Dress for Success Tip for appropriate interview attire
By Adrian Kendrick
Feature Editor
People tend to judge you based on appearance before they know your personality. According to the chair of the communication department, Dr. Billy Catchings, 95 to 98 percent of our communication is nonverbal. So if you are about to go on that first interview, you want to know what to wear. Here are some tips from Catchings.
Men
•Jacket: always wear one; shows you take the interview seriously
•Shirt: white or a pale pastel color such as blue or pink
•Tie: add a speck of color such as burgundy, red or gold; avoid extreme neon colors
•Pants: conservative colored slacks, no khakis
•Shoes: dark colored, polished, with dark socks
•Cologne: moderate, go easy
•Hair: trim facial hair
Men and Women
•Dress conservative
•Look professional
•Iron clothes
•Wear dynamic colors, such as black, charcoal, gray and navy
•Don’t let wardrobe become a distraction
•Avoid earth tones such as browns and beiges that tend to blend in
•Make sure overall appearance looks good
Women
•Wardrobe: have more options from business suits to a skirt paired with a nice blouse
•Skirt: always should be past the knee, even when you sit down
•Shoes: dark colored, polished with as low a heel as possible
•Accessories: add a scarf for color or moderate jewelry
•Hair: if long, pull back or up and out of face, okay to be fashionable
