<p>Target might sound cheap, but I got my interview outfit from there and it is really gorgeous without being low-quality. You can also try Kohl’s, which is generally cheap and almost always has really good sales.</p>
<p>Re: blouses – don’t show cleavage.</p>
<p>If you are a senior or recent grad, be sure to ask if the store offers an “interview suit” discount. D1 needed a suit to interview for med school admissions. She picked out one on sale at Banana Republic, plus when she mentioned it was for a job interview (med school, job = same thing) she got an additional 15% off. </p>
<p>Ann Taylor also often gives first interview suit discounts.</p>
<p>BTW, my boss got $400+designer suit for $25 at an outlet mall earlier this fall. If you’re close to one, it might be worth a look.</p>
<p>Try a Talbots outlet…Great finds for the bargain hunter! Amazing quality… you can’t go wrong with Talbots!</p>
<p>I second Kohls - they usually have jackets, pencil skirts, and tailored pants in dark colors - good interview clothes (and they carry many different sizes - petities, womens, juniors).
Sometimes you can do well at Dress Barn also - I was there this week and they had nice jackets/skits that would be perfect for interviews.</p>
<p>D2 and I were shopping for an interview suit at a mall a month after most college graduations. (This is because her last interviewer told her to wear a suit after she showed up in dress pants and a nice top.) There was nothing appropriate or available in her size in any department store. We decided, out of desperation, to look in Burlington Coat Factory. Low and behold we found a good suit at a fraction of the cost. It was a Tarhari- a decent brand.</p>
<p>On the way out we spotted one of the the graduation dresses D2 bought while visiting D1 in Manhattan. It was $70 or 80 cheaper at Burlington. </p>
<p>I do not usually like or shop at Burlington. But I guess you never know.</p>
<p>As it turns out, she got an internship at a sustainable farm owned by a Manhattan charter school. D2 was an environmental major. On her on site interview they told her to wear jeans. Haha. No need for the suit.</p>
<p>Our Kohl’s didn’t have much to offer for DD. She did find a black jacket to go with an existing skirt. But most things were too trendy. For example, a jacket that looked like it would be ok had a lace inset on the back. </p>
<p>I ordered 2 suits from Macy’s for her during a sale (with free shipping). One was $89 and one was $130. Returning the one she liked less at the store was very easy. The problem we’ve had is finding a basic shirt for underneath. She’d prefer no collar, and it needs to not be too trendy or sheer. Suggestions?</p>
<p>Another vote for Banana Republic. DD bought separates there…nice
Black dress slacks and a skirt, and a jacket. They are classic, fit well, and hopefully will be the right attire for upcoming interviews of some sort!</p>
<p>Pay attention to your shoes!</p>
<p>honestly, if trying to shop for cheap, i’d go to like a ross or a tj maxx type of place. Marshals? </p>
<p>The people interviewing you aren’t going to know nor care what brand you are wearing. I’ve gotten quite a few of very nice dress pants and a nice blazer at a place like that but have only ever worn the jacket a few times.</p>
<p>I constantly get comments on how nice the pants look that I got from there.</p>
<p>You could also go to new york and company - take a coupon (you can find them at many places… they are forever mailing them out). Can probably get a gorgeous outfit there for pretty cheap too. I usually get the pants at the above mentioned places but tend to opt for shirts from NY&C - their pants fit me HORRIBLY.</p>
<p>Kohl’s usually has very nice juniors business attire.</p>
<p>i don’t think I’ve ever paid more then 40 for a pair of pants anywhere, and most of my dress pants i’ve gotten for very cheap. I pay more for a pair of nice fitting jeans then I do for nice fitting business pants.</p>
<p>If you get pants, make sure you keep in mind what kind of shoes you will be wearing with them. You don’t want to be swimming in the pants or looking like you’ve been wading in water! Get a bunch of pants and go try them all on.</p>
<p>If you decide to go with a skirt, make sure it is long enough…test it sitting down. And also get coordinating pants - that’s what you will really wear in the future.</p>
<p>The Kohl’s 212 brand seems made for work. Ross, TJ’s , Marshalls sometime have great finds but you can’t count on it. I have also found that some branches are much better than others. (example you may hate one Ross and like another). J.C. Penney’s has some nice blouses for work. If you really want bargains, you have to anticipate your needs and shop ahead. If you get in a rush, you will just have to pay a little more. </p>
<p>As a related question, do posters feel your must wear nude hose with a skirt for an interview or do you think black or gray lightweight tights with a matching shoe is acceptable? I know young women prefer neither but with a fall/winter suit for an interview, I think some thing is necessary.</p>
<p>If i wear a dress or skirt to an interview I go with pantyhose but I guess it’s up to the person. I will wear black/grey tights to work but that’s usually if I’m wearing like a sweater dress or something.</p>
<p>Personally I think nude panty hose are nun like in appearance. It is hard to even buy them these days. My 20 something says a light grey or sheer black looks nicer… And I agree with her. If you wear slacks, this is less of an issue!</p>
<p>thumper, I think it just depends on the outfit. I think the black ones and grey ones look great… with the outfits I wear them with. They are more “modern”.</p>
<p>^^i do not necessarily agree. My 20 something D1 working in Manhatten wears nude or flesh colored panty hose. Not hard to buy at all. </p>
<p>But do dress conservatively and do wear panty hose if wearing a skirt or dress.</p>
<p>Thanks for the quick and varied opinions. Just to throw in another question, does everyone think boots with a skirt is too casual for an interview?</p>
<p>As I said, conservative is better. (Depending on the job obviousely.) So I would say no to boots with a skirt for an interview.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t wear boots—unless it was in a snowy winter climate and there was actually snow on the ground. I’m pretty sure they would not expect you to wear high heels in several inches of snow. Although I am not familiar with interview dress codes for very conservative businesses, when I lived in NH, I saw people come into places for interviews wearing boots in the winter more often than not.</p>
<p>H and m has some great suit jackets and matching trousers. Look more expensive then they are. and the colors aren’t just black. My d got a great brown suit with a subtle pinstripe. And the are cut well.</p>
<p>My D found the only blazer that actually fit her at Macy’s in the Junior’s department. None of the other stores had her size at any price. It was quite reasonable, on sale plus an additional discount for using the Macy’s card. We also bought her a matching pencil skirt and vest. She had some nice blouses (doesn’t show cleavage either). She also has black slacks that match.</p>
<p>As has been stated, lots depends on your field. D is in cinema and doesn’t expect to wear a suit or formal wear all that often, but S is in engineering on the East Coast and they DO dress more formally there. He has since bought a lot of long-sleeved dress shirts and slacks, as well as several blazers and suits, I believe.</p>
<p>We do check out Ross and several of the other stores as well, but D is hard to fit because she’s petite. The Macy’s suit fit her better than Banana Republic or Ann Taylor, though both of those stores also have nice dressy office attire.</p>
<p>TJMaxx and Ross have good prices but selection is hit and miss, as is Nordstrom’s. I bought a nice suit (Evan Piccone) from Macy’s the other day for only $62 (normal price was $250-350). The suit was 60% off and then used a 20% off coupon. The suit is red with black trim & slacks–a bit bright but a nice change from all the dark stuff I already own. They had many other colors & brands as well.</p>