By John Casi with select editing by Erik Peterson
Pre-note. This article only addresses men’s clothing. This is not an attempt to be sexist. I just don’t know women’s fashion and am unqualified to write an article about it. I’ll try to get a co-worker to write a companion article in the coming weeks addressing women’s attire for an interview.
It is always safest to over dress for an interview. Even if the place where you are interviewing is a casual or even outdoor environment you should plan on wearing a suit unless told otherwise. There are almost no reasons to not wear a suit to an interview. The only exception is if part of the interview involves going out of the interview room and into a non-suit environment or performing some non-suit task. An example might be walking into a construction zone, or demonstrating a mechanical proficiency. So it is most likely in your best interest to plan on wearing a suit. If your suit is three or four years old, but fits well and is a black, dark gray, or navy you don’t need to buy a new one. An interview suit is not a fashion statement per se, but rather a proclamation. It tells the interviewer that you respect them and the process and that you should be taken seriously as a candidate.
1. Buy the best Suit you can comfortably afford. It is generally better to have one $200 suit than two $100 suits. There is a limit to this logic though. If you are interviewing for a $32,000 job don’t wear a $1,500 suit, even if your rich family member gave it to you. The interviewer is sizing you up and trying to determine if you’ll be a good fit in the organization.
2. It always helps to bring a friend for a second opinion even if you have bought suits before. Also, if possible bring the accessories including shoes and shirt you plan on wearing with the new suit to the interview. This will help ensure a good fit and match.
3. A suit has to be fitted. This may take a week or so. Allow yourself enough time to get the suit before the interview. Ask before buying how long it will take to tailor the suit. If the retailer cannot meet your deadline, buy the suit elsewhere or find a tailor who can. It is important to do so before committing your money. If the interview is tomorrow ask to see “Separates.” Separates are pants and coats sold separately. They are often made of the same material / patterns as suit sets and can be worn with less tailoring.
4. Make sure the suit is a conservative color. Unless you currently wear suits everyday, buy only a navy or black Suit. In addition to being very conservative, dark suits are easy to accessorize with a black shoes, black socks, a black belt, a solid colored shirt, and simple yet fashionable tie. If the suit has pin stripes, the stripes should be the width of a pin and understated. Again the suit should be conservative. Whether the suit has two buttons or three or whether it is single or double breasted is less important than that the color and print are conservative.
5. If you don’t know your suit size, insist on being measured before you try a suit on. This might make the sales person uncomfortable, but it is your money and you are the customer. Remember you can insist on being measured and still be polite about it. This request is important because the sales person’s job is to make a sale. Many of them will try to talk you into the first suit they put on you and try to explain how the tailor will make it all work. There are limitations to tailoring:
- The suit should fit in the shoulders. The shoulder pads should not stick out further than your shoulders, and the suit should button easily without stretching. The tailor cannot fit the shoulders.
- 1/4 of an inch of the shirt cuff should be showing when your arm is fully extended. If you did not bring a dress shirt, ask to borrow one in your size for the fitting. A sleeve cannot be extended. If it is too short don’t buy the suit. If you are over 5’11, you will need a “Long” suit. Long is often denoted with the suffix L. 46L means 46 inch chest, long. 46R means 46 inch chest regular length.
- The “Drop” is the difference between the chest and the waist. “American Cut” suits have a six inch drop. This means a 38 inch jacket comes with pants with a 32 inch waist. “European Cut” suits have a 7 inch drop, and “Athletic Cut” suits have an 8 inch. Pants can only be let in or taken out 1 inch. DO NOT let a sales person convince you otherwise. I did, and the belt loops in the back of my first suit touched each other. If your drop is less than 5 inches or more than 9 inches, you either have to buy a custom made suit or buy separates. Buying separates is much more cost and time efficient than the custom made option.
- If you do choose to buy separates, you will still need to have them tailored for an ideal fit.
- Trust the sales person to hem to the right length. If you did not bring dress shoes for the fitting, insist they loan you a pair. It is crucial that you are wearing dress shoes as most men’s casual shoes do not have an elevated heal. Whether you choose straight leg or a cuff is a personal choice. A cuff is often times more expensive to tailor.
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