Dear FO Personal Stylist: Graphic Designer Needs Interview Outfit

I am a Graphic Designer looking for work and will soon be going on interviews. I want to be taken seriously but as a designer, I also want them to see a little bit of personality and creativity.

I have a black suit but it feels too stuffy and corporate, and a slew of unmatched dress pants and blazers. Is there anything I can do to spruce of a black suit or do you have any pant/blazer/blouse suggestions?

Thank you,

Lisa E., San Francisco, CA

Dear Lisa,

Picking the right outfit for a job interview is about as agonizing as picking an outfit for a first date: you want to look good, but you don’t want to look like you’re desperate and trying too hard. Interviewing in a creative industry, like graphic design, brings in a whole new level of difficulty. You may very well end up in a workplace in which tees and jeans are the norm, but under-dressing for an interview could give the impression that you don’t take the job seriously.

In general, when given the choice between under-dressing and over-dressing, I always err on the side of formality. The trick is to selectively show personality. If you have an interesting top, make sure that the paired jacket is relatively classic and plain. Unless it’s a super corporate environment, I would lay off the suit entirely, but the pieces can certainly be used separately.

Prints are somewhat of a slippery slope for interviews, but introducing some color into your ensemble is not. Darker, richer jewel tones like amethyst, dark teal, and emerald green can add a little sophisticated individuality. Of course, there are always certain absolutes, at least for the first interview: closed toed heels, skirts knee-length or longer, ixnay on the dangly jewelry, and no cleavage of any kind.

I’ve put together three potential interview looks for you. As you can tell, I am a huge fan of Chie Mihara shoes, but they are truly ideal for work-type situations - they are extremely comfortable, gorgeous but unique, and chunky enough to be taken seriously. All of the components in each outfit, however, can be altered according to your tastes and the contents of your closet. Hopefully these looks will provide a good jumping board to your winning interview outfit.

Potential Outfit #1

Remember Jerell’s winning outfit for the Working Girls challenge on Season 5 of Project Runway? I love the idea of substituting a cardigan for a blazer for a job interview. Of course, any old cardigan won’t do: a heavier weight (but not chunky) and finer quality cardigan is obviously preferable. I also think that an open cardigan (i.e. no buttons or ties) is best - buttons can be distracting, as well as a bit too casual.

This cardigan ensemble can be switched up in a number of ways. You could add a more neutral statement pin to the cardigan, or substitute a slightly bolder belt. If you opted for either, I would recommend changing the color of the top underneath the cardi to something a little more subdued.

The Items

• Hayden’s Cashmere Open Cardigan, $139 (originally $295).
• Alisha Levine’s Silk Ruffle Top, $109.99 (originally $220).
• Black Halo’s Button Down Pocket Skirt, $115 (originally $230)
• Cole Haan’s Aerin Black Patent Belt, $99
• Himatsingka’s Water Oval Earrings, $154
• Chie Mihara’s Poker Pumps, $186.42 (originally $338.95)

Potential Outfit #2

Here the basic black blazer in your closet gets paired with less matchy matchy (but still interview appropriate) wool pants and a more chic ruffled top. The color palette of this outfit is very neutral, but special touches in the individual pieces keep it from being boring or typical. If you didn’t own a suit, the well-coordinated but not matching top and bottom pieces are a good way to go (two pieces made of different materials in the same color do not a suit make).

The main individuality factor of this outfit derives from the ruffled top, so if you wanted to change things around a little you could experiment with different shirts. A tie neck poplin top that buttons to the neck could be a cute alternative.

The Items

• Sa Va’s Black Blazer, $155
• T-Bags’ Jemma Ruffle Top, $151.20 (originally $216)
• Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent’s Oxford Wide Leg Cuffed Pants, $126.99 (originally $297)
• Himatsingka’s Paper Disc Earrings, $92
• Chie Mihara’s Passion Pumps, $206.77 (originally $375.95)

Potential Outfit #3

This outfit, which is missing the extra layer on top of the two others, could be construed as the most casual of the bunch. The blouse, however, is the most formal and “professional.”

I generally loathe the typical collared “work appropriate” blouses with the fire of a thousand burning suns, but this one breaks the mold with the ruffle details and more pronounced buttons (which subtly match back to the earrings). This top could also be substituted with a crisp, long-sleeved tuxedo-type top. Little splashes of color with the shoes and earrings add individual finishing touches.

The Items

• Priorities’ Daisy Blouse, $42.99 (originally $106)
• Nolita’s Knee Length Skirt, $129
• Brian Danielle’s Pink Topaz Diamond Studs, $253
• Chie Mihara’s Ducari T-Strap Pumps, $285.48 (originally $390.95)

Have a fashion emergency, or just looking for a helpful hint or two? Email Fashion Orbit’s Personal Stylist!