Interview outfit ideas for a conservative corporate workplace

[Scotslass55]

Please help! I haven’t posted on Mumsnet for 7 or 8 years but am desperate! I have an interview coming up next month for a really important, corporate job in quite a conservative Scottish professional company. My work wardrobe is so dull and dated. I haven’t bought many work clothes since having my son as I weigh about 3 stone more than I want to and still hope to get back to something more like my old size and shape. I need some inspiration but I’m not ready for any big changes or anything too out there! Size 10/12 top, 14 (if I’m honest) on bottom, pear shaped, 5 foot 7. I really like the look of 7/8 and cigarette trousers but they just aren’t for my build, and I never know what to pair wide leg trousers with to avoid looking dumpy. I like a dress, maybe with a blazer? Any ideas? I’d love to feel that I had more confidence in how I looked.

wide leg trousers, blazer and shirt or stretch top underneath . Loafers, flat sling backs or trainers depending on workplace code

I am a similar size and shape to you. I would wear a dress, with no blazer (but no reason why you couldn't add one).

Suggest you invest for interviews in a single smart suit for your current weight. Like PP I’d also suggest wide leg navy or black trousers with matching jacket. A nice shirt underneath. Not low cut or see through obviously. Plenty of brightly coloured tops around to balance the suit. Flat or low heeled shoes. Maybe a nice bag to link with the shirt colour?
I myself would start with Marks and Spencer’s as you can order many sizes and get things that work well together. Good luck.

At 5ft7, you are not big

Wear a suit or ‘suit separates’ (ie the blazer & trousers/skirt don’t need to match) and a shirt

An extremely formal dress would be ok too for an interview but I think that’s generally seen as a bit dated now so you may not get much wear out of the pieces

Colours: navy/black/charcoal and shirt white or pale blue - solids not patterns

If you are planning to lose weight invest in the shoes/handbags vs the outfit perhaps but don’t go too cheap

I tend to buy work clothes from Hobbs - I know some people think they are frumpy but having interviewed candidates this week I preferred the ones who made the effort to look smart

Skirt suit or dress with jacket. If they're a conservative company that's the way to go.

A dress with a jacket is a good option. You could then add dresses as you go along when you get the job. 😊

I work in a workplace where I'm required to dress fairly formally. Hobbs, Reiss, Whistles, Jigsaw, Jaegar and Autograph tend to be my go to shops.

You will need to watch the length on Hobbs dresses at your height. I'm taller than you and their standard length seems to be 95cm in the really tailored dresses which is too short for me to sit down without being self conscious (but maybe that won't worry you).

I bought this recently which I'm planning to wear with a boucle jacket I already have (similar to the one in the photo list). It hasn't arrived yet but I think it could be quite flattering as a pear. I thought I might be able to wear it in the winter with boots, opaques, jacket and in spring and autumn with nude tights and flats.