What color is your suit, or jacket? If grey or black, then wear a black belt and black shoes. If blue or brown, then go with the brown belt and shoes. Notice a pattern? Match your belt and shoes. It’s silly, but it looks good.
I would avoid the painted tie. If you’re wearing a white shirt, then you can wear a smartly patterned tie. If you go with a pin-striped shirt, wear a solid tie. I newer trend is to wear a colored shirt with a tie of the same color. This might be a good idea, if you want to shoe a splash of color, but do not want to look like yet another corporate clone.
Don’t worry about a hat.
Perhaps, but the hiring manager doesn’t want to work with someone who might be a pain in the ass, so at least bring a good attitude in with you.
You mean talcum powder? Hmm. I do get very hot very easily. I don’t even own a coat or any warm clothing, as even in winter the Midlands don’t get cold enough to need one.
Yes, I see. But, blue and brown go together? I’m out of my depth with this stuff. Think I’ll stick to black and white all over. Will avoid problems with my colour-blindness, too.
I’m really bad with people. I can do obsequious, I’ll try that. Hopefully it’ll be with a woman, I find that much easier.
In general, it depends on the job. Law office, sales job, definitely. Software or computer design job, especially in Silicon Valley, no. New college grads get the benefit of the doubt, but if an experienced engineer showed up for an interview in a suit he or she would be considered either eccentric or clueless. Especially in companies where the CEO is anti-suit and tie. Remember Obama’s joke when he visited Facebook? Does anyone really think wearing a suit to an interview there would get you brownie points.
However, it would not be a deal breaker since we usually interview on smarts, not fashion sense. Unlike other places, it seems.
Try to fake it through the interview. It should be only about 20 minutes.
After that, try to keep it up until the cost of hiring and training a replacement outweighs the burden of putting up with you. That should be about two weeks if you’re just awkward, and not openly hostile.
I’ve never heard of anyone doing it, but if the company strikes you as the “creative” sort, you could try a Scottish kilt, worn with proper accessories, a tie, and jacket. It’s perfectly acceptable attire at an American wedding.