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DRESS TO IMPRESS

Style / 
August 2022

DRESS TO IMPRESSDRESS TO IMPRESS

The work landscape post-pandemic is–to put it lightly–*different* than it used to be. From remote jobs to gig work, from the great resignation to graduation–many people from all different walks of life are looking for ways to navigate this new and ever-changing job market. The good news? There are TONS of opportunities out there for people looking to move to something new. The downside? The rules have completely changed when it comes to the job search. We know you have a ton of questions like “how do I fix my resume?” and “what should I write in my cover letter?” even “What do I wear to a job interview?” and “How do I prep?”

Well, here at Levi’s® we can help you with one of these questions, and one of them only: “What do I wear to a job interview.” For the other stuff, we highly recommend consulting another website that may be better equipped to help answer those questions. Something business-y maybe?

Anyways, back to the issue at hand: what to wear to a job interview–even if it’s virtual. We’ve put together 6 interview-friendly outfits for men and women that range from super casual for a zoom interview to super formal for an in-person interview (read: business casual). This way you can at least *look* the part—acting it is up to you and that business-y website though.

So without further ado, here is what you should wear to a job interview in the modern era.

BUSINESS CASUAL

Don’t be deceived by the “casual” in the name, when dressing for a business casual interview—or biz caj as we like to call it—the first rule is to err on the side of formal. Not a suit, per se, but definitely no jeans.

Model wearing mint and dark green collared shirt, brown pants, and black sneakers

Think smart separates with a clean, streamlined look. Keep bold patterns and statement-making color to one key piece if you must, and temper the statement with neutrals or subtle patterns like windowpane or stripes.

Model wearing red plaid jacket, black turtleneck, cream pants, and green boots

Smart Casual

A step down from Business Casual is Smart Casual. This is for a job where you’re definitely not going to be in full business attire in the office, but you still want to be polished. Jeans are okay here—so this is kind of our wheelhouse. You definitely want to look put together, so stick with structured pieces and coordinated colors and patterns. There is also a little more wiggle room for self-expression, so don’t feel as restricted with the bright and the bold as you did in the business casual section. Smart Casual is all about fun, but, like, a work appropriate amount of fun.

Model wearing light wash denim jacket, plaid shirt, and khaki pants

Model wearing black and white gingham shirt and dark wash jeans

SMART CASUAL

A step down from Business Casual is Smart Casual. This is for a job where you’re definitely not going to be in full business attire in the office, but you still want to be polished. Jeans are okay here—so this is kind of our wheelhouse.

Model wearing light wash denim jacket, plaid shirt, and khaki pants

You definitely want to look put together, so stick with structured pieces and coordinated colors and patterns. There is also a little more wiggle room for self-expression, so don’t feel as restricted with the bright and the bold as you did in the business casual section. Smart Casual is all about fun, but, like, a work appropriate amount of fun.

Model wearing black and white gingham shirt and dark wash jeans

ZOOM PROFESSIONAL

So if you’re remote, you’ve probably been working on your video conferencing app of choice (probably Zoom) for a while now, which means you’ve definitely pushed the limits of how ugly you’re willing to look in front of your coworkers in a meeting—at least we know we have.

Model wearing green and gray sweatshirt with Levi's logo and dark wash jeans

And while third day hair, an oversized college tee, and no makeup definitely have their place in the world (your couch), they’re also not what you want in an interview. So instead we’re recommending you amp up the polished look on top while maximizing comfort on the bottom. Just don’t get too comfortable (wear pants).

Model wearing short sleeve collared top and light wash distressed jeans

JUST NETWORKING

So apparently a very high percentage of positions are actually filled by candidates that the hiring manager already knows–although you shouldn’t quote us on that. How does that happen? Networking obviously. It may not be an official job interview per se, buuuut it is an informal way to get to know someone who may help you snag your next gig down the line. For networking, casual is key–you don’t want to be *that person* that shows up decked out in a suit at a casual cocktail event. Instead, we recommend more of a hybrid between what you’d wear to a casual office, and what you’d wear on a night out. Think conservative cool.

Model wearing dark green button down and dark blue jeans

Model wearing denim jacket, striped turtleneck, and blue jeans

JUST NETWORKING

So apparently a very high percentage of positions are actually filled by candidates that the hiring manager already knows–although you shouldn’t quote us on that. How does that happen? Networking obviously. It may not be an official job interview per se, buuuut it is an informal way to get to know someone who may help you snag your next gig down the line.

Model wearing green button down and dark wash jeans

For networking, casual is key–you don’t want to be *that person* that shows up decked out in a suit at a casual cocktail event. Instead, we recommend more of a hybrid between what you’d wear to a casual office, and what you’d wear on a night out. Think conservative cool.

So there you have it. Interview outfit, sorted. Now all that’s left is to strike some power poses, take some deep breaths and go wow the heck out of them. Oh, and if you ever need our advice on dressing for anything else, (like what to wear once you land the job) we can help with that too.

Model wearing denim jacket, striped turtleneck, and blue jeans

So there you have it. Interview outfit, sorted. Now all that’s left is to strike some power poses, take some deep breaths and go wow the heck out of them. Oh, and if you ever need our advice on dressing for anything else, (like what to wear once you land the job) we can help with that too.