Creating the proper image at an interview involves a lot more than clean fingernails and polished shoes, writes Eve Roth Lindsay

When dressing for a job interview, the rules are the same as dressing for work. You want to dress for success and make sure you look the part. What the interviewer wants is to see whether you are able to represent the company.

 The way you look affects the way you are perceived, and when you look the part, you will be able to show off your skills and abilities. The goal is to dress so that people hear what you have to say. How you look is just as important as what is on your CV.

Many people think they have to wear a suit, but while the suit is perfect for some industries, there are many others that don’t always call for one. Prepare for your interview by looking at the type of company and asking yourself if the business is more traditional, people orientated or creative. Traditional businesses include law, banking, accounting and high-level corporate companies. Formal dressing is the most professional option here and a suit is the best thing to wear. A suit in a neutral colour, such as black, navy, charcoal or dark brown, with a light shirt or blouse, is the best option.

Keep your accessories simple and chic. Shoes should be polished, but nothing too flashy. The message you want to send with your clothes is authoritative, conservative and competent. People businesses include sales, education, social work, property and life coaching. These call for business attire that conveys expertise, but is non-threatening. Wear a more relaxed suit or business-casual separates including shirts and cardigans – but definitely no T-shirts or jeans. It is still a business look but more relaxed. The message you want to convey is that you are trustworthy, approachable, and knowledgeable.

Creative enterprises include advertising. PR, art, fashion, writing, architecture, entertainment and decorating. These call for a more creative and expressive style. Add your own personal touch to what you wear. Which will show your interviewer your creativity. But creative doesn’t mean wild, so just a touch of personality is enough. The message an interviewer wants to see is creative, unique and contemporary. If you’re interviewing for a job and don’t know the dress code, you can’t go wrong with traditional business attire. No one will ever look at someone well-dressed and say they are not capable. Dressing for an interview is about planning. Do your research and learn as much as you can about the company. If you want that job, go after it. Make sure the interviewer hears what you have to say by dressing in a way that shows you understand the company. They will be impressed by your professional style. Good luck!

Do's
- Wear suits in neutral and deeper solid colours
- Wear a quality watch, not a plastic strap
- Use a good-quality bag, briefcase or portfolio
- Be well-groomed at all times
- Make sure clothes are cleaned and ironed
- Choose good-quality fabric that looks expensive
- Wear simple jewelry that is not too flashy
- Use bright colours in small amounts to make you stand out

Don’ts
- Wear clumpy shoes, trainers or flip-flops
- Have a wild hairstyle and facial hair
- Wear clothing that is too tight
- Wear very casual clothes, jogging trousers or torn jeans
- Have dirty fingernails or wear bright, strong nail polish
- Wear flashy jewelry
- Wear strong aftershave or perfume

“First impressions count when you are hoping to land a job” 
writes YP cadet Joy Pamnani

A top-notch CV and cover letter are not the only things you need to win your dream job or internship. How you present yourself at the interview can decide whether you are in or out. 

To make a good first impression on your potential employer during that short meeting, you have to dress well. Style expert Eve Roth Lindsay tells us what attire is expected in different industries and what different colours might say about you. 

For aspiring lawyers, bankers and businesspeople, it’s a no-brainer that your boss will require you to show up at work in formal clothing. But not all teenagers own a suit or will feel comfortable in one, so a light-coloured shirt with dark trousers will still do the trick. “When dressing for a job interview, you should dress for success and make sure you look the part,” says Lindsay. “What the interviewer wants to see is whether you are able to represent the company.” She adds that deeper solid colours will make you appear more professional, and tailored, neat and well-fitting clothes create an air of power and authority. If you’re pursuing a career in the people industry – which covers jobs such as teachers, social workers and property agents – your attire can be more relaxed, through it doesn’t mean you can throw on ripped jeans or find an excuse not to iron that shirt. For girls, Lindsay recommends casual separates like a cotton shirt or a cardigan with a simple skirt. 

Finally, in the creative industries from public relations, advertising and fashion to architecture – it’s better to be innovative with your clothing. Add “a little of your own personal touch to let the interviewer know you are a creative person”, says Lindsay.

As psychologists and image consultants tell us, colours are known to affect perceptions. Take McDonald’s for example: red is considered to be a fast colour, while yellow suggests happiness. Maybe this means McDonald’s offers fast food and wants you to be happy as you gobble down your meal. Colours can say a lot about your personality, or the personality you want people to think you have, and there’s a huge variety of shades to choose from. Here, we’ve narrowed them down to the basics. 

1. Green is commonly known as the colour of the Earth, representing peace and nature. It shows you are a calm and relaxed individual.

2. Blue reminds us of the bright blue sky and the sparkling waters of the ocean. Wearing blue gives the impression that you are intellectual, calm and trustworthy. 

3. Yellow lets your cheerful energetic and confident personality shine through.

4. Red is a loud colour. It reflects strength and passion. It will make a statement or help you get noticed. 

5. Pink shows you are amiable with a positive outlook. Many boys have a positive outlook. Many boys have a perception that pink is too girly a colour, but it will make you look compassionate. 

6. Orange encourages pleasant thoughts, as it is the colour of sunset and coral. It shows you are a friendly person. 

7. Purple is a royal colour. Kings and queens would wear it in the old days. It reflects wealth and imagination.

8. Gold is another colour on the list of royals. Anything gold makes others envisions money and power. It’s perfect for accessories and make-up.

9. Brown, beige or tan evokes the image of a down-t0-earth, realistic and stable person who can be friends with anyone.

10. White is an inviting colour suggesting that you’re open to others’ options.

11. Black signifies power and mystery. That’s why we see so many managers dressed in it. It blends in perfectly with most colours, but can be a bore when worn from head to toe. 

So, prepare your to-do list before applying for the job. Get the look right: pair you’re carefully chosen clothes with brushed hair and polished shoes. Girls, spice it up with accessories! It may sound complicated, but a little effort means a much higher chance of getting that job. 

Dress to Impress

There is no second chance at a first impression. In a meeting or conference environment, the first impression you present to others can often be as simple as your appearance. It is therefore vital that what you wear, indeed your appearance overall, is sending out the right message.

Are you reflecting a self-assured, professional image that instills confidence... or are you losing from the very start?

Perfect fit
Conveying a sense of business savvy through an impeccable look is not as daunting as it might sound. In essence, it is a mix of common sense combined with developing a business style that you feel comfortable wearing.

Eve Roth Lindsay, founder of Savvy Style, Colour Me Beautiful HK, a personal and corporate image consultancy, thinks that men have it easier than women when it comes to reflecting business acumen through appearance. “Men are blessed with the suit. 
A well-fitting suit is a businessman’s best friend. Assert your presence with clean-cut lapels, collars, cuffs and a neat tie to show you know not only what you are doing but what you are about.”

An impeccable look goes beyond what you wear and extends to how you wear it... “so walk in your polished brogues with confidence and assurance,” advises Roth Lindsay. For women, she says a well-put-together look will be smart and tidy, whilst tying colour and stylish accessories into the mix will keep the outfit current and individual.

“For women, colour is a really powerful tool. You will immediately convey confidence by sporting a pop of colour because you have dared to be different. It also instantly brightens up the face.”

A key part of Roth Lindsay’s consultations, for both men and women, is also centred around colour. She says knowing what colours suit you best can make or break an outfit and impact the impression conveyed.

Look Good, Feel Good
Roth Lindsay believes confidence comes down to a combination of staying true to who you are as an individual, while at the same time maintaining professionalism. “Expressing your sense of style (in a setting-appropriate manner) will allow you to ooze confidence and authority, and your colleagues or clients will take you seriously.”

Of course, if you don’t feel that what you wear is stimulating confidence, then it is time to consult the experts, which is something marketing and PR consultant Katie McGregor did. She says the experience did make her feel more confident. “I have always felt a bit out of sync when it comes to being stylish. I used to have wardrobes full of unflattering, mismatched clothes and had nothing to wear.”

She sought Roth Lindsay’s advice on makeup, colour and style, and said that the increase in confidence started from the beginning. “Eve makes you feel wonderful about yourself, so if anyone is feeling down, this is a great present. And her advice and tips really worked. Since I have had clothes made in the colours and styles that suit me, I have had many complimentary comments.” And as we all know, a compliment does make you feel more confident. 

“After my session, I was glad to go out and buy a new wardrobe. I also felt confident in choosing clothes and had quite a few things made because I could then get them made in the right colours and the right style to suit me best. When you know what colours and styles suit you, you also feel braver choosing clothes that make the right statement for the right occasion,” concludes McGregor.

“For everyday feel-good confidence, get to know the cuts, lengths, colours and materials best for you. You’ll be surprised at the difference this will make in your professional life,” says Roth Lindsay. When you look good, you feel good, and you carry yourself with more confidence. It’s that simple.

Top Tips: Women

•  Invest in a suit that fits properly. Tailored, neat and well-fitting clothes create an air of power and authority; make sure your outfits are never too tight.
•  Keep shirts with collars to wear on days when you leave your suit jacket or blazer behind.
•  Look up to your boss: dress to their standards to show you mean business.
•  Wear small heels to give added height and promote a confident posture.
•  Ensure tights, blouses and jewellery are impeccable; mend or replace damaged or stained garments.
•  Add small, tasteful accessories to a skirt suit.
•  Always have a classic white button-down shirt on standby.
•  Deeper solid colours will make you appear more professional.

Top Tips: Men

•  Buy a microfibre suit for all-year wear. These fabrics look good even after having to travel some distance to a meeting.
•  Look up to your boss: there is no clearer sign of how you should be dressing than looking at what your superiors have on.
•  Finish your look with a smart leather briefcase that doesn’t cut corners on style and finish.
•  Remember trends in fashion come and go very quickly. Follow trends carefully and don’t overbuy trendy items. Spend less on new fashion items and more on classic suit pieces.

The Right Outfit Every Time

•  Follow the dress code
•  If no dress code, take note of the location/activity
•  Select clothing that you feel confident wearing
•  Better to slightly overdress than under dress
•  Ask colleagues/superiors for advice
•  If you are presenting: a touch of colour will maintain audience attention; vertical lines, such as pinstripe will naturally draw attention up to the face; let your voice do the talking so avoid loud clothing

Defining Dress Codes
Dress codes can vary depending on the type of business, but here is some advice for corporate business day wear:

• Business formal – traditional full-suited business attire with absolutely no compromising. Women can also wear a dress or dress pants (with tailored shirt) and matching jacket.

• Business casual – a dressed-down version of traditional business attire as opposed to casual dressed up. For example, a suit with no tie; or blazer as opposed to a suit jacket for men, or a shirt and trousers/skirt (not short) or a shift dress for women (but bring a jacket just in case).

• Smart casual – dress up your corduroys or chinos with a smart shirt for men. For women as above, minus the jacket.

• Contemporary business casual – allows for stylish jeans with a collared shirt, or smart top for women, no jacket.

Find the true you! 

A little confidence can go a long way towards understanding what makes you tick. Let our experts start you on your road to self-discovery and give you the confidence needed to get on out there and express yourself.

Stand Tall
How you present yourself to the world is an impact on how confident you feel in your own skin. Our experts explain how they can help.

“Image Consultants specialize in making people feel good about themselves,” says Eve Roth Lindsay, managing director of Savvy Style. “We show you how to look your best and discover the true you. Once you know how to make the most of your assets, you’ll look better, thus feel better and ultimately gain in confidence as you start to feel good about yourself. When you look good; you feel good, it’s that simple.”

“Image consulting works by choosing colours that look good on you and styles that flatter your body shape. When you look good, you carry yourself differently and it shows. Savvy Style, Colour Me Beautiful HK offers practical and affordable image advice in which you’ll learn the tips and tricks to keep you looking and feeling good.”

Visit www.savvystyle.com for more information. 

In the 1970s, Professor Albert Mehrabian of the UCLA published ‘Silent Messages”, a research that is often quoted. In the research, he claimed that our impression of a person depends on three elements: look and behavior account for 55%; tone of voice accounts for 38%; and words only account for seven percent of our impression. This shows that more than 90% of our first impression to others is about appearance, not about internal beauty.

Clothes that fit can show your character
specializing in image consultancy for individuals and corporations; Eve Roth Lindsay is also a fashion designer, university lecturer, and author. She talks about the research in detail. “You only have one opportunity to promote yourself. No matter if it is a job interview or a business meeting, anyone who wears clothes that fit can impress the people they are meeting. If you wear the wrong clothes, people will still be talking about you for two weeks,” she says.

Some people think that image consultancy is luxurious. Eve asks, “Have you thrown away some clothes that you have never worn? Most people wear the same twenty percent of clothes over eighty percent of the time.”

She is not trying to transform an “ugly duckling into a swan”. She also will not ask her customers to keep fit or change their appearances completely. She is only teaching them how to “use a closet properly” and stop wasting money on buying clothes that do not fit.

However, many people never notice the problem. Eve provides a measurement index. “If you need more than ten minutes to decide what to wear before you go out, you fail!” she says. This shows that you have bought too many clothes that cannot be matched. That is why you need time to think.

Sarah Palin is a bad example
Her clients include individual clients and corporations such as HSBC (0005.HK), Citibank, and KPMG, etc. This shows that the appearance of employees is a part of a corporation’s image.

Although we say “clothes make the person”, Eve thinks the most important thing is to wear clothes according to your position. She uses US Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin as an example. “As a ‘honkey mum’ that has five kids, it is not a shameful for her to wear clothes that are bought from a second-hand clothes shop in Alaska. We should appreciate her concern for her family,” Eve says. However, the Republican Party gave her US$150,000 (about HK$1,160,000) to buy clothes. The famous brands worn by her give people the impression that she is a shopaholic who cares nothing about people’s hardship or economic difficulties.

This explains why you need to choose clothes that fit your position. However, if you are in an entry level position, you can try to wear clothes that show you are more reliable “If you don’t want to stay in the entry level for a long time, you can try to imitate what your senior executives are wearing. This will give people an impression that you two are similar. They will assume that your abilities are higher,” she says.

Accessories help to show your style
Although you cannot wear clothes that are considered odd in the office; Eve suggests that you can choose accessories such as watches, rings, scarves, etc. Just like Chief Executive Donald Tsang, you can also wear bow ties (that’s his talking point). Eve adds, “Just find something that can become a ‘talking point’, so that people will remember you.”

Eve has studied psychology in the past. She says colours affect people’s perception. Therefore, you should not wear bright-coloured clothes that may not fit you. She thinks black suits are the safest. Navy blue and dark grey are also good choices for bankers and politicians. If you are a teacher or salespersons that have constant interactions with different people, you can choose neutral colours such as beige or khaki. If you are in the creative sector, you can wear any colour.

“Ladies can add some colour to their clothes. However, if they wear a pink suit like the one that the main character wears in the movie ‘Legally Blonde’, men will not take you seriously,” Eve says.

Tips for Office Wear from Eve Roth Lindsay

1.    Deeper solid colours will make you appear more professional
2.    Use brighter colours such as accents, they will make you stand out
3.    Tailored, neat, and well-fitting clothes create an air of power and authority; make sure your outfits are never too tight
4.    The higher the neckline and the lower the hem, the more you mean business
5.    Casual dressing means ‘Dressy Casual’. It does not mean that you don’t make a choice
6.    People who wear casual clothes can choose shirts that are not expensive, but the colour should be neutral
7.    Torn jeans, sportswear, trainers and slippers are not appropriate office wear
8.    If you don’t know the ‘casual’ standard in the office, you should look at how others are dressed in the office (meaning for casual Friday or working in the office on the weekends).
9.    Dress for your most important client every day
10.  Look after your hands and nails 

Style Guru, For those with the cash to splash, looking good has never been so easy…

Everyone has a fashion disaster lurking in the back of the wardrobe: that retro rah-rah skirt that never quite came back into style (was it ever in style?); the safari suit that seemed like a good idea at the time, and that diaphanous kaftan that would make Kate Moss look fat. 

If it all sounds too familiar, help is at hand from personal shoppers and style gurus like Eve Roth Lindsay whose consultancy Savvy Style provides a range of services for style-challenged individuals. As your personal stylist, Lindsay will cover everything from choosing the best cut for your figure to the most flattering haircut for your face shape. She will also ensure you are never again mistaken for the office tea boy. 

“Together we plan and determine the image that is most appropriate for you,” says Lindsay, “and then show you how to get the most out of your wardrobe to achieve the look you have always wanted.” 

When Christine Petersen set up her company Time Technology, which specializes in helping other companies improve time management, she had no idea that her own time management would go out of the window. “I have my own business and know how important first impressions are,” says Petersen, “but I have no dress sense and absolutely no time to shop or think about outfits.” 

She decided to invest in herself by hiring Lindsay to design a coordinated wardrobe, complete with shoes, jewelry and accessories. Firstly, a full colour analysis was done to ensure each item brought out the best in her skin tone. Once the wardrobe was complete, photographs were taken of each outfit combination and a look book given to Petersen for easy reference. “It now takes me five minutes to do my make-up and get dressed,” says Petersen. “I know how to rotate my wardrobe so I always look different, and people think I’ve lost weight because I’m finally wearing the right cut for me.”

Personal styling might not come cheap – a two-hour private style consultation will set you back HK$1,100, a two-hour wardrobe weeding session a further $2,000 and a 90-minute colour analysis $950 (not to mention the cost of the new wardrobe) – but in the end it can save you a lot of time and money, not to mention fashion disasters.