Where would be the best clothes store to buy cheap job interview clothing?

darrensurrey

Million$baby wrote: »

Just saw your post. Matalan i thought about too. Would i be able to get jacket and trousers for under £40

I needed a suit for a funeral (my dad's) and got one from there. Nobody commented on the quality. But then they may have thought, "Christ, that's a cheap-looking suit. I'll let it go since it's his dad's funeral."

Pollycat

darrensurrey wrote: »

I needed a suit for a funeral (my dad's) and got one from there. Nobody commented on the quality. But then they may have thought, "Christ, that's a cheap-looking suit. I'll let it go since it's his dad's funeral."

I guess it depends what the suit is for and how much use it's going to get.

For a one-off - such as a funeral or interview - a less expensive suit will do the job.
But if you need to wear a suit for work 5 days a week, the cheaper suit may be a false economy.

SailorSam

I read somewhere that if you're on the Work Programme and they send you for an interview, if you haven't got anything decent to wear, they'll give you a Matalan voucher

VfM4meplse

SailorSam wrote: »

I read somewhere that if you're on the Work Programme and they send you for an interview, if you haven't got anything decent to wear, they'll give you a Matalan voucher

That makes no sense! I thought they were incentivised to secure you employment

[Deleted User]

My trousers are too big and in danger of falling down. Nothing that a pair of braces can't fix though for my (hopefully) soon to be interview.

FairyPrincessk

VfM4meplse wrote: »

That makes no sense! I thought they were incentivised to secure you employment

I sincerely hope that no one genuinely seeking employment takes you seriously and feels they might be penalized because of attitudes like this.

iammumtoone

Can't comment if it the the same for men but I have always got my interview suits from ebay.

I buy all of my work clothes in charity shops (separate trousers and tops) but don't very often see matching suits in them.

For interviews when I need a matching suit I find ebay a quicker alternative. It still takes a few weeks to get a bargain as I never go over a certain price and get out bid a few times, but if you have the time you will get something.

Unable to comment on cheap suits in shops as I never purchase clothes from shops I prefer to pay the same price but get a lot better quality from charity shops/ebay. The key is to be organised and start looking before you need it.

VfM4meplse

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

I sincerely hope that no one genuinely seeking employment takes you seriously and feels they might be penalized because of attitudes like this.

I have got nothing against saving money, but prefer not to spend on goods that scream "poor quality". Its only ever destined for landfill, high quality items last far longer - and as we know can be secured with a bit of patience and persistence! Its not as if jobseekers are pushed for time.

pollypenny

The Tesco and Asda suits some of my colleagues had stood out a mile, with their shiny cheapness.

I'd try the charity shops.

FairyPrincessk

Given an ideal situation I'd prefer not to buy poor quality items either, but time may be an issue if an interview comes up suddenly and you've only recently become unemployed, changed size (as the OP has), don't have stable acommodation etc. Other factors may be an issue as well--perhaps someone is an odd size, the local charity shops rarely have much in the way of good quality items (my local charity shops regularly resell supermarket, primark and matalan clothing at or near the cost of new;better quality items are very rare), or the cost of transport to the charity shops for the kind of persistent searching it would take to find something may be out of reach.

I don't take issue with the idea that better quality items may be had second hand for an economical price (indeed I frequently do this), or that given the option buying better quality is preferable. I take issue with the idea that someone who needs to buy what they can afford and makes a decision that is different from your preferences should be treated like a lesser job candidate or should be subject to disparaging comments about their cheap suit.

Can I judge the price of a suit from afar? Usually. I sew and know a fair amount about fabric and cut. But, I'm more concerned that the person made an effort to look presentable, was prompt, courteous and prepared for the interview.

The only reason I have engaged with this conversation thus far is because I've worked with a number of people trying to get back into work before and nasty little comments about the quality of their clothing (particularly if they've done their best to look smart) can knock their confidence. I don't want anyone reading this thread to think that such an attitude is universal or that they should feel ashamed.