Dress for Success – Moss Bros. reveals their Interview Dressing Guide for “what to wear to an interview”

With more and more people heading back to the office, interviews are taking place in person again. As this happens people are starting to wonder how exactly do you dress for an interview after 2 years of video interviews and track pants? Those well dress and ever so dapper experts over at Moss Bros. have broken it down into a handy guide. 

Searches for “what to wear to an interview” are up 16% in the past month! 

You want your interviewer to picture you doing the job that you’re interviewing for. What you wear needs to show you’re serious about the role but also that you’re a good fit for the company culture – a three-piece suit is pretty much mandatory for a City job, but wear one to a creative agency and they might mistake you for their accountant.

One-third of British men feel most professional and confident in a tailored suit! 

That said, great tailoring does wonders for your confidence across the board. We surveyed British men and over a third of them said they felt most professional and confident in a tailored suit. It follows, then, that making an effort to dress smartly will impress your interviewer and also give you a boost of confidence when it matters. 

So, back to the question in hand: what to wear to an interview? Our advice is to tailor your outfit to the kind of company that’s interviewing you. Here’s our take on what to wear for four types of interviews: corporate, business professional, business casual and creative.

WHAT TO WEAR FOR A CORPORATE INTERVIEW

The first rule of the corporate world? Wear a suit. If you’re interviewing for a role in finance, law or another hierarchal private sector company, you’re going to need to bring out your tailoring A-game.

The expectation will be for you to dress conservatively, so a three-piece suit is a smart move. Don’t just dig out your old black one though, you should step it up a little if you want to make a memorable impression with what to wear for an interview.

Searches for “3 piece suits” are up 64% in the last 6 months!

Navy is universally accepted as businesswear as well as universally flattering. You can get away with a subtle pattern, like this navy suit. It’s a modern take on the classic checked uniform but sharply cut in a slim fit.

Searches for “Navy 3 piece suit” are up 280% since the start of the year!

As for the tie? A striped one is a classic for a reason and will allow a little colour without going overboard.

WHAT TO WEAR FOR A BUSINESS-PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEW

Business professional can be decoded quite simply as ‘suits’. This is the world of 9-5 and office uniforms that haven’t quite got the business-casual memo yet. A suit is a safe bet, but you don’t need to be quite as formal as you would in a corporate environment. You’re going to want your interviewer’s attention on you rather than what you’re wearing, but that’s not to say a little pattern won’t help you stand out.

A checked suit will show a little personality but keep it to a neutral base colour to stay in line with traditional businesswear. 

“Checked suits” have seen a 63% increase this year!

Keep the rest of your outfit simple: an open-necked shirt is more relaxed than a buttoned-up shirt-and-tie combo or opt for a grandad collar shirt. Plain white looks polished and professional. 

Searches for “white grandad collar shirt” have increased 152% and searches for “white dress shirt” have increased 87% since January!

Shoe-wise, a pair of brown lace-ups will set this suit off nicely. 

WHAT TO WEAR FOR A BUSINESS-CASUAL INTERVIEW

Business casual turns formal down even more. It’s likely to be the sort of office where tailored trousers and a sweater are the norm, but you’ll have to dress more smartly when you’re meeting clients or doing a big presentation.

Here’s where your suit starts to look a little overdressed, but you’ll still be expected to err on the side of formal. Tailored separates in more casual fabrics and a little pattern clashing to stand out from the crowd are the sweet spot in this situation.

Going for a puppytooth jacket in a neutral shade will give you a more relaxed feel but due to its slim fit give the overall effect of being pulled together. Show your more daring side by clashing the puppytooth pattern with checked trousers. Navy, brown and green look great with beige. The real key to coulour pairing is to keep your shades in a similar mid-tone. 

Almost 1 million people have searched for “checked trousers” this year!

Continue your masterful use of colour in the form of a deep-toned roll neck and finish with polished burgundy shoes. 

Searches for “roll necks” are up 13% in the past several months!

Share:

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.