Clothes

trolleyrun

Hi all, hopefully this is the right part of the forum to ask this.

I've been made redundant and need to get a new job. I haven't been for an interview for 15 years and need help with clothes for such an occasion. Is it still the norm to wear a trouser or skirt suit? I need to go shopping as I don't have anything suitable to wear. All I have is jeans/fleeces and ball gowns :eek:

Any hints, tips and ideas most welcome.

cazs

Yes, a suit and shirt is pretty standard. Or you could wear a nice skirt/trousers with pretty blouse. As long as it's smart. But suit is probably safest bet.
Next is good for suits although I'd say pricey when not in the sale. Also H&M, many of their suits are skinny style though.

elona

How about TK maxx for a smart jacket, trousers, skirt and a few tops?

They don't have to be identical.,just toning.

indiepanda

Dresses are quite popular in offices these days, maybe a smart dress and jacket - doesn't have to be same fabric. I mainly wear jersey dresses with jackets, and the nice thing about those is they can be worn outside the office for non work events in a way that I wouldn't use a skirt suit.

ravilious_fan

trolleyrun wrote: »

Hi all, hopefully this is the right part of the forum to ask this.

I've been made redundant and need to get a new job. I haven't been for an interview for 15 years and need help with clothes for such an occasion. Is it still the norm to wear a trouser or skirt suit? I need to go shopping as I don't have anything suitable to wear. All I have is jeans/fleeces and ball gowns :eek:

Any hints, tips and ideas most welcome.

What sort of work are you applying for? I am guessing it wouldn't be office work if you don't have office clothes already, from your last job?

Sharon87

Depends on the industry. In my industry I go to interviews in a jeans and a t-shirt and got the job. Either that or a dress.

I never wore a suit to an interview for retail, just smart trousers and shirt/blouse/smart top.

Dress for the industry, if it's a pound shop turning up in a full suit might be overdoing it and might make you feel awkward, but if it's office work a suit would work. When I first started in my industry I felt very awkward in my interview clothes because everyone was so casual, it distracted me from the actual interview itself. Where what you feel comfortable in that's smart.

NewShadow

Again, unless you're going for a strictly corporate job - Black trousers, a plain (solid colour, white or grey) top, and a dark/black jacket

Don't go for lots of makeup or jewellery - I tie my hair back, just wear a watch and silver studs, a tinted moisturiser, but no base/blush/lippy.

You don't want anything that distracts from your examples.

trolleyrun

Thank you all. I've been wearing a uniform for the last 15 years so I didn't have to think about what to wear. I'm applying for any kind of job that seems interesting and that I feel I'm competent to do (I have no academic qualifications apart from college over 2 decades ago).

It's a scary world out there but I'll hopefully find something soon. I'll go get some smart trousers, a skirt and some nice suitable tops. I found a jacket hidden in the back of the wardrobe, hopefully that'll be ok.

shandyclover

I recently moved from catering (where I had a uniform) to retail. I went to several interviews, I mainly combined smart trousers with a smart blouse or top, and a jacket, all picked up from charity shops, minimal jewelry (just because I could finally wear jewelry again, not allowed to in catering) and very light make up. Don't be afraid to wear something that shows a bit of your personality - obviously don't go over the top but sometimes something that sets you apart and shows you are interesting helps. If you can visit the prospective place of work before the interview, such as if it is a retail unit, you can get an idea of what the staff members normally wear and adjust your interview wear accordingly.

elsien

It might be worth a scoot round the charity shops - I got a hardly worn Next jacket for a fiver that I used for interview.
Depending on your size, I also wear school uniform trousers in grey or black as work wear.
Main thing is to feel comfortable while looking smart. If you're fidgeting because the clothes don't sit right on you, it won't help.
Good luck the the job hunting.

indsty

Plain dark skirt (knee length) or black trousers (not tight ones) and a white or pale colour blouse. Check the charity shops if money is tight. Low heeled shoes. Otherwise clean and tidy, minimal make up. That should do you whatever work environment you are interviewing for. Good luck in your job hunt.