Dress to Impress for Your Interview

(While on a budget)

Dress for the job you want is the old saying. Choosing the perfect outfit for a job interview can be stressful because you’re not sure if you are going to be overdressed or underdressed. It can also be expensive to purchase nice business clothes. These worries are a reality many people face, so these tips can eliminate the worry and ensure you walk into that interview feeling good! Buying professional clothes does not need to be expensive and cost you an arm and leg; finding professional clothes can be easy and reasonable if you know where to look.

When you search “Business Professional” or “Business Casual” in Pinterest or Google, the outfits you see can look like they are straight out of an Armani advertisement. Let’s take a step back and break down the ways to get that look while ballin’ on a budget.

First, look at your outfit piece by piece. It’s easy to take a basic look and spice it up with the addition of just a few cheap accessories. We’re going to give you some ideas and let you put your personal touch on it.

If you’re looking to invest in a name brand pant and blazer or sports coat – there are a few options of places to find sets without breaking your budget. Gap and Banana Republic have continuous sales where you can buy a pair of pants “Buy One, Get One Free”. Get two pairs for the price of one! When you have two pairs of dress pants, this maximizes your wardrobe to four outfits!

For Women:

When you’re imagining how to build your wardrobe, look at finding the basic pieces first and add your spice later. You need to look for a blazer too, which you can find on sale at any given point throughout the year – just keep your eye out. Finding one good blazer is very important to completing a professional look. There are plenty of discounted options that will give you the same quality without a high price tag. Maximizing basic items leaves room for personalization through your tops, jewelry, and shoes! You should dress it up with a little bit of bling but be careful not to go over the top. Find a few pairs of simple stud earrings that you can wear with larger and longer necklaces and then you can have fun with longer earrings when a necklace isn’t necessary. You can find inexpensive, professional, and fashionable tops at stores like H&M, Forever 21, and off-price department stores like TJ Maxx or Marshalls.

For Men:

This doesn’t need to be something that seems complicated and daunting. In the end you’ll be walking into your office feeling fresh. The key to enhancing your look after you have found the basics is to focus on shirts, shoes, and accessories. A suede pair of shoes could make you stick out from another applicant and impress your interviewer. Be bold and look for the shoes that are going to make you feel confident. You can also look into what accessory options you have; this could be wearing a colorful tie or bowtie, a classic tie clip, or cufflinks. The idea is to keep your style at your comfort level while still ensuring you stand out. You can find all of these items at off-price department stores like Marshalls, Target, and H&M so you can think about your budget while planning your wardrobe! Other great resources for finding the perfect pieces for your suit can come from Banana Republic, Express, and Gap! These places are going to have blazers, sport coats, and formal shirts for when you’re in need of a full suit with the added bonus of great sales!

These looks are simple, quick, and easy – which is what you need while striving to impress on a budget.