Wardrobe stylist Jessica Cadmus, AKA Wardrobe Whisperer, joins with us weekly to answer your style questions. Have a query? Send to jessica@wardrobewhisperer.com

Is it imperative to wear a suit for an interview? I don’t usually wear a full suit to the office and I’m afraid if I do, the boss will guess my motives.

My 90 year old grandmother would be filthy rich if our currency was pearls of wisdom. Besides deep thoughts like “If you never ask, the answer will always be no” and “If something feels wrong, it probably is” she also always told me to “dress with a sense of occasion.” It just so happens that I turned that last one into a business.

 

To answer your question, I think it is important to wear a suit to an interview in finance. It is a sign of respect and a cue to the potential employer that you take the opportunity seriously. There’s a ton of competition out there so why not position yourself well and show up looking the part? I understand not wanting to tip your boss off to the fact that you are searching elsewhere so I suggest packing a small bag the day you interview. For men, wear your suit pants and complementary button-down shirt.  Pack the tie and corresponding jacket. Women, you can also wear suit pants and stash the jacket for later or choose an appropriate dress and opt to add a blazer if you want to up your game.

 

Speaking of deep thoughts, no disrespect to my gram, but my favorite Deep Thought of all time comes from none other than Jack Handey and it goes like this:

“It’s too bad that whole families have to be torn apart by something as simple as wild dogs.” Perhaps not something to stake a business upon but poignant nonetheless.

Jessica Cadmus, the Wardrobe Whisperer, is a former Goldman Sachs employee who is now a wardrobe stylist and personal shopper. She is recognized as an industry expert on dressing Wall Street professionals. She has appeared on Bloomberg’s Rewind with Matt Miller and has been interviewed by Wall Street Journal’s FINS.com. She is ready for your style questions. You can send them here and check this recurring column for a response: jessica@wardrobewhisperer.com

Featured image by Shock/Kozzi