Tips: How to dress well for a job interview?

That's it, you have defined your daily style. You have mastered your basics and have a few strong pieces to mark your looks. However, certain situations still make you hesitate: more formal occasions...

As such, if there's ever a time when you don't want to fail because of your looks, it's a job interview at the company of your dreams.

Whether you are a recent graduate or a senior, whatever your profession, we will see together the rules and outfits that hit the mark for being a stylish man... even with a tie.

DRESSING FOR A JOB INTERVIEW: THE GOLDEN RULES

Starting a recruitment process with an interview is like landing the date of your dreams: you must be as natural as possible despite the colossal stakes.

Does it seem complicated? Rest assured: it's easier than it looks, with a good mindset and some demystifications. The impression you want to give off is that of your mastery, combined with natural ease. THE all with pleasure .

So to get started, here are the basic rules for a job interview outfit:

• It must consist of at least the following elements: pants, a jacket , a shirt , a belt and leather shoes .
• Prefer basic colors : navy blue, gray and white for clothes, dark brown for shoes and belts. Avoid black...
• We dress well without overdoing it : the adage “ Less is more” is also essential in interviews. I recognize the stamp of the sprezzatura of Pitti Uomo , but reserve your large check jackets for social evenings. At best, you can focus on well-worked textures or very discreet patterns.

• Your dress code must correspond to the environment you want to join : suit and tie for office jobs, casual chic for professions linked to creation... In the same spirit, think about business culture .
• However, dress a step above the type of outfit you wear to work . Put on your best suit, your prettiest jacket or polish your shoes. In short, look your best: today, you show your potential to someone important!
• Clothes that fit you well mean alterations. I was the first to balk: it costs more and we have to wait before taking advantage of it. However, it considerably raises the level of an outfit: remember to correct the height of the sleeves and the hems of the pants, cut and fit must be perfect.
  
• I end this list with an important point: in order to be comfortable, wear your outfit several times before your interview. A person who puts on clothes for the first time is often in an uncomfortable position: you can feel it and you can see it. The only way to avoid it is to get used to your clothes , by wearing them five or six times before: it's your weekend in a suit.

Beyond these basic rules, we can get to the heart of the matter.

FORMAL INTERVIEW: GET A SUIT AND TIE

I chose here to develop two levels of outfit. You will therefore find an outfit for beginners and one for experienced workers. This of course depends on your budget and experience.

THE CASE OF THE YOUNG GRADUATE

Are you applying to be in an office role? This outfit is for you. Accountants, engineers, salespeople... you can go for it.

This look was designed for maximum versatility.

THE IDEAL OUTFIT FOR AN EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL

You are in management or an expert in office functions: you have worked for several years and you have good responsibilities.

Your recruitment contacts are part of the company's management committee and you are seeking prestigious positions. There, it is appropriate to boost your outfits to match your ambitions .

Concretely, we will remain on the same bases as the first option, relying on more sophisticated materials.

THE OPTIONAL BELT

For now, opinions differ. Some consider it mandatory while for others, a suit in your size does not need a belt anyway.

If you choose to wear one, its color should match the shoes . You can match the color of your socks to either the shoes or the suit.

FACTS ON ACCESSORIES

You have to know your environment . Gauge to what extent people are more or less fond of coquetry, whether an outfit that conveys a little prestige can be perceived as rewarding or, on the contrary, pretentious. From there, we accordingly place the cursor between “austerity” and “originality”.

No risks will be taken with a tie, a belt and, possibly, a pocket square. A notch above, we can imagine a tie clip and cufflinks. As for the buttonhole flower and other pins, they are irrelevant.

WE RECAPITULATE!

BUY A NICE SUIT

Choose a navy blue or dark gray suit. If you must opt ​​for patterns, choose them discreet.

Black is an aging color, which presents an overly rigid image of you and can be seen as reserved for company management.

• Our advice for choosing a suit

FIND A NICE SHIRT

White is a safe bet for interviews. Otherwise, we can also imagine a pale blue model. Stay classic!

• Our advice for choosing a shirt
• Our shirt tests
• The big comparison of shirts under €90.

CHOOSE A SOBER AND ELEGANT TIE

Finally, a tie is made of silk or wool, no use of plastic! Don’t hesitate to look for a variety of textures: knitted silk, wool, or silk grenadine.

• Our advice on ties .
• Our tie tests .

WEAR REAL LEATHER SHOES

Prefer dark brown shoes, they are the most versatile with the suits mentioned above. For the experienced, you can glaze your shoes to add a much appreciated touch of refinement.

• Our advice for finding the right shoe for you.
• Our shoe tests

INTERVIEW IN AN INFORMAL STRUCTURE: PREFER CASUAL CHIC

This last look is designed for those who have interviews in structures known to be informal: you can dress like this when you present yourself in a web, graphics or communications company. The same goes for most start-ups, whose spirit is deliberately more relaxed.

Of course, some structures are even more permissive. I have in mind the example of a friend recruited at Adidas; he only wore sneakers during the interview.

That said, this look is a safe bet , which has the advantage of only featuring pieces that are easy to master. You can therefore decline it easily... Besides:

• If you use the jacket from one of your suits, make sure it doesn't hang too low.
• You can allow yourself shirts with original collars or patterns - to a certain extent, this is not the time to break out the Hawaiian shirt either.
• Your pants can be of several shapes. You can choose raw jeans, good quality chinos or wool pants. Impeccable ironing required.

• For shoes, you have more freedom than the previous outfits: you can adopt Richelieu, derby, desert boots or Chelsea without worry. It's up to you to see what you like best.

HOW TO DRESS FOR AN INTERVIEW ? THE SECRET TECHNIQUE!

With all of these tips in mind, you should be able to adopt the ideal outfit for an interview! Only one question remains: how to choose your look if you don't know how people dress in the company of your dreams?

This question comes up often, mainly for young graduates entering the job market. I'm going to give you my tip to be sure of yourself!

A few days before your interview, dress in casual chic and go to the company reception.

Introduce yourself with a big smile, say that you have an interview with Mr.

Amazing trick, right? All joking aside, it's that simple and this method brings you several advantages:

• The sympathy of the people at the reception. On the day of your interview, your interlocutor will have heard about this serious candidate who wants to prepare for his interview as well as possible.
• You become familiar with the people and environment of this company , which will reduce the surprise effect on the day of the interview, and therefore potential stage fright.
• You will see people working in this environment passing by. This will give you a lot of information about employee stress levels, enjoyment and behavior.
• Finally, the people at reception often have a lot of informal information and love to discuss: you may well be given two or three interesting ideas to develop in an interview later.

For the more timid, you can call the switchboard to ask the question, but you will deprive yourself of several of the advantages mentioned above.

THE FINAL WORD...

As you will have understood, the first step is to know the environment (and culture) of the company where you are applying.

If it is a “formal” structure, a certain neutrality will be required. However, you can rely on the effects of materials and textures to gain relief.

In the case of a more casual club, you have more choice. You take almost no risk in casual chic even if, depending on the company, you can imagine other styles.

If in doubt, do not hesitate to inquire directly from the source, or to scan the comings and goings in front of the office.

Either way, give the “best version of your look.” Whether you like it or not, an interview remains a certain form of seduction... Besides, it's up to you.

All that remains is for us to wish you good luck!

WITHOUT FORGETTING OUR OWN COSTUMES