By Gretchen Ditto, Image & Personal Branding Advisor

The most important part of a first encounter with someone occurs in the first 7 seconds. During interviews the way you initially present yourself holds even more weight. Dressing for an interview can be a daunting task—so much rides on the clothes you wear and the image you relay. This is why I’ve decided to create a simple outline of the fundamental components of interview attire for women.

Interview Essentials for Women

Attire

• Dark suit in navy or charcoal gray (this can be a skirt or pant suit).  A black suit is ok, but can look a bit harsh – not something you want to convey during an interview.
• If wearing a skirt, the length should be at the knee or a little below the knee and never shorter than just above the knee
• A white or light colored blouse in cotton or silk.  A light colored shirt with a dark suits provides a strong contrast which conveys confidence.
• Keep the cleavage covered – no matter your age.
• Pantyhose should be flawless and conservative in color (consider packing an extra pair to avoid disaster).  Note:  If your wear a skirt suit, then pantyhose are appropriate for an interview. If you don’t like wearing pantyhose, then wear a pant suit instead.
• Basic pumps with a 1”-2” inch heel (leave the strappy sandals, peep-toes, and stilettos at home)
• No visible body piercing such as nose piercing or eyebrow rings
• Carry a light briefcase or tote (NO PURSES or backpacks)

Grooming

• Wear minimal makeup in conservative tones.  Makeup is a must – too much and you look like a tramp, too little and you look drab. At a minimum, wear foundation to smooth your skin tone, mascara to lengthen your lashes, and lipstick to brighten your eyes. When in doubt, call me, I’ll give you a make-up pep talk.
• Pack breath mints to ensure fresh breath
• Clean, tidy, fresh and up to date haircut
• If you wear glasses, they need to be current (bought in the last 2 years)
• No noticeable perfume or strong body odors
• Nails should be clean, groomed, and short to medium in length
• If your hair is longer than your shoulders, it should be pulled back
• All excessive lip hair removed and eyebrows shaped

Heed this checklist and you’re sure to start the interview process off on the right foot (and in the right shoe). Dressing the part is half the battle, as they say!

Finally, ask for some honest feedback at least one week prior to your interview. If you don’t know of anyone who will give you honest feedback, then call me, I’d be happy to help.

Tags: Gretchen Ditto, How to Dress, How to Get Hired, How to Look Professional, interview attire, Interview Attire for Women

This entry was posted on Monday, July 25th, 2011 at 8:44 am and is filed under All Articles, How to Dress, Image Management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.