Job Interview Attire?

[eastcoastrider27]

What kind of a suit should one wear for a standard job interview?

Colors, ties, shoes, etc.?

I'm not looking for anything Dior Homme-esque, but at the same time don't want to look like I've come from the young men's section at Sears.

I searched and couldn't find anything useful.

[dunkin deeznuts]

standard interview =conservative suit...dark colors, generally dark blue, a dark grey or black should be fine as well, a bit of a pin stripe is okay, nothing too flashy.

samething with ties.....conservative, a little more flash on the tie is fine but not too crazy....no thin ties or crazy colors

shine your shoes

conservative (as possible) hair style

[homi29]

what kind of job u going for?

[retrored]

Depends on the job.

But, what Dunkin says is on point. Dark colored suit, white shirt, tie, and clean shoes.

Walk in there with confidence, and some serious questions regarding the company and the position you are applying for.

Old professor told me this and it has always made sense, "every employer looks for someone with character and enthusiasm."

[Kasper]

depends about what kind of jobs you are applying for, but as a general rule, i believe it's always better to be on the conservative side, dark suit, white or light blue shirt and dark tie. nothing too colorfull or fashionable, but still a suit that with a good fit is really important . by wearing something something like that, you are sure not to stand out and let your interviewers focus on you rather than what you are wearing.

[headcoat]

Supreme box t, nom de guerre raw selvage jeans, and muska skytops.

[corporategrunt]

I think if you are in your interviewing phase, it is smart to invest in one nice suit (regardless of the fact you may be working in a biz casual environment).

For shirts, BrooksBrothers makes non-iron shirts in normal/slim cuts that is conservative, respectable, and functional (non-iron). Pink is another place to look (avoid flashy colors, and french cuff shirts for the interview)

I am gonna have to disagree with ProfMonitoff about his Boss endorsement, they get crticized alot for bad cuts and esp bad shoulder. But I do agree with his Zegna endorsement - maybe bit pricier than 500 but unless you blow up in weight, a conservative colorway (Navy/Dark Charcoal two button, not three) will last you quite a bit. I personally don't like black suits in a traditional cut, the slim Dior-esque cuts are great fashion items, but in a corporate setting not too many of the higher-ups and successful guys wear black suits - bit juvenile of a look (even for a job applicant)

As for shoes, avoid loafers (they are called 'loafers'), and overtly square toes (juvenile, b&t kid clubbing it up in the city). Invest in one pair of well made conservative shoes that you won't be embarrassed to wear to interviews and other formal events. Most likely, your feet is done growing so a decent investment isn't a dumb thing to do. Oxfords (it can be capped toe or split toe) in a color to match the suit. Allen Edmonds is a good place to look for general idea of what you want to look for(although you can go buckwild if you want to), if you are in NYC, Century 21 would have them cheaper than retail although your selection may be limited.

Ties, this doesn't have to be expensive, you just want to make sure it matches the rest of teh outfit, and that it doesn't look overtly cheap, or snobbish (I don't need to see a college kid rocking Ferragamo or Hermes for his first interview, I really don't).

But like retrored said above, and surely your counselors have told you, it comes down to your educational background (school, gpa), enthusiasm (about industry, and particulars about the company). I'd care most about that first - especially moreso in your first round in you are just talking to the HR personnel. Sorry for the long rant, best of luck.

[the breaks]

Charcoal suit, red tie.

[London]

dark suit, but maybe get a little funky with the tie to show that you are different than the norm

[ghulkhan]

Grey (I think a lighter shade then charcoal is fine) or Navy suit (2 or 3 buttons). White shirt or really pale blue shirt with a standard spread collar (no BD shirts). Id wear dark brown wing tips or oxford.

A nice tie but make sure its not black. Dont wear a blue tie or a blue shirt with a navy suit though.

And a white pocket sqaure if you are going to wear one.

If you want to be really conservative id wear a white shirt, skip the pocket square, and wear, button cuff shirt, and black lace ups.

[eastcoastrider27]

Thanks for the help. What I'm thinking is...

-Dark grey w/ pinstripe suit

-White shirt

-Black captoes

What color tie? Any DON'T's with that color scheme?

Also, what's a good place to look for a suit? I know Brooks Brothers and Zegna were mentioned, but I'm looking for something in the $500 range.

[Kasper]

Thanks for the help. What I'm thinking is...

-Dark grey w/ pinstripe suit

-White shirt

-Black captoes

What color tie? Any DON'T's with that color scheme?

Also, what's a good place to look for a suit? I know Brooks Brothers and Zegna were mentioned, but I'm looking for something in the $500 range.

go to harry rosen or a similar shop that sell suits, find something you really like and get your sizing right. hit ebay (can be worth it to check yoox as well, you never know). save lots of money.

about tie, just go with a darkish color to be on the safe side. and to whoever said to be a little funky with to tie to stand out, i completely disagree with that. you want to stand out with your achievements, your energy, knowledge about position, firm etc but not because you have a flashy tie.

[ghulkhan]

Thanks for the help. What I'm thinking is...

-Dark grey w/ pinstripe suit

-White shirt

-Black captoes

What color tie? Any DON'T's with that color scheme?

Also, what's a good place to look for a suit? I know Brooks Brothers and Zegna were mentioned, but I'm looking for something in the $500 range.

Semi dark red tie...

for 500 dollar range..I would try to find something on sale. You could get a Z Zegna suit which is fused on sale probably right now. Slim cut. You wont be able to get a Zegna Mainline suit for 500 at any store unless it was severely discounted. I would try to get something on sale marked down from a thousand maybe. Also you could get a nice three button suit from GetSmart on styleforum. He has a suit company that makes fully canvassesd made to measure suits. So it will fit you well and also it will be very good quality then anything your going to find at 500 dollars because it is canvassed and not fused. Fused suits are essentially glued...

you can reach him here....

http://styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=27754

or his website

http://www.thickasthievesla.com/

Id reach him through StyleForum too and then you can take advantage of the discount offered to SF Members. Prices are around 500 I think with some discount bringing it down to 400 last I checked. Very good cut, slim, and well made...

[eastcoastrider27]

Thanks for that link. His suits look good, but I'm not really feeling the 1 or 3 button look. I'm assuming he can custom make them to have 2 buttons, but I'll check with him. Thanks again everyone.

[ghulkhan]

im sure he can make two button suits..im pretty sure he does it

You should talk to him though, his names Jason

tell him Sohaib or ghulkhan sent you

[denim_newbie]

Not sure if they'll have anything in the $500 range, but Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth are both having sales and there were a lot of suits when I went (in Atlanta) the other day.

[Francis Begbie]

eHaberdasher.com has some deeply discounted suits. Most of their suits are above 500, but occasionally you'll find one for that price.

[buffalocloud7]

standard interview =conservative suit...dark colors, generally dark blue, a dark grey or black should be fine as well, a bit of a pin stripe is okay, nothing too flashy.

samething with ties.....conservative, a little more flash on the tie is fine but not too crazy....no thin ties or crazy colors

shine your shoes

conservative (as possible) hair style

zacly what he said...

[Lucas0607]

yeah. Depends on the job youre applying for.

If it's something creative or artsy, maybe you could deviate from the norm.

[Francis Begbie]

From the pictures I've seen on the site, I wouldn't exactly classify Thick as Thieves as 'conservative business attire'. That's not to say they don't make nice stuff, but I don't think it'd be appropriate for an interview.

[ghulkhan]

From the pictures I've seen on the site, I wouldn't exactly classify Thick as Thieves as 'conservative business attire'. That's not to say they don't make nice stuff, but I don't think it'd be appropriate for an interview.

the one button suit isnt really interview or business attire

but you can ask him to make a two button suit and he definately offers a three button suit

and its fine for business attire..a lot of poeple have bought and posted pics on SF

[sarcasticone]

http://men.style.com/gq/fashion/landing?id=content_5655

[dunkin deeznuts]

good link 12

[eastcoastrider27]

Appreciate that guide. Very helpful.

[Francis Begbie]

the one button suit isnt really interview or business attire

but you can ask him to make a two button suit and he definately offers a three button suit

and its fine for business attire..a lot of poeple have bought and posted pics on SF

One, two, or three button doesn't make a difference in this case. The jackets are cut short and slimmer, for a sixties Mod look. This comes straight from Get Smart. Looking like you were bar hopping with the Rat Pack all night doesn't scream professionalism.

[BodiesOfLight]

Just look boring in a suit and you're good.

[ghulkhan]

One, two, or three button doesn't make a difference in this case. The jackets are cut short and slimmer, for a sixties Mod look. This comes straight from Get Smart. Looking like you were bar hopping with the Rat Pack all night doesn't scream professionalism.

Yea they are but guess what...

Its made to measure. Not OTR. You can get them cut longer and people have....

[Francis Begbie]

From their site:

"Our signature one button cut is a modernized update to vintage 1960s “Roman-Continental” style and features slim peak lapels with a functional lapel buttonhole. All Thick As Thieves suits are slimfitting with jackets cut shorter in length to give the wearer a sleek silhouette. The jackets wear just as well with dark jeans as the trousers can pair perfectly with your favorite knitwear. For traditionalists, we also offer a classic 3 button notched lapel suit with the same fitted shape as our one button suit. Whichever style you choose, you can be sure you’ll be more than just another face in the crowd."

I don't see why you would get a regular suit from someone that specializes in making certain, slimmer, shorter suits. I would think it'd be advantageous to get the kind of thing they're know for. You don't go to Peter Luger's Steak House and get the chicken.

But to each his own. We're just spinning our wheels here.

[ghulkhan]

From their site:

"Our signature one button cut is a modernized update to vintage 1960s “Roman-Continental†style and features slim peak lapels with a functional lapel buttonhole. All Thick As Thieves suits are slimfitting with jackets cut shorter in length to give the wearer a sleek silhouette. The jackets wear just as well with dark jeans as the trousers can pair perfectly with your favorite knitwear. For traditionalists, we also offer a classic 3 button notched lapel suit with the same fitted shape as our one button suit. Whichever style you choose, you can be sure you’ll be more than just another face in the crowd."

I don't see why you would get a regular suit from someone that specializes in making certain, slimmer, shorter suits. I would think it'd be advantageous to get the kind of thing they're know for. You don't go to Peter Luger's Steak House and get the chicken.

But to each his own. We're just spinning our wheels here.

its MTM ...you have certain control over how large the jacket is gooingn to be....

and someone just bought one for an interview from himi ...theres a whole discussion about it on his thread on SF...

The point is he makes better suits at that pricepoint then anyone. So why would you go spend 500 and buy a shitty fused suit?

[Andy L]

There are a few type of slim ties in the market. I know the 2cm and 4cm ones will definitely be too thin. What about the 6cm ones? will it be too thin? I think 6cm is one size smaller than those traditional 8.5cm ties. Any inputs?