Dressing for success in the hospitality industry starts from the moment you arrive for your interview. The way you prepare yourself and present yourself in a hospitality interview will offer prospective employers clues to how you’ll present yourself in the hospitality industry. First impressions are often the only impressions, so you’ll want your first appearance to set the table for your performance on the job.

Dressing for success as early as the interview is even more important in the hospitality industry than in other businesses because hospitality jobs demand you constantly present yourself to guests, whether in a restaurant, hotel, resort, spa, or another people-heavy setting. So when you arrive for your interview, employers are already assessing how their guests will perceive you as an ambassador for their operation.

What NOT to wear (and do) for your hospitality interview

The most common job interview fashion crimes typically into three basic types:

Unprofessional is a man or woman who suffers from some kind of personal hygiene faux pas (like wearing too much perfume or bad breath). Personal hygiene is part of your attire and an important part of the first impression you make at an interview.

If you perspire heavily, wear something like a cotton t-shirt or sweat guards to absorb and prevent stains. If you drink coffee before your interview, don’t forget to brush your teeth, use breath mints or chew breath-freshening gum. And remember, your perfume might smell good to you, but not necessarily to others, so your best policy is not to use any scent at all.

Your hair and fingernails should be squeaky clean. Especially for jobs where you’ll deal with food, such as serving or catering, long hair should be pulled back and tidy. 

Overly accessorized Wearing too many distracting or inappropriate accessories will stand out, but not in a good way, at a hospitality interview. Some hotels even have strict dress policies for their staff members, so when in doubt about your interview, leave most of your accessories at home and opt for simple and understated.

Says Nedry, “When working at a hotel, for instance, you want to reflect the hotel. Lots of jewelry is just inappropriate.” The same goes for excessive makeup that’s overly bright and calls attention to your appearance rather than your performance. This applies, too, to visible body piercing. You’re better to leave the studs at home and cover the tattoos…anything that might make guests in a hospitality setting feel uncomfortable.

Unkempt Don’t show up for your hospitality interview with scuffed or worn-out shoes, shirt untucked, buttons were undone or missing, etc. If you come across as disheveled or disorganized in your appearance, the employer will likely assume that you’ll take a similarly irresponsible approach to your workload. 

Tips to dress for interview success

  • When you’re first called for an interview, find out if there’s a written or even unwritten dress code or standards of appearance for the hospitality job.
  • Create a dress-for-success checklist ahead of time. On the day of your interview, prepare for contingencies, for instance by keeping a little sewing kit with you just in case.
  • If you really want the job, do your research. Go to your place of employment and sit where you might be working. If it’s a front desk clerk job, sit in the lobby and study the employees, and check out their appearance at various times of the day. Is there a difference in dress during time shifts? Does the uniform change? Look at their clothes, hair, makeup, and jewelry. If you’re interviewing for a hotel job, find out if the dress is the same throughout the chain or if the dress code differs from city to city.
  • Try to replicate the “uniform” of the position at the interview. Dressing the part will help an employer visualize you in the hospitality position.
  • Dress comfortably but as your best self. Choose your colors carefully. Neutral tones work well, but black and white also present a professional appearance.

The rules of fashion have certainly loosened, and you probably no longer need to “suit up” for a hospitality interview, but one rule has not changed: you’ll always want to look professional and clean to make the right impression from the start.