Dress to Impress

When it comes to dress and attire for interviewing, making the best possible impression is vital. Your personal appearance is critical for success when seeking employment. A smart business suit has elegance, style, and suggests a serious attitude. It is important to remember that the first judgement an interviewer makes when meeting you is based on how you look and what you are wearing. The following are recommendations for how to compose a clean and professional appearance.

1. Men's Attire:
   1. The Suit
      • Wear a full suit (matching pants and jacket) or shirt, tie and dress pants.
      • Choose suits neutral in color- charcoal, navy, or gray.
      • The suit jacket should be buttoned while standing and unbuttoned to sit. Do not button the bottom button of a three or two-piece suit.
      • Try to avoid suits with double-breasted jackets.
   2. The Dress Shirt:
      • Choose plain long sleeve shirts in white tones, or light blues.
      • The shirt's sleeve should extend beyond the suit jacket sleeves by 1/2 inch.
      • Always wear an undershirt (avoid v necks) as they give the appearance of a finished look.
   3. The Tie:
      • Wear a conservative tie with subtle patterns or solid colors.
      • Ties should be of good quality and made of 100% silk.
      • Always wear a tie that is darker than your shirt.
      • Tie your tie to fall in the middle of your belt.
        
   
   
2. Women's Attire:
   1. The Suit:
      • Choose a classic suit avoiding trendy suit styles.
      • For a conservative organization, a skirt suit is still considered the appropriate interview attire. A pantsuit while acceptable for some organizations is still considered less formal but acceptable for Career Day.
      • Jacket sleeves should fall 1/2 inch below your wrist.
      • Skirt length should be to the knee (no miniskirts).
   2. The Blouse:
      • Blouses should be updated, but neither low cut nor revealing.
      • Do not wear a camisole or see through blouse.
   3. Shoes and Hose:
      • Shoes should be pumps or sling backs, do not wear shoes with open toes, open heel, or ankle straps.
      • Shoe color should be darker than your suit.
      • Heels should be 1-2 inches; higher heels should be saved for after hours.
      • Hosiery should be worn with a skirt to match your skin tone or suit.
      • Skin colored hose should always be worn with short sleeve suits to create a balanced look.