Jeans to a Paris start-up interview for a VP role?

[catspyjamas1]

Is wearing jeans (paired with wedges / espadrilles), nice bag and white blouse / shirt / top acceptable?

Talent person / recruiter sent me an email with this bullet point: “Our office dress code is business casual. Please wear what feels most comfortable and confident”

I’m going to Paris in person and besides the obvious nerves about interviewing for a new job in general, I’m very conscious that I’m going to be in Paris with a lot of French people (my boss, thankfully, is not French) so feeling like I need to be on-point in what I wear for the couple of hours I’m there meeting my manager, the team I’ll manage and a couple of other very senior people.

Please keep in mind (a) it’s summer, (b) it’s projected to be 24 degrees and humid and (c) start-up.

My question is focused on dark (not black / grey) JEANS to this interview, obviously jazzed up with some height (I'm 5ft 2 inches), jewellery and a nice white blouse / top.

Thank you!!

Thank you! Red is in 1st place right now.

Would be interesting to see if the slimmer style trousers you have work better with the red or olive blazer and wedges.

Will try - thanks.

I bet Parisian office is wearing jeans because it’s a start up. It’s not a regular corporate office. However for an interview I would still dress a bit smarter and just wear wide trousers instead. No blazers please

I think the red blazer is a bit cabin crew. I love the khaki, I think cigarettes pants and whatever shoes work best, probably the loafers. Good luck.

Very Virgin Atlantic 😂

The dark olive green and the floral jacket are not a good fit for you.

Can’t see the shoulders of the red one but the sleeve length is good so I would go with that one. Wear a more neutral lipstick, as someone said upthread a strong red lip with the red jacket will look like Virgin cabin crew.

I think your clothes should be so immaculate that they aren’t even noticeable. The red jacket is noticeable.

Red jacket looks amazing. And love the power move of wearing red. And I like the patterned shirt too but white is good too. Good luck!

😂

then why the fuck are you so utterly bewildered about what to wear?!

You’ve been weirdly snarky with loads of posters on here and I think we can all conclude (without your joke that makes no sense) you neither got to your position based on your dress sense or your people skills.

Thanks everyone that has given great and constructive feedback! I think I am sorted now so thank you as I step away from this thread now. Have a lovely weekend!

Hello again
thanks for sharing the outfits.
here are my thoughts

• of the three looks, the red blazer is the best one
• however, I think it would be a shame to wear that outfit. For three main reasons: 1) from a French perspective, that colour combination or red, white and black reads Pierrot / clown / mime. It is strange for summer and not at all Parisian. 2) you have a really lovely figure and the trousers don’t flatter you. They are too short and the shoes are wrong. It is bunched around the crotch which makes it look not tailored and cheap. 3) as PP said, you want to wear the clothes, not the clothes to wear you. The red blazer is too loud and will be distracting.

I think you should go to John Lewis or Selfridges or something, or even the airport (at Heathrow they have personal shopping), and ask for a personal shopper to find you clothes that fit you much better, and look more elegant and expensive even if they are not.

Or even a high end second hand shop with a lady who knows her stuff.

Do you have time to go and try things on in real life?

Or even better, go to Printemps or Bon Marché while you are there and ask for a personal shopper and state your budget

www.lebonmarche.com/en/services/book-on-line/personnal-shopper?srsltid=AfmBOopdi9T8MkC8KNn72NcwDu3lJIKeCTeJHsABdytGfn-TRPpbjUsL

Hi! 👋 Thanks for your feedback. I agree on the trousers so switching them up to black cigarette ones that I have (and fit better) and likely going with the wedges. I am still in two minds about the red blazer tbh (I think it's too loud for this but am keeping it for future). I'll get a real life /in-person opinion later from a friend on that or the dark green one (it looks better colour wise in real life than in the photo).

Good shout on personal shopper, I am considering that if I get the job as I do struggle with clothes shopping in general and get frustrated with it very quickly.

I’ve thought about it and it seems you really don’t want to go shopping again.

Having looked at everything again, and zooming into Paris in my head, I think you should wear the khaki brown jacket, the white shirt, the trousers and the plain low high heels. It would be really nice if the shoes were a similar shade to the jacket, in case you have any of those.

please update us! Sorry about the nasty posters. It would be really nice to know how you get on. Good luck!

We posted at the same time! Thanks very much for your kind feedback. I might do the heels if this blister on my foot is healed by next week as they look great on.

Good idea to wear trousers you already know and that flatter you.

one thing I noticed the last time I was in paris was that nobody was following the trend of ‘suddenly everyone must wear wide leg trousers!’ Like in the UK. People were just wearing whatever trousers suited them best. Those who looked best in skinny jeans were wearing those, those who looked best in boot cut wore those, etc.
In general, fashion statements are much more subtle and beauty and elegance is more important (i.e. what suits each figure and colouring).
not at all like Emily in paris! That is an American fantasy of Paris and Parisians think it is deeply embarrassing (obviously, I know this will be no news to you, just responding to pp)

I don’t think black works for summer, and the red blazer is a bit too flashy for France, the khaki one is the best of the three. The cream palazzo pants that someone posted upthread are nice.

I’m in France but not in Paris, and everyone wears jeans to work here!

I think the OP has gone off in a huff but still none of those outfits are stylish or polished and well put together. I can’t see the point of coming on here looking for advice and being an arrogant arse when people are honest. Especially if you’re so far from competent at styling yourself that the initial idea was stretch waist flappy legged jeans, and not only that but pairing those jeans with espadrilles. Yikes.

I agree with this, the OP has been very rude at times. And I can’t fathom White Stuff or Ted Baker or espadrillles (!) for Paris start up VP either.

I interviewed in Paris a few years ago for a VP role and I wore a black silk Armani shirt dress with black flat boots - smart but with a cool vibe. And a bag from Aspinal I think. It was perfect. Was January though, the OP will need something different for summer.

I don’t like the white shirt and wide trousers combo either. I love red and I own a red jacket but I agree with a PP that red white black doesn’t fit here and not in summer.

Also no one’s mentioned trainers - I’m not sure about Paris but I would have thought you could pair smart white trainers with black wide leg trousers for this.

If it was me I’d probably wear a well cut shirt dress again, I have a short one from French connection that is smart, with loafers. Or a midi length khaki dress I have that is great for summer, I wear it with gold flats. Or black wide leg trousers but with a silk top not a white shirt.

How did it go, OP?

Hi @comoatoupeira! Thanks for asking. I was up at 5.30 and got back at 10pm - long day! Wish I'd worn flats over the wedges - my feet were killing me. Ended up going with the dark green/olive blazer and black trousers, white shirt, the hated Ted Baker leather bag 😂My potential manager was in.... dark jeans and flat shoes. As was about 60% of the people I saw. But, I'm glad I made the effort as I felt good. Kept the Virgin Atlantic blazer for future office days as it's just so nice.

Should hopefully know in the next week, fingers crossed.

Woah, did you do two Eurostars in one day?

Yeah, it was intense!!

Just reinforces again that most mumsnetters have no clue 😀 of course people in Paris start up will be wearing jeans no matter how much mumsnet insists it won’t be the case

good luck OP! Hope you’ll get it!