Men's Interview Attire: 3 Style Rules to Follow for Success

 You only get one chance to make a good first impression, and if you’re meeting with potential employers, a great first impression will go a long way to helping you secure that dream job. If you’re a guy in need of some guidance when it comes to what to wear to a job interview, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know when it comes to men’s interview attire.    

3 rules to follow when deciding what to wear for an interview

1. Match the dress code of the role you’re interviewing for

Older relatives may tell you that you should always wear a full suit to any job interview. In truth, this is quite outdated and many employers don’t require you to wear a suit to your job or your interview. 

That doesn’t mean you should start searching for men’s twin sets to wear to your interview. Instead, researching the dress code of the role you’re applying for is often a good starting point when deciding what to wear. 

2. Wear something that makes you feel comfortable

Remember, you’re not being judged solely on what you wear, and some interviewers won’t even care what you’re dressed in. It’s far more important to give a positive account of yourself and this comes from feeling confident and positive.

As the old saying goes, ‘look good, feel good’. Dressing in your usual style and wearing clothes in which you feel comfortable will go a long way to ensuring your interview performance is the best that can be.

 

3. Plan in advance

Planning what you’re going to be wearing to your interview a few days before will give you one less thing to worry about come the night before or the morning of your interview.

Not only this, it gives you a chance to check for stains, rips and snags and allows you to double-check everything fits as it should before the day of the interview.

What to wear for a job interview 

Formal Setting

It’s certainly not as common to see suits in the workplace as it was 50 years ago. In fact, studies show only 8% of men wear a suit to work today. Even in many corporate settings, smart has been replaced by smart casual. Today, many founders and CEOs take the Zuckerberg approach of throwing on a pair of jeans and a plain tee before heading to the office. 

Despite the rise of casual workwear, there are still many environments where men are expected to arrive to work in good old-fashioned suits.  Jobs that require men to wear a suit include roles like:

• Accountant 

• Banker 

• Estate Agent

• Lawyer

• Sales Executive 

• Senior Executive (CEO, CFO, MD)

If you are going for one of the above jobs or any other where you’ll be wearing a suit on a daily basis, you’ll need to wear a suit to your job interview. The good thing is selecting a suit is pretty simple. Depending on the time of year, brown, grey and navy suits are great options due to their timeless nature.

A full black suit may leave you looking like you’re attending a funeral but there’s nothing wrong with pairing something a little more colourful with a pair of smart black trousers. Whatever blazer and trousers combo you go for, you can’t go wrong with a fresh white shirt.

While selecting a style is easy, it’s the size and fit that determines a suit’s effectiveness. If you’re going for an all-important job interview, be sure to get measured and seek advice from a tailor before diving in to make your purchase.

Smart Casual Setting

With the decrease in popularity of formal workwear comes the rise of smart casual office wear. This dress code doesn’t require a blazer or tie but men will still need to wear smart trousers rather than jeans. Industries that often have a smart casual dress code include human resources, sales, and hospitality. 

If you’re attending an interview for a job with a smart casual dress code and you feel more comfortable dressing formally then there’s nothing to stop you, but most places that instil a smart casual dress code would be happy for you to dress the same as you would be when doing the job.

 

Smart casual options include outfits like a shirt and jumper combo with smart trousers. In summer, a smart, short-sleeved shirt works just as well in place of thicker materials.

Casual Setting

Today, many places are completely relaxed on what employees can wear to work. For example, creative agencies are happy for staff to wear items like cargo pants, shorts, or even tracksuits. Essentially, whatever best helps get those creative juices flowing is acceptable. On top of this, most remote jobs also have completely relaxed dress codes. 

It can be hard to know what to wear for an interview for a job with a casual dress code. While throwing on a tracksuit for an interview might be a little too casual, you certainly won’t need to dig out your suit if interviewing with a company that doesn’t have a strict dress code. 

With these types of organisations, it can be worth double-checking what they expect you to wear beforehand. But in most cases, throwing on a pair of jeans and a tee with a pair of trainers will be absolutely fine.