You can check with the human resources department. They can let you know if there is a dress code and if there isn’t ask them what people typically wear to work. One of the best things you can do is meet an employee from the company. Not only can you get a sense of the work environment and not just what people wear. It will give you an edge when you’re at the interview.
For example: if you’re interviewing for an office job you should probably dress up in a pantsuit or dress suit. If you’re interviewing for something a little more unusual, wear something a little nicer than you normally would. For example: if you’re a woman interviewing for a job at a coffee shop, wear a skirt and a nice top (like a sweater); if you’re a guy you might wear a pair of nice slacks and a sweater or button down shirt.
Check that you don’t have to adjust your clothing (like tugging at your skirt, etc. ) and that your clothes don’t ride up inappropriately when you sit down. You should definitely have worn this outfit before, if only to get comfortable in it. Wearing it for the first time when you go to get interviewed will mean that you’ll feel and look ill at ease.
Shoes that are scuffed or scruffy-looking, or dirty are a definite don’t. You also want to make sure that your shoes aren’t massively uncomfortable, because that will translate into discomfort during the interview. For women, some good ideas for interview shoes are power flats (something clean and professional looking; nothing sparkly or out there), or low, comfortable heels. You don’t want heels that make you tower over everyone or that you might wear for a night out clubbing. It makes you look irresponsible. For men, you should go for a pair of loafers or dress shoes as your interview shoes. Make sure, of course, that they aren’t scruffy looking and that they are clean and match what you’re wearing (no brown with black, for example).
Grooming shows that you care about your professional appearance, which tells the interviewer that you are going to care how you appear as a member of their organization. Make sure that your hair and make-up is appropriate for company. It’s best for an interview to keep it subtle. Don’t slather on a ton of make-up (the “natural” look is best, unless it’s for an interview at a department or make-up store). Make sure your hair looks clean and tamed, as much as possible.
For example, you might wear the same black dress slacks and dress shoes, but a different button-down shirt and tie.
For men, if it’s a more casual date (going for coffee, or something) you might wear clean jeans that are in good repair (no holes) and a nice button-down or sweater. For a more formal occasion, you might wear dress slacks in black or charcoal and a dress shirt. You could also add a tie or vest. For women, good casual date apparel would be your nicest pair of jeans and a nice shirt, or a skirt and nice sweater. For a more formal date you might wear a nice black dress, with nice shoes, and some jewelry. It’s good to check the more formal place to see what their dress code is so that you don’t over or under dress.
Avoid wearing something you’ve never worn before, especially if it’s a new trend you’re trying. You might end up fixing your dress the entire night, or really wishing you hadn’t worn those new shoes. It’s a good idea to wear something that you’d normally wear (even if it is a little dressier than usual) so your date doesn’t expect you to keep wearing something that isn’t you if you date for a while.
Your best features could be your eyes, in which case you would want to wear something to bring them out. For example: if you have beautiful green eyes, wear a sweater in the same shade to make them more obvious. It’s a good idea to stick to one thing, rather than trying to show off all your assets. For example: you might wear a skirt that shows off your lovely legs while wearing a sweater on top to cover up your chest.
For example: if you’re typical outfit is jeans and a t-shirt, you’re going to want to wear something along those lines. Opt for a long-sleeved shirt, or a button down and sweater and make sure that the trousers you pick (even if they’re jeans) are hole-free and fit well. Obviously, this doesn’t apply to more formal occasions since most people don’t typically dress who they dress for a formal occasion. Still, even then you want to preserve your natural style (so don’t wear heels if you never wear heels, for example).
Khakis are a big no. They’re perfectly fine for day-to-day use, but they simply don’t appear dressy enough for impressing your date. Flipflops are too casual for a date and they won’t impress. Sandals are fine if it’s hot, or if you’re having a date at the beach, but ditch the flipflops. Overloading on scent is not going to win you any favors, whether it’s perfume, cologne, or body spray. A couple spritzes are really all you need. You’re not trying to overwhelm your date with scent.
Formal and semi-formal are quite different. For a more formal occasion you’d need to wear a tuxedo whereas semi-formal would allow a dark suit instead. An event that’s at night is going to be different than an event that happens in the day. For example: if it’s a semi-formal during the day cocktail dresses, or a light-colored suit and tie combination will be what you’d wear.
Formal events require that men sport a complete suit. This means tie, cufflinks. Some of the trendier cities have formal events where it’s allowable to come wearing a suit bit no tie. For women, formal events can be a little vague. You can do a cocktail dress, a stylish suit, or a full-on evening gown. Black tie for men means black tailcoat, black trousers with two satin seams on the outside legs, a white bow tie, with black or gold cull links and studs. Again, for women you can vary it between cocktail dress, suit, or evening gown. A cocktail party (like an early evening drinks party) means for men a dark suit. Since this is less formal you have more room for creativity (different colored dress shirts and ties and so on). For women it means cocktail dresses (these are less formal than full length evening gowns).
Heels are always appropriate for dress occasions, as long as you can walk in them. Shoes that are sparkly can be a lot of fun and give you a bit of a sparkle. In most formal occasions dress shoes for guys are a must. Make sure that they aren’t scuffed or dirty and that they go with your outfit.
Purses and jewelry can be great additions to your outfit. Make sure that they match what you’re wearing. For example: if you’re wearing a red dress, you can match it with gold jewelry and a gold purse, or black jewelry and a black purse, and so on. Make-up can also enhance an outfit. For evening, or formal wear you may want to try out something a little more dramatic than the typical smokey eye or natural make-up. Cuff-links and tie pins can be great additions to a man’s outfit. If you have a date, try to match their color scheme with your accessories.
