The Best Fabrics to Wear to an Interview
Interviews take a considerable amount of planning as it is, let alone setting aside time to put together the right outfit. From researching the company to updating your résumé and practicing answers to some sample questions, it's highly likely you already have a zillion things on your mind pre-interview. Since we know you might be feeling a touch of stress from all the planning (and maybe some nerves, too), we put together a guide to the best fabrics for an interview, to hopefully guide you in the right direction.
If you're heading out to do some shopping for the perfect interview ensemble, you'll want to commit the following four fabrics to memory. On the other hand, if you're assessing your current wardrobe, this is a great place to start. We handpicked each of these four fabrics for their high quality and elevated look that will no doubt translate into an outfit that's sure to impress. Sure, fabrics like silk and crêpe aren't often found at the most affordable retailers, but we stand behind them as investment-worthy staples you'll wear to this interview and, hopefully, to your future job.
Curious to discover the best fabrics for an interview and what makes each one so good? Keep reading to find out the four fabrics topping our list and shop our picks of each.
1. Crêpe
Crêpe automatically has an elevated look because it's such a fun material. It makes any garment appear more polished than it would if it were made from other fabrics.
If you invest in any item for an interview (and the job that comes after it), let it be a tailored blazer.
Tuck this top into solid-colored trousers for a fresh pop of color.
If you're going to invest in quality fabrics, you'll want to invest in a quality washer and dryer so you can take care of them and extend their wear. You can customize any LG washer/dryer pair with the LG Sidekick, a small add-on for custom-care laundry loads, making it even easier to actually follow those specific instructions on the tag.
Navy blue trousers strike the same note as any black pair without being quite as harsh.
2. Gabardine
Gabardine is a heavier material that's synonymous with classics like the trench coat. Especially if you go the suiting route for an interview, this fabric is your best bet for looking professional.
Style this with trousers or a midi skirt for your interview and with jeans for dinner after.
Top off your interview look with this staple trench.
You'll get so much wear out of trousers like these.
3. Silk
You really can't go wrong with silk for an interview. It's luxurious, sure, but still easy to find at most affordable retailers.
Wondering how to infuse your interview outfit with personality? This dress is the answer.
4. Knits
Knitted fabrics happen to be a great option if you're looking to invest in interview clothes that you're guaranteed to wear again afterward. With the array of stylish silhouettes and fun colors to choose from, you're bound to find a knit piece you love.
The belt gives this cozy dress some interview-appropriate structure.
Next, read about the number one piece to invest in for work, according to female entrepreneurs.
Anna is an editor on the fashion team at Who What Wear and has been at the company for over five years, having begun her career in the Los Angeles office before relocating to New York, where she's currently based. Having always been passionate about pursuing a career in fashion, she built up her experience interning at the likes of Michael Kors, A.L.C., and College Fashionista before joining the team as a post-graduate assistant editor. Anna has penned a number of interviews with Who What Wear's cover stars over the years, including A-listers Megan Fox, Issa Rae, and Emma Chamberlain. She's earned a reputation for scouting new and emerging brands from across the globe and championing them to our audience of millions. While fashion is her main wheelhouse, Anna led the launch of WWW Travels last year, a new lifestyle vertical that highlights all things travel through a fashion-person lens. She is passionate about shopping vintage, whether it be at a favorite local outpost or an on-the-road discovery, and has amassed a wardrobe full of unique finds. When she's not writing, you can find her shooting street imagery on her film camera, attempting to learn a fourth or fifth language, or planning her next trip across the globe.
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