Showing up for a job interview wearing a cat suit is going to get you a few laughs — maybe. It might even work if you are applying for a job catching mice. But more likely it will get you thrown out on your pointy little ears.

Office Team, a staffing service that specializes in temporary placements, found in a recent survey that people show up for job interviews in a sometimes confounding array of costumes.

Office Team asked human resources managers to recount some of the stranger attire they saw on job applicants. Interviewers reported a stunning variety of people who just did not seem clear on the concept of impressing a perspective employer. Take the person who showed up wearing a blanket as a shawl. Or the woman wearing a skirt made of plastic. And yes, someone in a cat suit.

"Although these examples seem absurd, it's easy to make more subtle mistakes when selecting interview attire, particularly among those new to the job hunt," Robert Hosking, executive director of Office Team, said in a news release. "Ultimately, you want to project professionalism and confidence, and ensure your outfit isn't distracting or causing employers to question your judgment."

Some people seem to have missed that important point.

"These flashy outfits were more fitting for a night on the town than an interview," Office Team said in its news release Thursday.

- A tube top.

- A micro-mini and fishnet stockings.

- A leather vest with no shirt.

- A bandana and torn jeans.

"Job candidates should always dress to impress," Office Team said. They meant the interviewer, not the crowd on the bus on your way to the interview.

Wearing a sweatsuit is out, Office Team says. So is wearing a Star Trek T-shirt.

Interviewers have seen everything when it comes to sartorial splendour, including people who might have been channelling the '80s when they showed up dressed in jeans and suspenders, tank tops and jumpsuits. Or, the "good sports" who showed up wearing baseball caps, jogging suits and even basketball uniforms.

The survey was based on telephone interviews with 670 HR managers at companies with 20 or more employees in Canada and the United States.

Office Team offers some simple advice for the would-be job hunter.

"Don't assume you can dress down, even if a company has a very casual atmosphere. Don't wear anything that is uncomfortable and don't show up in clothing that is wrinkled, stained or torn."

But most of all, don't show up wearing a feline fashion statement unless it's an audition for Cats.

Some of the more interesting attire managers reported seeing at job interviews:

- A swimsuit and coverup.

- Bermuda shorts.

- A sundress and flip-flops.

- A Hawaiian shirt and jeans.

- Exercise clothing.

- A tie-dye T-shirt from the '80s.

- A cat suit.

- A top held up with a large safety pin.

- Spandex.

- Leather pants and cowboy boots.