I don't know, but of those stores, Kohl's is probably the best bet. Lots of teacher clothes (teehee!)--a good selection of office wear.

Good luck! My last job interview I wore tailored black wool slacks, cream-colored silk blouse, and killer shoes. I didn't get the job, but it was a great outfit!

Because of your limited time frame, I'd go to a store where the salespeople can guide you. My go to store is Chico' s where I find the sales associates extremely helpful. Maybe White House/Black Market, Ann Taylor or Talbot's? Or could you add a colorful scarf and/or statement necklace to your black dress?

Sorry, lkplatow, but I think you need to wear a suit to an interview. I've worked for and interviewed new staff for a variety of tech companies and a suit is expected-- even when interviewing at a company with a relaxed dress code. You can get away with a jacket and pants and skirt vs a suit but business casual isn't appropriate.

You could get a deal at a TJMaxx or Marshalls but it's hit or miss. I would likely head to a mall. I would look for something to go with black-- black is always a good choice for an interview and you likely have separates to go with black.

My "go to" if I need something quickly is usually Talbots-- there are two very close and they don't require me to go into a mall. I don't love all their styles but I can usually find something that will me pull me through.

I picked this jacket up a few weeks ago when I had a last minute meeting and was too far from home to go change. They took the tags off for me and I wore it out of the store with black pants (which I wore in) and a black tank which I also bought. I think the Loft is another store that is often in shopping centers vs malls.

A suit, jacket & pants with a nice blouse.

Macy's, Nordstrom, JCPenney, Sears

I would go to Kohl's or Target before I went to Marshall's or Ross. The clothes will be grouped by style so that should save you some time versus picking through long racks of many different styles. And they both have good shoe sections.

Like Martha said, it would also be good to go where you might get some help like at Ann Taylor or Talbots.

My daughter interviews with tech companies and always wears a jacket and slacks.

Good luck!

I also think Mtn's suggestion to build off of one of your funeral dresses-- adding jewelry and/or scarf and/or jacket would work. I'd at least have a plan for that as the fall back.

Good luck with the interview!

Talbot's is my go-to for almost anything in a hurry. Kohl's takes me too long to find something that fits well. And right now they should have a good sale for slacks, top, and jacket. Shoes, too!

I work in IT at home. Interviewees would be expected in pants, skirt, or dress and a jacket. As MTN suggested, can you wear a jacket over one of your existing dresses. If not I would try Kohl's from your choices. I would shop on line first to see what's available at the store. Perhaps even buy it on line as pick up at store. That way it is all pulled for you and you maximize your time.

Thanks everyone. I am surprised by all the pro-suit responses here. I did some googling and pretty much every recruiting and "what to wear to a job interview" site said unless you are interviewing with a law firm or somewhere else super formal, there was no need to go with a suit -- and that, in fact, a suit would be a sure-fire way to make it look like the last time you interviewed was 20 years ago, LOL! Guess you can't believe everything you read on the internet. I do have a pretty nice black jacket -- I'll have to dig it out and see if it still fits.

Oh, and re: the dresses -- seems a little informal (not to mention kind of cold outside!) to go with bare legs, but hose is hopelessly outdated, no? So what do you do there in an interview situation?

Re. wearing a suit--you should because it's always better to be slightly over/more formally dressed than slightly under. It's not only a positive first impression but the unmistakable message you send that you are showing respect for the person and job you are going for.

"every pair of dress paints I tried came to this weird stop at or above my ankles -- it looked like I shrunk my pants in the dryer. Is this the style for dress pants this year?"

Yes, the length of pants that break over the top of a pair of heels or boots is somewhat outdated. Ankle length is much more stylish now, including formally. It's definitely not in the comfort zone of those of us working women who came of age in the era of pantsuits and quasi-man style pants/jacket combos but there it is. I think it reflects some of the easing of the super formal look in many work environments.

Although you may not have time or want to look for these for an interview, I've had great luck with Macy's 'leggings' which are really more like form fitting stretch knit slacks. I have long legs so they hit at my ankles, have a super comfortable band waistline and come in a lot of basic colors you can very easily mix/match with tops and shoes or boots to make nice business casual outfits.

Good luck! Things are definitely more casual than when you last interviewed. I agree that you should hit a mall with a variety of stores.

I wouldn't do a suit, but perhaps a jacket with slacks. I think you would also be fine with a nice blouse and slacks.

I also don't see why one of your dresses couldn't work. As long as they are current looking.

I agree with mtnrd. Shop your closet first. Get the funeral dress out and accessorize with scarves or jewelry. If you want to take the time to go to the store, get a jacket to go over the dress to make it even more professional. That way, if it comes across as too formal for the environment, you can always take the jacket off.

Try buying slacks in the petite section, I'm five seven and buy mine there as I wear flats all the time now. Also, no gaudy jewelry, a single bracelet, smallish earrings and your handbag has to look up to date. A good haircut and makeup are helpful too.

Also, check the website. They might have photos of employees at their desks.

Why not ask a few friends if they have something to borrow since you are tight for time.

For a tech company and doing programming, if you can't find a dress with either a jacket or sweater to wear over it, look for a sweater set to wear with a scarf or jewelry. Then either a plain pencil skirt or pants (black or charcoal) would work with just about any color plain sweater.

Ann Taylor or Talbots should have something. Maybe Chico's but I don't shop there much. WH/BM might have a nice blouse with a coordinating sweater. Both AT and WH/BM have different style pants (and lengths) that might work for you. A lot of places now have 'ankle pants' that is probably what you've been trying on. They surely don't work well for me being almost 5'9"!

I'm heading out shortly and will keep all your tips in mind. All of you who are recommending dresses and skirts -- what on my legs? opaque tights? or just bare?

Also, I got some additional instructions that said for the first step (the test) the dress is casual. So I'm not quite as stressed....I've got a cute pair of skinny jeans (in a small gray/pink/turquoise floral print, not blue denim) that I can dress up with a nicer top and a cardigan....that should work, right? Casual without being sloppy. But assuming I ace the test, I will end up interviewing so I'm still going to take the time today and try to go find some decent clothes.

I am also going on an interview today. There is no way I would ever wear jeans....not at all.

If you live in a cold climate, nylons are fine with a dress/skirt. Or wear tall boots and socks.

It must be a regional thing. For IT jobs in Seattle you would be looked down on if you overdress. Most of those interviewing you will be in hoodies, jeans, converse and backpacks. They should be able to relate to you and you want to fit in.

I would keep it simple, and don't over accessorize.

My work is similar to yours and I have had the same exact angst about professional attire. I find that a blazer with 3/4 sleeves is a good mix of formal and casual, and it can always be taken off in case things end up being more relaxed. Ann Taylor is a trusty standby, and Express has flattering button-down shirts that work well with dress pants. The suggestion to shop your closet is great, too. Good luck!

Jeans were originally designed as workman's pants for out door work. There is no reason to wear them to an interview. Nice pants would work for being casual without being too casual. I work outside every day, and wear jeans almost every day, but for an interview, even if it was outside, nice pants, functional but nice shoes, and a jacket on top, even if it is a casual one. I have quite a few casual jackets, they work well for working in the science field where you have to look professional but might get messy at work.

No to the jeans. Not for any interview for this type of job. If you end up with a skirt, wear tights and tall boots or booties. These can be low-heeled. Same with pants, either booties or a loafer type flat.

It must be a regional thing. For IT jobs in Seattle you would be looked down on if you overdress. Most of those interviewing you will be in hoodies, jeans, converse and backpacks. They should be able to relate to you and you want to fit in.

I was listening to some radio show about tech companies (I believe west coast), and they were talking about not automatically dismissing someone because they came to the interview in a suit!

I find a lot of business casual type wear at Banana Republic. Good luck!

Along the lines of what razamatazzy and terriks posted, in our area (SF Bay Area) I would say "which tech company?" A few are more on the formal side of things and many are not, I would guess for most tech companies here and depending on the position it would not make a big difference so long as one is clean and presentable.

Good luck, hope you find something that suits you! (so to speak) ;-)

Yes, dh used to have Silicon Valley tech companies as clients and some had strict no suits or ties rules. When they pitched business on those campuses or visited clients they wore dress pants and sweaters or the like.

Sorry, I'm not much help on what to wear to an interview. I haven't had one in a million years and I'm a lawyer so no question for those jobs, always a suit. I would guess less formal for tech though.

My spouse interviews people at times in a Silicon Valley tech company and it is not unusual for old people (you know, over 35) to dress more professionally for interviews than younger people. We can't help it. We're old and don't know any better. :)

"unless you are interviewing with a law firm or somewhere else super formal, there was no need to go with a suit"

Not in my sales field. Professional attire (business suit) is expected for interviews. I'm also not over 35.... :)

Even if a company told me "casual" for the test portion, I would still wear business casual. I agree with those who said to err on the side of over-dressed, and that is shows respect. With that said, I never worked in a casual-dress industry.

RE: Hose... I wear either black or nude hose when I have a dress on for work... unless it's really hot out. It's more professional. I think shimmery hose are outdated, perhaps.

I'm late but don't wear a suit. Or anything that could be thought of as a suit. I work in a more conservative, industrial design and manufacture, industry than tech and even I wouldn't expect anyone to show up to an interview in a suit for anything lower than a management position. Sort of opposite what we were told 30 years ago but that's the situation these days. I don't like that we are still judging people by their clothes but it's there, like it or not. I was a non-suit wearer in the days when suits were supposed to be the "thing" to wear to interviews. I compromised by wearing separates - a skirt or pants with a jacket. I'm not saying no jacket but just make it more casual. Tights and boots or flats if you decide to go with a dress.

People from the large company that bought our smallish company last year came in and asked "What's up with the ties?" COOs and CFOs from the new parent company were more casually dressed than some of our lower level office staff. Most of our guys didn't wear ties but there were some hold outs who thought that a tie was appropriate business attire. Period. Just this past week, as possible layoffs loom and corporate is coming to visit for a mid-year review, they have stopped wearing ties. They still wear white shirts though. ;-) Times change.

Good luck!

Boy, you are getting recommendations all over the board here. IIRC you are in PA also. As you know, we don't have the culture of the west coast tech companies. The company I worked with the longest had a culture similar to a startup company. Cool office space, lots of developer toys, extremely relaxed dress code-- even still interviewees were expected to be dressed professionally.

That said, you have guidance directly from the recruiter or hr staff to say you can go to the testing phase of the process in casual clothes? If it IS direct from someone official (vs a current employee or such), I'd follow the guidelines but cautiously. I'd go business casual. Casual pants and a jacket or professional sweater. Put together. I'd still recommend no jeans but imo trouser jeans and a jacket with boots is much more put together than a lot of the business casual outfits I see around my office. Use your best judgement.

Also, considering you are interested in doing some training as well, I think it's important to not just look put together but to be organized. Have copies of your resume (you shouldn't need them but I've been kind of stunned by how many people will show up at an interview without a copy of my resume!), have a list of your questions, a couple of pens, examples of your work (if applicable). I usually take a brief case-- but a messenger bag or nice portfolio is fine.

I hope all this input hasn't made you more stressed. So much of the interview is about you feeling confident and on your game. Make sure to give yourself time to relax and gather your thoughts. Know the company. review the job description and build your questions specific to the job. I always like to put together an outline for myself as a summary of my relevant experience-- an executive summary. I don't use the outline in the interview but I use it to prepare -- to reinforce my key talking points. The things I want them to know at the start of the interview-- and what I want them to remember when they walk away.

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes!

Thanks everyone. I went to a local consignment place because I figured I could try on a bunch of different brands without having to hit a bunch of stores. I ended up with some pull-on black pants like the ones runninginplace recommended from macy's and a black and white satiny sort of shell blouse. I'm going to wear it with a dressy cardigan that I already owned from Banana Republic and I found some silvery-gray flats that don't hurt my feet. I figure that should be good for the testing part (where I was specifically told to dress casual.) And while I'm there, I'll suss out the overall level of formality so if it gets to an interview, I'll have a better idea where to go on the "suit/no suit continuum."

Great start! If you get to the interview, regardless of what existing employees are wearing, dress for an interview.

That should work. I think what we all learned from this is that there aren't any firm rules anymore. Good luck!

Sounds great. Good luck!

Great. Good idea to check the other employees while you are there.

Well I'm done with the first part. I don't want to say too much in case someone from the firm reads this forum. But I could have definitely gone casual -- I was immediately shown to a conference room and given the test. The only employee I saw was a guy wearing a t shirt and cargo shorts who met me at the door and handed me the test and collected it at the end. And the test was surprisingly hard given the level of position I applied for so who knows if there will even be an interview. Oh well -- even if it nothing comes of it, it was definitely an interesting way to dip my toes in the job market.

Hopefully others will find it equally as hard so they will rate it on a curve.

(You should have asked to use the rest room as a way of possible seeing more of the environment.)

aha, Tamara, we're waiting for the spam-edit.

ETA: Spam removed

I don't think there will be one. Seems @Tamara Klein consistently delivers a one liner to an old thread merely in an attempt to draw attention to themselves. So stupid. Houzz needs to cull such a "pro" from their site.

Boy, it's a good thing she chimed in so quickly! I'm sure the OP is waiting on pins & needles for an answer 3 years out.

Pro-spammer. How can Houzz bestow these “PRO” designations to known hustlers?

She's back with spam. (See the "thank you letter", but don't click, just flag.)

For those wondering what this is, it's called spamdexing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spamdexing

ETA: looks like the spam has been removed. Thanks to all who flag!

Does anyone know how to tag Emily in this thread? @Tamara Klein is an abusive 'pro' that needs to be removed from this site.

Thanks sushipup for trying to clean up our forum I have been flagging some of these incidents but I don't know if it does any good.

I did enjoy reading the original post again.