Suits or Hoodies? Job Seekers Struggle to Dress for Interviews

Dani McEwen thought a matching blazer and pants was a safe choice for an interview at an insurance company. Then she noticed most of the employees were wearing T-shirts and jeans.

"The first thing that went through my mind was that I probably looked like I was trying way too hard and maybe seemed too uptight," said McEwen, a student at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio.

As virtual interviews and casual offices proliferate, job candidates are struggling to figure out what to wear when they meet potential employers, online or in person. The polished suit that career advisers once prescribed by default is no longer the obvious answer when the interviewer might appear in a hoodie and shorts.

"If the last six years has proven anything, it's that everyone and everything has become slightly more relaxed," said Christina Adamo, a personal stylist at the Neiman Marcus store in Paramus, New Jersey. "That especially goes for dress codes, in great part because of the transition a lot of companies have had to hybrid and remote work."

Stylists and recruiters said a well-tailored suit is still frequently expected for executive roles and for jobs in fields such as law and finance. Otherwise, they advised researching a company's culture in advance — or simply asking the recruiter or hiring manager about the dress code.

One approach is to check an employer's website or social media accounts to see what employees wear, then aim to look slightly more polished than that. The career section of The Walt Disney Co.'s website, for instance, features photos of an attorney, a writer and a maintenance technician.

Language offers clues too, said Samantha Harman, a London-based personal stylist and author of "Just Get Dressed." A company calling itself "fresh" and "innovative" on LinkedIn will likely be more casual than one describing itself as "a traditional historic brand with traditional values," she said.

Even research does not always help. Molly Tyndale, 22, wore a blouse and suit jacket to an online interview for a business development job after being told the dress code was "business professional." One interviewer joined in an athletic T-shirt. "If I, as the candidate, had joined in a T-shirt, that would almost certainly be an automatic no," she said. "It's frustrating."

Dylan Thomas Cotter, 43, a Los Angeles publicist, wears a dark blue tailored suit to interviews and client meetings. In public relations, he said, "if something goes south, we need to immediately look like we're capable to handle that."

Jamie Close, a corporate recruiter at the staffing firm HireQuest in Charleston, South Carolina, offered a simpler rule: make sure everything is clean, presentable and well-fitting — and don't wear something for the first time to an interview.

McEwen, 20, who manages a closet of donated work clothes at her university, said confidence matters most. "If you walk in and you're already feeling out of place in the atmosphere, your answers just aren't as good," she said. Candidates on a budget, experts noted, can turn to thrift stores or community groups that give away career clothing.