Is It The Shoes or The Suit?

Preparation for an interview can be rough enough even if you're not a fashionista.  Business Dress Codes are diverse, ranging from business casual to, well, is anyone but lawyers and bankers wearing suits anymore?

One tip to remember is to ask what you are supposed to wear.  Recruiters usually prefer their candidates wear suits to an interview, even if the office is dressed down, because we know that a candidate in a suit is on their best behavior.

If you're not wearing a suit, you ought to consider at least springing for the nice shoes.  Our dress code for recruiting used to be, if you're not in a suit, at least wear "shiny shoes."  Shiny shoes was our code word for dress shoes with a solid sole.

I've thought about it for years, and finally realized it wasn't the clothes that made the difference, it was the shoes.  It is my contention that the kind of shoes we wear has a direct effect on the manner in which we compose ourselves in an interview, or in business in general.

Try this experiment:

Put on a suit, and instead of the wingtips, wear sneakers.

Now try on a pair of slacks and a polo short, but wear hard-soled shoes with a shine.

How does each make you feel.  Wearing the polo shirt and dress shoes, don't  you just feel like you're at work, or at least dressed up?  The suit and sneakers may make you look silly, so take off the shoes and go barefoot.  Aren't you missing something?

The difference is more obvious like this, but the truth is a good pair of shoes, laced up and shiny, puts you in a "business" frame of mind, while a pair of loafers, slip-ons, or,  really anything else encourages you to act casual.  I don't know the rules for women - but for a man, the right pair of shoes makes a difference in the way we carry ourselves.