Interview clothing

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  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,713
    I've conducted several interviews via video call recently, and did one as a candidate a few years ago. Personally I wouldn't expect full formal clothing, a smart shirt would be enough even though I'd probably expect a suit for an in person interview. However, I certainly wouldn't mark anyone down for dressing up more. Definitely make sure the background is tidy, that nobody's going to wander around behind you visible on the camera etc.
  • singleton
    singleton Posts: 2,523
    In terms of clothing - you don't want to be dressed scruffier than your interviewer and you want to make it look like this is important for you, so you've made an effort.

    In terms of other aspects - make sure it's tidy behind you or put on a virtual background, and there's no background noise - maybe wear earphones and a mic.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 16,925
    Freshly laundered and ironed onsie.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,137

    Freshly laundered and ironed onsie.

    I can't remember the last time I saw a onsie. This is a good thing.
    Last time I saw them was people wearing them in supermarkets.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,361
    pblakeney said:

    Freshly laundered and ironed onsie.

    I can't remember the last time I saw a onsie. This is a good thing.
    Last time I saw them was people wearing them in supermarkets.
    It's the pandemic, standards have dropped so I dread to think what those people are wearing now. They probably just never get out of bed.
  • elbowloh
    elbowloh Posts: 7,078
    Done two interviews in the last year or so. One with full shirt and tie (they took the piss out of me) and second just a t-shirt and jumper. Luckily got both jobs, but I suppose it depends on the culture of the place you're interviewing for.
    Felt F1 2014
    Felt Z6 2012
    Red Arthur Caygill steel frame
    Tall....
    www.seewildlife.co.uk
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited May 2021
    If shirt and tie, ceisp white shirt, cufflinks and I must admit to a Regtl/Sqn tie (cufflinks to match) - if you don't know what it is it just looks like a stripey tie, if you do it opens conversation and could just open that door......

    Van Tam wore his at the briefings.

    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    Oh - single breasted tailored suits only, black with black shoes and black socks or darker grey with brown shoes and matching socks/tie combo - no no no double breasted as they make you look like a car salesman.

    Anyone turning up in jeans/chinos and blazer or any variation of Hammond/May/Clarkson gets their application ripped up in front of them.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    MattFalle said:

    Oh - single breasted tailored suits only, black with black shoes and black socks or darker grey with brown shoes and matching socks/tie combo - no no no double breasted as they make you look like a car salesman.

    Anyone turning up in jeans/chinos and blazer or any variation of Hammond/May/Clarkson gets their application ripped up in front of them.

    Who's seeing your trousers and shoes on a video call?
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644

    MattFalle said:

    Oh - single breasted tailored suits only, black with black shoes and black socks or darker grey with brown shoes and matching socks/tie combo - no no no double breasted as they make you look like a car salesman.

    Anyone turning up in jeans/chinos and blazer or any variation of Hammond/May/Clarkson gets their application ripped up in front of them.

    Who's seeing your trousers and shoes on a video call?
    its all in the mind - dress for the role you want.

    if you dress properly you'll be in the right state of mind and it will project whatever the interview medium, do half a job on the basics and you'll end up discontented working in recruitment scratching a living commuting from blandola suburbia.

    its what separates the wheat from the chaff.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    its a state of mind
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • johngti
    johngti Posts: 2,508
    MattFalle said:

    Oh - single breasted tailored suits only, black with black shoes and black socks or darker grey with brown shoes and matching socks/tie combo - no no no double breasted as they make you look like a car salesman.

    Anyone turning up in jeans/chinos and blazer or any variation of Hammond/May/Clarkson gets their application ripped up in front of them.

    I normally go with a dark blue suit, white shirt (usually buy a new one to make sure it’s properly clean and crisp), nice silk tie, polished black shoes but I tend to wear slightly brighter socks than grey/black. I have to wear a suit for work so stick to mostly dark blue but also have a light grey one to mix it up. Shirts generally blue or white (although today’s is kind of a light lilac colour - daring). I have a couple of school issues ties that I sometimes wear if I want to be more corporate. People coming for interview need to look smart. Less senior staff can get away with smart trousers and a blazer but ties and jackets for the men are expected.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 27,965
    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    Oh - single breasted tailored suits only, black with black shoes and black socks or darker grey with brown shoes and matching socks/tie combo - no no no double breasted as they make you look like a car salesman.

    Anyone turning up in jeans/chinos and blazer or any variation of Hammond/May/Clarkson gets their application ripped up in front of them.

    Who's seeing your trousers and shoes on a video call?
    its all in the mind - dress for the role you want.

    if you dress properly you'll be in the right state of mind and it will project whatever the interview medium, do half a job on the basics and you'll end up discontented working in recruitment scratching a living commuting from blandola suburbia.

    its what separates the wheat from the chaff.
    If you have to dress like that for the role, I wouldn't want it. Time's moved on.

    Also if the boss judges you based on whether you are wearing the sort of perfectly decent clothes you'd wear on a day you wanted to look a bit smart in the office or wearing a suit that you never would, I probably don't want to work for them.
  • wilberforce
    wilberforce Posts: 315
    MattFalle said:

    If shirt and tie, ceisp white shirt, cufflinks and I must admit to a Regtl/Sqn tie (cufflinks to match) - if you don't know what it is it just looks like a stripey tie, if you do it opens conversation and could just open that door......

    Van Tam wore his at the briefings.

    The yellow and black striped tie which Van Tam wears at briefings is for the mighty Boston United FC where he is a season ticket holder.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644

    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    Oh - single breasted tailored suits only, black with black shoes and black socks or darker grey with brown shoes and matching socks/tie combo - no no no double breasted as they make you look like a car salesman.

    Anyone turning up in jeans/chinos and blazer or any variation of Hammond/May/Clarkson gets their application ripped up in front of them.

    Who's seeing your trousers and shoes on a video call?
    its all in the mind - dress for the role you want.

    if you dress properly you'll be in the right state of mind and it will project whatever the interview medium, do half a job on the basics and you'll end up discontented working in recruitment scratching a living commuting from blandola suburbia.

    its what separates the wheat from the chaff.
    If you have to dress like that for the role, I wouldn't want it. Time's moved on.

    Also if the boss judges you based on whether you are wearing the sort of perfectly decent clothes you'd wear on a day you wanted to look a bit smart in the office or wearing a suit that you never would, I probably don't want to work for them.
    agree that it all depends on the role that you are looking at but there are so many variables these days that I can only comment on roles that I would go for and know of and how confortable you are.

    I can't see any problem at all of interviewing v smart then dressing according to office/company ethos once you're in - its all about making sure no one can hold anything against you at the interview stage: I've heard plenty of people say "blimey, they didn't make the effort" bit never heard "jeez no, turned up too smart for an interview. shiiiit, did you see how he had a clean shirt on?".
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 16,925
    Avoid white shirts, unless you have a Holywood smile and tan. Black suits might be too funereal.

    So, dark suit, nothing too characterful in the sock and tie department, pale cream or blue shirt. Dark shoes of a sensible colour are fine.

    Avoid - dark shirts. The Chris Tarrant look hasn't been in vogue for a while. Bright socks. Cartoon ties. Pale suits. Check or patterned suits of any kind. Waistcoats - you just look like a twunt who is trying too hard.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Wrong. Always wear a white shirt - timeless classic and can't go wrong.

    Cream shirt? Is this a joke?
    Dark shoes of a sensible colour? Again - the ONLY sensible colour shoes for an interview are BLACK.

    ^all the above assuming it's a suit and tie sort of interview
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    cartoon ties

    wtaf were/are they all about?
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,867
    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    Oh - single breasted tailored suits only, black with black shoes and black socks or darker grey with brown shoes and matching socks/tie combo - no no no double breasted as they make you look like a car salesman.

    Anyone turning up in jeans/chinos and blazer or any variation of Hammond/May/Clarkson gets their application ripped up in front of them.

    Who's seeing your trousers and shoes on a video call?
    its all in the mind - dress for the role you want.

    if you dress properly you'll be in the right state of mind and it will project whatever the interview medium, do half a job on the basics and you'll end up discontented working in recruitment scratching a living commuting from blandola suburbia.

    its what separates the wheat from the chaff.
    If you have to dress like that for the role, I wouldn't want it. Time's moved on.

    Also if the boss judges you based on whether you are wearing the sort of perfectly decent clothes you'd wear on a day you wanted to look a bit smart in the office or wearing a suit that you never would, I probably don't want to work for them.
    agree that it all depends on the role that you are looking at but there are so many variables these days that I can only comment on roles that I would go for and know of and how confortable you are.

    I can't see any problem at all of interviewing v smart then dressing according to office/company ethos once you're in - its all about making sure no one can hold anything against you at the interview stage: I've heard plenty of people say "blimey, they didn't make the effort" bit never heard "jeez no, turned up too smart for an interview. shiiiit, did you see how he had a clean shirt on?".
    it really is this simple

    KG is also right that if he does not want to conform then it is the wrong place for him.

    If somebody turned up for an interview not wearing an suit (or similar) I would not hire them. That sounds harsh but it tells me one of two things.

    1) they do not know the rules of the game and I am looking at 2nd jobbers at least and they should know by now.
    2) This is as good as it gets and they want to butt heads over dress code in the interview. In my mind they will be a constant pain and I don't need that.

    The likes of KG obviously would not want to work for an uptight dinosaur like me so we have both dodged bullet.

  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 16,925

    Wrong. Always wear a white shirt - timeless classic and can't go wrong.

    Cream shirt? Is this a joke?
    Dark shoes of a sensible colour? Again - the ONLY sensible colour shoes for an interview are BLACK.

    ^all the above assuming it's a suit and tie sort of interview

    Sorry, not cream, I meant pink. Cream just makes you look jaundiced. White is okay, but you need to have spent a bit of money on it, or it just looks like part of a school uniform.

    Hard to argue re-shoes. but a dark brown dress shoe is fine. Suede, even black, is right out.

    Cartoon ties - bubbles, jazzy colours, your old college tie, anything sports related, anything even slightly wicky woo or that you might wear to a wedding.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644

    Wrong. Always wear a white shirt - timeless classic and can't go wrong.

    Cream shirt? Is this a joke?
    Dark shoes of a sensible colour? Again - the ONLY sensible colour shoes for an interview are BLACK.

    ^all the above assuming it's a suit and tie sort of interview

    cream shirt?

    are you in Kajagoogoo?

    Cream shirt: notafuckingchance

    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    edited May 2021



    Cream shirt? Is this a joke?

    Sort of thing some aggressively chin 60 year old who still wears suspender suit trousers and double breasted jackets has (i.e. my old boss).
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    I'll add it to the 60th birthday list.

    Charles Tyrwitt white shirts are fine at 25-30 quid a pop - especially for an interview.

    Shoes - always black with a suit. In fact - formal wear is the only really acceptable time to wear black shoes. Black shoes look ghastly with just about every other item of clothing.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,680
    (This story might already be in the pre-resurrection thread but I'll re-tell it anyway)

    The flip side of this conversation (and we have established that we are a forum of Gen-X & Boomers) is that during my first "enforced career flip" I went to a big interview day where even the interviewers were younger than me (32-ish at the time) and I was the ONLY one in a suit. Candidates, HR, managers, token director, everyone...

    I'd say it was even one of my less formal suits (I've not done jobs where wearing suits is necessary so I don't have a wide collection). I looked re-dick-u-lous. A millennial in a room of Gen-Zs, who clearly didn't belong. At that point any 'experience' I had, became irrelevant.

    The flipside of the flipside is that it also became very clear almost immediately that I didn't want the job so... *shrug*
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661

    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    Oh - single breasted tailored suits only, black with black shoes and black socks or darker grey with brown shoes and matching socks/tie combo - no no no double breasted as they make you look like a car salesman.

    Anyone turning up in jeans/chinos and blazer or any variation of Hammond/May/Clarkson gets their application ripped up in front of them.

    Who's seeing your trousers and shoes on a video call?
    its all in the mind - dress for the role you want.

    if you dress properly you'll be in the right state of mind and it will project whatever the interview medium, do half a job on the basics and you'll end up discontented working in recruitment scratching a living commuting from blandola suburbia.

    its what separates the wheat from the chaff.
    If you have to dress like that for the role, I wouldn't want it. Time's moved on.

    Also if the boss judges you based on whether you are wearing the sort of perfectly decent clothes you'd wear on a day you wanted to look a bit smart in the office or wearing a suit that you never would, I probably don't want to work for them.
    agree that it all depends on the role that you are looking at but there are so many variables these days that I can only comment on roles that I would go for and know of and how confortable you are.

    I can't see any problem at all of interviewing v smart then dressing according to office/company ethos once you're in - its all about making sure no one can hold anything against you at the interview stage: I've heard plenty of people say "blimey, they didn't make the effort" bit never heard "jeez no, turned up too smart for an interview. shiiiit, did you see how he had a clean shirt on?".
    it really is this simple

    KG is also right that if he does not want to conform then it is the wrong place for him.

    If somebody turned up for an interview not wearing an suit (or similar) I would not hire them. That sounds harsh but it tells me one of two things.

    1) they do not know the rules of the game and I am looking at 2nd jobbers at least and they should know by now.
    2) This is as good as it gets and they want to butt heads over dress code in the interview. In my mind they will be a constant pain and I don't need that.

    The likes of KG obviously would not want to work for an uptight dinosaur like me so we have both dodged bullet.

    We're talking video conferences here.

    If you're sitting in your dining room suited and booted you'll look really weird. It does not work well on video calls from home.

  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited May 2021

    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    Oh - single breasted tailored suits only, black with black shoes and black socks or darker grey with brown shoes and matching socks/tie combo - no no no double breasted as they make you look like a car salesman.

    Anyone turning up in jeans/chinos and blazer or any variation of Hammond/May/Clarkson gets their application ripped up in front of them.

    Who's seeing your trousers and shoes on a video call?
    its all in the mind - dress for the role you want.

    if you dress properly you'll be in the right state of mind and it will project whatever the interview medium, do half a job on the basics and you'll end up discontented working in recruitment scratching a living commuting from blandola suburbia.

    its what separates the wheat from the chaff.
    If you have to dress like that for the role, I wouldn't want it. Time's moved on.

    Also if the boss judges you based on whether you are wearing the sort of perfectly decent clothes you'd wear on a day you wanted to look a bit smart in the office or wearing a suit that you never would, I probably don't want to work for them.
    agree that it all depends on the role that you are looking at but there are so many variables these days that I can only comment on roles that I would go for and know of and how confortable you are.

    I can't see any problem at all of interviewing v smart then dressing according to office/company ethos once you're in - its all about making sure no one can hold anything against you at the interview stage: I've heard plenty of people say "blimey, they didn't make the effort" bit never heard "jeez no, turned up too smart for an interview. shiiiit, did you see how he had a clean shirt on?".
    it really is this simple

    KG is also right that if he does not want to conform then it is the wrong place for him.

    If somebody turned up for an interview not wearing an suit (or similar) I would not hire them. That sounds harsh but it tells me one of two things.

    1) they do not know the rules of the game and I am looking at 2nd jobbers at least and they should know by now.
    2) This is as good as it gets and they want to butt heads over dress code in the interview. In my mind they will be a constant pain and I don't need that.

    The likes of KG obviously would not want to work for an uptight dinosaur like me so we have both dodged bullet.

    We're talking video conferences here.

    If you're sitting in your dining room suited and booted you'll look really weird. It does not work well on video calls from home.

    if you're sitting there in a t shirt i'll think you can't be arzzzed to make the effort and turn the call off half way through.

    sheer utter laziness.

    its a job interview, not The Guardian first dates.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 27,965
    Even the one person in my department who still wore a suit every day without fail has stopped that now he's working from home.

    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    Oh - single breasted tailored suits only, black with black shoes and black socks or darker grey with brown shoes and matching socks/tie combo - no no no double breasted as they make you look like a car salesman.

    Anyone turning up in jeans/chinos and blazer or any variation of Hammond/May/Clarkson gets their application ripped up in front of them.

    Who's seeing your trousers and shoes on a video call?
    its all in the mind - dress for the role you want.

    if you dress properly you'll be in the right state of mind and it will project whatever the interview medium, do half a job on the basics and you'll end up discontented working in recruitment scratching a living commuting from blandola suburbia.

    its what separates the wheat from the chaff.
    If you have to dress like that for the role, I wouldn't want it. Time's moved on.

    Also if the boss judges you based on whether you are wearing the sort of perfectly decent clothes you'd wear on a day you wanted to look a bit smart in the office or wearing a suit that you never would, I probably don't want to work for them.
    agree that it all depends on the role that you are looking at but there are so many variables these days that I can only comment on roles that I would go for and know of and how confortable you are.

    I can't see any problem at all of interviewing v smart then dressing according to office/company ethos once you're in - its all about making sure no one can hold anything against you at the interview stage: I've heard plenty of people say "blimey, they didn't make the effort" bit never heard "jeez no, turned up too smart for an interview. shiiiit, did you see how he had a clean shirt on?".
    it really is this simple

    KG is also right that if he does not want to conform then it is the wrong place for him.

    If somebody turned up for an interview not wearing an suit (or similar) I would not hire them. That sounds harsh but it tells me one of two things.

    1) they do not know the rules of the game and I am looking at 2nd jobbers at least and they should know by now.
    2) This is as good as it gets and they want to butt heads over dress code in the interview. In my mind they will be a constant pain and I don't need that.

    The likes of KG obviously would not want to work for an uptight dinosaur like me so we have both dodged bullet.

    It does depend on where you are in your working life and how much an interview is you deciding whether you want to work somewhere as well as them deciding whether they want to hire you.

    Would you discount someone for not wearing a suit and tie on a video interview?
  • ballysmate
    ballysmate Posts: 15,930
    edited May 2021
    Pross said:

    Shirt, tie, pyjama bottoms / boxers and slippers.

    Would appear to be the sensible answer.
    If you are going to cite that your casual appearance is because you are at home, I suppose you wouldn't bother shaving either as you normally wouldn't at home.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    MattFalle said:

    Oh - single breasted tailored suits only, black with black shoes and black socks or darker grey with brown shoes and matching socks/tie combo - no no no double breasted as they make you look like a car salesman.

    Anyone turning up in jeans/chinos and blazer or any variation of Hammond/May/Clarkson gets their application ripped up in front of them.

    Who's seeing your trousers and shoes on a video call?
    its all in the mind - dress for the role you want.

    if you dress properly you'll be in the right state of mind and it will project whatever the interview medium, do half a job on the basics and you'll end up discontented working in recruitment scratching a living commuting from blandola suburbia.

    its what separates the wheat from the chaff.
    If you have to dress like that for the role, I wouldn't want it. Time's moved on.

    Also if the boss judges you based on whether you are wearing the sort of perfectly decent clothes you'd wear on a day you wanted to look a bit smart in the office or wearing a suit that you never would, I probably don't want to work for them.
    agree that it all depends on the role that you are looking at but there are so many variables these days that I can only comment on roles that I would go for and know of and how confortable you are.

    I can't see any problem at all of interviewing v smart then dressing according to office/company ethos once you're in - its all about making sure no one can hold anything against you at the interview stage: I've heard plenty of people say "blimey, they didn't make the effort" bit never heard "jeez no, turned up too smart for an interview. shiiiit, did you see how he had a clean shirt on?".
    it really is this simple

    KG is also right that if he does not want to conform then it is the wrong place for him.

    If somebody turned up for an interview not wearing an suit (or similar) I would not hire them. That sounds harsh but it tells me one of two things.

    1) they do not know the rules of the game and I am looking at 2nd jobbers at least and they should know by now.
    2) This is as good as it gets and they want to butt heads over dress code in the interview. In my mind they will be a constant pain and I don't need that.

    The likes of KG obviously would not want to work for an uptight dinosaur like me so we have both dodged bullet.

    We're talking video conferences here.

    If you're sitting in your dining room suited and booted you'll look really weird. It does not work well on video calls from home.

    if you're sitting there in a t shirt i'll think you can't be arzzzed to make the effort and turn the call off half way through.

    sheer utter laziness.

    its a job interview, not The Gauardian first dates.
    Sure. The industry standard for WFH interviews on VC is formal shirt, no tie, no jacket.

  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    I think it boils down to this:

    dress how you want but if I think you're lazy/arrogant/can't be bothered to play the work game at such an early stage then nah fam, you're not for us, ypu're obviously too cool for school
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.