What to Wear to a Job Interview: A Practical Guide

How to choose the right interview outfit for any industry, with a simple checklist and the most common mistakes to avoid.

Your interview outfit won't get you the job on its own, but it does shape first impressions. The goal is simple: look polished, appropriate for the company and comfortable enough that you can forget about your clothes and focus on the conversation.

Step 1: Research the company's dress code

Look at the company's website, social media and photos of the team. Then aim for one level more formal than what employees wear day to day.

• Corporate (finance, law, consulting): a suit or tailored separates.
• Business casual (most offices): tailored trousers or skirt, a shirt or blouse, and optionally a blazer.
• Casual (start-ups, creative agencies): smart, clean basics like dark jeans or chinos with a neat shirt or knit, and maybe a blazer.

If you're unsure, it's perfectly fine to ask the recruiter what people usually wear.

Step 2: Choose classic colours

Navy, grey, black, white, light blue and soft neutrals look professional and let the interviewer focus on you. Add a single touch of colour with a shirt, scarf or tie if you like.

Step 3: Get the fit right

Fit matters more than price. Check that:

• Shoulders sit at your natural shoulder line.
• Sleeves end around your wrist bone.
• Trousers don't pool heavily at the ankles.
• Shirts don't pull at the buttons.
• You can sit, stand and gesture comfortably.

A tailor can fix most fit problems cheaply.

Step 4: Shoes and accessories

• Clean, polished shoes in good condition, ideally ones you've already worn in.
• A simple bag or folder for your CV and notes.
• Minimal, understated jewellery.
• A watch is a nice classic touch but optional.

Video interviews

• Dress fully. You may need to stand up unexpectedly.
• Solid colours look better on camera than busy patterns or thin stripes.
• Check your outfit against your background so you don't blend into it.

Interview outfit checklist

1. Clothes clean, ironed and free of lint or pet hair.
2. Everything fits and is comfortable to sit in.
3. Shoes clean and comfortable.
4. Grooming tidy: hair, nails and, if relevant, facial hair.
5. Light or no fragrance.
6. Outfit tried on the day before.

Common mistakes

• Too casual: worn-out trainers, logo T-shirts or wrinkled clothes.
• Brand-new shoes: blisters are distracting.
• Overdoing it: loud patterns, heavy perfume or lots of accessories.
• Not checking the weather: bring a neutral coat or umbrella.

Get a second opinion

Take a full-length photo of your outfit and upload it to our outfit rater. Choose "Job interview" as the occasion and get scores for fit, colour coordination and how well it suits the occasion.