Dress your way to a dream job (From The Northern Echo)

Dress your way to a dream job

11:18am Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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When the competition for employment is so high, it’s vital to make the right fashion choices. A stylist gives some top tips.

IT’S never been more crucial to put yourself ahead of the competition and take the opportunity to bag that perfect job.

Once you’ve landed the all-important interview, a sure-fire way to make sure you stand out from the crowd is to step out in style and really dress to impress with the ultimate interview outfit. Investing in the right wardrobe will ensure you convey personality, confidence and the right attitude in making a lasting impression on those potential employers.

Lindsay Campbell, a fashion stylist at The Bridges shopping centre, in Sunderland, offers top tips on how to work an interview look to help you pick out that perfect outfit.

1 Don’t look too trendy. Having the right mix of professional and fashionable will allow you to represent your personality while at the same time establishing that you will be a good representative for the company.

2 A well-fitted pair of trousers will look great teamed with a smart blouse or shirt and a matching blazer. Buying the right size is the most important thing when it comes to choosing any fitted item, whether it’s a skirt, dress or trousers.

3 A two-piece outfit will always make life easier and ensures you can mix and match items to create a different outfit if you have more than one stage to an interview process. Smart cardigans and plain tank tops are ideal to team together and will go with practically any bottom-half piece.

4 Heels should be of manageable height and have a closed toe and heel – no sling-backs or peep-toes.

You may be asked to participate in activities or give presentations, so wearable shoes are essential.

5 Accessories are just as important as what you wear. If you have to carry a portfolio or laptop, a good bet is a large professional bag in a solid fabric such as leather or canvas.

6 Your jewellery should be simple, minimal and elegant and not too trend-driven. A watch is essential.

“My number one tip is to dress comfortably,” says Lindsay. “If you are not relaxed in what you are wearing, then it will show. If you feel good, you will project the confidence essential to making a glittering impact on your potential employers. There’s plenty of choice in centres like The Bridges to kit yourself out in fashionable work-wear and make your budget stretch from head to toe.”

Cashmere company’s debut

SHOPPERS looking for luxury cashmere clothing have somewhere new to visit in the region.

The new Pure Collection store, at York Designer Outlet, opened on Friday. Harrogate-based Pure Collection is one of the UK’s leading cashmere companies and has previously only been available online and via mail order.

Offers in-store include women’s cashmere cardigans from £69, above, pashminas from £49, tops from £29 and men’s sweaters from £69.

Sally Gilbank, marketing manager at the outlet, says: “The Pure brand and philosophy are all about combining the world’s finest materials with extraordinary craftsmanship and exceptional design to create a clothing collection which is pure luxury at an accessible price.

“Its arrival at the outlet is a great addition to our mix of retailers and we’re sure their first store will prove to be very popular with our style-savvy customers.”

Find Mr Gorgeous

Cosmopolitan is launching a nationwide search to prove how gorgeous Britain’s blokes are. It is on the hunt for a man to join the Cosmopolitan Centrefold Hall of Fame and pose naked all in the name of charity (with modesty covered).

Ewan McGregor, Graham Norton, Danny Cipriani, Lenny Kravitz, Ronan Keating, Jason Donovan and hundreds more male celebrities have all posed naked for Cosmopolitan to raise awareness of testicular and prostate cancer for the Everyman campaign.

If men in your region have the bodies of a Cosmo god, email centrefold@natmags.co.uk with a topless picture of the man you are nominating, his name, age, town and contact number. Nominees must be over 18 and be available for a photoshoot in London.

Heads above the rest

HAIRDRESSERS in the North-East have been shortlisted in the annual head&shoulders Nation’s Favourite Hairdresser Awards 2010. But only one from each region can make it to the final next month. Log onto headandshoulders.co.uk/nfha2010 to place your vote. All registered voters will automatically be entered into a free prize draw.