Dressing for the Job

By Jane Chun

At many of the largest companies today, Google, Facebook, Zappos, a suit and tie is so yesterday. But they also make people wonder – what is the best outfit to wear to an interview? How much do first impressions matter?

The study, The Effect of Appearance on First Impressions by Karen Pine, the University of Hertfordshire, and Mathieson & Brooke Tailor, found that clothes as opposed to facial features make a huge lasting impression. Her team conducted an on-line study and found that the participants positively rated the images of men who wore fitted suits rather than suits that were off the rack and women who wore a skirt suit rather than a pant suit. The results showed that even minor clothing manipulation made a huge impact to the viewer.

However, Jean from the fashion blog Extra Petite which provides fashion tips professional attire and solutions for petite women like herself, doesn’t necessarily agree when it comes to dressing for the job you want and not have. “I believe in always dressing neat and tidy at work, but it also needs to be appropriate for the specific situation and environment.

On my blog I’ve discussed “over” dressing, including wearing noticeable designer pieces in the workplace. Things like this can raise eyebrows or start gossip in the workplace, or worse, with clients.” She continued, “Working in client service, I’ve also spent time at offices where the usual attire ranged from jeans and a tee to business formal. I always encourage staff to find out the dress code at clients beforehand in order to not stick out. Fashion choices at work should be noticed secondary to one’s overall professional presence.” Likewise, Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likeable Local said in a LinkedIn post that you should do your research on the company before deciding what to wear to an interview:  If a job applicant to one of our companies comes in a suit and tie, it shows that he didn’t research the culture of our office – and it counts as a strike against him. Why take that risk?

Ekai Ng, a 32 year-old electrical engineer who resides in Rockville, is not concerned with fitting in. He said that although his job finds casual attire acceptable, he prefers to wear slacks over jeans sometimes. “I know I could wear jeans to work but that gets old. If I want to take my job seriously, I should dress that way too. I just feel different when I do.”

In general, there’s no harm in dressing professionally for a job interview. One can always adapt to the organization’s norm if the applicant gets the position. There’s a larger risk in underdressing such as wearing sneakers or having unkempt nails. Even if one works for a company where the dress code may be more lax such as Google or Facebook, the phrase: leaders must look the part can still apply. No matter what current position or rank you hold, you are ultimately representing your duties from within and outside of your organization. Even method actors get into their costumes to get a better feel for their role. Then is the motive to dress better to empower ourselves more than the person we need to impress? Just as how superheroes put on their capes or masks to battle crime, does our professional attire serve as our capes? When it comes to dressing for the job you want, Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.”

Extra Petite blogger Jean emphasizes fit and tidiness as tips to keep in mind. “Most garments off-the-rack do not fit individuals perfectly, regardless of your gender, height or size. Men often need to get pants hemmed, blazer sleeves altered, dress shirt sleeves shortened. Jean continued, “Women should go with a basic dark suit, hair pulled back, conservative makeup, and pumps no higher than 3.5 inches.”

Jenny Wu from the Good, Bad, and Fab blog believes there’s always room for experimenting. “There is no rigid formula when it comes to dressing for the workplace. Don’t be afraid to experiment with color and always play up basic outfits with fun accessories. And always remember, there’s no need to sacrifice style to look professional!”

In the current season, there is a diverse array of colors and materials to play with. For men, linen blazers and white pants are the hot items for this season and for women, take advantage of the ankle strap heels that give that executive look and brightly colored bottom skirt or pants paired with a peplum top which adds a touch of femininity. Check out the collection for this season’s summer work attire for some inspiration.

Women Work Attire collage from left to right:

¾ sleeves Stone Shirt from Wallis is lightweight, perfect for the summer. The J.Crew Collection silk shantung dress offered in pale citrus will sure turn heads due to the vibrant color. The Fabianna Handbag in almond is also a great color to carry for summer. Pants are getting more interesting these days just like this lace embroidered crop pants. Pair it with the ankle strap pumps by Steve Madden and H&M white blazer. Jewelry for work should be modest and nice like the Curb Chain Necklace from Bauble Pop and the Michael Valitutti Gold over Silver Morganite Earrings. The Kate Spade Gramercy Bracelet goes with almost anything. Spruce up your wardrobe with the J.Crew Ponte peplum top for that feminine touch and combine with the awesomely printed TIBI Empire Pencil Skirt

Men Work Attire collage from left to right:

The short, button-tab sleeved shirts in linen blend are versatile to wear for the office and for out (H&M and Alie Express). The summer offers fun colors for pants too like the Bonobos Non-Iron Cotton Slacks in tan and the Scotch & Soda Medium Weight Pima Cotton Stretch Chino in white. Wear them with the Paul Smith Brown Vintage Signature Stripe Keeper Belt and rock the double breasted blue jacket from Eleventy for that nautical look. Steer away from the black and gray suits and opt for the light brown Club Monaco Windowpane Grant Suit finished with the Reiss Atic Sailing Boat Pocket Square. Have fun experimenting shoes such as Cole Haan’s lighthearted take on the oxford shoes with their Gramercy Oxford Cap-Toe. Bring back the 50s and 60s with the Ray-Ban Browline Sunglasses and combine it with the softly structured Mulberry Heathcliffe Leather Briefcase, comfortable to carry. And of course we can’t forget the ties (Lands’ End Men’s Regular Oxford Neat Necktie).

Men and Women Summer Work Attire. Image created on Polyvore by Jane Chun.

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