What To Wear To A Job Interview In Fashion

Forget a first date outfit, deciding on what to wear for that big job interview can be a real head-spinner. Jeans or no jeans? All black everything or a remember-me colour? If you're interviewing for a fashion job you want to avoid a Miranda Priestly "you have no interest in fashion" moment.

We have spoken to some of the most stylish ladies in the industry to find out what they wore to the interview for their dream job or big break...

Shiona Turini, fashion editor, on why she always wears black with a splash of colour to an interview...

"For a graduation project I was required to work shadow an industry professional and was given the opportunity to spend the day with Garine Zerounian who was then the PR Manager at Yves Saint Laurent. I had NEVER had a fashion internship and had no idea how people in a creative field dressed for the office. So my instincts told me to stick with black. This was before I knew anything about how editors and publicists dressed, before I knew ‘all black everything’ is like a uniform in NYC, before every outfit was posted on social media, and before street style gave us an insiders view to the outfits of editors. So, it was a lucky guess - to stick with something classic and chic. I wore black wide legged pants with a black button up, and a powder blue coat from Stefanel. It was at that point the most expensive coat I had ever owned and I was SO in love with it.

"I wear that exact same formula today - black with an unexpected solid color and recently got a powder blue coat which brought back so many memories. I think having a formula or a ‘uniform’ helps because you’re not over-thinking your look which means you’re able to focus on your interview and truly be your best, most confident self. At the end of the day your outfit helps, but it’s your personality that’s going to get you hired. I guess it was a good choice. Garine fell in love with me and offered me an internship, and I then went on to work for the company full time in the PR Department."

Caroline Issa, editor of Tank Magazine, on the perfect suit for an interview...

"I went to a rather nerdy, hard core undergraduate business school, Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania and the widsom at the time (late 1990s!) was that for interviews with investment banks and management consultancies (what I was interviewing with at the time) you had to wear a skirt suit. So I scoured the shops until I found some decent, if truly conservative, black and brown skirt suits at Ann Taylor. I made sure they fit nicely, even if they weren’t too fashion forward. They didn’t scream out about anything, which I think in that situation you want your education and work experience background to do all the talking.

"But when I finally nabbed my first job as a management consultant, I used some of my signing bonus to buy my perfect suit, a brown Jil Sander slim cut cigarette trouser with long jacket - It made me feel so confident and so empowered, feeling good looking good. I’ve always loved suits since those days, and they still make up a huge part of my wardrobe!"

Holly Russell, senior buyer at NET-A-PORTER, on wearing jeans to an interview...

"When I interviewed for NET-A-PORTER, I kept it super simple and pared-back. I opted for a black blazer by Balmain, my favourite black Frame Denim jeans, a crisp blue Valentino cotton shirt and Gianvito Rossi block heel suede boots. It felt right at the time and I would recommend it to anyone else interviewing for a role in a creative industry. Tailoring combined with denim seems to strike the right tone for a fashion interview. I wouldn’t wear ripped jeans though. Keep it polished but not overtly formal.

"You have to feel like yourself otherwise you're uncomfortable from the outset. As it was an interview at NET-A-PORTER, it was important that I had a fashion edge. I picked a cut of denim that was big for that season and a shoe shape that had been seen on the runway at some major shows. They were subtle references but my job is to be aware of these things."

Tamu McPherson from All the Pretty Birds on fashion-forward glamour...

"I wore an oversized camel V-neck Prada sweater layered over an Alexander Wang sleeveless long shirt dress with black wool Wolford tights, Miu Miu leopard print sandals and a camel colored Max Mara top coat. It was a dinner meeting in the private room at Giacomo Bistro in Milan, so my get up was totally appropriate - a little bit of fashion forward glamour toned down with Milanese codes of elegance. I think that you should always consider your industry and personalise your look based on what's customary. For example when I worked in the legal industry, I wore great suits spiffed up by my favourite accessories."

Shop the gallery below for a look guaranteed to give you your first big break...

READ MORE: What Not To Wear To A Job Interview