Please could you help me find an interview/work outfit?

[BigusBumus]

Having been at home with kids for the last 3 years i have at last decided to go back to work full or part-time. (Need to be on the mortgage as working, so that we can move).

I am a PA type person, (at Director level) and I have an interview on Thursday morning with a recruitment agency.

The last few places i have worked have been funky environments, so no black suits. This means i have no work clothes left over from 3 years ago, nor do i have ANY IDEA what good corporate dress is nowadays.

Please could you find me a suitable interview outfit, that i can get tomorrow morning in a 2 hour window of oppotunity (DS2 at pre-school) in a fairly ordinary shopping centre (Milton Keynes). I will bung it on credit card, so don't care about cost for right outfit. What is trendy for work right now? I need some serious help!

I am 37, a size 12 and 5ft6. Small boobs, wide shoulders, heavier on the bottom and thighs, but not too bad.

Any help would be hugely appreciated!

See if you can get a personal shopper at one of the bigger shops. Topshop have them. I don't know who else does apart from Debenhams. Possibly M&S, John Lewis... That kind of place. Quick quick!

It's with a recruitment agency. There's no reason why they wouldn't take you on their books if your CV etc is fine. Don't worry about the clothes at this stage, only when you get to go for an interview with someone actually looking to employ you. I'm sure you'll find something suitable in your wardrobe for tomorrow. Concentrate on the upper half as that's the bit that shows over the desk.

And good luck.

Thanks CristinaTA. Someone told me that you have to wear your smartest, most corporate outfit to a recruitment agency, so that they can see you like that and know that you would be fine to work from super smart kind of environment downwards.

Is that not the case maybe? Good tip about top half!

I don't know about recruitment agencies. I think they would be interested in placing the right person with the right company so they can get their fee. They could perhaps suggest that it's a smarter place, more tightlaced etc than what you have on at the moment but I don't think they'd worry too much about outfits at this stage. I don't know. How about a white shirt, jacket and a bright (but not totally mad) scarf? That's pretty conservative.

The tip about the top half is from a guy I used to know, he said he always paid £££ on shirts and ties, maybe on jackets too (depending on the weather and whether he'd take it off or not) but less so on trousers.

Did you find something?

Good luck for tomorrow.

How did it go?