What’s the Most Acceptable Attire for a Video Interview?

Video interviews are increasingly common among colleges and universities as well as at major corporations and small businesses, but there’s another type of video interview that is common too – interviews that are used for documentaries, case studies, or customer testimonials. Regardless of whether you’re going to be on camera to provide a customer testimonial about a product you love, or you’re getting in front of the camera for an interview that is for your ideal job, knowing what the most acceptable attire for a video interview is can be incredibly important.

In fact, many wonder what the most acceptable attire for a video interview is. Even freelance camera operators or business owners that are trying to DIY their way through the production of video interviews of their satisfied customers wonder what the best attire is for the process. 

At Beverly Boy Productions, we provide our interviewees with a list of the most acceptable attire for a video interview ahead of the interview to ensure they have the tools necessary to make the right decision about what to wear. To help you plan your upcoming video interview, we’ve come up with a list of the most acceptable attire for a video interview that is versatile enough for just about anyone.

Professional Attire is Best

First and foremost, it doesn’t matter if you’re interviewing for a job, for a school, or for a customer testimonial. Generally speaking, professional attire is best for a video interview for several key reasons. Not only does professional attire make you appear credible, it generally is considered ‘safe for all age groups’ and it’s not distracting the way some other clothing options can be.

There are some instances in which professional attire may not be best for a video interview, though. If you’re interviewing for a particular role or as someone from a particular background where professional attire doesn’t make sense, you might need to wear something else to the video interview but your producer will let you know ahead of time so that you can be prepared.

Solid Colors Not Blue or Green

To keep the interview simple and easy to follow, you want to be sure that you’re not wearing any clothing that is going to distract from what you’re saying. Generally, solid colors are best because they will not distract the audience the way a busy pattern can. Solid colors tend to stand out the most, without being overly stand-out the way a bright color like fluorescent yellow would be! 

While solids are go, it’s also important to avoid certain solid colors when it comes to the most acceptable attire for a video interview. For instance, you don’t want your colors to be overly bright. You also want to avoid wearing white clothing because that can overly dominate the camera view creating a distraction on the screen. 

It’s equally important to avoid wearing colors that might be used in a greenscreen film, so you want to avoid blue and green. If you must wear blue or green, ask your producer whether either is acceptable or if you must avoid. They’ll be able to let you know if the plan is to greenscreen the background or other elements in which it would be important to avoid wearing a color that is going to make your body essentially disappear in the production.

Another solid color that you should avoid is red or orange. Pale colors or soft pastel colors are okay, but red and orange tend to come across as incredibly orange on camera and it just doesn’t really look good. It’s better to wear neutral colors that will flatter your face and skin or if you must wear a non-neutral color, consider a pastel.

Avoid Busy Patterns

Some patterns are especially important to avoid on camera. The most “busy” a pattern, the more you should avoid it. For example, you should avoid wearing any clothing that has the herringbone pattern, check pattern, plaid patterns, or stripes. All of these are incredibly distracting on camera and can create the appearance of movement on the screen. If you must wear a pattern, it should be a minimum pattern that is not overly busy and which is not bold in color.

It’s also important to avoid logos unless you are asked to wear something with a particular brand or logo on it. Generally speaking, logos are not the most acceptable attire for a video interview and if you were filming any other style of video, a logo would likely have to be cut out for legal purposes. 

Hair, Makeup & Jewelry

What’s the most acceptable attire for a video interview when it comes to hair, makeup and jewelry? That really depends on the interview itself. Some interviews will have a makeup artist and / or a hair stylist that will prepare your look for you while others will expect that you come as you are or that you will fit a certain look. If you’re doing a professional interview, your makeup should be professional, clean and natural. Keep in mind that you can wear a little more makeup than “normal” on camera, but don’t go overboard.

The same is true for your hair. It should be kept out of your face, clean, and brushed neatly. If you opt for an up-do, it should accentuate your face. For men, hair should be clean and well kept. 

If you’ll wear jewelry during your video interview, it’s important to avoid being overly flashy. You don’t want your jewels creating a distraction or reflecting on the camera lens. Avoid overly large earrings or flashy earrings that will certainly create this problem. You also want to be sure that your jewelry nor your clothing rustles or moves too much causing unwanted noise on your microphone!

As you can see, the most acceptable attire for a video interview varies slightly based on the type of interview that you’ll be doing, but there are some rules of thumb to follow. At Beverly Boy Productions, we explain all of this ahead of any filmed interview so that our clients can prepare. To learn more give us a call.