That question hits differently in a cooling labor market. Indeed Hiring Lab reports that 2025 was an exceptionally weak year for job growth with only 181,000 jobs added.And though there are signs of improvement, opportunities remain limited — raising the stakes of every interaction and making it all too easy to overthink how to present yourself. That adage of dressing for the job you want still matters, says Anitra St. Hilaire, vice president of people at ThreeFlow, an Illinois-based employee benefits software company.
“What you wear isn’t about the presentation as much as it is self-perception and situational awareness,” she says. “You should wear something that makes you feel your best, but also understand the conversation you’re about to enter as you’re picking out those pieces of clothing.”
Wardrobe not only signals how well you understand the role, it can also influence how recruiters perceive your confidence and competence. St. Hilaire recommends asking a few grounding questions ahead of that first virtual or in-person interview: What message do I want to send? What environment am I stepping into? What version of myself could I realistically sustain if I got this job?
Dressing for success doesn’t look or feel the same for everyone. Comfort matters, because distraction is costly. While some candidates might prefer wearing a blazer or a dress, others view those options as a distressing costume.
“I don’t even know how to show up as myself,” one non-binary job seeker recently told their professional coach. “I show up as a caricature of me that tries to give everyone else what they want. Once the Zoom screen goes on, I turn into someone I’m not.”
To avoid that dilemma, St. Hilaire recommends asking recruiters to clearly define company dress norms before the first conversation. This knowledge gives the candidate agency: the ability to dress in a way that’s both true to their identity and respectful of the job.
A software engineer interviewing with a tech company, for example, might do their best work in a hoodie and sweatpants and choose to show up that way. On the flip-side, a law firm candidate who’s uncomfortable altering their natural hair to appease a potential boss may decide the job isn’t worth the compromise, even in a tough market.
“Remember, it’s not just that interview — it’s your life at that company,” she says. “If you’re going to change yourself fundamentally for that interview, that’s what the employer may expect if they hire you. And that can be really problematic.”
On the other hand, feeling confident in your clothes can reinforce your mindset and spark a positive reaction from a hiring manager. In 2012, social psychologists Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky introduced the concept of enclothed cognition which suggests that what we wear can influence how we think and perform.
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