It's something college seniors save up for, young professionals actually hang up and older workers can't seem to part with even when it's too small or out of style.
For generations, buying a conservative suit for job interviews was a rite of passage. But times have changed, even if your wardrobe hasn't.
Yahoo! HotJobs teamed with Banana Republic to conduct a survey about workplace fashion, and some of the most interesting results were about the interview.
More than 25 percent of the 900 human resource recruiters, representing all 50 states, said wearing a business suit to an interview at their company could be too formal.
"What we found is that there's a new generation of companies that understand that comfort equals productivity. They're fostering a casual environment to generate great business results," says Susan Vobejda, HotJobs' career expert and vice president of marketing.
But that doesn't mean the interview outfitshould be an afterthought. Sixty percent of the recruiters suggestedthat candidates spend at least 30 minutes choosing their clothes forthe interview. Hitting the balance between professional and casualtakes effort, Vobejda says. "One thing to understand is that casualdoesn't equal sloppy. You want to avoid sloppy or sexy at all costs."
