WHAT TO WEAR FOR A JOB INTERVIEW

What to wear for a job interview? It's one of the most googled style questions for a good reason, I think we have all had a sartorial crisis pre-interview at some stage in our careers. Having been Marketing Manager for The Fold London - a British fashion brand that empowers modern professional women - for nearly 5 months, I've learnt so much about the trials women face each day getting dressed for work, pitching for promotions and interviewing for new roles. So, when City Calling got in contact and asked me to write a blog post on this very topic, I thought I'd share some of my recently acquired wisdom. Here are the tips & tricks to follow:

Research the company: Do your research online and investigate the internal dress code (the company website and social media channels often offer clues). Tailor your style to the company's image so as not to alienate those interviewing. 

Stay in your comfort zone: Now is not the time to try the latest trends or to make a bold fashion statement. Wear something comfortable yet smart that makes you feel good. 

Wear comfortable shoes: I made the mistake of wearing new loafers that I hadn't broken in to an interview last year. Just walking into the interview was uncomfortable and I felt self conscious rather than confident thanks to my unavoidable my-heels-are-in-agony limp (unsurprisingly I wasn't hired). A mid-height heel is good solution, walkable meets confidence-boosting is a winning formula. 

Watch your hemline: A raised hemline will raise eyebrows. Keep things knee length or below, you'll be thankful when you sit down in front of HR and your hemline rises! 

Wear something memorable: This slightly contradicts my other tips, however, I strongly believe that an eye-catching accessory can set you apart in a sea of candidates. One former boss told me she hired me because she liked my mint green nail polish (!) - this tip applies even if you don't work in a creative environment - a colourful tote or an eye-catching drop earring can help to differentiate from the crowd.

Here's some job interview outfits to consider:

Corporate: Le Marais navy tuxedo jacket, The Fold London, £245. Le Marais navy tapered trousers, The Fold London, £155. Navy heeled courts, Dorothy Perkins, £25. Structured work tote, Charles & Keith, £59.

Creative: Silk stripe blouse, Uniqlo, £39.90. J.W.Anderson navy pleather skirt, Avenue 32, £148. Sophie Hulme textured shoulder bag, The Outnet, £294.25. Navy honeycup ankle boots, Rupert Sanderson, £555.

Career move: Iris & Ink silk shirt dress, The Outnet, £160. Skinny bud drop earrings, Monica Vinader, £110. Maribel red courts, Liam Fahy, £390. Mini Devonshire tote, Loxley England, £425. 

LFF OUTFITS: MCARTHURGLEN'S #TRENDCLASH

Since it cropped up on the catwalks in 2013, the pastels trend has freaked the hell out of me. As a compulsive purchaser of garments in 50 shades of grey, I am the least suitable candidate for this highly feminine colour palette. So when McArthurGlen designer outlets sent me a parcel of  sugar sweet macaron-hued clothing to style for their SS14 #Trendclash campaign, initially I panicked. 

LFF EDITS: THE AW13 SALES

It’s the happy moment I have been waiting all December for (I’m not even joking); the sales have started! The key to navigating the a/w sales is to avoid seasonal styles and pick the product that will transcend the trends. Labels are always good to invest in if you have the budget – I can’t believe this J.W. Anderson sweater (no.1) has been reduced in the Matchesfashion sale – anything with his logo on will be a future classic. Look out for coats in the winter sales too; if 2014’s spring is anything like last year’s then heavy wool and cosy faux-fur styles will be good investments. One of the best high street sales belongs to Whistles. The brand designs lots of original pieces that will become timeless classics in your wardrobe. One such piece is this box-pleat leopard print skirt (no.2) - you can’t go wrong with a dash of animal print. Online Atterley Road’s sale is full of great deals – their stylish edit of classic brands makes for foolproof shopping. Have you snapped up any bargains in the sales yet? 

1. J.W Anderson logo sweat, Matchesfashion, was £235 now £164. 
2. Leopard box pleat skirt, Whistles, was £110 now £55. 
3. Rivington reversible chain pouch, Whistles, was £85 now £50. 
4. Part two coated jeans, Atterley Road, was £99 now £65. 
5. Large tear shape earrings, Dorothy Perkins, was £10 now £7. 
6. Opening Ceremony leather trainers, Matchesfashion, was £181 now £126. 

6 OF THE BEST: HIGH STREET JEWELLED EARRINGS

The festive season wouldn't be complete without a dash of sparkle and Christmas 2013 sees a strong focus towards opulence. Forget sequins, this year it’s all about jewels. My favourite interpretation of the trend was seen in Henry Holland’s AW13 ‘Rave Nana’ collection where shift dresses were embellished with crystal cigarettes and jewelled cocktail glass motifs skimmed the hems of pencil skirts. An affordable and wearable way to introduce the trend into your wardrobe is with a jewelled earring – an accessory that looks just as great with a cable knit jumper for day as it does with a cocktail dress for after dusk. Even better, the high street has got this trend nailed for AW13, there’s no need to bother with designer when the purse-friendly alternative is this convincing. I bought pair no.1 (in the midnight blue hue) from Next last week and they are now in constant rotation in my jewellery wardrobe. Will you be rocking a sparkling earring this festive season? 

1. Emerald green & crystal effect earrings, Next, £12. 
2. Statement crystal earrings, Anna Lou of London, £35. 
3. Royal blue chandelier earrings, Dorothy Perkins, £14. 
4. Chrystal chandelier earrings, Topshop, £20. 
5. Smoky Quartz and crystal earrings, Next, £12. 
6. Intricate jewel drops, Warehouse, £10. 

6 OF THE BEST: EMBELLISHED KNITS

I've spotted a little micro trend going on right now for embellished knits, studded with twinkling jewels to decorative effect.There's a lovely sweater/ t-shirt hybrid in Banana Republic right now that I will definitely be purchasing when my bank balance permits (I'm saving for a Macbook and on a strict no-shopping ban) but as the temperature in the UK is rapidly falling, a jeweled knit will make a wise investment for the coming months. I say investment because an embellished sweater is a versatile piece - dress it down with denim or leather in the day and add a dash of brocade for an opulent look after dusk. Which is your favourite?

1. Deep berry knitted jumper, Topshop, £46. 
2. Markus Lupfer floral jewelled knit, Matchesfashion.com, £347. 
3. J.Crew Crystal embellished cotton sweatshirt, Net-a-porter.com, £170. 
4. Black bug embellished sweater, New Look, £22.99. 
5. Grey knitted embellished jumper, Topshop, £46. 
6. Plum gem cable jumper, Dorothy Perkins, £35.

LFF OUTFITS: EMBRACING BROCADE

Brocade may have had it's fashion 'moment' last autumn/winter, but it will always be one of my favourite fabrics to wear. When H&M launched its collaboration with fashion heavyweight Marni last year, I picked up a skirt and the below t-shirt in opulent gold and purple brocade fabric - and have worn both countless times since (remember when I wore the skirt to London Fashion Week?). The collection was a sell-out, but you can still find pieces on eBay and designer resale sites like Vestaire collective from time to time. When my lovely bloggy friend Annie invited me to the BBC proms at the Royal Albert Hall yesterday, a short wardrobe panic ended up in me wearing my failsafe brocade tee with some hastily pulled together accessories. My chain-strap bag is a recent purchase from Vince Camuto - a New York accessories brand that has recently opened its first UK store on Kensington High Street. Are you a fan of brocade?

Tee- Marni at H&M {try Ebay!}. Trousers - Zara. Chainstrap bag - Vince Camuto. Metallic flats - Dorothy Perkins. 

Shop the look/ similar:

SS13 COLOUR TREND: PRETTY PINKS

I did something out of character during the January sales, and purchased a rose pink coat from Topshop. (outfit post to come soon). I say out of character, because bar the odd splash of neon, this is the first splash of pink I have had in my wardrobe since I committed crimes against fashion in hideous fuschia pedal pushers aged 14. But after trying on the Topshop coat on a whim, I discovered that the rose petal shade of pink warmed up my porcelain skintone a treat.

And I am happy to report that a couple of weeks on and a co-ordinating scarf later, I am really enjoying wearing such an unashamedly feminine colour. When I have my coat on, not only do I feel princess-like, but I have also found that the opposite sex are holding opening a fair few more doors for me, which, for a single girl in the city, is rather nice.

So the message is: don’t knock the power of pink until you have tried it ladies! Here’s my pick of the best pieces available online now.

1. Newbury round neck tee, Stylistpick, £10.
2. Pink bird door knocker earrings, ASOS, £25.
3. J Brand denim 811 skinny jeans, Matches Fashion, £205.
4. Marni printed woven wool skirt, The Outnet,  £248.50.
5. Rhodonite pom-pom necklace, Cinderela B, £45.
6. New Look Phoebe Wing tote, ASOS, £14.99.
7. Silver stone & pink bracelet, Dorothy Perkins, £10.
8. Smythson leather iPhone case, Net-a-porter.com, £110.

LFF SHOPS THE AW12 SALES

Forget the January sales, if you want to find the real bargains the time to head to the high street is now. Online there are plenty of sales to be taken advantage of too, with the Matches, my-wardrobe.com and ASOS sales in full swing. Another one to look out for is the Topshop sale, which without fail has started online on Christmas eve for the past few years. I've found that people don't catch on to this until boxing day, so I log on to Topshop website on Christmas eve every year to snap up the best bargains. Here's my pick of just some of the fab sale buys available right now:



1. Freda fuschia silk dress, Matches, was £375 now £187.

2. Minnie Mawi necklace by Disney Couture Little mini necklace, ASOS, was £50 now £30.

3. Farhi lambswool colour block sweater, Atterley Road, was £150 now £85.

4. Francis mirror sunglasses, Kurt Geiger, was £60 now £29.

5. Berry animal print jeans, Dorothy Perkins, was £30 now £17.

6. Joey glass earrings, Kurt Geiger, was £30 now £15.

7. Colourblock mohair jumper, Dorothy Perkins, was £32.00 now £17.00.

8. Metallic PU skirt, H&M, was £19.99 now £7.

9. Grey toe-cap pointed courts, H&M, was £24.99 now £10.

10. Yellow beanie hat, H&M, was £3.99 now £3.

11. Rose and rhinestone bracelet, Wallis, was £14.00 now £7.00.

AW12 COLOUR TREND: PURPLE REIGNS

If you only introduce one new colour into your AW12 wardrobe, then make it a shot of  purple in a regal hue of grape, amethyst or claret. As seen on the catwalks of Christopher Kane and Gucci, purple is the colour of AW12. The key to getting this trend right is go for bold hues that contrast against the soft, washed out lilacs and heathers from the SS12 pastel trend. Here's my pick of the best purple pieces that will pack a punch in your new-season wardrobe:

1. Leopard jacquard trousers, Oasis, £45.

2. Miu Miu leather shoulder bag, Net-a-porter.com, £550.

3. See by Chloe purple tiered top, The Outnet, £144.

4. Closet v-neck purple scuba dress, Dorothy Perkins, £40.

5. Lollidrop mini bag, Kurt Geiger, £80.

6. Marc Jacobs oversized round sunglasses, The Outnet, £92.50.

7. Flower & jewel drop earrings, ASOS, £15.

8. Iman purple platform sandals, Stylistpick, £35.

9. Prabal Gurung printed pencil skirt, Browns, £335.

6 OF THE BEST: HOODED SUMMER JACKETS

A hooded, lightweight jacket is a summer wardrobe staple. If you're as precious as me about getting your hair wet (remember that episode of Friends when they all go to Barbados and Monica's hair just keeps getting bigger and bigger in the humidity? That's pretty much me this summer), then a hooded lightweight coat will be your s/s lifesaver. I have a sturdy, cotton, khaki number from Mango that I throw on for my morning commute with most outfits; dresses, jeans and skirts- you name it my coat goes over it. I rather like the contrast between a glamourous evening gown and hooded jacket too; very 1990s grunge. So to save you the hassle (and your barnet the trauma), I've trawled the internet for my favourite styles available at the moment:

1. Khaki cotton parka, Dorothy Perkins, £55.00.
2. Modas parka coat, Vila,  £53.72.
3. Gucci hooded parka, Farfetch.com, £2079.
4. Altuzarra yellow walnut hooded shell parka, Net-a-porter.com, £420.
5. Camel cotton parka, Dorothy Perkins, £55.00.
6. Belstaff tourist waxed cotton-blend parka, Net-a-porter.com, £244.99.

HOW TO DO WORKWEAR ON A GRADUATE BUDGET

Dressing for your first job post-university can be a real challenge. When I started my first job in London as fresh-faced 22 year old (I'm a haggard 24 year old now, mainly thanks to my daily TFL commutes), I struggled to find smart, yet fashionable workwear on my meagre graduate salary.

I think there's a real gap in the market for a high-street store that is a one stop shop for young female professionals; ideally I'd wear Reiss and Whistles head-to-toe, but when you're earning pennies not pounds, that isn't realistic. So my advice is to shop around; Primark, Topshop and Zara have some great affordable separates that can be dressed up with nice accessories (my Zara bucket bag, for example, is great for corporate wear chic). For any of you fresh graduates embarking on your new career this year, I've challenged myself to shop the net for a capsule work wardrobe, with no piece costing more than £50.

1. Black jersey collar dress, Dorothy Perkins, £16.00.
2. Blush collar shell top, Dorothy Perkins, £25.00.
3. Marc B Lolita bag, Topshop, £39.00.
4. Cat print laptop case, ASOS, £10.00.
5. Lassoo points, ASOS, £28.00.
6. Leopard print cardi, Warehouse, £40.00.

LFF SHOPS THE SS12 SALES

The summer sales are well and truly underway, and there are some great bargains to be had both online and instore that will see you through summer and into AW12. If you have got your eye on something in a store that hasn't started their sale yet, my advice is to wait it out a couple of weeks as there are plenty more sales to come and there's nothing more annoying than shelling out for something lovely then finding it's been discounted the next day!

As you can see, there's a bit of navy and green theme going on with my sale picks because 1., I've seen lots of green in the AW12 collections and  2., navy is one of those great colours that works equally well in summer and winter; go nautical for SS and style it with rich autumnal tones for AW.

1. Tweed pleated dress, Jaeger, was £299.00 now £149.00.
2. NW3 leaf earrings, Hobbs, was £35.00 now £24.00.
3. NW3 Kisses blouse, Hobbs, was £79.00 now £59.00.
4. NW3 Parliament shirt dress, Hobbs, was £159.00 now £79.00.
5. Navy colour block platforms, Dorothy Perkins, was £42.00 now £25.00.
6. Bali Geo Trouser, Warehouse, was £45 now £25.00.
7. Werdie Marc by Marc Jacobs Canvas Tote Bag, Matches, was £200.00 now £140.00.
8. Navy square heel sandal, Dorothy Perkins, was £30.00 now £20.00.

CHIC WEEKEND WEAR: THE OFF-DUTY STYLE STAPLES

If there's one thing Londoners do well, it's weekend wear. Since arriving in London 2 years ago I've realised that the art of dressing down is one not to be sniffed at; looking casual yet chic is a skill in itself and one I haven't fully mastered yet (hence why I spend my Sundays looking like a hobo).

Having done some style stalking of late, I've discovered that the formula for weekend chic is actually quite simple; take a Breton stripe tee, add a dash of denim, slip on some lace-up pumps or an ankle boot, throw on a lightweight jacket and you're good to go. Here's some pieces that are both casual and chic that will be working their way into my weekend wardrobe sometime soon:

1. Arden scoop-neck striped pullover, Stylistpick, £39.95.
2. Joe sneaker in pony, Emma Hope, £329.00.
3. Cat eye sunglasses, Mango, £17.99.
4. Marc by Marc Jacobs Lil Ukita shoulder bag, net-a-porter, £350.
5. Khaki safari jacket, Dorothy Perkins, £25.00.
6. Current/ Elliot The Skinny low-rise jeans, The Outnet, £74.

RED ALERT: UPDATE YOUR LOOK FOR VALENTINES DAY

One of my favourite colours in my wardrobe at the moment is red, and with Valentines day just around the corner, there's no better time to add a dash of the colour of love to your wardrobe. Red is a suprisingly versatile colour too, pair it with neutrals or monochrome for a classic look, clash it with fuschia, orange and bright blues to make a bold statement or wear with tonal shades of grape and plum for a luxurious feel. Here's my pick of the best red pieces available online at the moment....

1.  Jason Wu Silk-georgette petal coat, The Outnet, £1,557.50.

2. Fantasy Snake print clutch bag, Zara, £79.99.

3. Wine crepe moulded dress, Dorothy Perkins, £40.00.

4. Marc Jacobs round-frame acetate sunglasses, The Outnet, £83.06.

5. Olsen heeled chelsea boot, Stylistpick.com, £39.95.

6. Karyss velvet lace up shoes, Topshop, £58.00.

7. Roberto Cavalli Swarovski crystal earrings, net-a-porter.com, £330.

OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY OUTFITS ON A BUDGET

 I can barely believe it but 2011 is drawing to a close and the office Christmas party season is upon us again. Readers of Lafashionfolie.blogspot may remember that last year I splashed out on a beautiful gold brocade dress from Whistles, that made me feel a million dollars but also left me practically bankrupt. Not so clever. So this year I've decided to take some sartorial tips from our wonderful Queen and the fragrant Duchess of Cambridge and recycle an outfit from my wardrobe for office do. I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling the pre-Christmas pinch, so here's some ideas for festive party outfits on budget that give you plenty of bang for buck! 

Shop the look:

Mesh Sleeve Dress, AX Paris, £30.00.  

Suedette 'Rosalyn' Court Shoe, Peacocks, £16.00.

Rimmel London Kate Lipstick, ASOS, £3.50.  

Shop the look:

Midnight Blue Velvet Dress, Dorothy Perkins, £29.50.

Myla Suedette Ankle Strap Platforms, Boohoo.com, £15.00. 

Sequin Embellished Envelope Clutch Bag, M&S, £18.00.

POP YOUR COLLAR: STATEMENT NECKLACES FOR EVERY POCKET

A simple way to refresh your look this season is with a statement collar necklace. Whether you opt for a pretty ribbon-tie bib necklace or an edgier, chunkier chain number, a statement necklace can 'fashion up' simple shift dresses, sweaters and shirts. My dream purchase would be a Marni collar; Marni necklaces are a worthwhile investment because they are classic collectors pieces that will never date. But for now I'll have to put the dreams on hold and settle for some of stylish high street alternatives that tap into the trend without the hefty pricetag.

1. Beaded Collar Necklace, Dorothy Perkins, £15.00
2. Ribbon and Gem necklace, New Look, £17.99
3. Bib-style Necklace, Mango, £39.90.
4. Jade Chunky Stone Necklace, Tallulah Tu, £28.
5. Midnight Purple Margery Necklace, Marc by Marc Jacobs at mywardrobe.com, £225.00.
6. Lucite and Horn Embellished Bib Necklace, Marni at Net-a-porter.com, £340.