Hoodie Debate 2024: Don’t We Have Better Things to Do With Our Time?

This is my confession: I rock sweatpants 24/7 when I’m working from home. Even during virtual job interviews, I still wear them. 😲 Business on the top, comfort on the bottom, who’s going to know! 

Over the last few days, there’s been a raging debate on LinkedIn about whether wearing a hoodie during a job interview is professional or not. I mean, it depends on the job you’re interviewing for (obviously), but also first impressions count. 

As my grandmother would say, “Would it kill you to put on a nice shirt for 5 minutes?” Granted, interviews are more like 30-45 minutes, but still, you get the point! Once you get the job, read the room and rock that hoodie with no shame! (If that’s the type of company you work for, of course).

Recruiters & Hiring Managers: A Little Empathy Goes a Long Way

As a job seeker who dresses to “impress” during an interview — trust me, impress is being generous, I’m just one step up from a hoodie with the least wrinkled long sleeve I can find — I am on the side of not wearing a hoodie during the interview process. 

However, as the Devil’s Advocate, I am going to make a case for why you shouldn’t discount candidates based on how they dress.

Ever Heard of Hidden Disabilities? You May Be Unintentionally Showing Bias

I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2017 and am currently going through tests to determine whether I also have Lupus, or if my body just really hates me and the MS is flaring up. Either way, from the outside, you’d never know there was anything wrong with me. 

But on the inside, MS is PAINFUL! There’s this thing called the “MS hug,” it’s basically like being squeezed to death. I work from home because it allows me to stay comfortable while putting in my best work. 

Would you rather me sit in an office in pain all day, focused on that? Or do you think I’d be better off at home in the hoodie I’ve been wearing for three days because it's the most comfortable one I own?   

And speaking of being gross and disgusting in your home office … 

I’m Poor: Not All Job Seekers Can Afford Life’s Smallest Luxuries 

If you’ve ever been unemployed, think back to when you had nothing clean to wear because you couldn’t afford the laundromat, or running the washer/dryer added to an already expensive electric bill. 

My point: Not all job seekers have the luxury of being able to wear anything else but a hoodie because of their life circumstances. I know some may use this excuse as a cop-out, but life is expensive. 

To quote another impactful woman in my life, as my mom would say “Pick your battles.” For recruiters to judge candidates based on what they’re wearing shows that just because the year changes doesn’t mean outdated workplace viewpoints do. 

(I know, I contribute to this problem by not standing up for my comfort during the interview process, but I’m old school. Nice shirts matter!) 

To Hoodie, Or Not To Hoodie: Choose Your Battles Wisely

As an unemployed, hoodie-loving worker, I’m just going to end this with, seriously, you guys? We don’t have anything better to do with our time? I’ve got an excuse for not having anything better to do, I literally don’t … unless you want to hire me!