You’ve got a job interview tomorrow and nothing to wear. At least, you’re not sure what to wear. You’re peeling through your closet weighing what your best options are.

Take a deep breath. You’re going to be fine. As long as you do your research and match your outfit to what the employees at the company wear, you’ll make a good first impression.

This being said, there are some common interview clothing mistakes that you’ll need to avoid.

Let us help you prepare for your big day. Keep reading to find out what you should and shouldn’t wear to an interview.

1. What You Can Wear to an Interview

What you should wear to a job interview depends on the kind of company that you’re interviewing at. There are different rules depending on if the business is casual, business casual, or formal.

Casual

You will need to make 100% sure that the business is casual before you wear a casual outfit to the interview. Trust us when we say you would rather be too dressed up then underdressed.

If after checking you find out that casual dress is fine, you can reach for the dark denim. Jeans are typically a no go at most companies but you can make it work for casual interviews as long as you’re not wearing ripped jeans.

Choose your nicest pair along with a blouse and flats if you’re a woman. If you’re a man, pair the jeans with your best button up. You can wear your Jordan air max shoes as long as they look dressy.

Business Casual

One step up from casual wear is business casual. This is the safest bet to go with if you don’t know the dress code of the business you’re interviewing at. More companies are business causal than not.

Women, you can wear a button-up with a pair of dressy trousers or a knee-length skirt. A nice business-appropriate dress will work as well. As far as shoes go flats, loafers, or a comfortable pair of heels will do fine.

Men, you’ll want to reach for a collared shirt. You can wear a tie if you wish but it’s optional. Jackets are optional as well but wearing one will sort of complete your look.

Formal

For formal interviews, you want to go as dressy as you can. Your outfit needs to be polished and looks almost like it was sewn together to fit you and only you.

Pantsuits are a good option for women. If you don’t want to wear a pantsuit you can go a different route as long as you stick to the basic structure of dress pants (or skirt) with a blouse and jacket.

Men don’t have near as many options as women do. In fact, if you’re a man you’re pretty much limited to the full suit and tie getup.

2. What Not to Wear

Now that you’ve got an idea of what you can wear to a job interview, we’re going to go over the things that you should avoid wearing. Some of the things on this list have some grey area, like pantyhose but here is a basic list.

A Basic Run Down

Flip-flops are never a good idea. Sneakers aren’t much better unless it’s a nice pair and your interview is casual. You want to make sure your undergarments aren’t visible.

So for girls, the interviewer shouldn’t be able to see your bra straps. Men, they shouldn’t be able to see your boxers. Shorts are a bit much for even casual companies.

If you’re going to wear a skirt it needs to be knee-length. No short mini skirts. Avoid wearing low-cut blouses.

Perfume

Take a shower before going to the interview rather than wearing perfume/cologne. Strong scents can be pretty distracting.

Also, some people are quite sensitive to strong smells. The last thing you want to do is set off your interviewer’s allergies.

Pantyhose

There is some grey area with pantyhose. They aren’t a bad choice of clothing item because they can make you look professional. The problem is that they can be a bit much in business casual and casual settings.

You’ll have to do some research to find out how dressy the company is before making the decision to wear pantyhose.

Piercings

Wearing a subtle pair of studs in your ears is fine for an interview. What you don’t want to have on is a lip or eyebrow ring. Take any facial piercings out before the interview takes place.

The reason being is that a lot of companies have policies against them. If you have tattoos you’ll want to cover those up as well.

Heavy Amounts of Makeup

Heavy amounts of makeup can distract an interviewer as easily as strong perfume. This being said, it’s okay to wear makeup. You’ve just got to be a bit subtle with it.

Flashy Colors

Bright, flashy colors are distracting to the interviewer. They also don’t have a very professional aura. You’ll want to wear neutral colors such as brown, black, or grey.

Wear the Right Interview Clothes and Make a Perfect First Impression

When it comes to job interviews, first impressions are everything. The first thing an interviewer is going to notice and judge you on is the clothes you choose to wear.

Use this guide to make sure you pick out the right interview clothes and snag up that dream job.