I’m heading into a job interview. I need something polished yet comfortable, with just the right amount of statement — something that says, “I get it” without screaming, “I’m overthinking this.” Is there any alternative to a corporate suit? — Tali, Boston
Don’t write off the corporate suit quite yet. I understand that you want to use every possible lever to convey who you are to a potential employer in the short time that is available, and clothes are a significant unspoken part of that, but there is a fine line between wearing something that suggests confidence and independence of thought and something that becomes a distraction.
Remember that when it comes to organizations, they often make judgments between different in a good way and too different. Generally they are looking for someone — be it a senior leader or a junior staffer — who seems to mesh with the company culture. Or who will establish a new, positive company culture. And some of those judgments have to do with whether someone looks the part.
If you can scout the landscape first and get a sense of the office “uniform,” great. That can be your guide. But if not, it may be better to play it somewhat safe — with some important exceptions.
Indeed, just because the idea of a suit seems yawningly familiar does not mean it has to be boring. It is what you wear with the suit — the details — that matters, largely because they demonstrate an attention to detail. I think of the suit, especially the trouser suit, as a professional canvas you can decorate according to taste. Or, for that matter, to display your taste.
This is where shoes, jewelry, watches, scarves — even shirts — become important. Catherine Holstein, the designer of Khaite, said that as far as she was concerned “you can never go wrong with a great pair of black pants, a black sweater or a crisp white shirt and a belt with a cool buckle.”
A statement bangle can also be pivotal, Ms. Holstein said, though if you are using jewelry as a talking point, keep it to one piece: earrings or a necklace or a bracelet, but not all of them at the same time. The idea is to suggest hidden depths and out-of-the-box thinking, not to whack your interviewer in the face with it.
If jewelry is not your thing, Ms. Holstein suggested wearing colorful shoes to provide just a pop of color. Samira Nasr, the editor of Harper’s Bazaar, took it one step further when I asked her opinion.
“Really lean in to color,” she said. Wear a suit but not one “in a typical corporate shade, like navy, black or beige,” she said. “Make it a red suit or even a green suit.” That way you have personality and polish, too.
Whatever you decide, make sure it does not require your attention once you put it on. Few things are worse than fiddling with your clothes — tugging on them, adjusting them — during an interview, when the point is to present the most together version of yourself.
And you don’t want to wear clothing that is wrinkled, stained or dangling random threads, for obvious reasons.
“I once was interviewing a prospective employee, and she had a stack of bangles on one arm,” Ms. Holstein said. “Every time she moved, they jangled around, and by the end of the interview, they were all I could think about.” She did not get the job.
Your Style Questions, Answered
Every week on Open Thread, Vanessa will answer a reader’s fashion-related question, which you can send to her anytime via email or Twitter. Questions are edited and condensed.
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