Dragon’s Den star and entrepreneur Steven Bartlett issued a brutal verdict to people who wear one item of clothing to interviews, saying it would make him reject their application
Zahna Eklund Senior Social News Reporter
14:14, 05 Jun 2026
Steven Bartlett said he wouldn’t hire someone wearing one item of clothing(Image: Getty Images)
Job hunters often try their best to look “perfect” at job interviews, but entrepreneur Steven Barlett has claimed this could actually cost you a job. If you’re looking for a new job, you’ll no doubt have been to interviews where you’ve tried to scrub up well to impress the hiring manager and hopefully land the job.
We all know that you are judged on your appearance in interviews, even if we wish that weren’t the case, so most of us will opt to wear suits, smart dresses, and other formal wear to prove that we belong in the corporate world. But according to former Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett, there’s actually one thing you should never wear to a job interview.
Steven, who is the founder of Social Chain and Flight Story, said he would never hire someone if they came to an interview wearing a suit, because although it’s seen as the clothing you “must” wear, he believes it’s disingenuous if you’re not normally someone who would wear a suit.
Speaking on his Diary of a CEO podcast to English-American writer Simon Sinek, he shared: “I flashbacked to an interview I had last week in our company where a young kid walks in wearing a suit and I thought you have no idea who you are, because that’s not you.
“I know that you don’t wear a suit. You’re 22 years old. You do not wear a suit, so I have no indication … I have no clues as to who you are, and therefore, I have to figure out if you fit in here.
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“What he tried to do there is show up perfect, how he thought perfect was and in some ways, to hide who he actually was.”
Although Steven had intended to give helpful advice to those on the hunt for a job, commenters on an Instagram video that shared the clip were less than impressed. Many pointed out that while Steven might not hire people who wear suits, most employers will, so it’s bad advice to encourage people to wear whatever they want.
One person said: “It’s called professionalism and respect, good kid.”
Another added: “I am on the side of the guy in the suit. He is not pretending to be something he is not. He took this interview seriously and showed you and the company respect. Good for him.”
A third wrote: “A suit is what you normally wear in an interview. Give the guy a break. You should have specified not to wear a suit or to come smart casual?”
In spite of these criticisms, some defended Steven’s perspective, with one advocate suggesting: “It sounds like he felt his outfit was too flashy and not authentic. Many people have been in that situation. It’s perfectly fine to wear an affordable suit from a store like Primark or M&S for a first job.
“However, showing up in a £5,000 Armani suit and £10,000 crocodile leather shoes can come across as trying too hard and might give the impression that someone isn’t genuine.”
The best way to navigate what to wear to a job interview is to look for any information you might have received when you were invited to interview. Usually, you’ll be told whether to dress in full formal wear, or if smart-casual is acceptable.
If you haven’t been told and you want to make a good impression, you can also email HR or the hiring manager before your interview to ask. Not only will that get you a clear answer, but it may also make your name stick out from the other applicants as someone who went the extra mile in their interview.
