What to Wear to a Job Interview
Job interviews can be a challenge even for the most qualified of candidate and new research suggests the reason for this is that ability often isn’t the most important thing. Instead, confidence and appearance have a far greater impact than any recruiter would want to admit.
Of course, appearing confident isn’t the easiest thing when you’ve got so much at stake and that’s why it’s important to dress to impress – because there’s plenty of evidence to say dressing well will shape how confident you feel too. Something as simple as wearing a suit
The important question to ask yourself if ‘What should I wear to a job interview?’ Which is why we asked our clothing care team for some tips…
How to Dress for Formal Interviews
If there’s one rule of thumb we’d suggest following it’s that it’s very hard to overdress for an interview, but very easy to underdress – and that means a suit is never going to be a bad look, for men and women.
Not all suits are created equal, however. We’d definitely recommend staying away from shiny or satin-look suits, for example and slimmer body-types should avoid double-breasted jackets too.
Dark coloured suits are always a safe, easy option for men and you can never go wrong with a white shirt and a plain, single-coloured tie – even if it feels a bit more formal than your everyday office clothes. For women, simple blouses, knee-length skirts and sensibly-heeled shoes recommended if you’d rather not wear trousers.
How to Dress for Casual Interviews
There’s nothing more unhelpfully vague than an invitation that lists the dress code as Smart Casual or Business Casual. The ‘Smart’ part should tell you not to wear trainers or t-shirts, while ‘Casual’ should rule out a suit and tie.
In practice, smart casual usually translates as a slightly smarter version of what everyone in the job already wears every day – but if you’re in doubt then it’s best to err towards ‘Smart’. Plain slacks or chinos and a tie-less shirt are a good look for men, so long as you can match your trousers to your shoes. For women, a simple blouse and knee-length skirt are a safe option that can be easily elevated or relaxed through accessories.
Whatever you choose to wear though, make sure it’s freshly cleaned and fits well. Even slight rips or stains are easily noticed when you’re sat across a table from someone for an hour, so it really pays to spend the time polishing your shoes and ironing your shirt.
Want your suits dry cleaned or your shirts ironed before your job interview? Try Just Shirts of London now to get your clothes collected, cleaned and delivered!
