Not to wear a suit to a job interview?

[monoclepolish]

They've always looked awful on me but somehow I have the impression that you're supposed to wear a suit for a job interview, if the role is office based.

I really hate them and how I look in them. Would a smart, "corporate style" dress with no blazer or jacket be acceptable?

YABU: You need to wear a suit to an office based job interview.

YANBU: You can wear an appropriate dress with no jacket.

I think the last time I wore a suit for an interview was in 1993. I haven’t even owned one for at least 20 years. Just go for the most polished look you can muster.

@Blossomtoes

I think the last time I wore a suit for an interview was in 1993. I haven’t even owned one for at least 20 years. Just go for the most polished look you can muster.

I will even polish my monocle!

I’m a corporate Senior Director in a client facing role. I’d choose either smart trousers and a blouse or a business dress with low heals, a necklace and my tidy handbag. I look nice, smart and business-like. I’ve always worn the same and rarely failed to get a job I interview for. My shoulders are too narrow and my boobs too big for a suit jacket!

Yes a dress like the first one you posted with a jacket is fine imo.

Yes, monocle polishing is obligatory! 🤣

It so depends on the job. Impossible to say without knowing the post you are applying for. In my profession a dark suit (dress or skirt or trousers plus jacket) is required for work every day and similarly would be expected at interview.

I would expect to turn up in a jacket and remove it at the point where I had shaken hands etc if I was too hot. I have never worn a suit to an interview though.

I’ve always worked in offices, never worn a suit to an interview and been offered every job I’ve interviewed for.

However, it very much depends on the industry. In my industry (advertising) I’d think it very strange if someone turned up to an interview in a suit. Probably very different to a law firm for example.

@thisplaceisweird

I think you can't go wrong with flattering wide leg tailored trousers and a great blouse.

Unless you’re only 5’ and curvy like me 🤣

Dress 1 would be fine, dress 2 is a bit too 'weddingy' in my view (if that's a word). I work in banking, pre-Covid, people did still wear suits, I tended to wear a dress and jacket, both for interviews and client meetings (remember those), a bit more casual on non-client facing days. These days, I'm more likely to be in a Zoom friendly smart top and trackie bottoms/leggings

We interviewed extensively two years ago and the majority of ladies didn't wear a suit but dress with a blazer or without when it was longsleeve and a heavier fabric.

All was absolutely acceptable. In the majority of cases a suit looks odd if it is not really good fitting or you have a stunning figure. I know only one of my colleagues who can pull it off, the otheres all wear separates or dresses.

I haven't worn a matching "suit" to an interview in ten-plus years. Other than in the most conservative corners of law and finance, it's a super dated look.

Smart but not matchy is much more common and current. Business dress with blazer, or trousers and top with non-matching jacket. I haven't worn heels for years - I prefer brogues, boots, or loafers.

I'd say dress #1 and a blazer for education, finance and that sort of thing. The blazer is very important in some roles - I lost out (not really, I only interviewed there because it was 5 minutes from the school and 10 minutes from home) on a job at a bloody estate agents because it was about three million degrees in the shade, so left the blazer at home; their feedback was that I wasn't appropriately dressed for meeting clients. And it's a prerequisite for even support roles in every school I've worked at.

I've also been pulled up at work for wearing tailored, heavyweight widelegged trousers and a smashing blouse - it apparently looked like I was 'wearing pyjama bottoms', but then again, I only chose the (stupidly expensive) things because slim legged ones wouldn't fit over my post section overhang unless they were so huge around the waist that I'd need braces to hold them up and none of my old dresses fitted me/no money for a replacement that would have resembled a tent.

I've found that a plain dress that is at least softly tailored, tights, flat shoes and a soddingblazer have done me well.

Really depends on the role. To a senior management position generally a suit would be preferable but for entry/supervisor level a smart dress with jacket is fine, for charity roles such as I have a dress and cardigan got me the job (looking friendly and approachable is key to the role, if I looked to officious it wouldn't be a good fit). Try to get an idea of normal dress for the role then take it up a notch or so

Never owned a suit, worn a blouse and trousers or a black dress to every interview I've ever been to. I think you're overthinking the 'rules', as long as you're dressed in office wear I don't think anyone will notice or care whether it's slightly more formal than x or y.

I'm senior in the Big 4 so very conservative. Pre pandemic I would wear a nice, well cut plain dress for client meetings, sometimes with a jacket but more often without. For my last job interview I wore jeans, smart trainers, a nice top and a jacket and was overdressed.

To a senior management position generally a suit would be preferable

I think a senior manager would be even less likely to wear a matching suit than a more junior person everywhere I've worked, tbh. A suit is very "grad on their first interview and Mum bought it at M&S". A senior manager would wear an interesting, well tailored dress or very well-cut separates, unless it was a brightly coloured or properly fashion forward suit.

15 years ago I had very little money and purchased a shiny grey trouser suit from river island! I never wore it afterwards, but I got the job. I cringe now, remembering this……..

It depends on the job and the company.

A general rule of thumb is to go slightly smarter than you would expect if you were actually doing the job day to day - so if you are in a typical office environment a suit would be overkill.

@WutheringTights

I'm senior in the Big 4 so very conservative. Pre pandemic I would wear a nice, well cut plain dress for client meetings, sometimes with a jacket but more often without. For my last job interview I wore jeans, smart trainers, a nice top and a jacket and was overdressed.

Jeans and trainers made you overdressed for an interview for a senior role in a major accountancy firm?

I have always worked is broadly corporate office roles and always ignored the agency advise about black suit and jacket being necessary. Over the last 10 years I have been offered every role I have interviewed for.

Personally, I wear dresses, but I feel comfortable in them and therefore confident. The last few times I wore silver brogues too.

Most offices are not actually that corporate any more. The most corporate place I worked at in the last 5 years still had women in dress or trousers/skirt and top, men in chinos with open necked shirts. Exceptions were when clients visited or a pitch was happening but that just meant people pulled a tie and nice shoes out of their drawer. Men would wear a jacket on those occasions but not always a matching suit.

How about this with a navy jacket?

The thing is one person could look smart and tidy in just trousers and a top, and someone else could look a mess in a suit. I think it’s more about wearing clean, tidy well fitting clothes rather than what you actually have on.

@motogogo

Really depends on the role. To a senior management position generally a suit would be preferable but for entry/supervisor level a smart dress with jacket is fine, for charity roles such as I have a dress and cardigan got me the job (looking friendly and approachable is key to the role, if I looked to officious it wouldn't be a good fit). Try to get an idea of normal dress for the role then take it up a notch or so

In what industry?!

Dress and jacket is absolutely fine for board level roles in many companies.

Even in banking suits for women were well on their way out pre-covid. Non-matching but smart and interesting is much more in vogue for high level corporate female dress.

I’dsay that is a day to day in most offices acceptable so a small notch up depending on the organisation.

I wore a tailored electric blue dress to get a job at one of the top consultancy firms. I agree re: patterns - fine once you have the job though in most cases. I’ve certainly never been told I am inappropriately dressed from the most creative to the uber corporate.