Some basic dress and grooming suggestions for men going for a job interview:
Hair
In this day and age, you might not want to wear your hair in the close-cropped styles of the fifties, but try not to have it down to your shoulders either. Any man with very long hair who is applying for an executive position is just looking to be turned down.
Top management people tend to be older and more conservative. Do not forget this. People like to surround themselves with others they can relate to. A conservative executive, who is doing the hiring, might find it a bit difficult relating to a long haired "hippie." Even if you are not really a "hippie," the fact that you resemble one will cause the same result - no job offer.
If you wear a hair piece, make sure it is a good one. If you are losing your hair a good hair piece can make you look 100 percent better and several years younger. A cheap one will only make you look like-well, a guy wearing a cheap hair piece.
The best suggestion would be making a trip to the barber a day or two before the interview. You will never be criticized for being too well groomed.
If you have a mustache, make sure it is neatly trimmed. Avoid novelty mustaches such as extra long "handlebar" and "Fu-Man-chu" styles. Avoid beards whenever possible. If your appearance is conservative, you will never be criticized. Appear flamboyant, and "red flags" will start popping up in the mind of the interviewer.
An exception to the above might apply in an artistic en-deavor-as an artist, writer, or musician (if you apply for a job in a rock band wearing a three piece suit, many would imagine the reverse would apply). You have to use good judgement and common sense. Try to project empathy as to how the interviewer envisions the prospective employee.
Colognes, After-Shave Lotions, and Other Sweet-Smelling Creations
Keep the flowery smells to a minimum. A faint, pleasant after-shave scent is fine, but it can really be offensive to the interviewer to smell the candidate as he is walking into his office.
Wear a Suit
You just cannot top the appearance of a freshly pressed suit. Conservative sport coats and blazers come in sec-ond-but a distant second for certain positions! Vests that match the suit are fine.
Be careful of the extremely loud and bold colors. Try to keep your suit to the basic shades, blues, greys, browns, charcoals, etc. Conservative stripes, plaids, checks, solids, are all ideal. Do not show up wearing a business suit which is nice but obviously outdated. If wide lapels are "in," make sure the suit does not have narrow ones, and vice versa.
Avoid leisure suits for interviews. They were a fad that has come and gone. Even when they were "in" they were terrible to wear for business.
You must generally not be too enthusiastic about wearing sport coats for interviews. If you must wear one, keep it to the basic conservative blazer, and wear colors such as navy blue or camel. Conservative sport coats in muted shades, stripes, or plaids would probably be just as good as a blazer.
Dress Shirts
White dress shirts are always proper. Soft pastel shades are also fine with the properly coordinated suit. Do not worry about stripes if they are not too bold. Avoid too loud a color, whether the shirt is plain or striped. You might also consider checks as a possibility, as long as they are rather sedate. The collar style is optional. If you prefer button-downs, wear them. If you prefer spread-collars or pin-collars-OK.
Ties
Use common sense in selecting your tie. Avoid a clashing bright color. Select one that blends in with your shirt and suit. Slightly bright is as daring as can be recommended. Save your wild ties for socializing-not interviewing. Bow ties are out-unless you plan on showing up for the interview wearing a tuxedo, and experts don't recommend that! String ties are not recommended either (unless, perhaps, you are applying for a job as a tour guide at some "wild west" amusement attraction).
Socks
Should be dark colors that blend in with the pants and shoes. Solids are usually a lot safer than patterns. If you have trouble separating colors in the morning, have someone check to make sure you are not wearing brown socks with your blue suit!
Shoes
Shoes should always be appropriate for the suit worn to the interview. Solid black, brown, or cordovan colors, are fine. It makes no difference whether the shoe is a wing tip, moccasin toe, plain, or cap toe. Dress loafers are OK if they are neat and dressy-looking. No penny loafers! Avoid exaggerated heels-you are not going dancing. Also, keep all sport shoes and most boots in the closet. Some boots might be acceptable-if they are really dress boots. Do not forget to shine your shoes. "Scuffy" shoes look terrible!
Handkerchiefs
In the jacket pocket they are fine, providing they are either white or color-coordinated with the shirt and or tie. Keep another handkerchief or tissue, in another pocket, for actual use.
Outer-coat
Can either be an allweather type, or a good con-servative woolen one. Avoid short lengths and jackets. Tan allweather coats always look smart, as do camel, blue, black, and charcoal woolen topcoats and overcoats. Herringbone wools in grey and charcoal are also ideal, as are cashmeres and dressy leathers.
Hats
Hats are optional. Some guys look great in them, while others look terrible. If you do not feel comfortable with one on-then skip it. If you do wear one, color-coordinate it with your outer-coat. Also, make sure you are not wearing an old one from your college days with a dated brim size. Avoid caps. Western style hats may be OK on certain occasions in the Western part of the country, but for the rest of the U.S., wear a dress hat-if any.
Belts
A belt should be conservative and color-coordinated with your suit. Avoid big buckles and keep it simple. Some men feel more comfortable wearing suspenders-if you do, stick to solid colors.
Jewelry
A nice watch is fine. But avoid novelty watches - you do not want anything to distract the interviewer. No chains should be worn around the neck. Keep rings to a minimum and avoid big flashy diamonds (if you happen to own one). One ring per hand-so if you wear a wedding band that is all you should be wearing on your left hand. On the right hand you might want to wear a not-too-flashy dress ring. Try to avoid rings which denote any particular religious affiliation.
Glasses
If you need to wear glasses, then wear them. People look silly when they attempt to do simple things without their glasses on, when they should be wearing them.
If you wear sun glasses, do not enter the waiting room still wearing them-lets not go "Hollywood." Also, many have a strong prejudice against obviously tinted prescription glasses. Many think they are hideous and make your eyes look "funny"!
Briefcase
When you walk into the office carrying an attache or briefcase, it should add to your appearance-not detract. Invest in an expensive looking case. A beat-up, old, or cheap one is as bad as shoes that need shining!
