Professional Dress for the Interview and Casual Dress in the American Workplace Research Paper

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Updated: Feb 8th, 2024

Professional’s Women’s Clothing and Accessories for Interviews in America

Wearing the right accessories to an interview is an important part of making the right impression in an interview. The importance of wearing the right accessory is especially important for women. Experts say that female accessories differ from “normal” wear because few accessories make a better impression of the interviewee.

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Similarly, experts say it is incorrect for female interviewees to wear too many accessories because wearing too many accessories does not create a humble impression of their personalities. Similarly, it is crucial for women to wear accessories that complement their clothing, as opposed to overwhelming it.

Concerning jewelry, some experts say women should refrain from wearing a dangling jewelry (like dangling earrings) in an interview. Similarly, women should not wear many bracelets in an interview. Women should also conceal tattoos and piercings because they are inappropriate for interviews.

Therefore, depending on where interviewees have their tattoo, it is advisable for women to consider covering it for the duration of the interview. Experts also advise that wearing hats in interviews is disrespectful to the interviewers because it is unprofessional for first time interviewees to wear hats. This requirement applies to any type of interview. Relatively, women should not wear hooded jackets, or informal clothing such as sweat pants because they have hats or extensions on their fabric.

Women should also refrain from wearing extensively high-heeled shoes in interviews because it is inappropriate for fist time interviewees to wear such shoes in their first appearance at interviews. Since making a good impression in an interview is very important to the interviewee, women should also refrain from wearing platform shoes.

Instead, closed-toe pumps are appropriate for interviews. A neutral color is most desirable. If a woman wears an outfit that has a provision for a belt, she should have a matching belt. Alternatively, the belt could match any other accessory that the woman wears (such as a bag or a pair of shoes).

When it comes to hair and makeup, professionals advise women to have simple hairdos and wear minimal makeup to exude humility during the interview. Here, women should always be subtle with their hairstyles and avoid excessive makeup on their hair as well.

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Simplicity is therefore important in wearing the right hairstyles because scrunches and big hair clips are undesirable for interviews. The same assumption is true for nail polish because long and brightly colored nails are undesirable for interviews. In fact, the interviewer should not notice a woman’s nail color. The failure to accessorize correctly may manifest in a woman showing up to an interview in a bright red dress, with matching nail polish and shoes.

Broadly, it is important to maintain a conservative look always. Women should also wear minimal shades of cologne because wearing strong colognes may irritate some interviewers. Indeed, while one’s cologne may seem desirable to the interviewee, it may remind the interviewer of an ex-husband or ex-wife. It is therefore crucial to ensure that subliminal negative attitudes do not creep in the interview and ruin the chances of bagging a job. Here, wearing no cologne, or perfume, at all (or conservatively wearing the same) is most desirable.

Finally, a woman’s purse is a great accessory for an ordinary day. However, in interviews, many rules apply when accessorizing a woman’s attire. While it may be useful to store resumes and other documents in the purse, it is crucial to wear sizeable bags with a neutral color.

Excessively big handbags and brightly colored purses are undesirable for interviews. Comprehensively, women should strive to ensure they make a positive impression in the interview room and refrain from letting the interviewers make a wrong impression of them (based on their dressing styles and accessories).

Professional Men’s clothing and Accessories for Interviews in America

The rules for appropriate dressing in interviews are more lenient for men than women. Indeed, while women may have a difficult time choosing the right attire from a selection of clothing styles, men are usually appropriately dressed when they have a suit. In a professional business interview, men should wear a fitting suit.

The importance of a fitting suit cannot be overemphasized. For example, dress pants should be fitting (with the length of the dress pant ending an inch above the sole of the shoe). Similarly, the shoulders of a coat should not be boxy, or stretch beyond the real length of the wearer’s shoulder. Besides making a good impression, wearing a tailored suit gives the interviewee a competent and mature look.

Like women accessories, conservative dressing is an important part of male interview attire. For example, dressing in a conservative or subtle color is an important part of appropriate interview dressing. Similarly, it is important for such colors to complement the suit. In other words, the colors should look like they match the suit.

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Therefore, it is not advisable to wear bright pink ties and similar formal wear for interviews. However, the addition of patterns to the formal wear may be justified when an interviewee wears a plain shirt. Nonetheless, it is important that this addition is tasteful. The color of the belt should also match the shoe color, but when an interviewee is in doubt, it is always safe to wear a black belt and a black pair of shoes.

Since having a tie is an important formal accessory for men, it is equally crucial to understand the best knot to have on the tie. Men may choose a variety of knots, depending on their body types. For example, men with relatively long necks may find a full Windsor knot to be the most appropriate wear. This is because the knot makes the neck look shorter because of its expansive width. Conversely, a narrower Windsor knot is appropriate for men who have short necks because the knot makes short necks look longer.

Concerning accessories, French cuff shirts and cufflinks are unnecessary in an interview setting. The reason advanced for their inappropriateness stems from the fact that they are “a little fancy” for a first time interview. However, it is right to wear a fancy watch and possibly a fancy looking pen.

Relatively, men should refrain from wearing jewelry to an interview. However, as noted above, exceptions exist for watches and (possibly) wedding bands. Male interviewees are also discouraged from wearing white socks to an interview. The most appropriate style is to wear socks that match the color of the pants. The socks should also be high enough to conceal the legs, even if the interviewee sits. It is not always appropriate to show the leg skin.

Finally, concerning facial hair, it is not mandatory for men to shave all their facial hair, but the existence of facial hair should demonstrate that the person maintains it well. The bottom-line of male dressing and clothing in America rests in demonstrating professionalism and neatness. This way, it will be easier for the interviewers to remember the interviewee (based on their talk and not their attire).

Casual or Relaxed Clothing and Accessories in the American Workplace

Often, dress codes outline the written and unwritten rules regarding what employees should and should not wear at work. Dress codes are widely used to regulate employee clothing by defining what is acceptable in the workplace, and what is unacceptable.

The same provisions regulate workplace dressing by outlining what is appropriate and inappropriate for the workplace context. It is through such dress codes that clearer understandings of what to wear, in what days, and in which occasions suffice. For example, through the flexibility of dress codes in American organizations, in the nineties, the casual wear emerged.

Recently, many organizations in America have started to embrace casual clothing as acceptable business attire. The growth of dot.com companies in the Silicon Valley has especially led to the growth of this trend. However, casual or relaxed clothing does not mean wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt to work. Instead, it means probably excluding the tie and the jacket from the suit wear.

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This is a general understanding of casual wear in the workplace, but some companies have more varying rules of casual wear. For example, wearing Denim jeans in the workplace is not a nationally accepted casual wear in America, but some executives wear it anyway. Former Apple Inc. CEO, Steve jobs did so. Nonetheless, it is crucial to understand that casual dressing does not include showing cleavage and midriff, or wearing flip-flops and running shoes because America disallows such dressing as part of casual wear.

For women, casual dressing simply means that they can be a little more stylish than they would ordinarily be. Similarly, they can be a little less conservative in their dressing. However, their clothing selections may represent the personality of the employees because they allow them to inject their personal styles to their dressing styles. For men, wearing khakis and polo shirts may be widely accepted in America as smart casual wear. For women, wearing fitting attire, that show body curves, without exposing more skin, may act as casual wear.

Wearing a scarf, earrings, and a pair of sandals are some of the accessories that may amount to casual dressing. A chunky necklace or chandeliers may also be useful additions to casual wear, for women, but it is very important to ensure that they do not wear these accessories at the same time. Employees also have the room to play around with the belt by wearing thicker belts (for women). However, while adding more color to the belt, it is important not to over-accessorize.

Companies that allow casual dressings are present across the United States. However, as mentioned in this paper, most of such companies are technology companies. An example has already been mentioned of Apple Inc., where the former CEO, Steve jobs used to wear casual clothes even in official functions. The same situation replicates at Microsoft, Google, Zappos, Facebook, Twitter, Electronic Arts, and AOL.

A recent survey revealed that about nine out of ten human resource managers in America allowed casual dressing in at least one occasion in the workplace. Some managers said they approved casual dressing once a week, while others said they permitted casual dressing only on special occasions. Managers and organizations that allow casual dressings agree that it is a special way of improving employee morale. However, this provision is also indicative of managerial flexibility in such organizations.

Nonverbal communication: Professional Presence not including dress in America

It is a known fact that effective communication is the best basis of a good relationship between two people. Even though verbal communication is effective in building this relationship, non-verbal communication is even more effective. The use of hand gestures, handshakes, facial expressions, and personal spaces are just a few examples of non-verbal communication that is useful in building these friendships. Different forms of non-verbal communications manifest especially in the workplace context.

In terms of facial expressions, people may portray different emotions without saying a word. While interacting with other people in the workplace, it is always important to smile. This is a way to show interest. It is also crucial to acknowledge that politeness and friendliness are key behaviors in American business interactions, and therefore, it is always important to exude the same feelings through positive facial expressions like smiling.

Hand gestures are equally important in business communications because they are a common means of expression for different speakers. In the professional context, it is always important to use hand gestures to help convey a point, as opposed to blocking it.

Using hand gestures like a “thumbs up” may demonstrate approval in the workplace (and a way to express motivation). Waving is also a way of acknowledging someone’s presence in the workplace. People should embrace such attributes as effective methods of improving communication in the workplace.

In the American culture, maintaining eye contact is an important ingredient of non-verbal communication. More so, its importance in the professional environment manifests because maintaining eye contact is a way for people to say that they are interested in what other people have to say.

In some respects, maintaining eye contact may mean that the communicator is the subject of interest, for the moment. Therefore, in circumstances where there is no eye contact at all, it is easy to lose interest in the conversation. Stated differently, the lack of eye contact in business communications may mean that a person is completely disinterested in what the other person has to say, and more specifically, it may mean that the other person is not listening at all.

Maintaining an open posture in the workplace also gives the same effect as maintain eye contact during a conversation. This effect manifests in expressing a degree of confidence and exuding interest in what people have to say.

This outcome contrasts with a situation where people maintain a closed posture by folding their arms, crossing their legs, or tilting at a slight angle away from the communicating partner. An open posture would however include sitting directly opposite a person, with open arms and legs. An open posture is therefore desirable for the workplace environment because it demonstrates interest, and the readiness to listen, as opposed to a closed posture, which may demonstrate disinterest, or discomfort in the conversation.

Lastly, it is important to mention that the American business culture appreciates firm handshakes. Therefore, while meeting a stranger, or a customer, it is important to have a firm handshake to show the other party that they are pleased to meet them. This makes people feel important and more appreciated. Comprehensively, non-verbal communication expresses unsaid attitudes, emotions, and feelings, which may often be louder than the actual words said.

References

Business Insurance. (2011). 10 Big Businesses With Incredibly Casual Offices. Web.

CAL POLY. (2012). Professional Attire: Dressing for Interviews and the Workplace. Web.

Doyle, A. (2013). Interview Accessories: . Web.

Floyd, P. (2008). Careers in Health, Physical Education, and Sports. London: Cengage Learning.

Kopp, H. (2011). Career Diplomacy: Life and Work In the U.S. Foreign Service. Georgetown: Georgetown University Press.

Lola, B. (2012). Casual Dress in the Business Workplace. Web.

Martin, J. (2013). How Women Can Dress in Workplace Business Casual. Web.

Recent Grad. (2012). Men’s Interview Attire. Web.

Segal, J. (2013). Nonverbal Communication. Web.

SYN. (2012). . Web.

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IvyPanda. 2024. "Professional Dress for the Interview and Casual Dress in the American Workplace." February 8, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/professional-dress-for-the-interview-and-casual-dress-in-the-american-workplace/.

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IvyPanda. "Professional Dress for the Interview and Casual Dress in the American Workplace." February 8, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/professional-dress-for-the-interview-and-casual-dress-in-the-american-workplace/.

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