Elbowing my way through the crowded lobby of a conference hotel, I couldn’t help noticing — not for the first time — that even exceptionally smart people aren’t always adept at matching skirts and blouses, or knowing which tie goes with which shirt. In fact, at times, the relationship between intelligence and fashion sense seems to be an inverse one.
I’m not saying most academics dress badly. Well, OK, I am kind of saying that. But I realize that it’s a pretty broad generalization, and also that my observation might seem a bit shallow. After all, academics tend to have more important things on their minds than how they look.
On the other hand, if you’re interviewing for a job, you might want to pay some attention to the way you dress. Because interviewers — yes, even a committee of curmudgeonly old tenured faculty members, most of whom don’t wear Armani themselves — are going to make judgments about you, fair or not, based on how you present yourself. And what you wear is part of your overall presentation.
Before I proceed, I should probably acknowledge that I’m no fashion plate. Those who saw me at the above-mentioned conference might have noticed that I was somewhat, ah, casually dressed. (Except when I was presenting, of course.) On the other hand, I wasn’t there looking for a job.
When I have been on the market, I’ve dressed at least well enough not to deter four search committees from offering me tenure-track positions. A colleague who served on the first of those committees later confided that I’d gotten the job because I “looked like an English professor.” I still haven’t figured out whether he meant that as a compliment.
In any case, as the interview season gets under way at community colleges, here are some suggestions as you ponder your ensemble for that crucial day.
Go for professional, not corporate. Perhaps I should stipulate that I’m talking about faculty interviews, not administrative ones.
With that in mind, I suggest that male candidates wear sport coats and slacks rather than suits. Dressing like you’re interviewing for a job at a bank could send the wrong message to the above-mentioned curmudgeons. If you’re determined to wear a suit, go with something in an earth tone, like brown or tan. But you might feel more comfortable, while at the same time still looking acceptably professorial, in a nice blue blazer or gray tweed.
Female candidates can get away with wearing a suit to an academic interview, since they can soften the stern effect, as necessary, by choosing the right blouse. A blazer with coordinating slacks or a skirt is also appropriate. Dresses, with rare exceptions, tend to present the least professional image.
Choose your colors carefully. With apologies to the happier end of the color spectrum, when it comes to the academic interview, only dark shades (navy blue, gray, black) and earth tones (brown, olive, tan) are appropriate for jackets and slacks. No pastels, please, or bright hues of red, blue, or green.
That is especially true for men. After all, no one thinks twice about seeing a woman in a red suit, while a man wearing the same color would certainly draw attention, but not the kind that would lead to a job offer. Men can pay homage to color only in their ties — but not, I repeat, not with their shirts. Dress shirts should be white or blue oxfords, period.
Even for women, dark or earth tones are preferable in a job interview. You want interviewers to be focusing on your skills and experience, not your fashion choices. Still, women can always get away with wearing more color than men, and a brightly colored blouse can set off a severe dark suit rather nicely.
Remember, too, that the colors and patterns you wear should look good on you and look good together. Ask a trusted friend or loved one — or someone more objective, like a store clerk — which colors best complement your skin tone and hair color. Try to get objective opinions as well about combinations: Does this blouse go with that skirt? This tie with that jacket?
An appropriate ensemble for a male candidate might include a gray tweed jacket with navy dress slacks, a blue oxford shirt, and a burgundy tie (which is more or less what I was wearing when I was accused of looking like an English prof). Your shoes should be black (with navy or gray slacks) or brown (with brown, olive, or tan slacks.) Socks should match your slacks, not your shirt or jacket.
Female candidates, I think, always look professional in navy or black pantsuits paired with bright pastel blouses in shades like orchid, chartreuse, or periwinkle. (One of the useful things I’ve learned in 25 years of marriage is the names of colors.)
Avoid extremes and “signature” styles. That skinny tie you like to wear with your top button undone? Leave it at home. Same with the sandals and the Che Guevara T-shirt under your sport coat. For all their left-leaning politics, college professors are a pretty conservative bunch when it comes to fashion.
This moratorium on extremes applies to high fashion as well as low. For men, that means no jackets with more than three buttons or with unusually wide, narrow, or pointed lapels. For women it means no exceptionally short skirts (hems should rise no higher than just above the knee), low-cut blouses, or otherwise revealing attire.
Hip as I am, I must regretfully include youthful styles in this discussion. Fluttering shirttails, dress slacks with tennis shoes, jeans with sport coats — those may look fine at the coffee shop, and you probably can get away with them in the classroom. In an interview situation, they’re all nonstarters.
Pay attention to the details. Often it’s the minor things about your appearance that leave the most significant impression.
Men: Make sure your clothes are neatly pressed and as wrinkle-free as possible. Knot your tie appropriately and pull it all the way up. Wash and comb your hair (length doesn’t matter as long as it’s neat), clip your fingernails, brush your teeth, trim your facial hair, and shine your shoes. Your brilliant intellect and disdain for worldly concerns do not excuse you from adhering to basic societal standards of cleanliness and respectability.
Women: You, too, should make sure your clothes are clean and well-ironed. Avoid extremes in makeup and jewelry. Make sure your nails look well cared for (although I would recommend against brightly colored polish). Wear shoes that are unscuffed and have an appropriate heel, based on your height and the style of your outfit. If you’re going with a skirt, you should probably also (and I’m going to take some heat for saying this) wear hose.
Don’t overspend. Nothing I’ve said means that you have to go out and spend $500 on a new wardrobe. Chances are, you already own many of the items I’ve mentioned and will just need to fill in the gaps — a blouse here, a tie there. Even if you’re buying everything new, you can probably find what you need for under $200 at discounters like Marshall’s and TJ Maxx. You might even check out the thrift stores. That gray tweed jacket that helped me land my first job? I bought it from Goodwill for $5.
Remember, the objective isn’t to draw attention to what you’re wearing but rather to draw attention away from your appearance and toward the substance of you candidacy. You want to be dressed neatly and appropriately enough that committee members say to themselves, “OK, this person looks fine, now let’s see what he or she has to say.” What you don’t want is for them to spend the entire hour staring at your unusual dress or your garish tie, wondering what the heck you were thinking.
You can always break out that funky skirt, that skinny tie, or those beat-up Converse tennis shoes after you get the job. Your students might appreciate them but, rest assured, the search committee won’t.