With graduation approaching in less than four weeks, anticipation for the “Real World” is starting to settle in. Filling out applications, perfecting your resume and going to interviews seem to be a daily occurrence. Keep in mind that you should not to underestimate the importance of your appearance in an interview. While having a well written cover letter and thought out answers to the interviewer’s questions, your appearance plays a vital role in the organization’s final decision making process, as well.
Before going into the interview you should analyze the companies culture. This plays a huge role in determining what you should wear. Do they wear a suit and tie every day? Or do they go for more of a business casual look, with a nice shirt and pants? Does the company have a specific dress code? These are some questions you will want to research before choosing your outfit to ensure that you will fit in with the company’s culture. However, for the interview, you will want to dress one level higher than the norm to show professionalism. So, opt in for a suit; it is a timeless piece that will forever be in style.
As you can see from this Fashionisto, wearing a suit gives off a sense of confidence and establishment. Here he wore his gray Calvin Klein suit coat and pants paired with a simple, yet classic white button-up. His light purple tie adds a pop of color and of course shows off some St. Thomas pride. He finishes off the look with a pair of black dress shoes, a black belt and a classy Seiko watch. I also love that he wore a pair of fun, striped socks! This adds some personality to the professional look. What I like about this suit is it is very versatile, which is important in the business world. He could wear a variety of colors under the suit jacket and it would look like you have a new suit for every day!
The fit of a suit is one of the most important aspects to access when choosing the perfect one. You can tell this Fashionisto spent some time at the tailor to get his suit to fit just right. Of course, the fabric, and whether or not it is comfortable, is important too, but it is the fit that really makes you look sharp.
One Simple Change: Did the interview go so well that you are ready to celebrate? There are a few simple things you can do to transform this professional look into something more appropriate for a date night. Trade in the suit pants for a pair of dark washed jeans and leave the suit coat and tie at home. Cuff the jeans at the bottom, tuck in the shirt and finish off the look with a brown belt and watch. You are now set for a night out on the town!
