I once showed up to a job interview at a prestigious law firm wearing what I thought was an impeccable charcoal suit, only to realize about thirty seconds after walking through the door that my “charcoal” suit had a distinctly purple undertone under their particular lighting system. Not subtle aubergine. Not sophisticated plum. Think “discount Joker costume” purple. The senior partner actually did a double-take, and I spent the entire interview watching his eyes repeatedly drift to my lapels with barely concealed concern.
I didn’t get that job. Shocking, I know.
That misguided color choice was just one of many interview style disasters I’ve either experienced myself or witnessed among friends over the years. There was my college roommate Marcus who wore flip-flops to an investment bank interview because, and I quote, “They should hire me for my brain, not my shoes.” (They did not, in fact, hire him for either.) Or my friend Sarah who asked me to help her boyfriend dress for a tech startup interview, and when I arrived at their apartment, he was unironically planning to wear a tuxedo shirt because “it’s the nicest shirt I own.”
The sad reality is that people absolutely judge your competence, fit, and professionalism based on what you wear to an interview. Is this fair? Of course not. Should your coding skills or market analysis abilities matter more than your shirt choice? Absolutely. But we live in the real world, where research consistently shows that appearance influences hiring decisions, often unconsciously.
The tricky part is that there’s no universal “correct” interview outfit anymore (if there ever was). The appropriate look varies dramatically across industries, company cultures, and even geographical locations. What works for a corporate law firm in Manhattan would make you look hilariously overdressed at a tech startup in Austin, while the perfect outfit for a creative agency in LA might make you look woefully unprepared for a banking interview in Chicago.
After fielding approximately eight million “WHAT DO I WEAR TO THIS INTERVIEW???” texts (the number of question marks directly proportional to the sender’s panic level), I’ve developed a fairly reliable framework for navigating this sartorial minefield across different industries.
Let’s start with the classic: corporate environments like law, finance, consulting, and insurance. Despite what you might have heard about dress codes relaxing everywhere, these fields still largely expect formal interview attire, especially at the more established firms. For men, that means a suit in navy, charcoal, or mid-gray (NOT purple, learn from my mistakes). Conservative tie, white or light blue shirt, polished dress shoes (oxfords ideally), and minimal accessories. The goal isn’t to look fashionable—it’s to look like you understand and respect the environment.
My friend Jamie landed a job at one of the Big Four accounting firms last year, and despite the office having a “business casual” everyday dress code, he still wore a proper navy suit to the interview. “Everyone interviewing wore suits,” he told me afterward. “It’s not about what people in the office wear daily. It’s about showing you respect the process enough to dress up for it.”
That said, there are gradations even within conservative fields. Commercial banking might be slightly less formal than investment banking. A regional insurance company might be less buttoned-up than a white-shoe law firm. When in doubt, slightly overdressed is safer than slightly underdressed.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, we have creative industries—advertising, design, fashion, media, and certain types of marketing. Here, the classic suit can actually work against you by suggesting you don’t understand the culture or lack the creativity the role demands.
When I interviewed at my first magazine job, I deliberately chose a combination that signaled both creativity and professionalism: well-tailored navy chinos, a subtly textured blazer, a light blue oxford shirt (no tie), and suede desert boots. The outfit communicated that I understood the creative environment without looking like I was trying too hard to be edgy.
The key in creative fields is showing personal style while still looking pulled-together. The worst mistake is looking sloppy or thrown-together, which suggests a lack of care or attention to detail—qualities no employer wants, regardless of industry.
My friend Elena, a creative director at an ad agency who regularly interviews candidates, put it perfectly: “I don’t care if you wear jeans to the interview. I care if they’re the right jeans, worn the right way, with the right shirt and shoes that show you put thought into the overall look.” Her pet peeve? “People who think ‘creative’ means ‘doesn’t matter what I wear’ rather than ‘thoughtfully curated casual.'”
Then there’s the vast middle ground of business casual industries, which frankly covers most modern workplaces. This includes many corporate roles in technology, retail management, education administration, healthcare administration, and non-client-facing roles in otherwise formal industries.
For these interviews, the classic combination is dress pants or nice chinos with a button-up shirt, possibly a blazer depending on the specific company culture, and leather shoes (not sneakers, despite what you might wear once you get the job). The difference between this and the full suit look isn’t just the lack of a tie—it’s a general step down in formality across all elements.
The tech industry deserves its own discussion because it spans everything from buttoned-up enterprise software companies to hoodies-and-flip-flops startups, with every variation in between. Location matters enormously here. A tech company in Manhattan or Chicago often expects more formal attire than the same type of company in San Francisco or Austin.
When my friend Ryan interviewed at a series of tech companies after graduation, he developed what he called his “tech interview uniform”—dark, well-fitting jeans (no distressing), a solid-color button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled neatly, a navy blazer he could wear or carry depending on the office vibe, and clean, minimalist leather sneakers. “The outfit is flexible enough that I can look like the most put-together guy at the casual places or remove the blazer to avoid being the suit guy at the super casual places,” he explained.
For truly casual tech startups, you still need to show effort. Dark jeans without distressing, a solid-color shirt (either a well-made t-shirt or casual button-up), and clean, simple sneakers or casual boots can work. The key is looking intentional rather than like you just grabbed whatever was clean.
Industry-specific roles come with their own expectations. Education, particularly K-12, tends to be conservative without requiring full suits. Non-profit organizations often align with business casual expectations but may skew more conservative for development (fundraising) roles. Healthcare administration interviews still tend toward formal business attire, while healthcare provider positions have different standards depending on the setting.
No matter what industry you’re interviewing in, there are some universal principles that apply:
Research the specific company culture. Their social media, website photos, and LinkedIn can give you clues about how employees dress. When I was preparing to interview at Style Authority, I obsessively studied their Instagram to gauge the office vibe.
Consider the role within the company. Client-facing positions almost always require more formal interview attire than internal roles. Leadership positions generally call for more formal looks than entry-level.
Regional differences matter. East Coast offices typically skew more formal than West Coast. Urban locations usually expect more polished looks than rural ones. Southern cities often maintain more traditional business dress codes than their northern counterparts.
When truly unsure, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask. A simple email to your recruiter or HR contact saying, “I want to make sure I’m dressed appropriately for the interview environment. Could you please advise on the typical interview attire at your company?” shows thoughtfulness rather than cluelessness.
Whatever you choose, make sure it’s clean, fits properly, and doesn’t distract from what you’re saying. The worst outcome is having the interviewer remember your clothes rather than your qualifications—whether because they were inappropriately casual, flashy, ill-fitting, or bizarre.
My most embarrassing personal example: early in my career, I wore a vintage tie to an interview that I thought looked sophisticatedly retro. It wasn’t until I got home and looked in the mirror that I realized it had tiny cocktail glasses printed on it—absolutely unnoticeable from a distance but clearly visible up close. The interviewer had definitely been staring at it with a puzzled expression during our conversation. Lesson learned: check your outfit in good lighting, from all angles, before heading out.
Finally, remember that comfort matters. Not just physical comfort (though that’s important—an interview is stressful enough without pinching shoes or a collar cutting off your circulation), but psychological comfort. The best interview outfit makes you feel like the most capable, confident version of yourself.
Trevor (yes, Hugo Boss heir Trevor, still annoyingly well-dressed) says he always wears a specific tie to important interviews—not because it’s particularly special-looking, but because it was the tie he was wearing when he got his first big job offer. “It’s my lucky tie now,” he admits, slightly embarrassed by the superstition. “I know it’s ridiculous, but it makes me feel confident.”
That confidence is ultimately what you’re dressing for. The right interview outfit should make you feel like you belong in the role you’re seeking—like you’re already part of the team, just waiting for them to make it official. When you achieve that feeling, you’ve found the right look, regardless of whether it includes a tie, jeans, or anything in between.
Just make sure, for the love of all things stylish, that your “charcoal” suit doesn’t turn purple under fluorescent lights. Trust me on that one.
