What you choose to wear when you’re invited to a job interview says a lot about your personality. Most recruiters – even though they try not to make any harsh judgment – build their impression of you in a few seconds. In fact, most of them already have a positive or negative opinion even before you start to speak. Your outfit, consequently, can be the nudge in the positive direction you need if you want to impress your future employer. Most companies share their workwear policies either on their website or directly during the early stage of the interview process. In doubt, experts recommend choosing a safe and neutral option, such as a pair of tailored pants with an elegant blazer and a blouse.
However, when you’re invited to a job in the fashion industry, you need to forget everything you know about interview wear and show off your style – not too much! Indeed, a fashion recruiter will be expecting something a little more palatable than the traditional dull office skirt suit. However, be careful to tailor your outfit to the kind of role you’re applying to. For instance, if you are interviewed for a role as a social media expert for a fashion magazine, you need to keep your trendy items low key and showcase more of your practical side. If you’ve seen a job as an entry-level fashion writer, recruiters expect a creative outfit and a good eye for details, but they don’t want you to dress up like Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada either. Confusing? You bet it is! So how do you get it right? The best way to impress is to put some thoughts into your outfit. Here are the 8 golden rules to nail your interview fashion style.
Rule #1. It doesn’t have to break the bank
There’s a common mistake about dressing well and dressing expensively. Indeed, expensive is not synonymous with style or even elegance. If you doubt it, take a look at Elton John’s most famous outfits: Electrifying glitter, feathers, vibrant blazers that are painful to look at – and that he seems to wear casually too –, and faux fur. Needless to say, any one of his scene and everyday outfits cost probably as much as you could earn in a year. That doesn’t make them the best go-to choice when you’re trying to impress a recruiter. The bottom line is that the price label is no indication of style. You can stick within a small budget and still find plenty of great options — visit this website for low-cost dresses that just need some clever accessorizing to become a showstopper. Ultimately, no recruiter expects you to take a mortgage to afford to pay for your clothes. In fact, depending on the job you're applying to it’s the last thing you should do. Numerous modern fashion blogs and magazines focus on creating affordable, high street styles that can suit most budgets and lifestyles. So there’s no need to go big!
Rule #2. Showcase your personality
Fashion is all about making a difference and helping others to embrace their bodies and personalities. Talented stylists describe fashion as the most natural extension of the human personality. If you’ve heard of the saying wearing your heart on your sleeve, in the mind of a stylist and a fashion writer, this is precisely what you can do. Consequently, recruiters would want you to use your outfit to showcase the most important part(s) of your personality - with regards to what is relevant to the role in question. Your style needs, therefore, to be unique. It has to be you. Customized and tailored items can change your outfit dramatically. Ultimately, there’s no such thing as one size fits all. But if you know how to make your clothes fit you as if they were made for you, then you can already stand out from the crowd. Using the right details, you can create a playful accent of color or a fun clash of texture to demonstrate your sense of humor, your bold attitude, or even your style intelligence.
Rule #3. Introduce something from the latest trends
Your style is unique. But in a fashion job, your style needs to feed on the latest trends. You can’t survive in the fashion industry if you refuse to adapt and move with it. While you shouldn’t embrace every new trend, you need to include some modern and seasonal touches to your style. Animal print is everywhere nowadays, and it’s a good idea to use it to modernize an otherwise classic outfit. You can turn the traditional chino and shirt combo into a dead-on-tread look with a leopard print blouse, for instance. If animal prints are not your thing, you can pair a dress with an oversized blazer for a touch of modesty dressing style. Tweed is making an appearance on the catwalks again too. While you may not want to dig out your mother’s 1970’s suits, you can use it in minimal touches to tone down vibrant colors, for instance.
Rule #4. You can’t afford to fall behind your beauty routine
We get it; it’s not a beauty salon. However, skin health is an essential part of your appearance. Keeping your skin as clear and healthy as possible can, in itself, maximize your power outfit. Keep a strict skin routine to make sure you’re not leaving sudden outbreaks and oily patches any chances. Make a habit to use a cleanser with salicylic acid to dissolve the accumulation of oil and dead skin cells at the end of the day. Remember to rinse your cleanser off otherwise it might dry out your skin and lead to further issues. Last but not least: Remember to change your pillowcase regularly – ideally after a couple of night – to keep your skin fresh during the night. The same piece of advice applies to your bath towel. As fabric material is prone to accumulate dirt and grease, the longer you use the same fabric between washes, the dirtier your skin might get.
Rule #5. How creative can you go?
Unless you want to create your own branch of clothes, it’s best to keep your style creativity to a minimum. A fashion magazine wants to know how to can use high street items to create a unique and exciting style – they’re not interested in finding out that you can sew your own dress. This would be for an entirely different audience. In the meantime, don’t overdo your use of accessories and personal addition. Glitter accessories can be fun but in moderation, for instance – unless you’re applying to replace the traditional Christmas tree! Mix and match patterns and designs are in trend, but you need to keep it stylish. Remember that you’re ultimately trying to make a positive impression. So keep things low key as much as possible.
Rule #6. You need more than one outfit
Most online guides for interview outfits emphasize that it doesn’t matter if you wear the same outfit at the second interview. While it’s true that for most jobs, the recruiter will not care if it’s the same clothes, a fashion recruiter expects you to come up with something different. After all, it will be part of your everyday job to provide engaging and useful tips about fashion! Now is the best time to shine and show that you know how to keep your style interesting. Individuality is the key but, you can use what you’ve learned from your first meeting to adjust your outfit to the mood in the office. It’s best not to copy the styles you’ve found in their magazine or on their website – even as a form of respect, as they’re hiring to get new ideas.
Rule #7. Shoes, shoe, shoes
Do you need to wear heels to a job interview? That’s the eternal question that most women need to ask at least once. The answer depends entirely on you. If you feel more comfortable and confident with a pair of heels, then it’s a good idea to get some for the interview. However, make sure to stick to low or medium-sized heels. Similarly, if you prefer flat shoes, you can make a fantastic impression wearing your favorite loafers. Backless loafers – or mules if you prefer – are hugely fashionable, and they work with tights too! Ballerina shoes, Oxford brogues, and ankle boots are also cute flat alternatives.
Rule #8. Jewelry: Pretty but not overkill
Ah, jewelry. If you’re not keen on jewelry, it’s best to focus your attention on other accessories. But if you love everything from rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, you can add a dress your outfit up or down with these. As a rule of the thumb, you should limit yourself to one accent item, meaning that you can’t have both the giant earrings and the large pendant. The current jewelry trend is bright glass pendants and rings if you want to keep it on cue. Otherwise, you can use sophisticated and discreet golden and silver elements to complete a bold outfit with style.
Creating a positive first impression is a delicate art. Creating a positive first impression in fashion needs a lot of preps. Design your outfit like a self-portrait and use it to tell your unique story.
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