What does a non-fashiony woman wear to a tech interview?

October 26, 2009 7:45 AM

What does a non-girly woman wear to a technical interview? Details on impending fashion crisis inside.

I'm a non-girly woman. I mostly wear jeans and t-shirts to work. I have an interview at a tech company that sounds casual. I've read previous threads (and googled) and most, if not all responses are geared toward men. I don't really feel comfortable going in a suit with no tie !

Right now, my plan is brown cords with a really thin wale (just learned that word! ) and some kind of button down shirt. I'm wearing a kind of hot-pink kind of almost magenta stretch shirt right now (I realize I said I'm non-girly, but this shirt is really cute ! ). It has a button hole mid-shoulder for rolling up and buttoning the sleeves.

I'd prefer to go untucked shirt route .. but I'm pretty fashion clueless .. so any options would be fantastic.

Thanks !

posted by duckus to clothing, beauty, & fashion (35 comments total)

Even for a tech company, I would still dress professionally for the interview. Do you have a suit?
posted by something something at 7:49 AM on October 26

So you're in the Bay Area which tends to be fairly loose. A guy can usually get away with khakis and a button down shirt just fine.

What you're proposing sounds like its about a female equivalent? Seems like it should work.
posted by bitdamaged at 7:50 AM on October 26

Even if it's a casual place, you should step it up for the interview. I wear jeans to work every day, but when I interviewed here I busted out a suit. It is non-girly, and banana republic button down shirts are meant to be worn untucked. Cords are too casual, so even if you don't do full out suit, nice black pants, button down shirt and possibly sweater/jacket are key. Don't forget to shine the shoes.
posted by 8dot3 at 7:51 AM on October 26 [1 favorite]

(note) a suit on men for a tech interview seems a bit overdressed...
posted by bitdamaged at 7:51 AM on October 26

I'm super non-girly and am an engineer.

For interviews, I go with khakis, a button down shirt and the blazer that I bought specifically for interviews. I have been successfully hired twice while wearing that get-up.
posted by chiefthe at 7:51 AM on October 26 [4 favorites]

Without knowing what you have, I suggest the following (fashion-y but non-girly woman working in a technical field here.) If you don't know for sure, cords are too casual for an interview. (I know someone will say "I just hired someone in cords" but there are people for whom those might say "I don't really care enough to dress up.")

Option 1) Knee boots or flats, knee-length cord or twill skirt (not blue/black/grey denim), top of your choice. Non-suit-y blazer would be nice.

Option 2) Dressier trousers (like suit trousers) with flats or heels, top of your choice, and non-suit-y blazer.

Option 3) If your cords are trouser-cut you can get away with them if you wear heels (even low ones), followed by...wait for it... top of your choice and non-suit-y blazer.

In other words, err on the side of better-dressed. None of the above are other than casual, but they look put together.

Non-suit-y blazer would be something like this: http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/jacketsblazers/jacketsblazers/PRDOVR~18328/18328.jsp

Appropriate sweater to substitute would be a cardigan -- no pills, new looking, and not too big. Definitely no hood.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:53 AM on October 26 [1 favorite]

I've worked at two casual (aka jeans and nerdy shirt) tech companies, and there is a lot of negative commentary if someone shows up at an interview not wearing a suit. It doesn't matter if you don't wear it every day; you just have to show that you (1) respect the interview and (2) can clean up if you have to for a customer or management meeting.

You can get nice women's pantsuits in a black, grey, or pinstripe pattern at Banana Republic relatively cheap. I would recommend you do that. You can wear a more casual shirt underneath -- as long as it has sleeves, it doesn't have to be a button-up; it can be a solid colored slightly stretchy nice-fabric tshirt from Ann Taylor or something -- and remove the jacket when you arrive if you feel more comfortable in "nice shirt and slacks" instead of a full-on suit. No heels or uber girly shoes needed; you can get away with flat (leather!) shoes of some sort.

I have been (and still am, to some extent) that non-girly woman, and a suit always came across great in interviews. Why do you feel like a "suit with no tie" is a problem? Lots of non-girly women rock this look every day.
posted by olinerd at 7:53 AM on October 26 [6 favorites]

I have hired for tech positions; regardless of office dress code, not wearing a suit means not get hired. That holds true across my peers, as well -- regardless of the company culture, interview culture demands that you dress up.
posted by ellF at 7:56 AM on October 26

It's an interview; wear a suit - gray, black, or navy blue.
posted by bunny hugger at 7:57 AM on October 26

I agree with olinerd. I wear jeans to work every day. With only one exception that I can think of, I do not hire people for any position who came to the interview without a suit. Wearing a suit to an interview shows me that a person knows what is appropriate to wear in specific contexts. That's important.

Wear a pant suit. It got my sister hired at the SF office of Google.
posted by decathecting at 7:59 AM on October 26

The good news is, being female means things are a lot less prescriptive when deciding what counts as "smart casual"!

The answer does depend a little bit on what shape you are... but I'm assuming you're like me, slim but curvy, and also that you're right when you suggest that this company wouldn't appreciate a suit.

Things that don't fit well are not good.
Things that look faded (deliberately or otherwise) are not good.
Cords are not good.
Well fitting dark jeans are good.
A fitted cardigan can make pretty much any top or (girl shaped) t-shirt look smarter.
To keep it simple: Everything in shades of either black/grey/white, or brown/cream, or navy/white, except one item of clothing and accessories. Nothing with patterns unless you know what you are doing.

Paying attention to having a good coat and shoes pays dividends, but make sure the length of your trousers is appropriate to the shoes you are wearing.

Personally I would just wear a suit.
posted by emilyw at 8:01 AM on October 26

Wear real pants instead of cords and put a blazer on over that pink shirt and you should be fine. Cords are viewed as just as casual as jeans in most places I've worked. I think that a suit would be best but if you're not going to be confident in one and it's a very casual workspace, you could get by with a blazer. A sweater won't cut it.
posted by rmless at 8:15 AM on October 26

Just one counterpoint to some of the above, I've actually heard from friends (who interview people) and recruiters that certain companies (or groups within a company) will actually dock points from you if you wear a suit to an interview. Because it supposedly shows you don't "get" their casualness. To me this is completely idiotic but there you go.
posted by kmz at 8:17 AM on October 26

It's a job interview. You should be wearing a suit. At least wear a blazer.
posted by smorange at 8:17 AM on October 26

I'm nthing the suit suggestion. Sorry, but wear a suit.

Get a black dress suit. Buy it at Old Navy or Target where you can get blazer & slacks together. Then go to the tailor and get it hemmed up for an extra $10 (because you look even less impressive if you're tripping over your pants). Get some black loafers and wear an untucked shirt that isn't too long for the blazer. (Maybe your magenta stretch shirt would work.) Banana Republic would have the suit, but it might be pricier than you want if you won't wear it daily. I have Old Navy and Target suits that have lasted for several years.

A black dressy suit can work for a variety of occasions, and it's important to have one in your closet somewhere. They're perfect for weddings, funerals, work events, holiday parties, etc. if you aren't otherwise inclined to find the perfect outfit.
posted by aabbbiee at 8:25 AM on October 26

Did the employer specifically say to come casually dressed?

If not, I'd go for a black, navy or very dark (espresso) brown pantsuit. No tie - those are for dudes - but a co-ordinated scarf if you're comfortable in it, or a simple necklace (pearls, pendant, what-have-you, but nothing too large or gaudy). Your pink stretchy shirt is actually fine if everything else is a neutral colour, IMO, but you might want to err on the conservative side and where a regular button front shirt. (In my view, plain stretchy shirts are better for women, because button-front ones can pucker around the boob-area buttons, which is distinctly not confidence-enhancing and comfortable, especially in an interview situation. YMMV.)

If they did say to come casual, I'd wear your brown cords with a coordinated blazer (an earthy rust/red colour maybe? or dark green?) and a white, button-front shirt or a white/neutral plain tee.
posted by Kurichina at 8:34 AM on October 26

I have interviewed women for technical roles in the past. You should wear a suit and nice dress shoes. Anything else reflects negatively on you.
posted by charlesv at 8:36 AM on October 26

In the absence of clear information about whether this company will drop you instantly for not knowing the answer to the "suit" question: call them. When the receptionist picks up, tell him/her you're coming for an interview and ask whether most interviewees wear suits. If the receptionist seems helpful, you could always ask for further sartorial advice; you don't have to take it, after all.
posted by emilyw at 8:37 AM on October 26

If you don't wear a suit you don't get hired? Really? I find that really, really hard to believe, or wonder if people are succumbing to the "we're so casual, WEAR A SUIT AND FILL OUT YOUR TIMECARDS AND GO TO THIS SEXUAL HARASSMENT SEMINAR YOU'RE FIVE MINUTES LATE YOU'RE FIRED" corporate lie. That said I usually ask about dress code unless the corporate website has inappropriate drunk employee tweets or pictures of everyone at a barbeque or throwing pranks.

I always wear niceish pants, very nice shoes, and whatever t shirt of my choosing (most of mine are collared polos, but I wear that every day anyhow). I'm employed right now in spite of quitting my job last May (for which I wore a t shirt to the interview), take from that what you will ...
posted by shownomercy at 8:58 AM on October 26 [2 favorites]

As a similar fashionally-challenged female developer who wears nothing more than jeans and a hoodie to work and has absolutely no sense of style, I typically interview in dress pants, a nice button down and a jacket of sorts. But only when I know it's going to be a very technical interview where I'm writing code on the whiteboard, that sort of thing. And I've been to more job interviews than I've had offers, so read whatever you want out of that.

The strategy is to slightly outdress the interviewer. So -- it depends on who you are interviewing with. If you're interviewing with a tech manager of sorts who is most likely going to be in a jeans and tshirt, business casual is enough. If you're interviewing with an HR type or manager who's already business casual or worse, a suit, your goal is to "one up" them and wear your suit.

If you know the environment you're going into, then I think it's important to fit in. If you don't know, then it's better to be overdressed. It doesn't hurt to call and ask, because as mentioned before, being overdressed can occasionally come across as making you look like someone who won't fit in. But it works the other way as well, where being underdressed makes it look like you don't have any respect.

In the end, if you're not a fit for the organization, they'll find any old reason not to hire you anyway. If it's the clothes, it's the clothes. If you knock their socks off and they're drooling at the opportunity to get you an offer, it wont matter if you showed up in pajamas. Not that I'd recommend actually doing that, however :)
posted by cgg at 8:59 AM on October 26

Go to a store like Macy's--they have a suit "professional" department. I found an exceptional non-frilly (but with a hint of style) Evan Picone suit for 70 dollars. Originally 350. I know you will feel very dressed up in a suit... because you normally dress so casually...but a plain but good-looking suit is the right thing to wear to the interview. You'll be surprised how together you'll look...and actually a suit-suits your non-girly style. Pun intended.
posted by naplesyellow at 9:05 AM on October 26

I have gotten hired at fairly formal companies not wearing a suit, but what you're proposing sounds entirely too casual (particularly the hot pink [!] stretchy shirt). My typical interview clothes are black pin-striped pants, a button-down, and black heels. When I interviewed for my current position, I shook things up (hamburger) by wearing this get-up: a navy, knee-length skirt, a white collar button-up, a maroon cardigan, hose, and dress flats. Most of this outfit was bought for very cheap from Walmart. Sure, I looked like a stereotype of a 1950s librarian (and not the sexy type), but, though I wasn't wearing a suit, which made me happy, I also couldn't have been accused of being underdressed.

Just a note, in my experience most nice women's dress shirts are specifically not made for tucking-in. Doing so might disrupt the cut and design of the shirt.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:05 AM on October 26

Oh, and I've never interviewed and not had a job offer, but I have no idea if that's related to the way I dress or not.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:07 AM on October 26

At my last developer interview I wore dark grey slacks, black ankle length dress boots with a square toe, a pastel pink cotton button up shirt (tucked in) and a very lightweight black v-neck sweater.

The dress boots mean that I can wear a heel (I think they're 2") without wobbling all over the place. Plus you don't have to worry about having the right colour socks or freezing your toes off. v-neck means that you can get away with wearing a button up that doesn't fit perfectly, and also tuck it in without worrying whether or not the bottom of the shirt is the right cut for your slacks/body. Just make sure the collar and cuffs are ironed.

I suspect you can get away without a blazer if you don't have one, but if you're going to be gunning for a senior position it can't hurt. Nobody expects you to be a fashion plate but you should look presentable. If you find that your interviewer's are more casual than you you could make a joke about how that's how you prefer to dress. I'd also wear some nice subtle expensive looking jewelry(earings/necklace/bracelet) if I had some on hand.

Good Luck!
posted by captaincrouton at 9:42 AM on October 26

Fellow nongirly girl here. You can get fairly decent black pants from Old Navy that look pretty smart with leather shoes. I would wear those and a plain tailored blouse/shirt in one muted color.

Also, check your local Goodwill or thrift store if you have time. All of my business casual/office temp/slightly smarter wardrobe items came from there, and you won't feel too bad about stashing them at the back of the closet until the next interview comes around.
posted by vickyverky at 9:42 AM on October 26

tech chick here -- for interviews, i tend to drag out the skirts. also, a blazer. blazers, in general, dress up anything, so i'd wear that with anything dressier than a t-shirt for an interview.
posted by rmd1023 at 9:43 AM on October 26

This is all very helpful. Luckily, Kohls here opens at 8 am so I was able to run out and get a nice black blazer.

Skirts and heels will not work for me. I can't walk in heels and I haven't worn a dress of any kind for about 20 years. I don't want to give off an uncomfortable vibe.

I have one pair of black pants and two very nice pair of gray slacks, one wool-grey and one kind of a slate gray. Is it wrong to wear a black blazer with gray pants? Is that too security-guard like ? I think I should stay conservative and go with one color, but the gray pants are much nicer than the black, but I welcome other thoughts.
posted by duckus at 10:15 AM on October 26

If you want to wear gray pants what about a nice colored cardigan? Less dressy than a blazer (hopefully you kept the receipt) but I think that's still nice enough for an interview. If you're feeling a bit adventurous, button up the cardigan and add a skinny belt around your natural waist. And either way, super cute with flats and comfortable.
posted by like_neon at 10:39 AM on October 26

Is it wrong to wear a black blazer with gray pants?

IMO, it depends on the cut of the blazer, but it's probably fine. I often wear a short black fitted blazer over gray tweed slacks. The only thing I can think of that would contribute to a security-guard type look is if the fabrics looks very obviously like polyester or have piping on the side. The bigger the difference between the blazer and the pant in terms of texture or fabric, the better it looks. If the fabric is the same for both of your pants, I'd probably go with the light gray.

In fact, I think it's probably a mistake to match the blazer with the black pants unless the pants are EXACTLY the same fabric and shade that the blazer is [which would make the outfit an actual suit that you bought all together as one piece]. Pants and blazer that are kinda-almost of the same color but don't really match upon close inspection looks sloppy--like you were shooting for matching pieces but couldn't quite get there--whereas gray pants and black blazer (preferably with a little pop of color under the blazer) is obviously not a mistake.
posted by iminurmefi at 1:00 PM on October 26

i have a pair of dressy flats. i can't walk in heels either. i'm a bulldykey trouser-wearing skirt-hater, but i found my skirt from decent exposures to be really comfortable[1]. it's made of something that feels like sweatpant-type material, but hangs reasonably well, and is long enough i don't worry AAAAH, MY KNEES WILL SHOW. and if i wear bike shorts under it, i avoid all worry of flashing people.

[1] this came in handy when i was recovering from surgery and had a healing abdominal incision so i couldn't really wear my normal pants.
posted by rmd1023 at 1:01 PM on October 26

You need trousers and a blouse, or a skirt suit. And flats/loafers. Preferably nothing that laces.

A guy can usually get away with khakis and a button down shirt just fine.

What you're proposing sounds like its about a female equivalent? Seems like it should work.

Agreed, but... then... you would THINK that this would be the case, but it's not. Enlightened as the world is, the first thing that a woman is judged on is appearance. I'm not saying you need to go out and get a full make over or wear a power-suit, or even put on make-up, but I am saying that - like it or not - when it comes to a job interview, the rules are much narrower for women. There's less wiggle-room towards the casual. Hell, I'm a nanny and I spend my day in yoga pants, but I still put on makeup and pearls (though not heels) with my jeans for interviews. Fighting the system needs to be done, but the fact remains that a woman in khakis (unless they're very dressy) isn't going to get the same respect as a man in the same outfit. And job interviews, to me, don't seem like the right time to give the patriarchy the finger.

Is it wrong to wear a black blazer with gray pants? Is that too security-guard like ? I think I should stay conservative and go with one color, but the gray pants are much nicer than the black, but I welcome other thoughts.

Err on the side of caution. Wear the same color pants and blazer. Be careful with black - some blacks are darker than others. It doesn't really matter that the grey pants are nicer, you'll send a much more put-together image with matching jacket & pants.

Don't worry about heels, but you do need NICE flats. Nothing with laces. And skirts aren't necessary at all.

I know you're not girl-y, but a nice accessory really does help pull the outfit together. I have a string of pearls that I wear on interviews. If you have pierced ears, simple gold hoops are very classy. Something simple and classic lends a finished touch.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 1:22 PM on October 26 [1 favorite]

I'd say a black blazer with grey pants is fine, especially if you've got good black shoes. (also if the black pants alternative just plain doesn't look as good, for reason of color-matching, fabric-matching, slimness-of-cut-matching, or whatever). To avoid feeling like a corporate clone in my pants-suit, I toned it down by wearing a non-collared shirt, but to dress up a non-matched blazer, I'd recommend a collar. Bonus points that wearing the blazer makes it not matter whether you've tucked the shirt in or not.

Don't feel at all bad about not wearing a skirt. Dress pants are perfect for geeky jobs. Being a woman in a technical field, it always seems to me that the only women wearing skirts are the office-admin-types, leading to the subtle perception that anybody in a skirt is someone to avoid using complicated sciencey words around. The corollary is that the clacking of hard heels in the hallway is also a sign of intruders in the labs, but I did wear semi-hard shoes for my interview.

The reason people keep recommending boots is because they manage to look "right" while letting you (a) avoid the hose/trouser socks/normal socks debate, (b) not worry too much about your hemlines when you sit down, (c) have a wide low heel or no heel at all without looking too gramma or ballet-slipper, and (d) keep wearing these boots on other occasions, which is unlikely for a non-girly dresser and business pumps. This does not include boots with laces, or with snow-boot soles; zippers are good, and wide-neck that you can just tug into are okay, too. The hard-sole noisiness of the boots is not essential, but I personally get kind of a kick out of the solid "I mean business" thunk of a good boot heel.

Not trying to talk you out of flats if you've got some you like, just trying to talk you out of going with something more casual.
posted by aimedwander at 2:08 PM on October 26

Just to close the loop on shownomercy's comment, not wearing a suit means not getting hired (by me) because it suggests that the interviewee either is unaware of or chooses not to adhere to social norms when it "matters".

I realize that's not the same position everyone will take. I'm comfortable with that; I'm not a jerk to my employees, I'm not out to fire people (quite the opposite, I want very much for them to be successful and happy), and I don't think I'm unreasonably caught up in drone-like corporatethink -- wear whatever you like post-interview, IMO. However, there are -lots- of equally well qualified people in the world, and showing up to an interview while not caring enough to play the part calls into question both the judgment and social awareness of the candidate, and I'm not going to waste any time on someone lacking in either. It might mean missing a rare exception, but there are plenty of other people who won't diminish their chances before walking through the door. Those are the people I generally want on my team, regardless of role. Extra points for being critical in your thinking but confident enough to "fit in" when it is important.

Duckus, the rules are different for women. I think you could swing an interview in a nice skirt/blouse OR a pants and a blazer; both are equally "serious" and convey what I would be looking for in terms of your appearance in an interview. I don't think I'd care if the pants and blazer were different colors, so long as they were relatively neutral. I find pantsuits hideously unattractive, but I'm not hiring you for whether I like what you're wearing -- rather, the clothing is sending a message, and the message should be, "I understand the way that the professional world works, and I consider this interview a professional situation."
posted by ellF at 4:46 PM on October 26 [1 favorite]

I work in the tech field too; I'm a systems administrator and have worked at some smallish (and very casual) tech companies. I always try to be specific when I ask. If the company seems to genuinely say that they are very casual, I won't dress up. I asked my current boss (I work at a university now) what I should wear, even after HR wouldn't ask for me, and told me that "of course I should wear a suit", and he said it really didn't matter (in that case, I kind of hedged my best and wore jeans and a cowboy shirt; I ended up about matching the people I interviewed with, which is what I was shooting for).

Personally, if it's a startup type company where things are very casual, I prefer to (after checking) wear a t-shirt, jeans and hoodie (my normal "uniform"). I feel much more comfortable this way, so I feel like I give better interview when I'm not in an uncomfortable suit. Working at tech companies and seeing people show up in suits (when everyone else is walking around in jeans or shorts and t-shirts), you figure anyone in a suit is either interviewing or trying to sell something. And having been on the other side of the desk, I feel almost as awkward interviewing someone who is overdressed as they feel being there. When I was in the position to have input towards hiring people, I think I would have been more likely to recommend hiring someone who seemed to fit in with the culture of the company, and was confident enough to "dress down" for the interview.

Anyway, maybe it's a bit of a power play to "underdress", but I think it shows that you believe you can get the job based on your skills, which is what matters. Maybe a risky move if you're really desperate for a job, but it's a gamble that has paid off for me.

Maybe a little more relevant to your situation gender-wise.... my gf is a programmer, and "dressed up" for the interview for her current job by wearing a white sweater and jeans... she got the job.

@decathecting
"Wearing a suit to an interview shows me that a person knows what is appropriate to wear in specific contexts."

That doesn't make sense to me. Wearing a suit at a startup just makes you look overdressed... in that context, even when you're interviewing, I feel that casual attire is what's appropriate.
posted by PandaMcBoof at 10:35 PM on October 26

Wear a matching suit. Better to be overdressed, than look like a schlub.
posted by bunny hugger at 12:49 PM on October 28