What should I {really} wear to an Interview?

Recently there have been posts from a number of bloggers who were giving advice about what to wear on an interview. One thing you will notice is glaringly absent from these posts was the traditional business suit. One blogger went so far as to say that the era of having to wear a boring buttoned down suit are long gone. I beg to differ.

In fact I would go so far to say that the more conservative the workplace the more structured and professional your interview outfit should be.

Jacket/bag/blouse/skirt/pumps

The majority of people going on an interview are not heading into a creative field or anywhere close to the fashion industry.

The majority of people interviewing for a job are doing so in button down industries that are male dominated.

Further you have to remember that you aren’t looking to impress your peers when you are interviewing but someone a generation or two older than yourself. This means for at least for the interview, you have to play by their rules.

Chances are these people have never heard of print mixing or the so called “death of the suit”.

Now this doesn’t mean you have to look boring. There are plenty of places that you can add a bit of personality. Accessories are great for that. Or look for suits or separates that have special details, like a ruffle hem or a bow tie sash.

Dress/jacket/pumps

If you are really against wearing a suit to an interview, create a suit that isn’t a suit with beautifully tailored separates.

You have to think about these interview outfits as investments in your grown up business wardrobe. They aren’t going to sit in your closet collecting dust. You are going to break up the suit and wear it in different ways to work every week.

You are going to take the dress above with different blazers and jackets to change it up.

But for the day of the interview stick with classic colours and looks. A black, grey or navy suit will never go wrong. Add a silk blouse in a bold colour for your personality. And please invest in quality materials.

That means stay away from Forever 21. I would argue that Forever 21 has no place in an interview unless you are actually interviewing at Forever 21.

I am not by default saying that you have to spend thousands on a designer suit. You can find beautiful interview appropriate clothing at Banana Republic, Club Monaco and JCREW. All of which regularly have sales and even suits get marked down at the end of the season.

Bag/Jacket/Trousers/Shell

Now lets assume you made it to the second interview. This means you have had a chance to see what the interviewer was wearing and what everyone in the office that could potentially be your workplace was wearing.

Chances are there is some sort of business casual dress code.

Now this doesn’t mean show up to the interview in your casual best. But it does mean that you don’t need to pull out a second power suit.

Instead this is the perfect opportunity for the suit that isn’t a suit look. But still keep it polished and tailored.

In fact I wouldn’t start dressing on the business casual end of the spectrum until after a full week at your new workplace. This will give you some real time to analyze what you can get away with wearing and a chance to look at the dress code.

At the other end of the spectrum if everyone who you saw at your first interview was wearing a traditional full suit then stick with a suit for your second interview as well.

If you are looking for inspiration on what to wear to a corporate office start following bloggers who have a more work wear focus.

I would recommend blogs like Extra Petite, 9to5Chic or Small Town Big Wardrobe. All of these bloggers regularly share their tailored professional looks and shop from a range of retailers. Grown up retailers.

What are you going to wear to your next interview?