You may think it's a bit old-fashioned, but the truth is that recruiters in the UK put a lot of stock into how job applicants dress for their job interviews. From their perspective, your interview attire reflects your understanding of how to respectfully engage with others, which is not only important in customer-facing jobs but also in interactions with co-workers. Deciding what to wear should be an integral part of your job interview preparation, just as much as practising your manners, proper speech, and body language when responding to common job interview questions.
Whether it's on the tube, in the streets, at the pub, or starting a new job, your first impression matters when meeting someone for the first time. The way you look will instinctively shape their perception of you. In fact, some studies have suggested that people form opinions of strangers in as little as one-tenth of a second, solely from their facial features*. Notably, increasing this timespan doesn't alter this first impression significantly, it merely increases the person's confidence in their initial judgement.
That's why it's so hard to shake a negative first impression. You should make sure to present your best self when invited to a job interview. The first tenth of a second of meeting your recruiter face-to-face may be the pivotal moment of the application process, regardless of how well-crafted your job application portfolio or CV might be.
Dressing appropriately for a job interview shows your recruiter that you can present yourself as a professional, which reflects positively on them as your employer. Even if you won't have direct customer contact, dressing well helps create a positive work environment.
Your job interview attire, in this sense, serves a similar function to that of a school uniform, although you usually have more leeway to express your individuality within business dress codes.
Remember that you shouldn’t expect one job interview outfit to fit every occasion. Wearing business formal attire is appropriate within the context of the banking sector, for instance, but if you're applying for a job with a young tech startup, you may come off as overdressed and inflexible.
When choosing job interview outfits, it's important to also consider the position for which you're applying.
While it's always a good idea to dress one step above what you would normally wear at the company, it's not a good idea to overdress. For example, if you want to become a bank clerk, you'll want to wear a conservative interview suit and tie or a jacket and knee-length skirt. However, if you opt for a tailor-made £6,000 suit or dress accompanied by an intricate brooch or diamond jewellery, you may come off as overdressed. Those may be more appropriate when applying for a position as CEO of the bank.
Note: Some companies might claim that they don't have a dress code at all. This means they don't expect their employees to follow any explicit rules or guidelines, but there are still certain implied expectations. Follow steps 2–4 in this case.
When companies describe their dress code over the phone or in job advertisements, they often use terms such as "business formal" or "business casual". This is short-hand for specific dressing styles which are common in their industry. So even if you call the company to ask about their dress code and they can't or won't give you a satisfactory answer, you can infer their dress code by looking at the industry standard.
No matter where you're applying for a job and what their dress code is, cleanliness is essential. Always ensure your job interview outfit is clean and properly pressed. Pay particular attention to your shoes, make sure they are clean. If you have the option of driving to your job interview, you can avoid stepping into something on the streets.
Also, make sure there's no pet hair clinging to your outfit. There are a variety of rollers and brushes available that you can use to remove lint and similar things from your outfit before leaving your flat.
This dress code is the norm across most major companies, especially in traditional sectors of industry. If you're applying for a job at a law firm or a bank, you're most likely expected to dress formally for your job interview. The same applies to management positions in practically all sectors of industry.
At first glance, business formal appears to be a straightforward style for men. All you really need is a dark suit and tie and matching dress shoes. However, since you don't have many options in terms of the items of clothing you can wear, you should pay all the more attention to the quality of what you're wearing.
Your clothing should be of high quality and should fit you well. Check the fit of an old suit, especially if you haven't worn it in a while. If it's too tight or too loose, you might want to consider buying a new suit that fits you better. You can either have one made to fit or buy one at a store and have it altered at a tailor's.
What's important is that it fits you well and offers enough freedom of movement to feel comfortable during the job interview. Make sure that when you reach out to shake hands or when sitting down, your suit jacket doesn't ride up on your shoulders, this may create an awkward look.
Since the business formal dress code is set in stone for men, you also don't have a lot of options in terms of colours and accessories. This is usually a good thing since you don't want your outfit to create too much visual distraction. However, even in a formal business environment, you may want to show your own individuality to stand out from the mass of applicants.
Since your suit should be dark and your shirt white, your tie and the handkerchief in your breast pocket are the only options you have to add some colour to your outfit. Dark blues and reds are a fairly traditional choice, though you're free to create your own unique look. Just make sure your tie isn't too garish. It's usually best to stick to a mono-coloured tie without a pattern, as anything more intricate may distract from you.
Women have a bit more leeway when it comes to formal business attire. For example, you can accentuate your outfits with tasteful scarves and jewellery, and you have a wider palette of colour choices. For women, the key is to maintain an understated, conservative business look while still accentuating their interview outfits to stand out from the crowd.
While it's usually a good idea to stick to dark colours such as black or navy blue for your jacket and skirt or trousers, you have the option of wearing a blouse in a muted colour of your choice. White is the most traditional option and often the best choice for very conservative business environments. However, a salmon-coloured or light blue blouse might also be suitable if it complements your overall look. If you opt to wear a scarf or similar accessory, you can explore a broader range of colours and patterns.
Once again, make sure your choice aligns with the company’s culture: if you're pursuing a career as a barrister, choose a more formal style and avoid accessories that are too colourful. Conversely, if you're aspiring to become an HR manager at an international company, weaving some tasteful colour into your outfit can help emphasise your individuality.
One important aspect of business formal job interview attire for women is to make sure you don't show too much skin, even in the summer heat. Shoulder-free tops, too much cleavage or showing too much of your legs are taboo when it comes to a professional look. Although your employer might grant some leniencies to employees during the summer months, you, as a job applicant, shouldn’t assume these will apply to you.
Don't wear flashy hairstyles to a job interview, as they can give the impression of being overdressed. Long hair can be worn openly in a simple hairstyle or in a bun, ponytail or simple plait. Men should either be clean-shaven or groom their beards well. Also avoid strong perfumes or aftershaves, as these may be very distracting to your recruiter. You can find many perfumes in less concentrated eau de toilette variants in most shops.
Business casual refers to a dress code that is a less strict version of formal business attire. It's typically associated with smaller companies or creative industries such as marketing or design, where a certain level of professionalism is expected, but personal expression also matters. Business casual is also the look that you should go for when applying for an apprenticeship unless stated otherwise.
The men's business casual closely resembles business formal attire, except it offers more leeway in terms of clothing choices, colours and patterns.
Your business casual job interview outfit should start with a long-sleeve shirt neatly tucked into suit trousers and paired with dark shoes with fitting socks. From there, you can add additional items: consider a suit jacket (with or without a tie) to create a more polished look, a stylish vest or a comfortable jumper for a cosier look. You could even just wear the long-sleeve collared shirt and suit trousers combination by itself. What's important is that you don't dress down from that baseline.
Denim trousers, trainers, and t-shirts aren't business casual and even companies that have a very relaxed dress code will think you haven't made an effort if that's what you're wearing to an important job interview.
In terms of colours and patterns, the business casual look also offers more options for men. You're no longer restricted to dark-coloured interview suits, a brown tweed jacket can be a great alternative. Patterned ties are another stylish option. Despite this new-found freedom, you should always make sure that your outfit draws attention to you, not to the outfit itself. Take the opportunity to show your individuality, but avoid combining too many colours and patterns that create visual noise.
Where the women's business formal look is focused on creating a polished look, the women's business casual look is more relaxed. You now have the option of wearing a blouse or shirt without a jacket, and you can opt for a stylish dress as long as it's not too extravagant.
As long as your clothes are clean and look professional, you have plenty of choices. And you also have some better options for warm weather compared to formal business wear, like short-sleeve shirts or dresses without a jacket.
Notably, the business casual dress code provides women with more options to accessorise with jewellery, scarves and similar items. Try to stick to one or two colours and a maximum of one patterned clothing item to create a unique look that doesn't distract from you.
Casual dress codes offer the widest range of clothing items for both men and women. Essentially, if something is appropriate to wear in public or in social settings, it's also appropriate for the casual dress code. So you could wear denim trousers, a t-shirt and some trainers, and still be considered appropriately dressed. There are only three general rules here:
Keep in mind that some employers will say they have no dress code or that they accept casual dress when they actually expect something closer to business casual. If you're preparing for a job interview with such a company, it's all the more important for you to research the company and its employees online to ensure your outfit is appropriate.
When in doubt, it's usually safe to follow business casual standards, but choosing the more casual options. For example, if everyone at the company wears t-shirts and denim trousers, you can justify wearing a collared shirt and suit trousers because you're here to make a positive impression. Though if you also wore a tie and jacket, you would likely come off as overdressed.
The Equality Act 2010 expressly forbids employers from discriminating against employees and job seekers based on their culture or religion. This usually means you're free to wear any clothing mandated by your religion or associated with your cultural heritage, such as dastārs or hijabs.
Note, however, that this won't prevent recruiters from discriminating against you if they're so inclined, it may just make them try to hide that fact. If you're worried that your recruiter may be taken aback by your appearance, ruining your first impression, you can always phone ahead to ask them about their policies regarding religious or cultural attire. In fact, they may take note of how considerate you are, which can be a significant advantage.
Determining what to wear is an important part of preparing for a job interview. That's why you should ensure you have enough items of clothing to create a variety of job interview outfits for any company you might apply to.
It's not a good idea to buy a new outfit right before the interview, as new clothes may have downsides you're not aware of. For example, you might find that your new shirt is scratchy or that your new jacket restricts your arm movement. Make sure you have worn all items of clothing you picked out before the interview and that you feel comfortable in them.
If you haven't applied for a new job in a while, it's beneficial to take some time to go through your wardrobe and see which items of clothing still fit well. Your interview outfit plays an important role in creating a positive first impression, so if you're currently looking for a new job, consider taking a day off just to go through your wardrobe. Try on different combinations and note which items of clothing you may need to meet the dress code of the industry where you're applying.
* Willis, Janine et al (2006) 'First impressions: making up your mind after a 100-ms exposure to a face', Sage Journals, 17(7)
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