<p>ok so I have several engineering co-op interviews coming up and I have no idea what is appropriate to wear. The only guideline the co-op office gave me was to wear a suit or a coat and tie. I wasn’t thinking about co-oping till after a month into the semester so I didn’t come to school prepared with any really nice clothes. I’m also the kid who just wears t-shirts and basketball shorts all the time and I’ve never really had to dress up till now haha (welcome to the real world?)</p>
<p>So a couple of questions</p>
<ol>
<li>Would a nice button down shirt and a tie, khakis work for a co-op/internship interview? (don’t own a suit or a coat)</li>
<li>Do I need to wear a belt even if my khakis/pants fit? (I don’t own one so I was wondering if I should go and buy one)</li>
<li>What kind of shoes can I get away with? The nicest shoes I have right now are dark blue sperrys but that seems like it may be just dressing down a bit (if not I’ll have to go find some nicer shoes)</li>
</ol>
<p>thanks for answering my questions! Guess I’ll have to start acquiring some more professional attire since I’m a junior now</p>
<p>You should be able to head to your local Target (most universities have it on their bus service) and pick up a belt and shoes for a really reasonable price. I agree the oxford/tie/kakis will be okay if they are neat, clean, and pressed. You may be able to borrow something from a suite/hallmate if you get really stuck. Adding a sport coat would be nice if someone could loan you a basic navy blazer. Remember, brown shoes/brown belt/dark brown or navy socks, black belt/black shoes/black socks. Do not mix these groups. ;)</p>
<p>You’ll probably be interviewed by guys wearing Hawaiian shirts…but you can’t wear those until AFTER you get the job, LOL! (Wear a belt, better shoes, and buy a jacket. You’ll be going on more of these interviews and to more formal occasions, so you might as well get an ensemble ready.)</p>
<p>I would at least follow the suggestions of wearing either a suit OR a coat/tie. Try to borrow a sport coat. You don’t want to be the only one that does not wear a jacket. Yes, you need a belt and better shoes.</p>
<p>I disagree, partially. If he had a suit on campus and the career services center suggested a suit or jacket and tie, then that’s the custom. My son is in the e’school and has an interview this week. He has a suit and will be wearing it. He’s comfortable in it and won’t think twice. I doubt the interviewer will either…that’s the point, so they can focus on your resume.</p>
<p>Borrow from your friends so that you have at least a belt that goes with your non-athletic shoes ( brown with brown, black with black) and tie. If you can find a blazer that fits borrow it</p>
<p>There are perennial threads like this and I’m always amazed that people’s parents let them down so badly by not providing them with situations where one would dress up and by not providing them with one “dress-up” outfit for school. (No one ever goes to a nice dinner downtown, a church service, a play / show, a wedding, a funeral, a visit to see aunt Bertha?) </p>
<p>This has nothing to do with having or not having money – you could find a sportcoat, button down shirt, tie and khakis for a guy and a pants or skirt suit for a girl at Target or even Walmart. OP - yes, you need to at least borrow these things from a hallmate if you can’t get your own, and you need to invest in at least some basics for the real world.</p>
<p>I’ve never gone out to a nice dinner, had to dress up for church (went to a really casual megachurch), never been to a play/show, wedding or a funeral and my relatives dress just as casual as I do so I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve had to dress up before.</p>
<p>My dad is an electrical engineer at the Harvard-Smithsonian observatory and he told me that what I have right now should be enough to get through an interview but I am realizing now that maybe that isn’t completely true haha (or like Fendrock said, maybe in Massachusetts we are just way too casual)</p>
<p>Thanks for the help! I will swing by Walmart/Target tomorrow to pick up at least belt and some nicer shoes.</p>
<p>If you borrow from friends or buy one make sure the coat fits. The sleeve should be 4-4 1/2" from the end of your thumb, no longer. The coat length should rest in your hand but not fold when you cup your hand and should cover your rear but not hang down below it. Shoulders should hit the end of your shoulder. Guys look ridiculous and not at all like a serious candidate when the coat is too big or too small.</p>
<p>Never in your entire life has there been an occasion above t shirt and jeans? That’s sad. You would be well served at one point to go to a nice store, find a good website or ask a hall mate about how to dress for an interview or nice occasion. One day you’re going to meet the parents of a special girl or something and it may call for a pair of khakis.</p>
<p>The people in the co-op office get PAID to know what you should be wearing. And YOU paid them to know (through your tuition). Think of it like you would an exam. The professor said, “This will be on the exam. And here is the answer.” Then the exam came, and you…</p>
<p>That said, if you have specific belt, and shoe questions, etc. - they will be happy to answer them for you. At my d.'s school, where 81% of the students get internships, the career services office actually asks to SEE what you will be wearing before you go out on an interview, as they know many students have never thought about these things before. (In fact, in the Business School, they even hold a training on how to EAT at an interview or business lunch.)</p>
<p>Make sure that everything fits. I see new graduate and intern candidates with poorly fitting suits and dress shirts fairly often, probably because of (a) inexperience with buying and wearing dress clothes, and (b) most dress clothes are made to fit older men who are not built like university age men.</p>
<p>Suit sizing is described here: [Determining</a> Your Suit Size](<a href=“Delberts.com”>Delberts.com)
Note that the “athletic cut” suits that some university age men will need are hard to find. Suit separates may help, but the jacket may need considerable alteration to fit a waist significantly smaller than the chest.</p>
<p>Dress shirt sizing is described here: [US</a> standard clothing size - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“U.S. standard clothing size - Wikipedia”>U.S. standard clothing size - Wikipedia)
Note that dress shirts are sold by neck size (which implies a chest and waist size) and sleeve length. If your chest and waist sizes do not match up with the sizes implied by your neck size, then you may need to have the shirt altered to fit (if your waist size is about 2" smaller than the chart shows, you can attempt to find an “athletic fit” dress shirt, but these are rare).</p>
<p>FWIW, slim dress shirts are available at Kohls. They are not the quality of what my DH wears for work, but they fit my S2 much better as there is less to tuck in. It’s a neater look.</p>
<p>light brown un-laced shoes (borrowed that from a friend), brown-ish khakis (wouldn’t say brown but on the darker side of things), a light brown belt, a blue dress shirt and a blue/red striped tie (going to look for a sports coat later).</p>
<p>Does that sound good? Does the belt have to exactly match your shoes or if it’s brown and brown that will be ok? Also, random question just popped up, what socks do you wear with brown shoes?</p>
<p>Can’t give you fashion advice, but Pierre, I am so proud of you to be going on your first interview! You have been a great CC advisor, and I am sending good thoughts your way.</p>