Interview clothes help

[ToastyToes101]

I'm mid 40s, overweight (size 20 ish) and haven't had an interview in a very long time, since staying at home to look after children for 15+ years.

I'm looking for ideas that will look reasonably smart. The kind of place I'm looking at won't be super corporate or anything, but I still want to look smart. And preferably without heels!

Anybody else of a similar age and weight who can recommend some smart styles (as I usually live in jeans and jumpers!)

Thanks!

Do you have anything you could wear?

I have had an interview recently and I wore a pair of dark green wide leg cords, a grey v neck t and a grey checked blazer. Pair of pointy leather boots. Smart enough but still me.

pair of trousers with a blouse is good.

or a wrap dress in a plain colour.

What sort of work environment / activity?

What is your budget? Where do you usually shop?

Online or in person shopping?

BTW do you actually have an interview confirmed or are you just planning ahead? The fact you mentioned heels suggests you might be a bit out of the loop in terms of work culture. So … Different board really but have you taken any courses, attended workshops, done any voluntary work to bring yourself up to speed and make you a competitive candidate? If not, you might find the Mature Study and Retraining board helpful.

(Apologies if suggestion not needed!)

I'm the same age and size and I get a lot if lovely dresses from Bloomchic (size up by one size as run small), but I wear a lot of smart leggings, knee high flat boots or pumps with a casual top and long line or waterfall blazer. Smarten up with a nice bag and jewellery.

Wide-leg trousers with a shirt / cardigan / blazer depending on the formality.
You can wear flats with them, for example loafers.

Black trousers and a nice shirt or blouse is pretty standard interview wear. Or maybe a dress.

Hi OP,

I interviewed someone similar to you a few weeks ago and it stuck in my mind as I thought she looked very stylish!

She wore black cigarette trousers, flat pointed toe shoes (they were leopard print but black would also look good). Black t shirt tucked in with a gold belt and a green blazer.

similar styles below, the great thing is about a coloured blazer is you can rewear it with jeans etc snd the trousers can be worn time and time again (with jumpers or blouses) when you are in an office.

Blazer style
Trousers
Shoes

good luck with the interview

Goodness, @BathsAreBliss - did you travel back to the 80s for that frankly ghastly jacket?

Im 40 this year and am used to wearing jeans and a sweatshirt for work.I’m hoping to have an interview for an environment where smart clothes are the norm. I don’t want to spend much money so I’m going to get some cheap black trousers (going to look in MnS), plus a smart jumper I’d wear again and again (I’ve seen a few in Mint Velvet).I’m also going to have to find some shoes, which will be a nightmare as if I don’t get the job I won’t wear them regularly and having extra wide feet now Ive had my LO I will probably have to buy expensive ones.

I was in pretty much the same position a year or so ago... Late 40s and hadn't had an interview since I was 23, as I worked at the same firm for 10 years before being a stay at home mum for 15 years!! And like you I didn't even possess anything "smart". For the interview I just bought some black straight leg trousers and a patterned blouse from Matalan, it was presentable enough without being over the top. When I got the job I went on a shopping spree of similar types of clothes - trousers in black, grey and navy, various blouses, and I also like to wear knee length wrap dresses which I feel are quite flattering for my shape and size.
Best of luck!

Anything along as you pair it with smart shoes or boots and a smart jacket.

A nice dress, black leggings and boots. Always a winner.

I buy Joe Browns dresses for work but can only get the bigger sizes via Simply Be.

If you’re comfortable in jeans and jumper then go for work trousers (black or brown or grey), then a fluid blouse in any colour/pattern that you enjoy or find suits you. And a smart new thin knitted jumper on top. If the shirt has a collar (wear it open if it does) you can pull the collar over the neck or the jumper. I like v necks because they suit my shape best.
Add leather shoes. To be honest I think in most work environments you can get away with smart new leather trainer styles these days but you could go more formal with brogues or loafers.
It’s a very simple, ´normcore’ type outfit but as long as it’s all new or fairly new it’ll work for any interview that doesn’t require a suit. You can add a blazer if you want but they always look crap on me so I never do.

Oh and the really important part is fit. You need to be able to sit down in it without getting a gap a skin at the back. For me the best way to avoid this is to get highwaisted trousers. But you could also go for longer tops instead.

It's truly horrid.

Without a budget and a vague indication of what OP prefers - dress or separates or skirt trousers, it's very difficult to answer. Obvious and easy solution is to point in the direction of Cos or The Fold. Or, if a plain black dress is the solution Finery London.

I'm a similar size and my go to is a nice dress, snag tights and blazer. I wear the dress abd blazer separately too. Matslan has nice budget work clothes and simply be.

In the very catalogue they do multi packs of plain T-shirts. I wear these with a pair of black trousers and a coloured blazer, if you go on want that trend they have loads of different colours blazers for £17. Pairs with a pair of black pulp style shoes

Fatface Adele dress with a blazer. M&S have some great ruched sleeve ones. I’ve got a variety of colours of both and always get compliments. FYI…I’m 50 and a 22.

Good luck!

I usually find dresses are easy and simple and cheaper because you only need to pay for one thing. I go for something plain like a tailored dress and then I change it up with accessories to use it at other events. I’ve got wide hips so this style suits me but you could pick another one that’s matches your shape. I’d pick black because it’s more versatile but they come in other colours. You can wear some ballet flats or ankle boots with it etc. https://www.next.co.uk/style/ls352985/k35610#k35610

I work in a corporate environment and post covid dress codes are a lot more relaxed.

Flat shoes fine providing they are clean

Suits for women are rare now

Id go for a dress with opaque tights or trousers with a smart top or shirt. Dress up with a nice necklace

Well I liked the jacket, i think it would look great on the right person…

Personally, I love a dress (often paired with some comfy Snag tights). You really can’t go wrong. They look smart, they’re flattering, you can get really comfortable ones with no hard waistband to dig in when sitting down. My go-tos are Hobbs/Principle/Phase8/Joules sales (can still be a little expensive, but honestly, it’s worth it especially for those of us who aren’t skinny enough to pull off any old rag - the quality shows through, they fit better, wash better and they last longer - plus you get that confidence boost from knowing you look extra smart).

Or, for something a little more playful but still smart enough for most workplaces, Sugarhill Brighton is a good shout (so long as you’re not interviewing for Goldman Sachs or something).

I have the ‘Hatty Jersey Dress’ from the results below and get lots of compliments on it (i’m size 18 and the fit is really good and comfortable:)
Hobbs Sale Dresses, Size 20

Check out bloomchic. I think size 10-30 and structured/styled to complement those sizes!!

I would wear a Midi dress (maybe a wrap style), flats, and a blazer or a structured boucle cardigan.

Primark does some great linen-style wrap dresses that look smart and much more expensive than they are in their “The Edit” collection. Their maternity section also has some great options so don’t overlook it.

For blazers, M&S does one in various colours that’s £49.50 and doesn’t crease (great for chucking in bags for work trips etc).

I’m a similar size. I always go for a smart dress, I also love colour. I often find stuff in Oliver Bonas (their bigger sizes fit me) and I like Joanie on line which also has quirky and smart dresses.
mostly just love how you look in what you pick as that will shine out of you at interview:)