Dressing for the Job Interview

Everyone has heard the old saying: You have to dress for the job you want. Many new grads are planning their interview suits to increase their chances of landing that perfect job. Wherever you buy your outfit, consider this: fit is paramount. If you buy your clothing at a department store, take advantage of the in-house tailor. Or if you buy clothing at a discount store such as Goodwill — also do alternations at a tailor. Many times I have bought an inexpensive jacket and took it to my neighborhood tailor and for $15-20 or less I create a jacket that looks like it came from Nordstrom. I like to add darts, and change the sleeve from long to bracelet (it makes you lose 10 pounds instantly).

Other considerations as you select your interviewing outfit:
– If you are petite and want to look taller, wear all one color; it will lengthen you.
– If you are tall and want to look shorter, wear two colors such as light on the top and dark on the bottom, and it will cut you in half and make you look less tall.
– If you are larger on the bottom, wear a bright-colored blouse and a dark jacket and dark skirt/pants. It’s called column dressing and it slims you.

Other considerations: think about your skin tone. Believe it or not, everyone does not look good in black. In fact, it washes out your skin tone — especially if your features are soft intensity. For instance, I have olive skin, highlighted light hair and blue eyes. Black is my worst color, but navy, grey and taupe are much better options.

If you have to wear black, put a pop color near your face. For instance, for those few times I wear black, I put a pop color near my face: mint green, royal or teal.

Once your look is done, relax, and practice your 5-minute speech. You’ve got this!

Keep in Classy, Indy!

B. Divine