When I was a boy my mother told me “a gentleman sits on his coattails.” Which seemed to me odd advice at the time because I didn’t have any. Coattails that is. Now that I’ve been through a great many job interviews and auditions I understand that she was talking about wearing clothes well.

A gentleman sits on his coattails because they are HIS coattails. He can mess them up if he feels like it, and it’s easier to sit on them. It’s about comfort and ownership. Lots of people will give you advice on what to wear and not to wear for interviews and work. I think you can even get some tips right here on this site, or at least they should be in our download.

What I’m talking about is how to wear those clothes well. If you’re uncomfortable in your clothes that will come across to the interviewer. At least the discomfort will. You want to be comfortable in the interview, and that means being comfortable in both your own skin and what’s covering it.

My advice to you then is this: go play in your interview clothes. Not like rolling around in the dirt or paintballing, but go around town and do things that you enjoy doing. The more positive associations you can build with the things that are in the interview with you the happier you will be. Get used to wearing your suit, or gown or whatever is appropriate to your industry.

When I get a new suit I like to wear it on a couple dates. I’m married, so the dates usually go pretty well and that helps the old confidence no end. On the other hand that means my wife always wants me to look for new suits, I guess any plan can backfire.

Written by: Rhys Henley