need schooled on head to toe biz casual

[mlproject]

i'm about to start interviewing for jobs and am looking for recommendations on forward thinking, sharp dress clothes. i am a graphic designer and have been looking at a wide range of opportunities from large agencies down to small pubilcations, so in feeling out these places i know i'll need to present myself accordingly. in some instances this means dressing up, which i haven't had to worry about for a few years with being in school and at my current job.

i need something that i can be comfortable in around people wearing suits (in which case i'd need to be more formal), or on the flipside, going into an interview where people are wearing jeans and a polo. i'm looking for classic, slim cuts in shirts (maybe along the lines of brooks brothers, but not necessarily that conservative), slim fitting trousers (black, grey or even khaki) and dress shoes. medium price range is a must.

i don't want to be underdressed in any of these situations, but definitely find it off to walk into an interview in a casual environment wearing the same old jeans. if anyone is out in the field and has any recommendations on feeling out what to wear to different places for interviews, that'd be helpful as well.

[keri]

Flat front, straight leg pants of any color (tan, khaki, cream, grey, black, navy blue)

White or other light colored dress shirt, stripes okay

One of the two:

Dark colored casual blazer

Dark conservative tie.

Belt is a plus, if matching a nice shined loafer

Don't you hate in when you're in a line and there's that guy like right behind you and you can feel him almost touching you, hovering near you, in your personal space and all you want to do is turn around and scream, "move three feet back before I beat you," but you don't? They'd put you in a strait jacket if you did, and it is soooo hard to find a pair of shoes that match those.

[HEWSINATOR]

I do not know if there is any way to feel comfortabale around people in suits unless you are in one too, or atleaest wearing a jacket.

[isdenn]

i agree. if you suspect that the place youre interviewing at is a suit kind of place, wear a suit, or at least a jacket and slacks. i personally hate khakis and recommend that you stay away from them - wear earth tone slacks instead. also stay away from black anything as it's too somber for pretty much every setting besides a funeral.

for the dressy side of things, consider grey flat front slacks with a navy blazer, then a bold striped shirt or something. or if you want to keep things super conservative, white shirt with a nice tie. for the more casual side, brown or tan slacks with a striped or colored shirt, no tie, or if appropriate for the weather, a v-neck sweater with tie. outfits along these lines are fairly versatile so if you end up wearing one or the other and you walk in someplace that is either way more or way less dressy than you were expecting, you can adjust by removing tie/jacket, etc.

[mlproject]

thanks.

my main concern is some larger agencies where i've met with people in the past (lowe, saatchi, leo burnett) where they're wearing jeans all day long, but i still wouldn't want to go in one of those places dressed like i'm not taking it serioiusly. last time i was at lowe, i was dressed up and almost felt like i had shown up to interview the guy i met with. i'll obviously feel out wherever i'm going as far as their dress code goes, but just need to update my closet as i step into the workplace.

[HEWSINATOR]

No one will slight you for being dressed one above the people you are being interviewed by.

Interviews are like presentations, IMO, you should dress one step up from the others.