Style tips for interviews and auditions

The interview process can be daunting enough but picking the right outfit for it can add extra stress. Personal Stylist Jill Marinelli, stopped by the Rhode Show to give her advice on what to wear to a job interview or audition.

The first thing Jill recommended was to make sure the clothes fit.

"The clothing you pick you really want to fit. A great fit will always make your outfit look more expensive, which is always good. People always say dress for the job you want, not the job you have, so you really want to step it up. Make sure you have a great fit, and if your clothes don’t fit properly then consider going to a tailor to get things altered," said Jill.

Details are extremely important in the outfit you choose. These details can portray you in a positive or negative light.

When considering what accessories to wear, Jill recommended, "Whether it’s with a statement necklace or an interesting jacket, anything that can tell a little bit of a story about you without going over the top."

However details can hurt a potential employee in the job search. Jill advised that women do not show too much skin.

"There are ways to look beautiful and sexy without going over the top and showing too much skin. So you really want to keep that to a minimum."

One of the most important details, is to iron. However, Jill recommended that if you don't like to iron, use a steamer.

"It’s easier than ironing and you can’t mess it up as easily because the steamer kind of magically takes all the wrinkles out."

When ironing an outfit, it makes your clothes look fresh and clean. "When your clothing is fresh and modern and clean, people perceive your ideas to be fresh and modern. So when you’re going to work, you want to give that whole perception." Jill recommended.

Jill brought in a simple polka dot wrap dress, with a statement necklace, as an example. She told the Rhode Show that it's dressy enough to be appropriate for almost any situation, and is in a vibrant color that is not the typical brown or black.

When considering colors, Jill said that one color to stay away from is red.  "You have things like red which on a date is appropriate because it evokes passion and kind of romance but not so much a job interview. You don’t really want someone who’s interviewing you, to think of you in that way."

At the end of the day, the key to a good impression is to be balanced. "I think you always need to think about keeping things in balance. So if you’re going to wear a really sexy shoe, you want to keep the rest of your outfit tame. You never want to go over the top with sexiness ... So keep things balanced."

For more information, follow along with the video to find out what else to look for in an interview outfit.