One of the questions we get asked most is what candidates who’ve been shortlisted for an in-person Assessment Day or Final Interview should wear, and whether a bright colour is the way to stand out from the crowd. What often surprises people is that our advice is the exact opposite.
What the Study Actually Found
We consistently advise candidates to wear a dark coloured suit for in-person cabin crew recruitment events, and this advice isn’t just based on our gut instinct or what we’ve witnessed and experienced at real Assessment Days over many years. Studies back this up too.
A 2017 study by Hiring Success/SmartRecruiters looked at what almost 2,000 job candidates wore to interview. Of the candidates who were hired, 70 percent had worn mostly black. Of those who were rejected, only 33 percent had. That’s a real, independently reported finding, and the gap is too large to dismiss.
While interview and Assessment Day preparation remains absolutely essential, the colour of your outfit also plays an important part in how recruiters perceive you. And perception, whether you like it or not, still plays a big role in whether a recruiter thinks you should be offered the job.
Why Dark, Plain Colours Work
While we know that candidates who wear dark colours are more likely to be offered the job, what still remains unclear is why.
One theory, though, is that it’s less about the colour itself and more about what a dark, plain outfit signals. Black, navy and charcoal grey read as formal and deliberate, the kind of choice someone made on purpose rather than grabbed off the rail that morning. A recruiter sizing you up in the first few seconds of a final interview may simply be responding to that impression of care and preparation.
Either way, a conservative colour, styled conservatively, is a safe choice in the very best kind of way.
The Real Point: Blend In, Don’t Stand Out
A cabin crew final interview isn’t the place to stand out through your clothing. It’s the opposite.
Every airline uniform is built around consistency, not individual expression. Cabin crew are meant to look like a team. When you walk into a final interview, you’re being judged against that same standard. You can’t wear an actual uniform, but the outfit you do wear to your Assessment Day acts as a proxy for it: a white blouse, a black, grey or dark blue blazer, smart tailored trousers or a knee-length skirt, and polished black leather shoes. Put together properly, that outfit does the job a uniform does. It tells the recruiter you already understand what this role looks like, without you having to say a word.
Candidates tend to go wrong in one of two ways. Either they turn up looking scruffy or under-prepared, or they overcorrect and try to stand out with an unusual colour or a statement accessory. Both miss the point. You don’t want the recruiter to remember you for the outfit you were wearing. Quite the opposite, in fact.
So how do you stand out in a good way? In how composed you are while you’re waiting to go in. In how you treat the other candidates, not just the recruiter. In how you take part if there’s a group element. And most of all, in the answers you give once you’re sat in front of the panel. That’s what gets you hired. Not the jacket.
What We Advise Candidates Should Wear
- A dark, classic suit or equivalent: black, navy, or charcoal grey
- A plain, light-coloured shirt or blouse underneath
- Plain, polished shoes, nothing statement or fashion-led
- Plain, unpatterned hosiery if you’re wearing a skirt
- A conservative, well-fitted cut over anything trend-led
None of this needs to cost a fortune. Well-fitted and freshly pressed will do more for you than an expensive label ever will.
For the full breakdown, including grooming standards for men and women, our complete guide on what to wear to your cabin crew assessment day and final interview covers it in detail.
This page is part of our Interview Preparation Hub, covering everything from competency questions to the final interview itself. If you're getting ready for interview, here's where to go next.
