To wear brown flat shoes to a City job interview?

[Neverbrownintown]

Would it mean instant rejection on sight?

What do people wear on dress down Fridays?

I do notice shoes in life. I would notice the wrong style/colour. I don’t expect heels but I don’t work in the city so know nothing.

This is one of the most depressing threads I've read for a long time. It's 2018 and women are being judged on the suitability for their role by the colour of their shoes and the height of their heels And to make it worse, women are endorsing this!

I would never work anywhere that puts someone's footwear ahead of whether of not they're the right candidate for the job.

This thread is depressing! As long as a person is clean and smart it should not matter what shoes they wear! It's not like it affects their ability to do the job!

I'd be stuffed - I never wear heels. I have tried in the past and can't seem to master walking in them - either look like I've been on the brandy or I have all the grace of a baby elephant!

Thankfully, as a teacher, I can get away with smart flats. Just as well really as I can't imagine moving around a science lab in heels.

Good luck with the interview OP

As someone working in a senior role in the city I would have no opinion on your brown shoes as long as you looked presentable (and they were clean!). But then I got my last job wearing leopard print ballerina's so I perhaps am more forgiving than others?!

Good luck OP and hope you smash the interview

Your friend might have been having you on, Melfish. I can't imagine anywhere having a no trouser environment a decade ago. I've worked in the City since 99 and one of my first interview suits was a black trouser suit from Jigsaw. I have worked in a variety of barrister chambers and City law firms since then. None of them had an issue with trousers and never heard of friends in other firms, banks, etc being unable to wear trousers.

My DD wears bright pink trainers on her walk from Waterloo to the City, changes into smart flats for the office ( similar company) but wore small heels for her interview to go with the rest of her tending to the conservative outfit at interview because she felt it looked more polished. Once she was working there, found a more relaxed dress style in operation. Low black court heels aren’t the same as the story of agencies requiring receptionists to wear high heels- she did some temp work whilst she was interviewing for her current job and was given a list of dress code requirements, which she mostly ignored but used her own judgement about how to look presentable and professional.

My son is in his 20s, works for one of the big 4 accounting firms. They generally dress down but have to wear smart business wear when meeting with clients. As part of a discussion about how smart is smart the ‘no brown in town rule’ came up. It was being discussed fairly lightheartedly when they realised an Aisan member of the team who recently transferred from another continent was looking horrified. He had certainly never heard of the rule and had misunderstood it entirely!

This is pathetic - seriously your shoes will not kill the job.

I went for one interview, wore my usual flat - albeit black - went in and sat down.
Tosser Interviewer who had not looked up when I walked in -asked me exactly that question. Should have seen the other interviewers faces - jaws dropped!

Do you think you are appropriately dressed for this interview?
Yes - I replied
Your footwear leaves a lot to be desired, we expect a certain image and that will be heels, if you are lucky enough to get the position.

I got the job!
First day induction, tosspot was on the agenda as talking to the interns!
I wore my 3 inch sky scrapers.

We were all expected to go in and shake hands with tosspot short arse 5ft 3inch twat!

I strode in, looked down from my now 6ft 4ins height - ( am 6ft 1) and said - I took your advice, thank you, Heels make such a better impression!

Never wore then again and no one ever passed comments - he is now a senior partner and the story is now legend and he knows it! Certain client meetings, the comment - look smart but no heels required is now standard speak in the company!

@VioletCharlotte I would never work anywhere that puts someone's footwear ahead of whether of not they're the right candidate for the job. Me either

I’ve never once worn heels to an interview, just flat black loafers. Usually get the job so clearly my footwear wasn’t putrid enough to put them off .

In Prague and Paris DP and I tried to count the women we saw wearing heels, we saw approx 4 a day. It’s not as common for women to suffer in other countries.

My ex was a banker and he told me they immediately dismissed a man in brown shoes or a blue suit.

Can't you get into town early and get a pair of shoes on the way ?

PP mentioned M&S at Waterloo, I bought a lovely pair of flats last week for an interview, but at a big store, very comfy

Seriously, been in the City almost 20 years. Never look at shoes of interviewees, and never worn heeled shoes myself (and colour is whatever I have at the time). But if it is an organisation that expects formal business attire, it may be a bit of a risk - not every interviewer is as lax as me . Last interview I went to (and got the job!) I polished my shoes with furniture polish, and blacked the scuffed bits with felt tip pen. And wore very wide-leg trousers - my shoes were barely visible.

I was at a meeting at MOJ, Petty France yesterday and lots of brown shoe wearers

Yes, but they are civil servants. I bet some of them even had short sleeve shirts

Why are we talking about petty France and st James park? Neither of these places are remotely near the city

Best of luck, OP. I hope you get it.

Some of the women on here need to have a long, hard think about their views and opinions.

Nobody cares. So long as you’re clean and presentable it’s fine.
It’s not the 80s/90s any more, thankfully!

Unfortunately having a good hard think about our views will not change the fact that you have to be on your game at an interview with a prestigious company.

How does being on your game relate to what shoes you wear?

I’ve worked at two City banks and a lot of men don’t even wear suits. My previous director used to wear jeans a lot.

I used to interview PAs and I didn’t care what they wore as long as they were smart ish! Wouldn’t think twice if they wore flat brown shoes!

A lot of women physically can’t wear heels. I can’t.

It doesn’t but you do have to fit in with a corporate environment if you seek employment therein. Many financial institutions in the City of London do have a dress code. The Op must have had her own concerns because she posted just think it is wise to be cautious at an interview.

Good luck for the interview OP!! what did you wear in the end?