What to wear to an interview

You can’t banish all the stress of an interview through preparation, but you certainly save yourself some worry – especially when it comes to what to wear.

We’ve put together this interview apparel guide so that you don’t have to second-guess your outfit. When the night before your big interview rolls around, you'll be able to fall asleep knowing that professional, appropriate clothing is laid out waiting for you.

Here are our rules for dressing for an interview:

• Do your research
• Show your personality in small touches
• Be comfortable and confident
• Work with what you have
• Know what not to wear – and avoid it

In this guide, we’ll also cover:

• How to do your hair, makeup and grooming for interviews
• What is business attire (and what the related dress code terms mean)
• What to wear if you’ve got a video interview

The world of work is constantly evolving, and so are rules about what's appropriate to wear. So how do you figure out what interview outfit will set you up for success? Our five tips cover all the bases.

As the business world changes, traditional suit-filled workplaces are on the decrease. To make sure your chosen interview outfit will match the employer, research the company’s values and the general attire worn.

Take a look at the employer's website or LinkedIn and see if you can spot photos of employees at work. Knowing what their existing employees wear means you can choose something that matches the workplace atmosphere. Always dial up the smartness a little more for an interview, however.

If you're interviewing for a smaller company like a startup, for a role which doesn't involve much (or any) time with clients or is in a more creative sector, get a feel for what employees usually wear. If the company welcomes jeans and hoodies in the workplace, think about pairing a shirt with smart trousers or a skirt for your interview get-up. A smart outfit shows you understand the company culture but are respectful and serious about the role.

If you’re interviewing for a traditional organisation, a client-facing role or for a position in a sector like finance, banking or law though, your safest bet is probably still a trusty suit, whether you go for a skirt or trousers.

For those more traditional employers, you'll want to wear a suit – and wear it the right way.

• Wear a suit with a jacket
• Choose a plain fabric or a subtle pattern
• Iron or steam your clothes so they're crinkle-free on the day
• Opt for dark-coloured leather or faux-leather shoes
• Go for dark-coloured socks or dark or skin-toned tights
• Bring a professional-looking bag
• Make sure you have clean, polished shoes (give them a wipe-down before you head out for the interview)

For men specifically:

• Wear a tie
• Waistcoats are optional
• Go for a neutral-coloured suit like navy or dark grey – avoid black
• You can wear button cuffs or use cufflinks, but make sure your shirt sleeves aren't hanging open

For women and non-binary people, the rules are more flexible.

• Dark colours are the go-to, but black is fine and lighter or bolder options can also be acceptable, depending on the context
• Go for a skirt or trousers – whichever you prefer
• You can wear heels or flats, as long as they're smart-looking and have closed toes

While you’ll want to dress appropriately, you still want to bring your full self to work – and that begins at the interview. So, come dressed as your smart self – not yourself in fancy dress as a ‘business person’.

To introduce your style into your interview outfit, include small nods to your taste through accessories like a bag, cufflinks or jewellery. Sometimes these things will trigger talking points.

If you’re not interested in fashion, don’t fret. The most important thing is that you wear something that’s appropriate but still makes you feel good. So, if you already feel great in an off-the-peg outfit, there’s no need to fuss over accessories. It isn’t about being on-trend, it’s about portraying yourself as a self-assured professional who’s ready for work.

While you want to fit in with the company, you’ll perform best in your interview if you feel confident. Since confidence partially comes from the clothes you wear, choose an appropriate outfit that makes you feel good. There’s no point wearing your best dress shoes if they’ll cause you pain and distract you from the interview.

Of course, there needs to be a balance. So, a hoody or a tracksuit – or anything else with a drawstring – is a no-go. But if a smart jumper over a shirt would make you feel better than a suit jacket, it’s probably better to go with that, providing that it’s appropriate for the firm and sector.

You don’t have to buy a new outfit when you’re job hunting. The perfect interview ensemble may already be in your wardrobe.

Here are some staple pieces we suggest for interviews:

• Plain smart skirt or trousers
• Shirt or blouse – ideally a muted colour (like white, light blue or grey)
• Sensible, smart shoes (usually black or brown) – make sure your shoes are comfortable enough for you to walk around in, just in case an office tour forms part of your interview
• Simple jewellery or a watch
• Plain socks – avoid novelty patterns

Have a rummage through your wardrobe and see if you’ve got any interview clothing like the above. If you don’t, try charity shops or second-hand apps for smart interview clothes at lower prices. People often buy this type of clothing for one-off events and then donate them. The earlier you start looking, the more likely you’ll find an entire outfit at a low price. So even if you don’t have an immediate interview, it’s wise to start planning what you’d wear in advance.

Once you’ve got an outfit together, ask somebody for their opinion. You need to give yourself enough time to adjust to any feedback (so don’t ask as you’re going out of the door for an interview!), but a review will reassure you that you’re wearing the right thing.

It’s just as important to know what to avoid as it is to know what to wear.

Some things to avoid include:

• Slogan T-shirts – keep away from anything with in-your-face branding or any text (especially if there’s swearing)
• Dirty shoes – give your shoes a good clean before your interview
• Headphones – while listening to music on the way to your interview is relaxing, having headphones on when you arrive looks rude, so put them away
• Shorts – while skirts are acceptable, wearing shorts is generally frowned upon
• Over-powering perfume or cologne – your favourite scent is a confidence booster but don’t overdo it

While some casual workplaces will be OK for you to wear jeans once you’ve got the job, it’s still best to avoid them at the interview stage. Some interviewers will view jeans as too casual.

Even if jeans are expressly allowed, you should always avoid ripped jeans. Whether it’s a fashion statement or just frayed denim, ripped jeans are a no-no for interviews.

There are no set rules for how to do your hair and makeup for a job interview, but you’ll generally want to keep it toned down.

Unless you’re going for a creative role (or a job as a make-up artist), you likely don’t want to be remembered for your bold and quirky eyeliner.

It’s up to you whether you wear your hair up or down. Do what makes you feel comfortable. Take a hairbrush with you though so that you can tidy yourself up if you become windswept on the way.

Likewise, if you have facial hair, make sure it's groomed and tidy when you head out for your interview.

Sometimes, an employer suggests an interview dress code. Or you might need to wear a certain type of outfit to work when you’ve secured the role. Here’s an overview of what the terms mean and what you’re expected to wear with each:

Business formal is the smartest dress code for work. This calls for a matching outfit of a suit with a skirt or trousers. Make sure the colour of your shoes matches your suit, too.

This attire gives you slightly more room for individuality than business formal. With a business professional outfit, a suit is acceptable but you can also wear smart trousers, a tucked-in shirt and a tie.

Equally, you could wear a skirt and shirt or blouse, or a nice jumper over smart trousers or a skirt. As with business formal, dark colours with white shirts are the standard.

Business casual is a combination of casual workwear and business professional, meaning it’s more relaxed than other dress codes but still means you need to look smart. Wearing a smart jumper with a shirt or blouse underneath and trousers or a skirt works well here. Generally, there’s no need to wear a tie in a business casual workplace or interview.

A casual dress code doesn’t necessarily mean dressing as you would outside of the workplace or interview. Instead, casual trousers and an appropriate T-shirt are acceptable, as is a less formal skirt. It’ll usually be fine to wear clean trainers in a casual workplace, but not sliders or flip-flops.

These days, many interviews (particularly at the first stage) take place virtually. If you’re being interviewed via video call, you still need to look the part – even if the interviewer can only see part of you.

Wearing smart bottoms can help you get into the mindset of an interview, but focus on having a smart top, hair and makeup (if you choose to wear any). You should also think of styling your surroundings as well as yourself. So, set yourself up somewhere that has a tidy background with minimal distractions and good lighting. You don’t want an interviewer to be trying to read the poster behind you instead of listening to you. Depending on the video calling software, you may be able to blur your background too. The blur effect will block out anything you can’t move but don’t want the interviewer to see.

Some video interviews are pre-recorded, meaning you’re talking to a camera with nobody else there. Although there’s no interviewer, the dress code guidance remains the same. We’ve put together some specific advice on how to avoid common pre-recorded video interview mistakes.

Now that you know what to wear, it’s time to think about what to say. Read our guide on how to ace a video interview.

Ultimately, an interview is for you to show you’ll fit in well with the job and the employer, and choosing an appropriate outfit helps with this.

The upshot is that if you don’t feel comfortable or confident in the clothes that the employer wants you to be wearing, maybe try and find a workplace that suits you better.

The interview is as much about seeing if you want to work for the employer as it is the other way around. So, be mindful of how the workplace and dress code make you feel so you can make the best choice for you.

And remember, it’s your personality, experience and skills that the employer is interested in. For more interview help, check out our ten top tips for face-to-face interviews.