I did some research and called up a few HR from different job types and I’d like to share with you what I found out.
So, can you wear a leather jacket to a job interview? Yes! you can certainly wear a leather jacket if the company culture and type of business is casual, business-casual, or customer service type of job. The racer leather jacket style to be precise can be worn because it is versatile with minimal design.
It can be worn to a business-casual or creative type of job interview.
It is better to overdress for a job interview than to underdress.
There’s a lot that goes into preparing for an interview and what to wear forms a vital part of the entire process. Because we live in a more creative era, it’s just difficult to define whats too much and what’s just about right in terms of what to wear.
Most people understand with no doubt that wearing a suit, shirt, tailored dress, pants, and tie is the sure way to go but what about wearing a leather jacket for an interview? Is it really possible to wear it and not ruining a perfect job opportunity?
The organization type basically determines what one can wear during a job interview.
If you are interviewing for a position as a truck driver, you certainly can go with something semi-formal, Business-casual like a leather jacket.
In such industries, the CEOs themselves do not even wear suits, yet still, you can never go wrong with overdressing by wearing a suit.
If the interview is with a cooperate type company, then you cannot wear a leather jacket for a job interview as in such organizations you would want to appear as subtle as possible and wearing a leather jacket may not communicate the subtility required.
While there is no rule of thumb on this, You’ll see some people wearing leather jackets to the office though, but hey! they’ve already got the job and possibly proved their worth over the years in the company.
All they need to focus on is to wear the right style that is suitable and quite formal and they are good to go.
While wearing your most favorite leather jacket can make you feel charming, it must be well researched before deciding to wear it.
Let’s say you are going to be flying blind and don’t have any clue as to what the dress code culture is in the organization, or better still you are not sure regardless of the industry, then wearing a leather jacket may be a bad idea.
So in this article, I explain the importance of wearing the right type of outfit for a job interview.
Why wearing a Leather Jacket to a Job Interview May NOT be a Good Idea
I totally understand that wearing a conventional suit (male and female) and tie for an interview may seem boring or something you may not be used to especially if it is your first job hunt.
While wearing the usual suit, pants, and an office shirt for a cooperate type company interview may be uncomfortable for you, there’s a lot more to just appearing fashionable.
Wearing a leather jacket under the wrong circumstance will affect the kind of initial impression you create. Before you let out your knowledge and experience, the first line of communication from you is what you wear and how you wear it.
All it takes is a quick three seconds glance at you, for someone to assess you when you meet for the first time.
Within such a short time, an impression is formed especially based on appearance, body language, your demeanor, and your mannerisms
During an interview, it is such impressions that make people pretty much nervous because these first impressions can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo, and they often set the tone for the interaction that follows.
In the cooperate type environment, a lot is desired in your appearance during the interview. This is because you automatically become an icon of the company and they need to be sure you will represent them well anywhere you go.
Wearing a leather jacket under the wrong circumstance of an interview will give off the impression you did not do due diligence in terms of research on the company.
Before deciding to go with your leather jacket to the interview, you much do a prudent search on the company.
You can visit the organization website, socially media pages and look for work-related photos.
By doing this, you will see different employees of the company under different circumstances and what they wore.
You could also give the Human Resource manager a call and inquire about the dress code for the interview and mostly, they are nice and will be willing to help you decipher what to wear.
The due diligence you do in specific reference to what you wear will go a long way to give you a boost in confidence as wearing the right thing and knowing very well you are on point takes the anxiety of your looks and focuses on how you are going to present your ideas and plans for the organization.
Finally, what you wear is sort of a yardstick for most organizations to know whether you will fit in or not. Organizations are big on culture, and certainly, you would want to appear as if you belong there.
The popular silicon valley attire of jeans, a t-shirt, and a messenger bag is just right for their entrepreneurial environment and as an interviewee knowing and dressing as such makes you perfectly fit in.
Although you need to appear confident during your interview, wearing a leather jacket in such an environment may turn out well but may not present you as subtle as you would want to be.
What you should wear instead
Aside from knowing why wearing a leather jacket for an interview may not be a great idea some people out there know they need to wear some form of formal attire but aren’t sure about what type to go for under what circumstance.
Cooperate Type Company – Men
For cooperate type jobs like banking or law, your aim while preparing for an interview is to go with a dark suit or navy suit (two bottoms) with a white or light blue shirt and a dark-colored tie (For men).
Watch a video on What to Wear to a Job Interview – Corporate Professionals (Men)
Cooperate Type Company – Women
And for women, go with a white cotton shirt, a suit trousers, and a matching blazer will do a great job of striking a good impression.
This will allow the freedom for you to take off the blazer if you feel it’s hot. There’s a lot more you could wear in the video below.
Watch a video on What to Wear to a Job Interview – Corporate Professionals (Women)
Business Casual Type Company
This is a notch down from the very formal wear. This includes technology or entrepreneur startups, etc. In this type of company, you can go to a job interview with men and female chinos, a shirt, and a blazer.
Watch a video on How to dress for a Business Casual Type Company Women
Watch a video on How to dress for a Business Casual Type Company Men
Creative Type Company (Men and Women)
Here we refer to the type of company like fashion, graphic design, other creative positions. Usually, these types of jobs will make use of unconventional places for interviews like the coffee shop and this might get you thinking as to what to wear especially when it is a creative type company and the interview setting is out of the office.
In this context, looking professional while looking creative is the key. Although this profession is more of a creative environment, you can never go wrong with looking professional.
Employers are mostly skewed towards someone who presents him or herself more professionally than casual.
Employers will expect you to show off your creativity with colors, shoes, bags, accessories, bags, and so many other ways without going totally casual.
A lot of men and women get this part so wrong and cause them to lose great opportunities.
When going for an interview be it this category or another, make sure the base of your outfit is professional.
You could go with a pantsuit, a beautiful blouse or a nice shirt with a nice pair of trousers and a blazer or a leather jacket.
The outfit should totally resemble someone who is going for a job interview.
To give off a sense of creativity in your outfit, you could wear fun colorful shoes, nice statement jewelry, etc.
You just need to do what you have to do to get the job and for sure after you have the job, you can spruce more forms of creative expressions as you would want.