Interview in style

Leave the faux pas at home

White socks with dark shoes. Linen after Labor Day. A brown belt worn with black shoes.

We've all been found guilty of some fashion faux pas at one time in our lives. And when one rolls out of bed in the morning just in time for a 9:05 class, these common mistakes of a fashion philistine are excusable.

"Fortunately -- or unfortunately -- people make judgments based on how you look, and that judgment is part of that first 30 seconds of interaction," said Cathy Dufour, assistant director for programming for Career Development and Placement Services.

"Clothing is part of that (interaction). It's part of a picture of you as a candidate and people will make a mental image . . . then you have to spend the rest of the interview either living up to or trying to combat (that image)," she added.

To ensure that you make a fashionable first impression, José Franco, a sales representative at the Alan Flusser Custom Shop at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, said men should stay with dark colors, preferably navy, when selecting an interview suit.

Franco also said the safest bet to compliment that suit is a white dress shirt, conservative tie and black shoes -- wing tip or cap toe.

One important aspect of the suit that most college students overlook is the pocket square. Franco said the proper pocket square for a business suit is made of cotton or linen.

"There's a pocket in just about every suit you come across, and we feel it should be used," Franco said.

The proper attire for women is a dark colored suit, also preferably in navy, said Cathy Kresge, co-owner of Bostonian Ltd., 106 S. Allen St. She also stressed that if one chooses to wear a skirt, it should be knee length.

"(Women) have enough to worry about (in an interview) without worrying about their skirt length," Kresge said.

Kresge also added that a solid cream or white shirt should be worn with the suit, perhaps with a simple strand of pearls.

After buying the appropriate suit, the next crucial step is to get the suit tailored. Local retailers at Jack Harper, 114 W. College Ave., The Young Mens Shop, 216 Calder Way, and Bostonian Ltd., said it is imperative that one finds a tailor with a good reputation and have that suit tailored to one's exact measurements.

Even if the suit is the best money can buy, if a particular element of the suit is too large, the ill-fit can take away from one's marketability, Franco said.

He also recommends that a prospective interviewee invest money in one well-made suit, rather than two or three of lesser quality.

"When you are interviewing, depending on the person that (a student) is going to meet, they may have already been exposed to higher level individuals, and a better suit will speak more of them in a sense of how they care," Franco said.

"They only get the opportunity to make this presentation one time, so it would be more important to get the better (suit)," he added.

Another unisex tip is to match the shoe and belt colors, Jeff Kresge, assistant manager of Bostonian Ltd., said, adding that the best shoe for college-aged men to buy is a black cap toe, since it is more versatile than a wing tip.

For women, Cathy Kresge suggested a navy square toe pump.

Choosing a pair of shoes is a relatively easy part of assembling the perfect interview suit. For the most part black and navy shoes can be worn all year. Selecting a suit that can be worn for three seasons, however, can be a bit more tricky.

Since many college students have the opportunity to interview in March, when most spring breaks take place, Franco said the ideal suit to invest in is one constructed of mid-weight material -- flannel, not truly tropical, not truly wool. He said one of the worst mistakes one can make is wearing a suit that is off-season. In other words, a tan suit in the middle of January is a something to avoid at all costs.

The peak season for selling suits specifically for interviews is from mid-January to the end of February, said Cindy Hess, manager of The Young Mens Shop.

Prices for suits at The Young Mens Shop range from $295 to $675, and Hess said about 25 percent of the store's business comes from sales of interview suits.

Jack Harper offers a $295 suit package specifically designed for University students. It includes a dress shirt, suit and a tie, salesperson Eric Tischler said. Since the store first offered the suit package one-and-a-half years ago, sales have been almost entirely to students.

At Bostonian Ltd., which started out as a shoe store, suits start at around $400. Bostonian is also one of the few stores downtown that carry suits appropriate for interviews for women.

All of the retailers stressed that if one is completely clueless when choosing what to wear for the first interview, he or she should ask for the assistance of salespeople, who are trained to meet the needs of their customers.