Hi ladies! I had one of those "last straw" days at work today, and decided I'm going to start looking for a new job. One of the reasons I have for losing the weight is to be more confident in interviews -- I've been expecting this day to come. Now, I have no idea what to wear!

I've only interviewed for the job I have, and a couple of summertime gigs in college. I work in a small conservative advertising firm -- I'm a copy writer, editor and account manager. Not sure what kind of job I'll look for, maybe similar. I'm thinking of the oil and gas industry - they all have communications departments.

In my mind, I need a navy blue suit to interview in, but I hate to go buy a new suit when I want to lose more weight. Is a suit still necessary for interviews? How about a nice dress, or dress and jacket? I'm in my late forties, and I know the younger generation gets by with a lot more casual fashion... however, I'm obviously not of the younger generation. Advice?

You really don't need the navy blue uniform any more. In fact, it looks dated. I'm turning 50 this year. I interviewed earlier in the year for the job that I have now. I wore black slacks, the jacket pictured below, a while shell and my gold/garnet jewelry.



The thing is, that jacket is way too big on me now. If I had it to do all over again, I would have gotten a nice dress. I think with you being in advertising, you can be creative with your interview outfit.

One thing, wait until you actually have an interview before investing in clothing. Whatever you wear for an interview has to be nice and that's usually a chunk of change. If you're still losing weight, you can buy something now and find it to be totally unwearable by the time you need it.

Like my nice jacket that's way too big on me now. *sigh*

It depends on the philosophy of the company but you can't go wrong with a nice suit, if you feel like it is too formal maybe a more casual blouse?

When I was applying for librarian jobs it was business casual for public libraries, little more formal for academic and for the corporate jobs I went the full nine yards.

I also have found that a really nice wrap dress with a cardigan works for most but probably not corporate jobs.

Hi,

I would suggest that some jacket or blazer is a must even if the actual work attire will be more casual.The rest be it slacks(nicely tailored) ,skirt or dress is less of an issue.

Personally I would keep it on the plain side in a dark color that flatters your skin tone. WHy because that way you can change the look with a scarf,jewelry,etc. and wear it again for the second interview and maybe even the third. Trust me people just remember if you look appropriate but rarely do they remember plain outfits.

I would go for simple elegance rather than trendy unless it is a very trendy place. Even then I would swing toward timeless rather than fashion forward. Over 30, I think it is vital to display confidence, competence and style rather than fashion.

I know some may think this is outdated but in my experience it is what gets the responsible jobs. Good Luck.

I would also do a classic makeup, nails-avoid any and all neon colors.

Sheridan

I'm on the other "side of the street". I haven't been interviewed for many years, but I do a fair amount of interviewing/hiring. FYI, I'm a partner in a large CA firm...and we might be a tad more conservative than other professions (so bear that in mind).

I'd suggest a suit, a dress and jacket, or pants and a jacket. I'd tend to add a jacket (to either a dress or pants), since a dress alone (or pants plus top) would seem too informal to me. Also, when I'm interviewing someone, I'm more interested in what they have to say and how they present themselves verbally, and much less interested in what they're wearing. When it comes to clothes/appearance, I would be "turned off" if they appeared too informal, wore too much makeup (I'm talking really overdoing it here), or seemed "sloppy" (i.e., a lack of care in their appearance, since that often translates into a lack of care with other things). For example, I wouldn't be impressed with someone wearing an Armani suit, if they hadn't cleaned/filed their nails in months (something I've seen!).

Conservative is always best for job interviews. Can't go wrong with a navy blue suit, or grey or some other conservative color. Loud colors or a lot of bling only distracts the interviewer. Shop at a consignment shops or Goodwill. You will be surprised what you can find there,

Thanks for the advice ladies! I guess I need to keep my eyes open. I'm a big thrift shopper, but it seems hard to find a 2 piece suit. I usually find the jacket or the skirt. But, I'm looking forward to the adventure.

We need some kind of clothing exchange around here. I have some really nice suit pieces in the size 20 and 22 range that I cannot wear any more because I am a lot smaller than that and if I had to dress up for a job interview I'd have the same issue you are having. Do you have friends that you can borrow from?

I agree. I have all sorts of high-end jackets in the 10-14 size range that I will be donating to Goodwill. If anyone is reading this and is located in the Toronto area and interested (I'm not looking for payment), feel free to PM me. These are all business attire and aren't washable (require dry cleaning)...so, not practical for casual wear.

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coordinated suits make one look older.

Conservative silk blouse + sleek black pants + heels, and a cardigan if cold?