What iWore:
Blouse: Forever21 ($20)
Jacket: Victoria's Secret ($80)
Pants: Express ($50)
Shoe: Steve Madden via DSW ($50)
Why:
No matter what the job is or how laid back the company is, interviews always call for business formal. This means a suit. No ifs, ands or buts about it!
I know I promised you sensible and low-priced options and this outfit is a little on the expensive side, but the truth is, I've own this outfit for quite a while and I've worn it to several interviews. My advice to avid job seekers: Invest in a good, (not too) expensive suit. Expensive means quality and the quality will show. Hold up a pair of Express pants next to a pair of slacks from Charlotte Russe and the quality will speak for themselves. This is especially important for those job seekers who are fresh out of college. Your interviewer and your future coworkers are more than likely going to be quite a bit older than you and have quite a bit more money than you and you want to portray that you can compete with them. Your interview is your first impression, if you fail to represent yourself well how can they expect you to represent their company any better?
I choose to wear a high-collared, teal, satin, blouse with layered ruffles instead of the traditional collared button-up shirt under my blazer for two reasons. The first reason being that I was interviewing for a social media job, which is a creative industry. I didn't want to be known as a boring black and white suit. This blouse is creative and has character, which brings me to the second reason why I wore it--it stood out. I wasn't sure if others were being interviewed so I wanted to make sure I made a statement with my words and with my wardrobe so I was not forgotten.
Since my blouse was a little on the loud side I paired it with a black suit blazer and black suit pants with a subtle pin-striping, which didn't add any more noise to the outfit. Both of these pieces I previously had tailored to ensure and exact fit. When you feel good about your clothes and good in your clothes, you will feel good about your interview.
On my feet I wore a pair of black, leather, pointed-toe pumps. Make sure you heel height is appropriate for the length of your pants (roughly a half inch to an inch from the ground) and make sure they are comfortable to walk in. What's even worse than being remembered as being badly dressed is being remembered for limping through the office! You never know if they'll take you on a tour of how far you'll have to walk from the parking lot.
What do you think of my first iWore post?
