Professional Dress for Men & Women
GOOD!
Men's Interview Attire
GOOD!
Tip: Interview attire for
men is a full suit with
matching jacket and pants.
A crisp, collared shirt
should be worn with a
black belt and tie. Shoes
should be a
complementary color.
Standard Added Color
GOOD!
Tip: A three-piece suit is BAD
GOOD!
acceptable for an interview.
However, a suit with mismatched
pants and jacket is not a good
choice. The picture on the right
demonstrates inappropriate
interview attire, but is acceptable
as business professional attire
that could be worn to work on a
daily basis.
Three-Piece Mismatched
Men’s Business Professional
V
GOOD!
Tip: Business professional GOOD!
attire should be worn during the
most professional situations at
work, such as presentations or
meetings. Ties dress up a
business professional look,
while sweaters dress this look
down. But, either look is
acceptable.
Men's Business Casual
GOOD!
GOOD!
Tip: Business casual attire
should be worn (depending on
the industry) in every-day work
situations. A sweater or nice
collared shirt without a tie is
acceptable. Khaki slacks are
also perfect for the business
casual look.
Sweater Collared Shirt w/o Tie
GOOD! Tip: Polo shirts are a great BAD
option for business casual, as
long as they are worn with
nice slacks. However, jeans
are unacceptable in this
category, even when worn
with a collared shirt and
jacket. In addition, shirts
should always be tucked in.
Polo
Jeans
Men's Formal Attire
GOOD!
Tip: Formal attire should be worn GOOD!
to any black tie event, such as
awards presentations. Keep in mind
the location of the event when
deciding what to wear. This type of
dress is typically specified on the
invitation. Black two or three-piece
tuxedos with a bowtie are perfect
for formal attire. However, the most
formal look in this category is the
white tux with black bowtie.
Women's Interview Attire
GOOD!
GOOD!
Tip: The most traditional
option for women’s interview
attire is a black skirt suit.
Skirt suits are highly
recommended for women in
fields such as accounting and
education. Pants suits are
acceptable in most fields, and
suits of other neutral colors
GOOD!
are also acceptable.
Professional suits come in a GOOD!
variety of styles.
BAD
GOOD!
Tip: In any interview situation, a
matching top and bottom should
be worn. Also, limit suit options
to a skirt or full-length pants—not
shorts or Capri pants.
Women’s Business Professional
GOOD!
GOOD!
Tip: Business professional attire
should be worn for the most
professional situations at work,
including meetings and
presentations. Many styles that
are acceptable for business casual
attire are too informal for
professional wear.
Tip: For women, the best choice
for business professional attire
is a suit in a neutral color with
either long pants or a skirt. GOOD!
Women should wear either a
collared shirt or a simple shell
top underneath a suit. Shirts
should be a relatively subtle
color that is flattering to the
wearer. With skirt suits, nude or
black pantyhose should be
worn. Dress shoes should be
worn. Unlike interview wear,
tops and bottoms do not
necessarily need to match;
complementing colors and
subtle patterns such as pinstripes
are okay.
Women's Business Casual
GOOD!
Tip: Women have a range of
options for business casual attire,
which is worn for everyday work
situations. Either pants (slacks, not
jeans) or skirts are acceptable. A
variety of tops, including blouses and
sweaters, may be worn as long as GOOD!
they are comfortable, flattering, and
fit well.
BAD
Tip: Styles to avoid
GOOD!
include short skirts,
skirts with revealing
slits, outfits with a lot of
ruffles or flounces, and
any outfit that shows
excessive skin.
GOOD!
Women's Formal Attire
GOOD!
GOOD!
Tip: For formal (black-
tie) work functions, the
floor-length evening
gown remains the most
appropriate choice.
GOOD!
Tip: Shorter dresses
(knee-length) can be
GOOD! acceptable if they are
not too revealing, but
a short dress is not as
formal as a long one.
Avoid dresses with
very short skirts, and
those with spaghetti BAD
straps and overly
revealing necklines.
