Let's Fashion Talk

With the economy in a recession, competition for new jobs can be fierce, which is why making a good first impression during your interview is so critical. Your attire should be neat, professional, and conservative, but this does not exclude allowing some of your personality to show through your clothes.

The standard interview outfit of old is a navy, black, or charcoal suit, white or light blue blouse, pearls, and a mid-heeled, round-toe black pump. While a little boring, this outfit is a good template to use for creating your own interview ensemble. During economically turbulent times, many employers fall back on their conservative roots in what they look for in a candidate, so keep this in mind when you customize this template for your situation. If you’re entering a very traditional field like law or finance, you might want to limit how much you deviate from the uniform. You want the vibe of your suit to say "power" and "confidence" so avoid attempts to soften it with your accessories.

However, if you’re in a creative or casual field, you have more leeway in what you can wear. Instead of a dark colored suit, you could wear heather gray or brown. You may even be able to get away with mixed suiting separates depending on the job you want. To add some personality, change up the shirt colors or maybe wear a fun, but office-appropriate pair of shoes.

If you’re in doubt about wearing a suit to an interview, remember: Dress for the job you dream about, not the job you’re applying for. You never know what higher level positions may be available to the candidate with polish and promise.

When it comes to purchasing your interview suit, buy the best you can afford. If you’re pressed for time and for cash, Walmart’s George line offers very affordable suiting separates for roughly $20 a piece. You could easily purchase your entire interview outfit for less than $75. Target, Sears, JCPenney, and New York & Co. are all good places to shop on a budget. If you have some time to search for an outfit before your interview, I recommend watching sales at higher end stores like Ann Taylor, Nordstrom, Jcrew, and Macy’s. The pieces from these stores will be of a higher quality and last longer so that when your hugely successful interview leads to a new job, you already have several perfect pieces to wear to the office.

As a final reminder, no décolletage, no short skirts, and no sexy shoes. A good interview outfit should act as a background that allows your qualifications and your personality to shine. It shouldn’t compete for the interviewer’s attention or send any signals that undermine your professionalism.

--written by Siepres