Interview Attire

Part 1: Shirts and Ties

I've posted on the topic before, but I would like to revisit interview attire since I have had a few occasions recently to look presentable at, including a job interview!

Let's picture the following scenarios:

You are in college and:

• You're applying for an on/off campus job.
• You are attending a job/career expo
• You are meeting with an adviser or alumni to talk about jobs
• You are giving a presentation
• You are attending a (business) formal function where proper attire is expected. 

Meeting with a recruiter or representative at a job fair is like a 2-minute job interview. Would you show up to an interview wearing a tee-shirt and jeans? How about an American Eagle polo shirt and cargo shorts? How about in a quarter-zip pullover with no tie?  Of course you wouldn't, and you need to approach the career fair with equal attention to detail as if it were the one-on-one interview with your future dream company.

I believe it is essential to have a good set of clothes you can wear for these occasions and stick out in the good way, not the bad way 

Very Nice!!!

Here's a starting point of what you should have in your closet.

Dress Shirts: 

Solid white and blue are going to be the most versatile. Shirts with subtle stripes can be nice, but only if used properly. Avoid wearing anything with a loud pattern (eg. gingham, checks, large stripes) as it will detract from the overall outfit too much and are considered informal. 

The Brooks Brothers Slim Fit dress shirt is perhaps the most staple item in a wardrobe, and there are two main flavors. 

Non-Iron: A more silky/shiny finish that comes out of the dryer with fewer wrinkles. The non-iron shirt should still be touched up with an iron, but it's a less labor intensive process. Most of the dress shirts sold today are of this variety.

"Must-Iron" : The "Classic" oxford shirt, and one of the few remaining Made-in-USA items of clothing that you absolutely should own. Requires a bit more maintenance for a crisp appearance, but these breathe more comfortably and offer a more substantial fabric than the non-iron varieties. 

Each of these is available in multiple fits, ranging from the ultra-billowy traditional to the fashion-conscious extra slim, but I suggest the standard slim fit. The Extra-Slim-Fit may be ideal for some people, but can feel slightly constricting when worn in a professional context. Worn under a jacket, a little extra fabric actually helps make a shirt much more comfortable when tucked in. 

I personally feel it isn't a waste of money to look around for a good quality dress shirt (or a dozen) that you reserve for such purpose and leave out of your daily rotation. Thrifting is a great way to build up your supply, but buying a couple on sale won't kill you either. A combination of the above is probably best, and will ensure you have the ideal fit (neck size, sleeve length, and body size) that is essential when putting together a good looking rig.

Ties

A tie can absolutely make or break an outfit, and for most people, they will be experiencing the later option. 

Having a few quality ties on hand is an essential wardrobe item that I think many college students neglect. Attending a couple career fairs lately, I saw kids primarily walking around with either 

a) no tie, or

b) ties which looked outdated, tacky, or just plain bad.

Here are some examples of what not to look like, taken from actual images of business and hospitality majors (who are supposed to be the ones who know how to dress) and presenters at a conference. Dressing well is important when not only are you wandering around in a crowd of important people, but far more so when addressing them from the podium. 

While this tie isn't the worst, I feel it's always best to avoid ties which try to be two different things. Is it a striped tie, or a patterned tie? Either way, looks bad, especially with that ugly knot. You will also notice it falls just about an inch short, but this small difference can throw off the proportions of the entire look.

"Hi, I just graduated from Clown School"
But seriously, avoid dark colors in shirts. This particular combination would look terrible with pretty much any color sport coat or suit there is. 

The guy on the left isn't bad, his shirt, trousers and tie are all acceptable, but he should probably be wearing a suit, sport coat or blazer.

The tie on the right however we can see from a mile away is of low quality. It's flimsy and has wrinkles, on top of being the most useless of necktie colors, black. You can also tell the shirt he is wearing is of casual nature, and shouldn't be worn to a formal function. 

When wearing a navy jacket, I believe one can never go wrong with a (classically) striped tie. 

This is where your own instincts will need to come into play, as even distinguished makers such as Brooks Brothers sell some really ugly ties. 

Having the right tie in hand has a few major benefits. For one, it's going to go well with pretty much every other item in this list, and secondly, people will (sub)consciously recognize it as tasteful, because these designs have proven the test of time. They looked awesome in 1964 and continue to look just as awesome in 2014 and beyond. 

Some examples of good ties:

These ties have between 2-4 colors max. and when worn. don't distract or create too "busy" of a design. The result is a clean, streamlined look that is recognizably stylish. These are charactarized by solid, clean lines, which will contrast well with classically colored dress shirts, suits, and blazers.

       

Some examples of bad ties: 

I personally hate any tie that has a "blended " or gradient effect on the colors. Crisp, strong lines are far more preferable and professional in appearance, with these blend-y ties coming off as something on the wrong side of a JC Penny bargain bin. 

Below we see two ties, neither of which I find particularly enjoyable to look at. While they are striped, you can see they are much different from the ones above. There's too much going on, and not enough consistency. Don't confuse this for being "unique" or "fashionable". These ties are better to avoid due to the lack of qualities which make the good ties above really stand out. 

The one on the left is from esteemed maker Brooks Brothers ($115, made in USA), while the one on the right its something from Macy's ($49, made in China). 

Bet you couldn't tell the difference though. 

Solid ties can be equally distasteful, as we see here an example of a solid red tie that just makes you look like a cocktail waiter or a luggage boy. My rationale behind this statement is solid ties have been incorporated into the uniforms of many low service-level jobs as to keep employees conforming to a bland corporate standard, without introducing any personality or individuality that stripes or other combinations provide. Therefore, these plain satin ties have a strong subliminal mental association with being a subservient.

In the next post in the series, I'll discuss jackets, suits, and the rest of the outfit. 

Following my advice, you will likely be dressing in the top 10% of your class. You work hard to get a high GPA and lots of meaningful additions to your resume, why throw that all away with a terrible outfit when it matters most? Sticking to the rules, you are guaranteed to feel confident in your appearance, and your potential employers (and well, just about anyone you meet in life) will pick up on this. It makes a world of difference once you start obsessing over er...paying attention to detail.

Here's what I wore to a recent career fair at my university. The key features of this combination are 

a) It looks clean and classic. The fit is (nearly) right on everything.

b) The colors are complementary and professional.
c) It didn't cost me much at all.

A couple of the reps at the fair told me they really liked what I was wearing, so at least I did something right! 

Breakdown:
Jacket: $7 (3/2 roll sack blazer, Made in USA)
Shirt: Gift (Vineyard Vines Oxford)
Chinos: $4 (Polo Ralph Lauren)
Tie: $4 (Brooks Brothers, Made in USA)
Belt: $2 (Alexander Julian, leather, Made in USA)
Shoes: $25 (Allen Edmonds Walden, Made in USA)

Farewell Summer...

With the calendar now officially showing Fall is here, we begin the annual transition from bright Summer colors to the more earthy tones of Autumn. What we lose in linen and seersucker can be more than made up for however, by adding a healthy dose of wool and fleecy fabrics to survive those crisp mornings and chilly nights. 

So before you blow your summer earnings on that J.Crew flannel shirt, here's some examples of how to score Fall-Friendly items for less.

Damn....Does this mean I can't wear my fun shirt anymore?

I actually got these two lambswool sweaters from a friend who gave them to me at cost. I have a few Polo sweaters at this point and they seem to hold up fairly well. This one's color is called "Guild Purple Heather" and retails for $125 new. He also threw in a Uniglo Lambswool sweater which was actually a lot nicer than I expected, not knowing a lot about this brand. Their sweaters come in a ton of colors and cost only $40 new for 100% Merino wool. Their cashmere sweaters are about $90 but I'm not sure how thick they would be for that price.  

Two like-new sweaters for $5, not bad!
Retail Price: $125 + $40 = $165

Worn here by a Polo model with a striped blue dress shirt.

How to Wear a Wool Sweater, à la the Brooks Brothers 1981 Fall catalog.

I spotted this Corbin 3/2 Sack blazer on the racks and tried it on. To my surprise, it actually fit not too badly! The most important aspect of any jacket fit is the shoulders. Too tight and you won't be able to move without distorting the jacket. Too loose and you'll look like you're trying on daddy's suit.

The 3/2 style (denoting a jacket with three buttons, but only two visible) is quintessentially Ivy and a feature today only existing on suits and blazers from the upper echelon of prep, such as O'Connels and J.Press

Worn here with a wool tie and chinos, you can instantly look about 100x better (than the average college student) wearing a blazer. 

The brass buttons are from the Waterbury Button Company, of Waterbury, CT
This is the company that produces buttons for Brooks Brothers, as well as every U.S. Military dress uniform.  Everything about this jacket exemplifies American manufacturing! 

Today, your average imported wool blazer costs between $150 and $500, whereas U.S. Made sack-cut blazers from O'Connell's are $400 and Brooks Brothers start at about $450.
Adding this one to the wardrobe only cost me $7, and with a little tailoring could fit quite well.

1980's era Brooks Brothers catalog scan showing a (patch pocket) 3/2 sack blazer. Formal, but informal is the thesis behind preppy apparel, and here we see just that. The swelling around the edges, the patch pockets, the button down collar oxford shirt, the repp-stripe tie, and the penny loafer's he's probably all wearing are the backbone of the Ivy look (not to mention a good jaw-line).

Occasionally, you'll find a string of connected items while thrifting. One example of this was when I found several pairs of NWT (New, with tags) J. Crew pants. In this case we have something even more interesting! Rugby, Ralph Lauren was an offshoot brand of RL that produced preppy-esque clothes for the 16-26 year old market.

 The line existed out of a few shops nationwide which were reknowned at the time for there intricate in-store displays, trying to capture the Collegiate feel with prep-school insignia and vintage sporting gear. While some of their designs were far too ostentatious for my taste, it was sad to hear of their permanent closing in 2012. What I have here is one of their polo shirts, found in new condition!

In the same store I found this green "University Oxford" which is a nice quality OCBD in a color that I don't own. As far as I know, I don't think Brooks even produces a green oxford.  Details include locker loop, Repp striping around the inside collar seam, and 3rd button on the back of the collar, positioned right where it should be to allow this shirt to be worn with a tie. 

Rugby insignia on the chest pocket isn't exactly a plus, but it's different enough that I don't mind it too much.

I also came across these critter shorts which were NWT, but sadly they were jussst a tad too big for me. I'm going to try to sell them as there exists a pretty strong market for Rugby RL stuff since it's retirement, and I could definitely use the money...

I could write a whole article about nothing but Harris Tweed, but here's an example of how to wear one. The herringbone jacket matches well with a blue gingham shirt, and patterned tie. Harris Tweed sportcoats from Land's End start at about $200 on sale (down from $350), but this vintage one I found for only $2.50 on sale (down from $5).

Herringbone tweed jacket illustration from the 1979 BB catalog. Worn here with a repp tie and blue oxford shirt, these items are as stylish and proper today as they were  35 years ago.

Tech-Prep Patagonia is perhaps one of the most desirable outdoor brands. It also comes with a steep pricetag. Fans of Patagonia know however, that this stuff is designed to last just about however, so if you can score a gently (often barely) used Patagucci item, you've just saved yourself a bundle of cash while getting the exact same Patagonia goodness. In this case that came in the form of this Patagonia hardshell for $8, which retailed for at least $140

I'm still on the hunt for that Barbour though...

As usual, here's the numbers-

Total Spent: $32
Total Value: $1,015

Looking at the Numbers (and some finds!)

Do you know how much you've spent on your current wardrobe?

Do you know what it's worth?

To begin to answer these questions, I decided to create a spreadsheet style database to track what is currently in my closet.

I started with (long sleeve) shirts because there seemed to be a simpler criteria to categorize them all. I entered the following information for each shirt in my closet:

• Description
• Maker
• Model
• Collar Style
• Primary Color
• Pattern
• Season (if applicable)
• Category (casual, dress, either)
• Size / Fit
• Condition
• Purchased Price Paid
• Price New (Current Retail Replacement Value)

The price paid does include gifts, and since I was interested in tracking my own expenses, I left these at zero for the few gifts (or hand-me-downs) I have acquired.

I acquired the bulk of my current wardrobe by thrifting over the past couple years. The second largest source would be eBay/online forums with retail stores (in-store and online) being the third.

The price new is a semi-objective tab because there are always sales, and ways of getting things cheaper, but what I tried to do here was put the most accurate market price for a new replacement item (so for example, a must-iron Brooks OCBD new is currently $92).

After inputting the ~65 shirts in my current wardrobe, I have reached the following conclusions that otherwise would have been difficult to assess.

Average price paid for a shirt: $11
Average MSRP Value of shirts owned: $87
Estimated "savings" ~88% off full price

Not only was this helpful in getting a more accurate picture of what I currently own, but for the first time I have some rough idea of what I'm actually spending and it shows that multiple thrift-price purchases do add up.

I made this simple graph to illustrate the ratio of value/expense.

The farther to the left, the lower the out of pocket expense. The bold line indicates buying at "full price" meaning the price paid is the full retail price. As you can see from my purchasing habits, buying at full price is not something I typically do!

If you were to look at an average consumers clothing expenses (unless they only buy clothes on sale), many would probably fall along the diagonal (x=y) line where what they paid is what is being charged for that particular item. The further to the upper left on the graph, the more you exploit the difference in price between new and used. Now, clothing works sort of like cars in the sense that as soon as it's no longer NWT, the re-sell price drops dramatically.

 But, what is good about clothes, is the physical value the item provides to the owner doesn't change. A necktie worn once (or a bunch of times) essentially provides identical economic utility as one that is new on the shelf.

For the purposes of this blog, I define "savings" as the difference between an items full price and what you can acquire it for. 

Full Price - Price Paid = Thrifty Savings

With my current wardrobe of shirts alone, looking at the difference between MSRP and what I paid, I estimate my savings to be around $4,775. Not small change for a college student, where say you are working 35 hours a week for a summer at $10 might net you only $4,200 or so before tax.

Now, what goodies have I acquired since the last update? 

The rare and majestic Patagucci- much an endangered species at the thrifts. This is the first one I've found in 2+ years of thrifting!
Patagonia Synchilla Snap-T Fleece
Retail: $119
Paid: $4

An online acquisition, to add to my obsessive collection of repps
Brooks Brothers BB#1 Repp Stripe Tie
Retail: $80
Paid: $7

This tie I found on sale at a J. Mclaughlin store for 75% off. It's a wool/silk blend and quite thick with vibrant colors.
Possibly one of my most expensive tie purchases to date!Full Price: $80
Paid $20 (sale)

J. Crew Sales continue to bring in the goodies. 
J. Crew 7" Stanton Short
Retail: $65
Paid $15

This pair of brown slim fit chinos clocked in at about $11 after the discounts had been applied.
J. Crew Bowery Chinos
Retail: $79.50
Paid: $11 

Also from J.Crew, These MacAlister suede oxfords (Made in Italy!) were on sale for $70 (down from $140) Taking an additional 50% off and applying the student discount brought my final price down to about $30 for brand new shoes for Fall. One of my best retail scores to date.
J.Crew MacAlister Suede Oxfords
Retail: $140
Paid: $30

I thought I was in a bit of a thrifting lull after having no good finds in a while. Then I come across the exact two shades of Brooks Brothers polo (navy and burgundy) I've been yearning for, and in my exact size! To add to the fun, a Burberry polo
Brooks Brothers Performance Polo Shirt x 2 =
Paid $3 each
Retail: $65 ea. ($130)
Burberry Polo:
Paid: $6
Retail: $150

It's easy to identify good quality sweaters: Just look for all natural materials.
Acrylic? Bad.
Lambswool? Very Good
Merino Wool? Awesome
Cashmere? Really Awesome

J.Crew Merino Argyle Sweater
Retail: ~$80
Paid: $4

I wrote about the Black Fleece Oxford shirts a little in my last post, and I liked the fabric so much that I picked up another on eBay. With these shirts you are getting Thom Browne styling (but not too much), the highest quality oxford cloth, Made-in-the-USA quality, mother of pearl buttons, the list goes on...

This one is a plain OCBD because no man can own enough (quality) oxford shirts.

Brooks Brothers Black Fleece Oxford Shirt
Retail: $200
Paid: $32

Our Total Savings for this post?

$1,120 - $135 = $985

  Nice!

I came across these ties but didn't buy them due to what I considered excessive wear and tear (on top of having way to many ties already).  I did however, photograph them for your enjoyment. These are the real deal- vintage ties from the Yale Co-op and Harvard Co-op. These are exceptionally skinny ties from what I assume is the 1960's, but someone with possibly more knowledge than myself commented that they might even be from the 1930's

A Brooks polo in white, but not in my size, was an easy flip.

Currently up for sale are three Brooks Brothers dress shirts, size 16.5/33
If you like the looks of them, drop me a line for a discount!