s not the impression you want to leave on your future co-workers and superiors. Leave your show pieces at home this time and opt for those less showy pieces you can parade around. After all, you don’t want a good job opportunity to slip through your fingers simply because someone there thinks you don’t need a job!
3. Jeans
Dark denim can look very classy thus allowing you to put together many wonderful business casual outfits to wear on casual Fridays or pretty much any day, should your work environment tend to lean towards relaxed. When dressing for an interview, though, cross denim off your list. You don’t want to assume anything and denim definitely proves you’re assuming your environment is casual or fashion forward enough to allow it. Go for navy slacks or skirt – they’ll leave plenty of room for experimenting and are always received well within the business circles.
4. Inappropriate Skirts
We already know that knee-length is the most appropriate one to choose for a job interview, right? But did you know your skirt can take points off your resume even if it’s not super short? Make sure you try your “business” skirt for size a few days before the interview because too tight is just as unacceptable as too short. Cross fashion-forward, bold, frumpy or simply loud off your list as well and keep your choices simple but well tailored.
5. T-Shirts
Don’t wear a tee even if that’s okay judging from the company’s dress code (or the lack of). Why? Because you don’t want to look like you’ve been loitering in the hallways and kind of decided to stop by. A nice blouse or a crisp shirt paired with a pair of navy slacks/skirt will look casual enough for you to fit in, proving, in the same time, that you take your job as well as the interview in question very seriously.
6. Capri Pants
Let’s do a little experiment – browse through your favorite web shops and tell me – how many dressy, yet office-appropriate capris can you see? Not a lot, right? Well, that’s because Capri pants are mostly casual wear and definitely an item you should forgo when dressing for a job interview. Why not go for those super lady-like cropped trousers?
7. Easy to Stain Clothes
Job interviews are often stressful, plus there’s a good chance you’ll have to wait your turn, both leading to one completely natural yet highly uncomfortable occurrence – sweating! Avoid materials that give off exactly how nervous or uncomfortable you are lest you have one more thing to be uncomfortable about.
Did you ever experience problems dressing up for an interview and what fashion tips could you offer to all the hard working job hunters around the world?
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