Yah, shoes similar to those in the link should be all right, I think - they’re a little casual, but more or less the right color and style. They won’t be noticed.
A suit coat without matching pants will look a little odd, and a used one may not be in such great shape. Do you really not have savings, a credit card, or some gaming gear you could sell to finance a proper suit purchase? If you’re straight out of college, you really do need one.
I disagree. They are looking for someone who will be a good fit for their organization, and there are work environments where a suit would really alienate you from the culture/atmosphere. I don’t know what kind of job the OP is interviewing for and for most stuffy, conservative office jobs this is probably sound advice. But the rule of thumb I’ve always heard and used is to dress just a step or two better than you would normally dress if you were working there.
So if the normal work environment is a completely casual one where t-shirts and shorts are the standard uniform, I might wear a short-sleeved dress shirt and pants to the interview but would feel overdressed with full suit and tie.
I know of at least one -Career Gear: http://careergear.org/ . However, they seem to be focused on people who are in rather worse shape than the OP - recent immigrants, folks just out of prison, the genuinely destitute. This shop really expects people to be referred by other nonprofits or social services agencies. And although it’s possible that a fellow on the Dope might be eligible for such services (I know we’ve had a few members going through really hard times), it’s likelier that the OP has enough disposible income or other resources that he wouldn’t be eligible.
I’d agree with this, but only to a point. If you really do know what the specific office culture is like, and you know that t-shirts and jeans are the norm, then it might be reasonable to conclude that a suit is excessive. But it would be foolish to assume this, based upon the notion that “all jobs in sector X are casual”. So, too, would it be unwise to ask. Since the OP probably doesn’t know the dress code in the office he’s interviewing at, the best thing he can do is wear a proper suit. If he’s overdressed, the interviewer will understand why, and respect him for attempting to look professional.
ETA: Even if the OP ended up overdressed, it’s far smarter to chance that than to show up under-dressed.
These shoes are borderline casual, because of the soles. Something with a leather sole or a least relatively flat, thin rubber would be preferable.
If they’re all you’ve got, though, then they’re acceptable.
Female here. Can someone explain to me the terminology in men’s business fashion? What’s the difference between a “sport coat” and a suit jacket? The “sport coat” doesn’t match the pants? Are sport coats lower quality fabric or not cut as well or something?
I’d recommend a business suit for any interview, including a fast food restaurant. I interviewed a woman once for an Editor position and she showed up wearing slacks, a blouse, and FLIP FLOPS. Who the fuck wears flip flops to an interview? We chalked that one up to “young, naive, and no professional experience whatsoever.” She totally blew her editorial “test,” so she didn’t even have the job skills either.
If you don’t have the money to go out and invest in a suit before your interview, then shine up your dress shoes and try to make your pants match that “sport coat” (whatever the hell that is) as close to exactly as possible.
Note: I’m assuming the OP is male because of the words “sport coat.” I believe the feminine equivalent would be a “blazer” although men can have “blazers” as well.
Maybe links to pix might help. Or Google-fu.
A good place to learn about most things man, including clothes.
Thank you!
I don’t think a suit, even a cheap one, is necessary for an inteview. I mean, it’s great if you’ve got one, but for an IT position a tie and jacket (and decent shoes) are fine if that’s what you got, unless you’re interviewing for an upper-level manament type role.
Skammer, HR manager
But you could call in advance and say that you don’t want your current employer to know that you’re interviewing (if you have a job), and you’re going straight from work, so “would it be okay if I am not wearing a suit?”
For an IT professional? What? I was interviewing for product engineer for that particular interview? How is IT professional any different?
I have seen several companies that I thought would have a strict dress code but people were dressed in jeans and collared shirts. And I have seen the opposite.
I was told, I think it was a recruiter, that some places do not want to give an unfair advantage to people that cannot afford a suit.
YMMV, but I would certainly rather sound stupid by asking the question than look stupid when I show up dressed incorrectly.
I can’t see any interviewer getting all bunged up when someone asks if they have a recommended attire. If they did, maybe it’s not the right place to work.
Another thing you can do, if they have a receptionist, is call and ask her, rather than the interviewer. She’s not likely to pass on that you called, and you probably won’t even have to leave a name - just say that you’re coming in for an interview, and ask if most interviewees wear suits.
Only works if you do have a current employer, though. For the love of Ford, don’t lie about that.
You know what? I normally say suit, but everyone does that. I’m gonna go with some advice that may seem counter-intuitive. When I was interviewing over the past few months, I decided to perform a little experiment with a company I didn’t really feel like working for anyway. Instead of going with the standard blue or grey power suit and tie and white shirt, I went with just the suit and a more casual plaid dress shirt and no tie. No resume case. Just a envelope with a couple resumes tucked away in my jacket pocket. Similar to a sport coat and dress pants.
My logic is that everyone comes in dressed in the same suit carrying the same dorky resume case and they all either look like a college kid looking for an internship or a desperate middle-aged dude looking for a job (or to repair the copier, depending on the quality of the suit). By rolling in a bit more casual, yet professional and prepared, I felt that it would give the interview a more relaxed vibe where we can have a nice conversation about how awesome I am.
And I ended up getting the job (and then promptly rejected it once we discussed salary).
Anyhow, I wouldn’t interview at Deloitte & Touche or Goldman Sachs like that, but I think it might work for a smaller IT firm.
The only other thing I would recommend to the OP is that not go with a blue blazer and khaki pants, if at all possible. I mean unless you want to look like you just came from your Bar Mitzvah.
I did interview with Deloitte & Touche and worked there for six years. But unfortunately I don’t remember what I wore to the interview. I do remember, though, debating with myself for several days before my interview as to whether or not I should shave off my full (neatly trimmed) beard.
In the end I kept the beard, got the job, and when I mentioned my dilemma to the recruiter months later she laughed at me for worrying about it.
I have a really hard time with the advice for a suit. If you’re going for upper management, absolutely, but it really seems like overdressing for lower-level jobs, and alienation seems far more likely than not.
I guess my advice should be taken with a grain of salt since I’m lucky enough not to have needed an interview in 6 years, but I wore only a long-sleeved shirt and tie, no jacket, to the interview that got me my current job. If mode of dress mattered at all, what I think had more of an impact was that I was wearing a deep purple shirt. The unusual color stood out, but I still looked clean and professional.
A suit jacket is the top half of a suit. It’s meant to be worn with identical pants of the same material, made from the same bolt of cloth so they’re identical. The only circumstance you should ever wear a suit jacket without its pants would be if you were lost in the woods with only the jacket and needed it for warmth.
There’s not really a bright definition or distinction between a sports jacket vs. a blazer vs an odd jacket, but all 3 are sold without matching pants for sure. So if you are wearing a jacket meant to be worn with no pants then it’s one of those 3 things and somewhat up for debate which one.
They’re definitely not worse quality but are always more casual. The matching pants and jacket uniformity of a suit makes it inherently more formal than a jacket all by itself. Additionally, if you ever pay attention, you’ll notice most men’s sports jackets are very casual even beyond not coming with a matching pair of pants. Rough, heavy tweed instead of a smooth worsted wool. Big plaid patterns instead of a solid or subtle stripe. But that’s just a matter-of-fact typical quality about them, not innate to their existence. A navy wool blazer, for instance, is generally a very formal jacket but not as dressy as a suit simply because it’s just a jacket without any pants to go with it.
I’ve always thought of a men’s blazer as being navy blue and having metal buttons, but that may be an idiosyncratic definition.
As Fuzzy mentions, a sport jacket is most formal in wool, and less so in other fabrics or to the extent other fabrics (such as corduroy elbow patches) are incorporated.
As I noted above, sport jacket or not, he should not show up with no pants. 
These threads seem to come up a lot and I am always amazed at the answers. I guess a lot depends on which side of the interview table you’ve spent more time on.
Wear something clean, comfortable, and tasteful. A jacket and tie is fine. At my firm, not only would no one care what you’re wearing, they wouldn’t even notice (unless it were way, way outside the norm). We don’t give you points for wearing a $500 suit. Neither will we take off points if you’re in a sport coat. It’s simply irrelevant.
We probably interviewed 1000 people last year. I cannot recall a single comment about someone’s wardrobe.
Put on the tie, relax, then wow them with your knowledge of technology, the firm, and the position you’re interviewing for.
Aesop, who looks after 300+ IT guys and gals.
Suit: Matching jacket and pants
Sportcoat: Does not come with matching pants, can be worn with khakis/chinos
Blazer: Summer-weight sportcoat of a solid color, generally single-breasted with metal buttons
I have a navy blue suit and often wear the jacket as a blazer with other pants.