I'm now in a sulk :(

Reading this thread with so much interest, and enjoying at the same time.
Oh and I am staying out of it by the way :)
Seems like argument just confines to job interviews and dress codes, but have you all stopped to think about dress code when going for a wedding shoot meeting with a prospective client for example? How about £400 expensive suit vs a very cheap one? Would one nail the deal and the cheap lose it? Or even if the expensive (£400) would add a few browny points and help seal the deal?

If you ask me I think each situation merits its own particular way of looking at this. And do not forget that often even the interviewer's one perception of things and personal bias can influence. One might visualise an IT contractor (good one) as typically having a beard scruffy looking chap which might imply in his or her head that he is a very immersed in his work to even bother about looks (Bill Gates comes to mind when he was young and I wonder what he must have dressed when he attended his first interview), but another probably might put a lot of stress on the looks linking the visual aspect to how he must also be conducting his work.
Too complicated.

But £400 for a suit and extra pair of trousers? :), Good suit prices must have gone over the roof lol.

And there I go contradicting myself in the biginning of the comment about staying off commenting it, just couldn't help ha :)
 
My view is a interview is an opportunity to sell myself, so how I am presenting my company, and there for myself is important, I am always clean shaven, shoes polished, smart suit and tie.

I am not saying that I ever get extra points for the appearance, as mentioned I am being hired for my knowledge and what I can do for them, but if you have two candidates who are equally skilled something will be used to differentiate them.

I am a firm believer that most people can tell a cheap, suit by looking at it, the material, the fit is not quite right (I am very tall so finding suit that fits is hard enough) but also a good quality suit, will last longer than a cheap suit so I'm willing to spend a little more to make sure I keep earning more money in the future, so maybe I can get D300s rather than a D90!
 
Going against the grain somewhat, but I would have no problem paying £400 for a decent suit with a second pair of trousers. I last bought a suit two or three months ago for £350 and it's awesome, but I'm in the kind of work where I wear a suit every day (not the same one though).

Having said that, anytime I have a bit of disposable income I'm torn between camera kit or clothes.
 
Just to add my twopennyworth - I agree that a good suit can make or break an interview - even in IT. If used appropriately - as in doing some gen on the company in question and not turning up to a well known casual company with starched collars, but 400 is waaay over the top - I have numerous customer visits and I get Pierre Cardin suits for £150 a pop and Cerruti for £220 - shoes to go with for £40 and shirt for £22. Seems to go down well.

C
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top