You’ve nailed the application and bagged the interview! Yes! A step closer to your dream job.

But after a few seconds of reading the email inviting you to attend, panic sets in…. What do you wear?!

This question is more pertinent now than ever before. After the pandemic, your body may have changed, your tastes have changed – and you may be staring at a wardrobe of clothes that don’t resonate with you.

What you wear is so important to how you show up. Think about it. If you’ve got a great outfit prepared, you feel good, you project confidence and show up authentically at the interview.

If you’re flapping and faffing, trying on various items and tearing them off in a panic, you’ll feel flustered and frustrated. That’s not the energy you want to bring to your interview.

You don’t need to spend a fortune on a new interview outfit. Infact, it’s much better to wear something that makes you feel authentically you than it is to turn up feeling like you’re a kid in their dad’s suit.

So with this in mind, here are my 5 top tips to help you dress for the job you want.

1. Do your research

If you’ve applied for a job at the company, it’s likely you’ve had a dig around its website and you have a feel for the business goals. What kind of outfits do you see people wearing in the marketing or on the website? Which words does the company use to describe itself? ‘Corporate’, or ‘fast-paced’ has a different feel to ‘innovative’ or ‘creative.’ And therefore

2. Look like you

There’s one golden piece of advice I give my bridal clients before choosing their wedding gowns, and the same one applies to your interview. Dress as the best version of yourself, not as an imitation of someone else, or what you think you should look like. You want to be the best version of you.

3. Fit is everything 

If you’re wearing a shirt that gaps on the boobs (been there, why can’t more companies just make shirts that fit women’s bodies properly?!) then you’re going to be pulling at it constantly. Same with trousers that you have to constantly hike up, or a blazer that feels too tight on the arms. You want to wear your clothes, not have your clothes wear you. So instead of going out and buying something new, if you can (and you have time), why not take your favourite interview item to the tailor?

4. Try a bit of colour

When it comes to interviews, the most likely thing you’ll do is gravitate to black. You can’t go wrong with a black suit, right? But if you want to stand out, without making a show or an obvious statement, try a little bit of colour. It could be as simple as switching your black suit for navy or burgundy (both smart, but softer than black), or trying a colourful silk scarf around your bag. And wearing colour – or white – rather than black near your face is a great way to make your skin more ‘glowy.’ Perfect if you were up to the early hours cramming info about the company!

You want them to remember the person wearing the outfit, not the outfit itself

A tricky balance to navigate but after you leave you want them to feel like you had good energy – and your clothes can really help in that department. Green, for example, is a great colour if you want to come across as energetic. Blue is good for calming. Purple is says regal and independent. It all comes back to how you want to align your personal brand with the company values.

5. Don’t go OTT on accessories…

If you’re making a really great point and all they’re hearing is your earrings jangle, or they’re staring at is your necklace, then they might not be concentrating on the awesome things you’re saying. You want to use your style to enhance what you are saying, not distract from it.

The one exception on the accessories front is if the job is creative and if the interview is on Zoom. A great pair of earrings or a high, pie-crust collar shirt in a jewel colour will look great on Zoom on this occasion (but if you’re wearing headphones check the sound of the earrings on the mic). Otherwise, avoid anything that jangles, like big bracelets.

Thank you to our guest blogger, Samantha Harman, The Style Editor for the best tips on what to wear for an interview! Please get in touch directly with Samantha, if you need any more help.