Open-neck shirts and comfortable shoes may be de rigueur in the city’s digital and creative sector.

But jobseekers should think twice about attending a job inter- view in jeans – despite a sur- vey suggesting otherwise.

Applicants now see it as acceptable to wear denim to interviews with the casual appearance of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google boss Sergey Brin blamed for the dressing down.

Even the judges on Dragon’s Den have been seen sporting jeans – a first for a business programme, according to a Littlewoods survey.

But despite’s Brighton and Hove’s famously casual Green Party councillors and the city’s liberal Silicon Valley-by-sea reputation, experts have warned the right attire is a matter of careful judgement.

Property developer Mike Holland said: “I think we need to return some formal- ity to business.

“I do wear jeans an awful lot these days but I wouldn’t dream of going out to impor- tant business wearing them.

“So many people dress down in Brighton and Hove that sometimes you feel overdressed in a suit. Dress- ing smart makes you feel like more of a grown-up.

“There were times when I would have sent people home for not wearing a tie but it’s not like that anymore.”

Tim Cobb, founder of Cobb PR, agreed there had been a big shift in business practices over the last ten years with traditionally formal professionals ditching the tie.

He said: “I work a lot in jeans, but they’re smart and probably cost more than most suit trousers. As long as they’re presentable and not full of designer holes I think it’s OK.

“But I don’t think jeans are acceptable in job interview because it’s all about first impressions.

“If someone turned up to meet me for the first time in jeans I would probably take a negative view.”

Dan Hawes, co-founder of Graduate Recruitment Bureau, said first-time interviewees should “err on the side of formality”.

He said: “We always say to students and graduates to research the com- pany first and reflect what people wear day-to-day.

“Some might have a casual dress code but others will be very much suited and booted.

“If you’re still not sure it’s best to err on the side of formality.

“We’ve seen some people wear beards to interviews which some traditional firms might find inappropriate, though certainly with creative jobs it’s a bit different.”