Vintage clothing might lose you that job interview!!

[PADDY]

It seems according to this guide on 'what not to wear at job interviews' that VINTAGE WEAR could be frowned upon (I have highlighted the appropriate bits below!).

So men who have a love for wide lapels, double breasted jackets and the colour brown 'might be' at a disadvantage!

So what do the rest of you here think of all that?


by Carole Martin
Monster Contributing Writer

Any article about what to wear to an interview might well begin with a qualifying statement covering the extremes in various cities and industries (technology, manufacturing), which are possible exceptions to the normal rules of fashion. But it might surprise you to learn that those extremes have, over the last couple of years, begun to move closer to the middle ground.

Nowadays, if you were to ask 100 people their opinion about what to wear to an interview, the majority would answer, "Dress on the conservative side." With that in mind, here are some suggestions on how to avoid fashion blunders.

Anna Soo Wildermuth, an image consultant and past president of the Association of Image Consultants International, says, "Clothes should be a part of who you are and should not be noticed." She cites 10 dressing faux pas to avoid when interview time comes around:

1) Wild Nail Polish: This tip is for women or men. Extremely long or uncut nails are a real turnoff, too. Your nails should be groomed and neat.

2) Jewellery That Jangles: Don't wear more than two rings per hand or one earring per ear. And no face jewelry or ankle bracelets allowed.

3) Open-Toed or Backless Shoes: And mules are a definite no-no. Out-of-date shoes should be thrown out or kept for other occasions.

4) Bare Legs: Wear stockings, even in humid summer weather. Stockings can be in neutral colors or a fashion color to match your shoes.

5) Out-of-Date Suits: These have lapels that are too wide (three inches or more) or too narrow (one inch or less). A good tailor can alter lapels. The style for men's jackets is full-body and looser rather than fitted or tight.

6) Short Skirts: Hemlines should not be more than three inches above the knee. Don't wear capri pants or leggings to the interview.

7) Leather Jackets for Men or Women: Even leather blazers are not good for interviewing purposes. They look like outerwear.

8) Turtlenecks for Men: A tie is preferable, at least in the first go-round. At the very least, wear a collared shirt.

9) Printed or Trendy Handbags: Purses should be conservative and inconspicuous.

10) Red Briefcases: Briefcases, purses and shoes should all be conservative in color and in good condition.


Conservative colors in various shades of blue and gray are best. Wearing black to the interview could be viewed as too serious. If you do wear black, make sure that there is another color near your face to soften the look. Brown is still considered questionable as a business color and probably should be avoided. Change your outfit's look for a second interview by wearing a different color blouse, shirt, scarf or tie.

An interview is not the place to make a fashion statement, though those in the art fields and the very famous can be more adventurous. Everyone else should opt for a conservative look. "More and more companies are returning to traditional professional dress," says Wildermuth.

Whatever you wear should accent the fact that you're a professional who's ready to get to work at a new job. Let common sense guide you, and it should be easy to avoid fashion blunders that could damage your chances of getting to the next level in the process. In this market, it is essential that you look good and your appearance is right for the job.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

"more and more companies are returning to traditional professional dress."

hmmm, what about the preponderance of brown in the "traditional (30s/40s) business setting? They seem to have forgotten about that, eh? I would be interested to see what the people who write these articles consider "traditional", and where they get their information.

Again, i'm so glad i'll never have to deal with anyone who cares about these prejudices.

bk

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Interesting article

An out-of-date suit is the thing the man has hanging in the back of his closet that he bought for his brother's wedding, you know the one whose children are in high school, or he borrowed his roommate's similar forgotten suit because he doesn't even own a suit (always said smugly). Not necessarily vintage.

 

[warbird]

I can pretty much agree with everything that said. For goodness sakes, this is about your financial future, dress like you want the job. I've had smart, educated people come to interviews asking me for a job dressed way too casually for a professional job. Especially if the job requires dressing nice at work most days.

You can usually tell if they tried and just didn't have the money, recently out of college and such. But some didn't even try. What drove me nuts was a decent suit, looking like it had been crumpled in a dresser and shoes that either were black sneakers or horribly cared for dress shoes. Or the suit was completely ill fitting, alterations are pretty inexpensive for basics. Business is a blue and gray world. Brown and Olive are great after getting a job, but remember hiring managers or partners are looking for a reason to scratch you off the list, they have to whittle it down. If you are so stubborn hat you refuse to play a game enough to get a job, then why do they want you. It isn't about what is traditional or not, or what looks great, it's about this is a standard, do you have sense enough to know what that standard is and can you adapt to different roles to achieve success.

I think the concern for the older suits is probably more in line with staying away from the wretched '70's polyester jobs. As was stated in the article there are parts of the country and industries where this isn't necessarily so, there's always exceptions. But on the whole, you won't go wrong in a navy suit, white shirt and regimental tie.

 

[Feraud]

I agree with a lot of what is said in the article.
A person should dress in a conservative manner with the objective of getting the job. My reservations have to do with what is said about men's suit color choice and the whole "alter the lapel" jive.

5) Out-of-Date Suits: These have lapels that are too wide (three inches or more) or too narrow (one inch or less). A good tailor can alter lapels. The style for men's jackets is full-body and looser rather than fitted or tight.

The above quote certainly contradicts this thread about the new crop of slim suits!

What is a guy to do.. Follow the whims of Fashion, ditch those "old fashioned suits" for slim fitting ones or keep his ol' boxy ones for interviews? I am so confused... lol

 

[Hondo]

Fashion statement? Don’t know why they left off “Leisure suits” and white belts and shoes You still see those, ya know geeks?
Seriously brown color has me stumpted, then again I hated my first suit, picked out by my Dad, which was an ugly brown thing, I'll never get used to :eusa_doh: Maybe its the brown shirts from nazi Germany era.

It seems todays office, everyone is either cheap or trying to make a fashion statement, not so for interviews, we don't hear of anyone getting turned down for job offer due to the color or style of thier clothes, probably just the rank & file personal, those in upper management, must set an image for customer service, thats my take.

 

[Elaina]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but with the trend of men not wearing suits at all, is a brown suit really that bad?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

'pparently.

bk

 

[Feraud]

The brown suit comment really was a zinger!

 

[LadyDeWinter]

I agree, if I applied for a job I would keep on the conservative side. I think if you want a job it is just a MUST. My boss had an applicant for a job about a year ago. That man had long ungroomed hair . After the meeting with my boss, my boss came to me and told he wouldn't offer this guy a job because of his long hair.
I have often seen people applying for a job who came to work in a suit on their first day because they were unsure about the dress code. The second day they came more casual.
But for a job interview I would always dress in a conservative way.

 

[warbird]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but with the trend of men not wearing suits at all, is a brown suit really that bad?

I wouldn't say a brown suit is 'that bad'. However, this writer is writing in very general terms and for the whole spectrum of possibilities. Blue is usually navy or dark blue. Brown however, is all over the board and runs from the very sophisticated to the pukey nasty brown. So it easier for her to say stay away from brown.

 

[Fletch]

Brown is still considered questionable as a business color and probably should be avoided.

New York in particular had a long-standing prejudice against brown suits — simply because of the early and strong anti-fascist sentiment there. The reason was forgotten long before the bad taste went away.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I actually kind of like the looks of a nice brown suit, but too many of them are not just bilious shades of brown but also *cheap looking* bilious shades of brown. A cheap blue suit tends to show its cheapness a lot less than a brown one, I think.

As for the Nazi connotations -- well, I prefer to think of the US uniforms of the same era, which certainly were more brown than green...

 

[Quigley Brown]

I recently applied for a photographer position at a Washington DC art gallery. Should I get an interview I was planning to wear one of my vintage Salvador Dali ties. I don't think that would hurt...or would it???

 

[Haversack]

The anti-brown suit bias is much stronger on the East Coast than the West. I think it is due largely to the lingering influence of the British style. Anything other than greys or navies were/are considered country clothes... "Brown not in Town". Brown suits are much more accepted on the West Coast. Remember the sound of ruffled feathers in 1981 when Reagan took office and wore brown suits? I've also heard it said the greys and navies reflect better the urban environment where browns and olives would be out of place. Not that that really applies with the advent of office parks and extensive landscaping.

Haversack.

 

[PADDY]

Bucking the trend (Prince of Wales)

Not Charles, but Edward (as in the VIII) who threw caution to the wind and went for checks and browns as the fancy took him. Guess you can get away with it when you are at such high social standing!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

The brown suit comment really was a zinger!

No U.S. president has worn a brown suit in public after Reagan. Incidentally, he was also known to wear light tan suits. When was the last time you saw a president wearing that color?


Reagan was also the last U.S. president to wear a morning coat to his (first) inauguration, and to wear white tie and tails to his inaugural ball in D.C.


The last U.S. president to wear an off-white 'summer' suit in office was Harry Truman.

.

 

[Lee Lynch]

**shudders at the thought of tailors "altering" vintage lapels!!**

I recently changed jobs (and much for the better) and learned that someone came to my old workplace to apply for a position...in her pajama bottoms!!
And get this...they let her STAY and interview!lol

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Do I need glasses? I didn't see a brown suit comment.

The article never specifies a brown suit. (Does it??) This article is for men and women, perhaps slanting more towards women. A red briefcase?

 

[Sefton]

I likely wouldn't wear vintage for the interview. If I got the job I'd slowly start to show up wearing a bit of vintage. Nothing too extreme. I do see men in S.F. who work in offices wearing fedoras, so that part shouldn't be a problem. The full length fur overcoat and spectator shoes might be a tough sell though...