I am a lawyer, interviewed at a startup once. The recruiter made a point of telling me the office was casual. Most of the engineers were in tshirts. The business people and other lawyers in polos and slacks or jeans. I felt I struck the right balance between dressing for the office and dressing for the interview by coming in wearing casual slacks and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

Like this guy, but with socks and thirty extra pounds:

http://i.bullfax.com/imgs/5b142de449887041dc3c54813a1f6b1269132bd4.jpg

Anonymous wrote:I have an interview as a lawyer with a startup company. I have only ever worked in traditional offices. I don't want to show up in a suit and look stiff but I want to be appropriately respectful. Thanks.

My husband has worked at multiple startups--and has hired people at all of them--and he said that how candidates dress for the interview, and answer the question about how they want to dress on a daily basis at work, tells them a lot about whether the person is a culture fit. At least at the places he worked at, they didn't expect people to wear suits to interviews. If someone did wear a suit, the hope is that they'd say that they would want to wear jeans to work if they were hired.

So I'd say that if you wear a suit, take note of how people are dressed in the office, and if most people are in jeans and hoodies, drop something into your comments about how you look forward to dressing casually, if you are hired. It can be a big deal at those places.

I would do a more stylish blazer and pants or a skirt. Or a skirt with an interesting pattern and a solid colored blazer. Suits are too matchy matchy.

There are some start-ups that claim they don't care what you wear, but in reality they will ding you for wearing a suit. It's part of the the institutionalized "quirkiness" of SV (like "flair" in Office Space).

In DC, I think you'd be fine still wearing a suit. In CA, I'd probably go with your most formal business casual (can't tell if you're a male or female, or I'd give more specific advice).

This article might help:
http://www.businessinsider.com/what-should-guys-wear-to-a-job-interview-at-a-startup-2012-1

bTDT, suit. W tie if you're male.

I'd also wear a suit. Maybe a more colorful or patterned shirt under it to show you are not super boring, but you still want to look professional and lawyerly. Good luck with the interview!

I'd go with a suit. I use to work at a big firm that had a lot of startup clients. For the first meeting, we would usually do suits. Often we were told later we could be more casual, but I had two separate clients specifically say they liked that I was more formal because it provided an air of seriousness that was needed given the topics of discussion. If two clients told me this, I have to think at least a couple of others were thinking it.

A suit -- it's always better to go more professional vs. under dressing.

Suit. They want a lawyer, so you have to look the part.

Suit. Duh. No one is going to flinch if you wear a suit. They might flinch if you don't.

I'm at a casual tech start-up, most people come to interview in business casual or formal - I wouldn't judge someone for being over dressed. You can always ask - I never mind someone checking on that

Suit. You're a lawyer.

I'm jelly btw. Give more details please!

I read your OP and my answer is still suit.

What kind of startup? Tech? In the DC region? Do they sell to consumers, businesses, or the government?

I have an interview as a lawyer with a startup company. I have only ever worked in traditional offices. I don't want to show up in a suit and look stiff but I want to be appropriately respectful. Thanks.