FIRST impressions count and a group of young Worcestershire lawyers are trying to make sure people looking for work have the clothes they need for the crucial interview.

The Suited for Success initiative, which involves collecting good quality "gently-worn" work clothes and accessories for men and women, aims to help unemployed people back into work by giving them a suitable outfit for job interviews. The clothes are collected by individual companies and then distributed through Birmingham Central Foodbank’s Urban Boutique.

Priya Tromans, solicitor advocate at Worcester law firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys and chair of the Junior Lawyers Division for Worcestershire, who organised the firm’s collections at its offices in Worcester, Cheltenham and Hereford, said: “Having the right clothes to wear for a job interview is not just about making the right impression, though we know that that really counts. It is also a matter of confidence. If you are dressed for work, you feel more professional and that affects your approach to the interview.

“We were very pleased with the response we had. We collected 11 boxes of work clothes, and have passed them on to the foodbank, where they will make a real difference to people’s chances of employment.”

The initiative was supported locally by the Worcestershire Junior Lawyers Division and included solicitors in Worcester, Bromsgrove, Merry Hill and Malvern.