DH interview outfit. Need opinions. - YouLookFab Forum

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DH interview outfit. Need opinions.

Taffy

DH has a job interview coming up and it is a casual dress code. We bought the jacket bc we loved that it was something different, but are having trouble finding the right shirt for it. I think these work, but would like some other opinions too. I think the chambray is best? Thanks!

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Dressing

18 replies

Latest reply was from Lyn D.

LoriFLA

I think this looks great on your husband. Really. It's nice.

I am not an expert in the least, but here are some things to consider:

It's always best to overdress for an interview and present your most professional image. If this is an interview for an entry-level job such as Home Depot, or for manager at the local construction, plumber, electrician, company etc., I would say this is okay. I'm just throwing examples out. If the boss wears jeans everyday, and is a a super casual environment, I would say this is ok. If it is anywhere corporate, I would lose the jeans and wear a dressier shirt and add a tie. I work as a nurse and wear scrubs mostly, but if I were interviewing for my huge for-profit health system I would wear dress pants or some sort of professional attire.

Is this jacket brown or gray? I cannot tell. I think it's brown. I see that the jacket has an orangey stripe and your shirt choice is great and picks up on that but I am torn on whether it is to casual of a color choice. I think it depends on the work environment. Here are some images of brown sport coats. I think the light blue dress shirts look great with brown.

LoriFLA

Oops, here is the link: brown glen plaid sport coat

Anonymous

I think a light blue would also be nice with the brown of the plaid. Are jeans and a sportcoat the normal dress at the office?

Eliza

Veteran

I would go with a cream or blue shirt with the jacket for a job interview. To my eye, that shirt reads more casual, and while it is a great color, in an interview situation, it may read as bright or a bit distracting. Perhaps that thought is anachronistic, a non-issue in his field, or a function of how my screen displays the color, just thought I'd put it out there. I'd be apt to go more neutral.

He looks great in the jacket and ready to go.

abc

Veteran

I think he looks great. The other ladies gave good advice too. I think it all depends on what is the norm in the industry re dress code for interviews (for example, finance jobs are way more formal than creative type jobs) - but as others said, I wouldn't hesitate overdressing by 1 step on the formality ladder for the interview. The jacket is really nice.

Taffy

Thanks everyone. He's in internet advertising sales. The dress code is casual, and we was even told not to wear a shirt and tie. He just went through his closet and found some other options, so I edited my initial post. Which one is best?

shiny

Veteran

What a handsome DH you have!

You don't say what the interview is for. If it is high tech, which I am in, the typical male uniform for business casual is dark wash jeans with a black, navy, or dark charcoal grey suit jacket. This shirt would be just fine and would even get style points for being pink. No tie. Brown tweed reads more of a sports coat, which would be fine for a Friday or weekend or off-site meeting, but not for an interview. Unless he's interviewing for a software developer position, in which case, he's already miles ahead and even overdressed. For those positions if you see a suit jacket it's paired with an ironic tee shirt and converses.

If he's in academia, which my DH is, then this outfit would be spot on. DH has a closet full of tweedy sports coats similar to this. He may add a tie as well, because he happens to like them. And he has his "professor" glasses which aren't even prescription... they are totally for vanity only.

Hope that helps! And good luck to your DH!

LoriFLA

I love all three shirt choices with this jacket. The blue may be a little casual but it looks good. All look great! He should definitely keep all three! If the boss wears denim to work, or if it'a a casual mom and pop office, I say go for it.

ETA: I just saw your follow up. Good deal -- they told him not to wear tie. You are good to go. I cannot decide what looks best. All three are very nice.

Anonymous

I am not sure what type of position he is interviewing for but I know DH always dresses one notch up from what is the norm at the office or what he expects the interviewers to be in. His office for the most part is casual - not even business casual. He wears business casual for important meetings, slacks, sport jacket, dress shirt. For job interviews he wears a suit, even in ultra casual Silicon Valley. Just a thought. I like the combo and he looks good in the bright shirt but also think it seems casual. It all depends on what image he wants to portray and what is the culture at the office. I agree with PP that a blue shirt would also look good and may read a bit more traditional business. And shoes - very important in my book when pulling off the jean-sport jacket look off.

JAileen

Veteran

I think he should wear slacks rather than jeans, even if he would wear jeans on the job. But not khakis, maybe grey slacks. I prefer a blue shirt, like oxford cloth, well pressed. I like the jacket. Good luck!

shiny

Veteran

Internet advertising sales? I used to be in advertising. Yes, people at ad agencies dress a lot more casual AND creative. That said, he is interviewing for a position in which he'll be interfacing with clients and prospects. I would dress for that, not for the agency. In which case, it depends on who he'd be selling to. If he would be selling to marketing people at a major corporation, honestly, I think he needs to boost this up a notch in formality, go with a dark navy/charcoal/black suit jacket. Can still do jeans and skip the tie.

But if he's going to be selling to small and local businesses, then such formality may not be necessary.

Point is - have him dress for the agency's clients, not the agency itself. What would he wear on a sales call?

carambola

Veteran

He looks great! #1 is my favorite - love the way the coral color picks up the stripe in the jacket, but for the interview, I vote #4 since it is more neutral. Good luck!

LoriFLA

Here is another opinion: I just asked my husband and his vote is for the first one (the orangey/coral). Good luck.

shiny

Veteran

I also prefer the salmon pink shirt, it speaks of confidence and strikes the right note for an agency, as it reads "creative."

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I really like the look of the pink (coral?) shirt with that jacket, it's really sharp and interesting. I don't know if a blue or white shirt would be better for an interview in his field, I'll leave that up to you to decide. Just wearing a jacket at all would be dressier than most of the folks that my DH interviews at his company (software startup).

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Can't go wrong either way. Hubs looks fabulous. Good luck at the interview.

Taffy

Shiny..it's actually an interview at Amazon. They dont ever meet with clients, everything is done via phone and email. He's been at Yahoo. Which was also casual.. Not even business casual like Marin mentioned in her post.Shorts, polos, etc... I'll pass on what you said though.
Thanks everyone for the input. I like the red/salmon one too, from farther away it reads as a salmon solid. Its actually a red stripe, and up close I'm not sure if it's too much against the blazer.

Lyn D.

Veteran

I like the chambray or white shirts best here.
The salmon could be a little distracting for an interview.
Good Luck to your Hubby!