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Deciding what to wear to a job interview makes writing the interview-winning resume look easy! In about one tenth of a second, your interviewer will decide how attractive, likeable, trustworthy, competent and aggressive you are. Also, as Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov at Princeton University showed, the decision will not change much in the following minutes. More time tends to reinforce opinions. With one tenth of a second to make a good impression, appearances count. That's all the interviewer has to go on.

Where to start? Unless you're in a suitless society (such as The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia or the southern states of America), wear a smart suit to a job interview. Your choice of suit will say a lot about you.

SINGLE BREASTED VS DOUBLE BREASTED SUITS

Single breasted suits are less formal, more approachable and more slimming than double-breasted suits. Double-breasted suits portray authority. Which one to wear to a job interview will depend on two things:

* your physical size
* the job for which you are applying

John T. Molloy, in his book "New Dress for Success" notes that physically large men can be very intimidating. He recommends they avoid high-authority suits in navy or pinstripes. Choose instead a single-breasted suit in a medium or soft grey. Wear it with a medium blue shirt and a grey and blue tie. Small men, on the other hand, can be easily overlooked. Here, he recommends high-authority clothing. Choose a single or double-breasted suit, depending on the job and your weight, in navy or smart pinstripes. Wear it with a white shirt and an expensive tie. If your physical size is not an issue, he recommends you wear a solid blue suit with a white shirt and a conservative tie to the first job interview.

Choose a more formal, authoritative style or colour for a management job interview. Likewise, choose more conservative clothing for industries such as banking.

SHIRTS

When last did you measure your collar size? Many men buy shirts out of habit. If you feel as though your shirt is strangling you, it probably is! At a job interview, you want to feel comfortable, not constricted, so take care to wear a well-fitting shirt. If you can fit one finger inside the buttoned collar, you have the size right.

Colour is important too. White signals authority and integrity, a good choice for a job interview. Pastels are professional if they look almost white.

TIES

For a job interview, keep the colour and pattern of your tie conservative. The width should balance with the lapels of your suit, the pattern with your size. Large men can wear bolder ties, while small men need more discreet patterns.

THE SUITLESS SOCIETY

Suitless does not mean scruffy! You should still wear elegant trousers and a business shirt to a job interview, though a tie may not always be necessary. Keep the trousers plain, not patterned, in a conservative colour. Choose the shirt colour according to your stature. A navy blazer or tweed sports jacket provides a professional finishing touch.

Remember, you have one tenth of a second to make a good impression at a job interview. Dress to make the most of it!

Learn more about this author, Janet Pieterse.
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