Interview clothes when you're a bit 'shabby chic'!?

[rollonthesummer]

I am thinking of possible clothes for an interview! I am quite casual normally for work-would wear skinny trousers/cords tucked into boots or knee length skirts and little cardigans or Fat Face sort of jersey dresses with tights and boots. I guess I should be a little more smart for an interview though?

If I wore black trousers-do I go for skinny ones with boots over them? My boots are along the Fly London/DM line, so probably nto very smart? Or would bootcuts be better? With what underneath?! I don't really wear heels, so wouldnt be terribly comfortable wearing them.

Help!

Are you me? I wear white stuff dresses and fly boots in normal life...do what I did...borrow a suit and wear with your fly boots...blouse underneath...

IMHO you need to dress for the job you're going for to increase your success rate. Is it creative or quite office-y? DM's would freak me out as an interviewer unless it was a very creative post

I always suggest going one level smarter than people working there wear. So if it's a job where you can wear jeans, you wouldn't actually wear them to an interview. If the dress code in the job is smart casual, you would probably dress smart rather than casual for an interview.

What's the job?

I'm a Primary School teacher. My school is very laid back, but obviously I can't wear the sort of clothes I normally wear here for an interview!

Borrowing a suit is a good idea-I need to think of someone who owns one who is my size!!

Definitely go a degree too smart rather than a degree too casual. How about a dress with a blazer over the top? Dress doesn't need to be majorly formal, maybe a wrap or other style that you might wear again with casual boots, rather than a smart shift? Not a v casual White Stuff type one though, obv...

boots

It's this type of DMs if that makes any difference! It probably doesn't though!

I have smarter dresses tbh, just no jacket. I don't tend to like jackets as they make me look too broad and boxy in the shoulders. Maybe a smart cardigan? I probably do need some boots or shoes though.

I don't think you need to necessarily go the whole hog and wear a suit, unless perhaps it's a leadership post you're going for and/or the staff are smarter at the school you're applying to.

But you need to ditch the DMs and wear a smarter dress, and yes either a jacket or a cardigan.

I like those boots!

Yes, definitely a suit for a teaching interview

sorry, posted too soon. Our head teacher refused to interview someone once because he wasn't wearing a tie when he came to visit the school before applying...

If you really can't do a suit, a dress and jacket and "proper" shoes

No to the boots. You need some cheap court shoes or something - M&S has great cheap heels in nude, black etc.

proper shoes?

Or are these fugly and I am going to have to buy court shoes that I'll never wear again!!?

I don't think those are interview shoes, sorry.

Buy some classic courts and bring them out for every interview for the next 30 years.

I wear jeans and trainers 90% of the time for work.
Meetings I wear trousers or dress and a blazer.
Interview would wear a suit.
Its all about making the right impression

Buy a classic suit and wheel it out every interview.
I've got these m.marksandspencer.com/mt/www.marksandspencer.com/high-heel-court-shoes-with-insolia/p/p22246044
They're fine for the 3 occasions a year I wear heels.

I got a decent suit from debenhams for about £60 all in. Just black, pencil skirt, neat jacket. I wore it with a v neck jumper under and smart boots cos it was fucking freezing. I rarely teach in a suit - more he sort of the thing you describe in your OP but I think you need a suit for the interview

iwore this, office job tho

I've never worn a suit to a primary school interview. Have got 2 out of 3 jobs applied for too.
IMO it's more important to dress for the job rather than dress up. Especially if your spending time teaching as part of your interview too.

I'd go dress, tights and boots. So long as the boots are freshly cleaned and the dress is a decent length and not too cleavagey I think you'd look the part.

Good luck

Agree that a suit is not strictly necessary for a primary school interview- but for the love of all that is holy, please don't wear the boots. Or those hush puppy shoes.

What about a pair of flat court shoes? Pointed or ballet style would do.