Vanessa Hudgens

What to wear for interview at a casual office?

I have some job interviews this week. The regular dress code is pretty casual and easygoing so I won’t be expected to dress up at all if I get the jobs. Do I still need to dress in typical ‘career wear’ (such as a coordinated navy/grey skirt suit) for the interviews? They aren’t high-powered or executive positions, they’re in research and sales in small independent companies.

As a recent graduate I don’t really have the money to splash out on a really fancy suit and shoes that I won’t wear again after my interviews – and all the matching skirts and jackets I’ve tried on in highstreet stores this week either fit me really badly or still don’t seem especially fabulous-looking – so I really don’t want to spend money on something that looks terrible.

I have a nice, black a-line skirt, a brown tailored shirt and a brown tailored pinstripe waistcoat which I was planning to wear with some black stockings and tidy black kitten-heel shoes, but I’m worried this won’t be seen as good enough. Do most employers, even those for jobs which don’t require suits worn everyday, expect female interviewees to turn up in suits? Is smart, tidy and professional okay? What is usually expected?

Thanks!