What should I wear to a UK interview?

From running interviews across UK industries: dress norms have shifted notably since 2020. The 'always wear a suit to a UK interview' advice was already shaky in 2019 and is now actively wrong for many roles. The current rule: dress slightly above what the team wears day-to-day. For most UK office roles in 2026, that means smart casual to business casual, not full formal.

By industry, in 2026. Tech (software, product, design, data): smart casual. Trousers/chinos or smart jeans, button-down shirt or polo, smart trainers or loafers fine. Marketing and creative: similar to tech, often slightly more expressive (a statement piece is acceptable). Finance (investment banking, legal, advisory at top tier): full business formal still expected — suits, ties, polished shoes. Insurance, accountancy, mid-tier finance: business casual to business formal. Consulting: depends heavily on the firm and the level — top-tier still suits, others increasingly business casual. Healthcare, education, public sector: business casual is the safest. Sales (especially enterprise B2B): business formal still wins because you're being assessed on client-facing presence.

The video interview version. Smart on top, comfortable on bottom. The camera shows you from chest up, so a button-down shirt and visible jacket or smart top is the move. Underneath, comfortable trousers or jeans are fine — you're not standing up. Don't wear pure white (it blows out on camera) or pure black (it loses contour). Mid-tones, single colours, no busy patterns. Solid blue, dark grey, dark green all work well on most webcams. Avoid clothing that makes a noise when you move (synthetic fabrics that rustle near a microphone).

What to actually consider. The day-to-day dress of the team you're interviewing with — visible from their LinkedIn photos, company social media, careers page. The seniority of the role — senior roles often warrant slightly more formal even at casual companies. The interview format — in-person warrants more polish than video. The interviewer's likely age and seniority — older interviewers in traditional industries notice underdressing more than younger ones in tech.

Underdressing is still the bigger risk. While overdressing is now sometimes the wrong call, underdressing remains more damaging. A candidate in a suit at a tech company looks slightly out of touch but professional. A candidate in jeans and a T-shirt at a finance interview looks unserious. When in doubt, lean slightly more formal than the company's default — you'll be remembered as 'professional' rather than 'unprofessional'. Better to be the suit-wearer at the casual company than the jeans-wearer at the formal one.

Specific things to get right regardless. Clothes that fit (better-fitting cheaper clothes outperform poorly-fitting expensive ones). Polished shoes (the most overlooked element — scuffed shoes are noticed). Hair that looks intentional (not necessarily formal, but considered). No strong fragrance (some interviewers have sensitivities and the small risk isn't worth the small reward). Subtle accessories rather than statement ones. Phone on silent and stowed.