Job Interview Shoes

[catsofa]

OK I don't actually have an interview yet, but I do need to make sure I have an outfit ready for when I hopefully get one really really soon.

I've got a smart suit jacket that is fairly long. I've got a boring sensible plain knee length dress. Got a few necklaces I like. Maybe a wide elastic belt to jazz up the dress.

But I have no idea what shoes I can possibly wear with it all! I can't wear heels at all, the most I can manage is about an inch of heel but it must be as wide as the shoe, i.e. no kitten heels or anything as I guarantee I will twist my ankle in the interview.

Ballet pumps and similar look shit on me because I have sort of chunky ankles, so they make my feet look weirdly small for my legs. Chunky mary-jane style shoes look ok, but the chunkier the shoe, the less I think it looks smart enough for an interview. I have some nice long boots but I think they look not quite right with knee length skirt.

So WTF can I wear? Size 6 if anyone's up for an ebay search for me, but budget is stupidly low.

How about a low wedge? Definitely wouldn't wear the long boots, they'll be too casual with the dress. You would get away with them under trousers though, ditto smart flats or loafers.

What does stupidly low budget actually mean?

These would be smart when new

Just get a low heel Mary Jane or brogue and scour charity shops for them a bit of polish will make them as good as new for an interview.

Stupidly low budget I suppose I mean I never buy any clothes new really, so £20 for a pair of shoes I may well only wear once would seem really expensive. I'm thinking a tenner off ebay, but it's ideas for the style I need really and then I'll see how cheap I can get hold of some that fit me.

I love those Matalan red ones, but because the heel is so much narrower than the sole I will fall off them, I really am totally useless at keeping my balance as I've only ever worn flats or very very low block heels.

I think I might try to find trousers that fit, at least then the shoes matter a lot less. I could get away with pumps or mary janes in trousers 'cos it wouldn't show that they make my feet look too small for my legs. I think brogues look oddly masculine and although I've seen other people pull them off well I think I'd not be very confident about wearing them myself.

I do now have an interview a week tomorrow so it's all a bit urgent now - it's a job I really really want too!

Oh, good luck with interview - you can easily wear boots/pumps with the trouser suit. I'd probably steer clear of the MJ's if you're wearing trousers though - think that look really only works with a decent heel.

If you do go the new shoes route it's probably worth having a look in TK Maxx or, if they have a sale section, Oasis or River Island.

I find you cant go wrong with black peep toe heels (heel maybe upto 2")

Do you think it's ok to have a little toe showing then? Not automatically too informal? I have some plain brown leather mules with about an inch of block heel, which I know I can manage not to fall over in. They do look quite smart and they go with anything. I guess I'd need to wear tights anyway so the toes would be clothed...

They need a polish though, what does one use to cover scuffs etc on leather shoes?

It is, there's great stuff you can get called Dubbin (silver tin, made by Punch). The supermarket should have it, but the shoe repair places sell it too. Trick for getting out the scuffs is to polish twice, buff with a cloth after first layer of polish and buff with a shoe brush for second layer.

Thanks so much, ok this is coming together I just need to find some trousers that fit me. I'm an awkward size so may have to just buy them new.

How much does it matter that the trousers and jacket match? Could I get away with black trousers and a grey jacket?

Something like this is quite smart.
I like them a bit chunkier and they do sell lots of loafers on ebay.

ebay
or these?
more classic loafer

If you really need flat, why not flat, knee high boots instead? Something like this perhaps?

Please don't wear peep toe . A definite no- no for interviews IM0.

I do have some plain black leather long boots, but upthread I am advised against them for an interview. I saw some loafers like you suggested hellsbellsmellons in Primark earlier so I'll go with those if I don't find anything else I like before friday.

I think all the non-matching jackets and trousers I have look crap, but I need long arms, 10 long leg trousers and 12 jacket, so no hope of getting a second hand suit that matches really. Next do nice long arms but are in the £40 - £70 range for each piece which really is beyond me while I don't have a job! I realised the dress won't work as it has thin straps and I have to wear a sports bra because of big heavy pregnancy boobs. Grrrr.

I can rustle up a black jacket, black trousers and black loafers, will that make me look like I'm going to a funeral? I have blonde hair and don't wear makeup so I think black makes me look really washed out, but I guess it's better to look pale than not smart enough? Weirdly I don't have any friends the same size as me to borrow anything from :(

Ah - I'd recommended not with a dress rather than not at all. Boots would definitely work with trousers. All black is fine, just use a scarf and a bag in a colour other than black (don't have to be the same colour, or even matching) to reduce any risk of looking washed out.

Back to shoes - I can't wear heels any more so buy hush puppies - usually on eBay for around £15. They're great, comfy and really last

You can wear black, just make sure you wear a top/accessories in another colour that suit you.

I just had the luckiest charity shop visit ever! I was dropping off a bag of donations and had a quick look at shoes, and found these. They are slightly higher than strictly comfortable and very slightly on the tight side and have very smooth slippy soles, but I'm pretty confident I can manage to wear them for the duration of an interview.

Then someone else was paying so I hung back a bit to wait and sort of wafted my eyes vaguely over the rail next to me... and saw this dress! It's Next and nicely made, the belt is one I had already, does it look ok?

So now I'm very nearly sorted. I have a smart coat and might just skip the jacket but could wear the black one ok with this dress. May have to get a cheap plain black handbag.

Do I absolutely have to wear grown-up tights rather than 100 denier ones? I suppose I do don't I... which looks worse, 100 denier tights or proper semi-sheer ones with a hole in them?

Only trouble now is that I don't know how I'll get to the interview, since I definitely cannot cycle in this outfit!

That is great.

I would wear dress without the belt.

Your lucky finds today look great, but please don't wear the belt, let the simplicity of the dress speak for itself.
I think 100denier tights would be fine, in fact they'd be better than natural ones, with the style of shoe you've found.
Lots of luck!

The dress looks so plain without the belt though, I don't have pierced ears and the neckline is a bit high for a necklace so I don't know hoe to get any colour in there without it.

I'll get some new thick tights then, so at least they're not bobbly!

Step. Away. From. The. Belt!!!

I don't know what kind of job you're going for, but you have a cracking figure in that dress, don't spoil it with that belt!
I get your feeling that you need to inject some colour, and I also see that you don't wear make-up, but for an interview, I would inject some colour with so,eh subtle natural looking make-up, because (I'm waiting to be shot down in flames her!) it does convey a more polished look. Nothing major, even some light blusher, mascara and lipgloss

:) ok ok no belt!

I cannot actually apply make up, I never learned. And badly applied make up looks much worse than none at all, so I'm stuck with my actual face. Pregnancy is making my face really oily so I'm just trying to wash it all the time to make sure I don't get too many spots. I will of course remove my moustache for the occasion.

The job is something a bit like social work, I'm hoping I won't need to be formal at all for clients normally, but obviously you've got to do it for interview.

Any other colour ideas?