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Is It Ever OK To Wear Jeans To An Interview?

Q. Jordan, I’m really hoping you can help me.

I have a second-round interview on Wednesday for a job that I really, really want.

Before my last interview, the owner emailed me and said, “FYI, we’re VERY casual here.” I came straight from work at my stuffy corporate job, so I was wearing a jacket, black top and tan dress pants. His comment to me, in a joking way, was, “THAT is what you call casual?” (To give you an idea of just how casual they are, 60% of the interview was conducted on the patio over beers. The owner was in jeans, a t-shirt and flip-flops, and the other girl who interviewed me was in a cute top, jeans and sandals.)

So for my second interview, I was thinking about wearing this shirt in slate grey with dark skinny jeans and peep-toe pumps. And of course a pop of color with the accessories.

One of my friends about dropped dead from shock when I said that I’m going to wear jeans to the interview, so now I’m second-guessing it. I want to seem like I would fit in with them as much as possible, and that includes my appearance — plus, he went out of his way the last time to tell me that they dress casually, which made me feel like there was no expectation for me to show up there wearing business professional attire (and truthfully, I felt like an idiot in the outfit I chose).

I’d really love your opinion. Is it a major faux pas to wear jeans to an interview even if I would wear jeans every day if I got the job? Or even better, what would YOU wear in this kind if situation?

Thanks — I love your site!

-B

Super-Casual...But Professional

A. I think you know what I’m going to say here.

There are those who hold “never wear jeans to an interview” as a hard-and-fast rule, and I think that yes, that’s a good general guideline to go by, especially if you’re not sure what kind of situation you’re walking into.

But to me this is a no-brainer.

Are there some interviews to which it would be more than OK – desirable, even – to wear jeans? Yes. And I’ll give you one example: if I was your potential employer, and the one interviewing you. I actually interviewed a potential JITH production assistant a couple of weeks back, and he showed up wearing a neat shirt, jeans, and sneakers. I was wearing a tank top and shorts. The interview was held sitting in the grass in my backyard, because we didn’t have outdoor furniture yet.

An extreme example? Sort of. But I use it to illustrate the point that there are all kinds of jobs, and all kinds of people, and that even with interviews, where a certain amount of decorum is expected (and important), you still have to take into account individual circumstances. Wearing a suit to an interview at a punk-rock clothing store makes about as much sense as wearing flip-flops to an interview at a conservative law firm.

Yes, it’s important to treat an interview with respect, and it’s important to err on the side of formality (especially if you’re coming into a situation where you’re not sure who you’re meeting with or what the company is like). BUT (and this is a big but): it’s also important to show your potential employer that you fit in with the corporate culture, and by conducting the interview on a patio over beers while wearing flip-flops (and directly commenting on the “formality” of your not-so-formal attire) he gave you not one, but several major cues that I think it would benefit you to pick up on, if only to show him that you understand and are interested in acclimating to his company’s ideology.

That said, I wouldn’t dress as casually as your potential employer or his colleague did: no matter how informal the interview, it’s still important to look neat and presentable. This means no rips, tears, stains, or extra skin showing (you never know where people draw the line when it comes to workplace propriety, and you don’t want an exposed inch of skin to be the deal breaker).

I think you’re right on the ball with your idea of pairing dark jeans with a nice top and shoes (I put together a suggested look for you above, though you may prefer a lower heel; I just really loved that pair of Sergio Rossis and wanted to throw them into the mix); the only other thing that I think you should make sure to do is style your makeup and hair so that you look subtly polished and professional.

Very excited for you – good luck, and please let me know how it goes!

J

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August 30th, 2012 | Posted by Jordan | Style | 6 Comments »
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  • April
  • http://barnardbabyblog.tumblr.com Adrienne

    As an HR Manager in a very causal start up company I would continue to err on the side of formal. We have had potential employees show up in jeans and to honest, it always gives me a slightly negative impression. I think what likely got him was the jacket. I would tell anyone, no matter the interview to always suit up for a first round unless they expressly tell you not to- which is sounds like he did and what you wore was appropriate. I would recommend a skirt and top- skirts can go either way (or a business casual dress, think cotton with a belt) and shoes you get that this isn’t super formal.
    All that said, your best bet is going with your gut- and if your gut says you’ll nail it by dressing down more- follow that.
    Last point- is there any kind of HR or person you could reach out to check your impulse? Candidates do that with me and I never mind and am always able to steer them!

  • http://www.facebook.com/abigail.tseng Abigail Tseng

    I second April’s suggestion of skinny black pants, and if the Interviewee would want to take it a step closer to casual, perhaps a solid-colored denim or skinny jean would be appropriate (not too bright, but something neutral and pairing well with the shirt color). I understand that there are definitely casual work environments, but I think wearing denim blue jeans, no matter how dark, tends to make assumptions about the interviewer that I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable making until I knew 100% that I got the job. Sounds like a fun place to work, though! Good luck!

  • cely

    If this was a first interview, I would agree with the other commenters. But she’s already been once and been told that she needs to go more casual. Interviews are not just about skills, they are about how you fit into the culture. If they think she can’t fit in, she won’t get the job. I’d go with jeans and “dressed up” elsewhere as the OP and Jordan both suggested.

  • Lauren

    Wearing a dress is another option. That way you’re not in jeans or in formal business clothes. When I interviewed at a tech company everyone who interviewed me was wearing jeans. I wore a fun print dress – I felt pulled together, but not too stuffy.

  • leigh

    i think you’re right in that she has been given clear feedback from the initial interview. had she been interviewing with HR, i would suggest going more formal. but this is the owner and he has set an expectation both verbally and by example. i work for a software company that is a major player in the ERP space (i.e. we compete head to head with oracle). until recently our unwritten policy was that if you showed up to an interview in a suit, you clearly didn’t ‘get’ our culture and you were an automatic no. researching how to ‘fit’ their culture is every bit as important as researching the company itself to prepare for an interview. if i were interviewing a candidate in our environment, the above outfit would be perfect. just be impeccably groomed, make sure the shoes and accessories are polished, and keep the denim dark. good luck!