Interview outfit for job in university

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Am attending an interview at a university for a research job (junior) and have no idea what to wear? A suit would be overkill, right? how about black denim and smart shirt or top? A dress? what?
help

posting for traffic sorry

Would a black hobbs wrap dress work?

shift dress is not easy with my shape

www.next.co.uk/shop/gender-women-category-dresses/feat-available-use-workwear?gclid=CO6sqK-o69YCFYS97QodCEkCCg&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=COHXra-o69YCFVIx0wodzEsCnQ#2_2652

Here are some nice dresses. Some have longer sleeves, so you probably wouldn't even need a blazer to go with them.

Denim for an interview, good lord no!

I think a suit or a blouse & tousers/skirts or a dress are always best for interviews no matter what the job is

Yes, I think as long as it is smart a wrap dress would be absolutely fine

Good luck with your interview by the way

I'm pear shaped and what I do is go for a medium length fit and flare length in grey or blue (though one change the colour to suit you) I tend to go plane but dress it up with nice jewelry. My going to one is made out of suit material so it looks formal.

www.next.co.uk/style/st229867#702574 too short?

thanks everyone!

www.next.co.uk/xo22052s7#708104

i'll look at phase 8 as well.

I work in a University (professional services, not academic) and not a red brick either. A suit is definitely not too formal at all. It's always better to dress smarter than you need to.

Denim, even black is an absolute no in any interview never mind a professional job like you're applying for. A skirt / trousers / shirt / blazer combo is fine, as long as it isn't too casual. When I interviewed for my current role I wore an A-Line striped skirt with a white shirt and blazer in the height of summer, I was hot but I looked professional.

Thank you RavenLG

I may or may not work in research at that exact institution, OP..... I'm not saying.........

But! I've never seen a woman wear a suit. Normal attire would be a smart dress and jacket/cardigan or a smart skirt (pencil skirt) and top. Or if dresses/skirts aren't your thing, smart trousers and a top.

Do women wear suits??? In my experience women in higher up roles (like head of research dept, consultant doctors etc) tend to just wear more expensive looking dresses. I think a suit would be weird OP.

We had someone come for an interview the other day that was wearing a pink t-shirt that said "here comes trouble"

I don't think admin people wear suits at interview, either, but smart casual. So, black trousers and top, smart skirt and blouse, dress, that type of thing. Lots wear cardigans!

Non-matching jacket fine- full on suit with heels not necessary.

Academic here, agree with smallplant.

My ‘uniform’ is a shirt or shift dress from Hobbs or Cos with tights and ankle boots or flats.

A dress and a cardi is good.

Good luck!

For a junior research post a suit would be too much. No one in academia really wears suits apart from some admin people or the top bods for certain meetings. The people interviewing you are likely to be wearing jeans and t shirts.

The professional services staff would tend to dress more smartly than academics.

I would say your denim trousers plus a top sounds fine. With shoes. or any black trousers and plain top really. They won't discriminate though - there are no points in those interviews for appearance. It's more what you feel comfortable in.

Haha at HoneyBoo. Did they get the job?

I agree with Smallplant - I sit on interview panels at a research institute and we generally see dress, blouse/skirt, blouse/trousers, optional blazer for women. That Next dress OP linked would be fine.

Smallplant

You've never seen women wear something like this?

I would be on the safe side and not wear denim. We once interviewed someone for a RF job and while I didn't notice she was wearing black jeans rather than black trousers, as soon as she left the room, three of the older professors on the panel exclaimed "Jeans?! Was she wearing jeans?!" and that set a very critical tone for the rest of the discussion.

A full suit is a bit old-fashioned for women, I would go with a smart dress. The ones you have posted are both fine.

BlackPepperCrab Never at a workplace! But I've only ever worked in research at an academic institution. I'd think it was really weird if a woman came in in a full suit (I guess try-hard/old fashioned/unfashionable). Never seen it.

If I saw a woman on the tube wearing that outfit, I'd assume she was an investment banker or businesswoman. Or depending on the colours, a travel agent or air hostess.

"Or depending on the colours, a travel agent or air hostess." Not the look I'm after .

BlackPepper Only on politicians & hangers on that occasionally traipse through! Academics are generally business casual at best. Looking around this afternoon I see mostly jeans and t-shirts, a few skirts and tops, the more fashionable students are in things like ripped leggings and layered tops. I got away with yoga bottoms for the last 3 months of both my pregnancies ...

To those who say a smart dress is fine and a blazer not needed, I have a couple of very smart coats, will a dress and coat do if the dress has long or 3/4 sleeves as Papafran suggested?

On the whole it seems that suits are not required even in jobs outside of academic but smart casual is fine as long as it's not denim