Best Outfit for a Zoom Interview in 2024
Updated November 20, 2023
- How to Choose the Best Outfit for a Zoom Interview
- Best Zoom Interview Outfits in 2024
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- Best Zoom Interview Outfits for Women in 2024
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- Best Zoom Interview Outfits for Men in 2024
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- Best Outfit for a Zoom Interview: Colors and Accessories
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- What Not to Wear for Your Zoom Interview
- Zoom Interview Outfits: Don’t Forget These
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- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Thoughts
Business casual interview clothing is often the best outfit for Zoom interview. This includes button-down shirts, blouses, smart pants and blazers. You should avoid choosing busy patterns or contrasting colors. The best Zoom call interview outfits are those that help you to feel put together, comfortable and confident.
Following the pandemic, many employers are relying on video-based interviews to pre-screen job applicants or conduct full interviews.
If you have been invited to attend a Zoom interview, you might be wondering what to wear.
In general, you can wear the same type of outfit as you would for a face-to-face interview.
However, there are a few extra things to consider when preparing to attend a Zoom interview – for example, the color of your clothing and how much jewelry you should wear.
Read on to find out how you can dress for success when attending a Zoom interview.
How to Choose the Best Outfit for a Zoom Interview
Step 1. Consider Company Culture
Take a look at the company website and make a note of the kind of outfits employees are wearing in any photographs that you see.
If possible, try to find photos of employees in their general day-to-day workspace rather than just professional headshots.
In some cases, you might even be able to find a dress code policy on the company website. You can use this knowledge to mirror your outfit with the type of clothing worn by people employed by the business.
Although some employers still expect employees to maintain a professional dress code, many organizations are happy for people to choose smart/casual attire for work. If there are no clues on the website, consider the brand’s company culture and values to help you decide what to wear for your Zoom interview.
Step 2. Check the Interview Invitation
Check through the information provided in advance of your interview – some employers will provide information on the dress code in advance.
If you have checked all of this, but you are still not sure what to wear, it is always best to err on the side of caution by wearing a business professional or business casual interview outfit.
Step 3. Choose Comfort and Confidence
Whatever outfit you choose, make sure you feel comfortable wearing it. Avoid choosing anything that is too tight or revealing, as this might make you feel self-conscious during the interview.
You should also try to choose an outfit that makes you feel good wearing it, as this will help you to feel more confident and present yourself more favorably during the Zoom interview.
Step 4. Treat a Zoom Interview Like Any Other Interview
When choosing the best outfit for a Zoom interview, it is always advisable to use the same approach as you would for a face-to-face interview.
Although you are not meeting the interview panel face-to-face, you will want to show the employer that you are serious about being considered for the job role.
You may need to move away from your computer to find a document during the interview, so you need to consider both the top and bottom halves of your outfit.
Step 5. Be Presentable
Overall, your outfit needs to be presentable – that means your clothing should be clean and put-together. Avoid wearing anything that has any visible marks or stains.
Put some effort into your overall appearance by styling your hair and applying makeup if you want to enhance your features.
Best Zoom Interview Outfits in 2024
Interview dress codes fall into four main categories:
1. Business Formal
Traditional and conservative Zoom interview attire.
Men might wear a suit and tie with a jacket, cufflinks and smart shoes. Women might wear a dress or pantsuit with a jacket and heels.
2. Business Professional
This category is slightly less formal than business formal.
Suits and pantsuits are still commonplace, but you might choose not to wear a jacket or tie.
When interviewing for a company with traditional values, this is probably the look you want to aim for.
3. Business Casual
This category sits between business professional and casual.
You might choose to wear suit pants or dress pants with a button-down shirt or silk blouse.
This is the look you should aim for when dressing for a Zoom interview.
4. Casual
This is the most relaxed of the categories, but you should not be tempted to wear a tracksuit or jogging bottoms.
The casual category includes outfits such as smart jeans and shirts and casual dresses with sneakers.
Best Zoom Interview Outfits for Women in 2024
Here are some Zoom interview outfit ideas for men and women.
Zoom Interview Attire for Women – Business Casual
Silk Blouse with Jeans
You might not be able to see your bottom half during the Zoom interview, but you still need to choose a pair of jeans that is comfortable to wear and looks professional.
Even if your jeans are not visible on camera, choosing a smart pair will help you to feel confident and create a good impression on the interview panel.
Dress Pants With a T-Shirt and Blazer
Don’t be tempted to wear joggers or pajamas on your bottom half. Wearing a pair of dress pants will help you to feel more prepared for your Zoom interview.
Cocktail Dress With a Cardigan and Heels
A cocktail dress is an easy-to-wear option, as you will not need to worry about coordinating the top and bottom parts of your outfit. If you do decide to wear heels for your interview, choose a pair that is comfortable.
Female Zoom Interview Attire – Business Professional
Button-Down Shirt With Dress Pants or a Skirt and Blazer
You can fasten the shirt up to the top for a smart look or leave a couple of buttons undone if you want a more casual finish.
Best Zoom Interview Outfits for Men in 2024
Male Zoom Interview Attire – Business Casual
Button-Down Shirt With Jeans
A classic button-down shirt is always a good choice for your Zoom job interview attire. You can make it more formal by wearing a tie and dress pants, or more casual by undoing a couple of buttons and teaming it with smart jeans.
Button-Down Shirt With Suit Pants and a Sweater
Wearing a sweater over the top of your button-down shirt will help to soften your outfit. This outfit works well for a range of industry sectors, including accounting, education and office management.
Suit Pants With a T-Shirt and Blazer
If your prospective employer has a casual dress code, you can consider wearing a T-shirt or polo shirt as part of your Zoom job interview attire. You can smarten up this look by adding a blazer or suit jacket.
Male Zoom Interview Outfit – Business Formal
Formal Suit With Jacket and Tie
With this option, choose a tie that will add personality to your outfit.
Best Outfit for a Zoom Interview: Colors and Accessories
When choosing an outfit and accessories to complement your Zoom interview clothes, you should consider:
Opting for Neutral Colors and Tones
Try to avoid wearing busy patterns or bold color combinations – these can be distracting on a video call. Patterns can even create something called a moiré pattern, which can be very off-putting for the interviewer.
If you do want to wear something bright and colorful, set up a test video call with a friend or family member to see how it looks on screen.
Choosing a Background That Complements Your Outfit
You want to make sure that your outfit does not blend in with the background, so you should avoid choosing a background that is the same color as your top.
Wearing Subtle Jewelry
If you add too many accessories to your outfit, this can be distracting during your Zoom interview. If you want to wear jewelry, try to choose plain and simple options such as small stud earrings or an elegant necklace.
However, when you are choosing jewelry and accessories, you should also consider the job role you have applied for. If you are attending an interview for a job in the fashion industry, you might want to show off your personality with the accessories that you wear.
Wearing a Tie for a Formal Interview
You will need to use your judgment on whether a tie is necessary. When attending a panel interview or second/final interview over Zoom, men might want to consider wearing a tie.
Wearing Shoes
It might seem odd to wear shoes for a Zoom interview when your feet cannot be seen – but for some people, wearing shoes can help to build confidence.
If wearing shoes is likely to make you feel more business-like, feel free to add a pair to your Zoom interview outfit. A smart pair of shoes can make your outfit feel more put-together.
What Not to Wear for Your Zoom Interview
If you want to wear the best outfit for Zoom interview, avoid the following:
- Slogan T-shirts or offensive graphics
- Anything too revealing
- Loungewear or pajamas
Zoom Interview Outfits: Don’t Forget These
Aside from your actual Zoom interview outfit, there are a few other elements to consider when you are attending a Zoom interview. Choosing the right background, lighting and framing can help to bring out the best of your outfit.
Background
If you don’t want to use a Zoom background, it is important to attend the interview in a room with neutral decor. Remember to clean and tidy the space prior to your interview, remove any clutter and make sure the space looks neat.
You might choose to use a room like an office with a bookshelf or add an indoor plant. If you would prefer to use a Zoom background, there are a range of options to choose from, including simple office decor or a bookcase.
Lighting
When thinking about lighting, you will need to consider what time of day you will be attending the Zoom interview, as well as the weather. If it is likely to be bright and sunny, avoid distraction from the sun for you and the interviewer by closing drapes or shutters. You may need to switch on a lamp or overhead light to ensure the room is bright enough.
The key here is to experiment, so you might want to try video-calling a friend or family member at a similar time of day and play around with the lighting and camera settings to ensure these are right before your interview.
If you wear glasses, sometimes the light from your computer can add glare to the lenses. If removing your glasses is not an option, consider what might be reflected onto them from your computer screen.
Framing
When attending a Zoom interview, it is important to make sure your chest and head are fully visible in the frame. You may need to experiment with adding books underneath the laptop to see if this makes the frame better.
The bottom line is to make sure you test-drive your Zoom job interview outfit and computer setup prior to the day of your interview. You might want to set up a mock Zoom interview with a friend or a family member, as this will allow you to get some feedback on your outfit choice and adjust the background, lighting and framing.
Frequently Asked Questions
While there isn’t a dress code for a Zoom interview, there are a few things to consider when choosing the best outfit. To make it easier to choose an outfit, do some research on organizational culture and whether your prospective employer has a dress code.
If it does, ensure that the attire you wear matches up to this. Your outfit must be well put together, but you also need to feel comfortable and confident wearing it.
Neutral colors tend to look best on a video call. Try to avoid wearing bold patterns or clashing color combinations, as these can be distracting for the interviewer.
If you are applying for a creative role, you might want to wear a bright color to show your personality and style. The best colors to wear on a Zoom interview are bright blue, teal, turquoise, fuchsia and red, providing that you choose a plain background.
Wearing a mask during a Zoom interview can be prohibitive as it can make it more difficult for the other person to understand you. If you want to wear a mask during a Zoom interview, it is best to ask the interviewer whether this would be acceptable.
In most cases, it is not necessary to wear a mask during a Zoom interview as you can choose where you want to take the call.
A well-groomed appearance is as equally important for a Zoom interview as it is for a face-to-face interview.
If you need a haircut, it is probably best to arrange an appointment prior to the Zoom interview. This will ensure that you look your best on the day of the interview.
A woman should wear the same attire for a Zoom interview as she would wear to a face-to-face interview. Depending on her personal preferences, she might choose to wear anything from a cocktail dress and cardigan to a full dress suit with smart pants and a jacket.
It is best to avoid wearing white clothing on Zoom. You should also avoid wearing off-white, pale pastel hues and ivory, as they often show up as white on a video call.
Black and dark areas are best avoided too – most darker shades like navy, dark gray and dark burgundy will show up as black on camera.
It is best to avoid wearing busy patterns and clashing color combinations to a Zoom interview.
You will also want to avoid wearing anything too casual (for example pajamas or loungewear) and anything too revealing. When choosing a T-shirt, pick something plain and avoid offensive slogans, logos or other graphics.
Wearing makeup for a Zoom interview comes down to your personal preference. If you do decide to wear makeup for your Zoom interview, it is probably best to keep your look natural.
Choose to focus either on the eyes or lips. If you have chosen an understated outfit, you could add lash-lengthening mascara or a bold red lipstick to add personality to your look.
Wearing shoes for a Zoom interview might seem unnecessary – after all, the interview won’t be able to see your feet.
However, some people find that wearing shoes can help their outfit feel more ‘finished’ and give them a confidence boost. If this applies to you, there is no reason why you shouldn’t wear shoes for a Zoom interview.
Choosing the right outfit is important for all types of job interviews, including those conducted over Zoom. Your Zoom interview is an opportunity to make a positive impression on your prospective employer, so it is important that you dress to impress.
If in doubt, you should wear the same type of outfit as you would for a face-to-face job interview.
Aside from choosing the best clothes for a Zoom interview, there are a few other ways to make you look more attractive on Zoom.
Make sure that you are well-groomed, apply subtle makeup if you want to enhance your features and demonstrate good posture.
You can also adjust the lighting, background and perspective. You can also play around with the settings on Zoom, including filters and ‘Touch up My Appearance,’ which is under Settings, then the Video tab.
Sweaters, blouses and button-down shirts look best on Zoom. Choose a top that fits you well and feels comfortable to wear. Choose a top in a solid color and avoid anything with a busy or intricate pattern.
Final Thoughts
The best clothes for a Zoom interview are those that you feel confident and comfortable wearing. Once you have found an outfit that meets these requirements, it’s important to check whether it fits with the company’s dress code or guidelines.
If you’re not sure how smart to dress, it is always best to err on the side of caution by choosing a more formal option.
Finally, set up a practice video call with a friend or family member in advance of your Zoom interview. You can ask them for honest feedback on your outfit choice and make any required changes to the lighting, background or framing.
