Trending Content
| +48 | "Broccoli Haircut" in Investment Banking Inappropriate? | 11 | 5d | |
| +19 | Modern Mullet - Acceptable for Intern? | 18 | 2w | |
| +15 | Summer Analyst Wardrobe | 4 | 1d | |
| +13 | Wardrobe Advice | 5 | 1w | |
| +12 | For passport photo: Full suit and tie OR just suit and dress shirt? | 8 | 1w | |
| +12 | Best White Sneaker? | 22 | 5d | |
| +12 | Most Prestigious Haircuts? | 5 | 6d | |
| +9 | To Shave or not to Shave SA | 5 | 1w | |
| +7 | What color loafers or oxfords with navy suit? | 5 | 1w | |
| +4 | Women’s Watch Recs | 3 | 2w |
Career Resources
To generalise : - USA apparently no; - Europe it's fine with tasteful cufflinks.
Personal opinion - I see no issue.
.
I saw plenty of analysts, and even interns, wearing French cuffs in Hong Kong. But not in the U.S.
think yiddish dress british.
No one will really care. To be honest, I think most people don't do it because it can be kind of annoying to put them on, hahaha. Laziness trumps fancy cuffs.
French Cuffs and classy links are just fine.
i'm a fan... if only i had my french cuff shirts with me...
Not in the U.S. at that level. I think they're kinda cool, but would hold off based on the way people seem to judge
I wouldn't do it right off the bat because it makes you look like you are a phony, playing dressup and pretending to wear the banker uniform, but honestly nobody gives a shit esp after a while. I personally do not like French Cuffs at all, I literally hate wearing them.
Roll up your sleeves and get to work.
You should get a bowtie and a double breasted suit with your french cuffs and roll into your first day as a summer analyst in style
definitely not in the US at that level....we had a summer associate rolling in with blingy cufflinks and it was a topic of converstaion around the office. Granted you may not be an intern but still....
once in awhile, sure... but not everyday. it's a little over the top to wear them everyday at that level in the us
Serious post, cost benefit analysis of wearing french cuffs as a low level banker:
Potential benefits: absolutely none, all the other analysts will be wearing normal cuffs Potential costs: solid chance people will think you're a douche and/or weird and will crack jokes about your cufflinks behind your back
Benefit: dem bitchez think you ball, cufflinks are more potent than bottles.
"Dollop of Douche" lol
French cuffs are DEFINITELY too much for the analyst level, especially if you are just coming in. You don't want to out dress those above you. Second or third year associate, maybe, but definitely a fashion mistake for an analyst. You want to look sharp, yet conservative.
French Cuffs as an analyst? (Originally Posted: 04/24/2007)
howdy,
I'm starting this summer as an analyst and am going to get a lot of clothes coming up. Stylistically, I am a big fan of the french cuff look and am thinking about getting a bunch of shirts in that style. I was just wondering (as the cuff link is a somewhat flashy accessory) if it was a faux paux to rock them as an analyst, as I'm sure a really heavy pinstripe suit or shirt with a collar a different color than the shirt would be. Any thoughts?
If you like them, then wear them...
Just make sure the cuff links are conservative and smart.
Yeah, don't be iced-out
I would say a majority of my shirts are French cuffed as well. I never particularly liked the look of barrel cuffs (though I do have a few shirts with barrels). I tend to wear silver cuff links, I have always believed them to be slightly less flashy than the super colorful alternative.
I guess it depends on your office, but I would tend to say avoid French Cuff. Nobody is going to give you shit if you dont have them, but (in my opinion) it is a little too "hotshot-y" for an analyst.
I think they are too flashy looking anyways. Conservative is safer, and usually classier too.
please to define faux paux
wear an all white linen suit
some bling
I wear French cuffs. They are fine; don't sweat it. And I definately wear the Winchester collars. It's not a big deal.
Paul Allen - I am not trying to hijack your thread, but what sort of cuff links do my fellow french cuff wearing analysts sport? I am a huge fan of the Burberry links. I am curious to hear about others favorite links.
silk knot, anything more is too pretentious
Agreed on this call. As someone else said, no cares unless you're blinging.
I really wear only french cuff shirts because they're usually a decent 10-20% off their barrel cuff counterparts.
Agreed. French cuffs aren't the problem. It's flashy cufflinks that are too pretentious. Silk knots or very simple metal cuff links are fine.
french cuffs are way too flashy for an SA, even if they are silk knots
oh ya, also no winchester collars
dont wear french cuffs as a SA - play it safe and be conservative in dress and then see how the other analysts dress to see if they wear french cuffs or not for when you go back for FT. also, you are spot on about the heavy stripes and different collar shirts - dont wear em.
Ditto this advice. Nothing worse than a lack of self awareness. Play the status quo. You're not a rockstar and you don't want to give a pissy VP a reason to even think you have a high opinion of yourself.
As conservative as possible as an SA (and you don't have to buy that many suits/shirts so far). Then adjust based on what you see for later on.
Even as an analyst it really depends on the office, the bank and sometimes direct boss. I've had colleagues who were only allowed to see clients if they wore french cuffs and I've seen teams where they find them arrogant below a certian level.
It makes sense to hold off buying loads of shirts and start off wearing non french-cuff shirts. See how things pan out and, if you find it suitable, start buying the shirts you prefer.
One thing that really bugs me though is how french cuffs get stuck on the jacket sleeves sometimes when they retract beyond the cuff and then you straighten your arm again. Maybe it's just what you americans call a pet pieve though...
thats why the sleeves have buttons
Can you elaborate?
Suit jacket sleeves have buttons to unbutton apropos of satisfying the french cuffs space requirements.
Dude, quit being paranoid... wear cufflinks, wear stripes - do whatever makes you feel good. You are going to be working 80-100 hours per week, just act normal, no one is going to care.
I don't think he's being paranoid, he's being cautious. In my opinion, it's always safe to be conservative, since you're always being watched. I don't think you'll get dinged solely b/c of wearing cufflinks, but that could be the deciding factor if you are a borderline candidate. You may come across as being too flashy to someone. Small things like that matter (to some people) Again, it's not that big of a deal, I would wear French cuffs once in a while, but not everyday. You will get different opinions on this subject as it is a matter of personal preference. So assess these comments accordingly.
And monkeypoker, What does wearing cufflinks have to do with "acting normal"?
I do not consider french cuff shirts to be "flashy". I consider a bright neon green shirt, orange tie, and baby blue suit to be flashy (obviously exaggerating here).
I cannot imagine any superiors getting worked up because analyst #32 enjoys french cuffed shirts.
If you prefer french cuffs then wear them. I have never been discriminated against for wearing Ferragamos or a Breitling, I can hardly imagine losing out on opportunities because I prefer french to barrel cuffs.
I'd stay away from the french cuffs .. like someone was saying earlier, why risk someone thinking you're full of yourself, especially if its your first year.
agreed with the all white linen suit. maybe a seersucker one too with a straw boater hat
I take it that summer interns should stay away from cuff links? is this true?
No, it is definately not true.
Shouldn't they be called Freedom Cuffs ? Or are we over that ?
that actually made me laugh out loud
Well played.
Seriously guys, it's not that big of a deal. I wore them everyday during the summer. People commented on my cuffs halfway through the internship but it was only from the analyst/associates who like to joke around. It doesn't really stand out that much. Just be smart and try not to be overly-flashy.
Here's another way to look at it, if you're working somewhere where people actually give you shit about your cuffs, then you'll know it's not the place to be.
nobody
cares
just
be
yourself
I'm an analyst and wear nothing but double cuffs. It's in the confidence level. I'd predict those that care about the minutia of their cuffs are also risk adverse and will play things safe. If you want to rise to the top you gotta have confidence and it's in the way you carry yourself, make a statement and work.
If you can do a great job, then who cares what you wear if you are sitting at a desk minding your own business? No one does. The guys who say otherwise just don't have the balls to let their work speak for itself and feel a need to play office politics to get up the ladder.
P.s Avoid the Bling. Classic, clean line cuff links are a must have.
You should wear your Oxford college cufflinks with that Brioni suit. You'll be the favorite intern.
Don't forget the tie bar.
Dress for the job you want not the job you have.
These Ties are becoming somewhat of a big deal around the office, maybe this might help ;) http://www.wildties.com/ties/WS229982.html
This is pathetic!
Sure braces are too much, white collar blue shirt too much, bling ass watches and cuff-links are over the top but frickin' knotted cuff-links with double cuffs! no.
especially as it is hard to find nice shirts let alone good shirts without double cuff.
Do it.
I wear whatever I want to work...although noting outrageous.
Regards
In London not having double cuffs is seen as a bit trashy. One should always wear double cuffs, no pocket shirt. No turn ups on trousers, and black shoes only. Preferably lace up although because of our continental cousins loafers are now 'ok'.
A suit should fit properly and your shirts can be blue (sky, not any dark shades), pink or white. Your ties should be an understated Hermes, Ferragamo, Dunhill etc. You should have hair that is generally the same length all over...
What else do you wanna know?
no one really cares. depends more on your attitude than anything.
Do what the rest of the analysts do in your group. You want to stand out for the right reasons (your work and attitude) not the wrong ones
French Cuffs for an Analyst/ Summer Analyst: (Originally Posted: 03/08/2008)
Totally taboo? Or does it depend on the firm and whether standard dress is business casual or business formal?
Just try and fit in with the other analysts. It's not a fashion show. After your first day, it may be a few weeks before you even have the chance to get into a clothing store, but as soon as you do, go and buy stuff that makes you look just like all the rest of the analysts. Seriously. Better yet, find out before hand.
Why should you dress like the other analysts? If they look like shit, would you dress down as well? I'd rather be the one looking smart. I'm sure my MD appreciates that I always dress well at work. My advice: have your own style, dress smart but do it CONSERVATIVELY. Certainly your performance at work is what ultimately counts, but you should definitely not be a copy-cat of others.
stick with a barrell cuff for the first few weeks. If you feel that it would be acceptable, break out the french cuffs. Be sure to not wear a white collar/white cuffed shirt and stay away from gold cuff links.
from my experience at work... white shirt with cuff links or something like that is never ever an issue... u pull out the white cuffs and white collar and blue shirt with serious cufflinks, ur going to get a some shit from the higher ups and prob some shit from ur other analyst buddies, all in good fun, but yeah don't really come in there to stick out, def not a fashion show
This forum is so US focused... Perhaps it's the norm in the US to wear normal cuffs but here in Europe french cuffs are somewhat the standard. Just remember that you should dress representatively.
Some guidelines:
Shirt: white, light-blue or light-pink shirt.
Tie: conservative colour tie (only for your first day and at client meetings, at work you will normally not wear a tie unless you are at Lehman's). FYI-senior bankers all wear Ferragamo/Hermes and the like, but you as an analyst should not! Moreover, remember the saying: "never trust a guy whose tie is brighter than his shirt's"
Suit: navy, charcoal or grey suit with double split (single split looks cheap). Definitely not black (=waiter!), brown, yellow or other strange colours.
Cuffs: metal (silver-coloured) or silk knots. Not too big and not too fancy
Shoes: Black, well-polished, no rubber soles. Save brown shoes for Fridays.
Thanks for the help! Is there anything wrong with patterned shirts? University stripes? Tattersalls? Checks?
Also, I hear that Blackstone and Lehman are two of the most formal firms? Would anyone be able to describes these firms' respective dress cultures?
Don't be to concerned with adorning yourself. When I went for my interviews, the guys were dressed so casually, I was shocked.
i'm not "adorning" myself, thank you very much. simply asking about norms for a firm that is business formal which i had mentioned in my initial post.
WHMD
Wear a suit to work the first day, if no-one has else has a jacket then take it off and place on your chair and just walk around wearing a tie, dress shirt, and pants. Or just find someone on campus who has worked at Lehman and ask them.
can be done. wear the knot fabric links that come with the shirt.
no two tone shirts.
consistency is key, though.
predominantly french or barrel.
No one cars what you wear when you're working til 3am. Wear a purple shirt with gold cuffs if you like. As long as you're doing the work it doesn't matter. If you're not producing good work, you can wear navy blue suit and tie and white shirt and people will still think you're a douche
Avoid expensive ties (not because ppl might not like it, i used to wear hermes ties 30% of the time)
You will worry too much no to stain it and won't focus on your job. get charcoal/dark red ties (zegna and RL BL are nice) avoid blue ties unless they are very nice and maybe a yellow or orange hermes tie for special ocasions. black/brown oxford shoes + belt
shirts, get lots of them: light blue FTW (and white)
avoid stripes in shirts and suits .... so you can use stripe ties..
In australia at GS everyone was wearing cuffs when I worked there. Also bright colors and bright ties, like youd see at the big horse racing events in australia!
I dont subscribe to this however
In the UK pretty much all shirts are french cuffed so I wouldn't worry about it if your working in Europe.
I wore them (with silk knots) and nobody cared.
if you're working in the United States, I'd never ever wear French cuffs to work.
If you're on a date or doing some sort of night life that requires formal dress, go for the french cuffs.
The boldest I'd ever get is brown shoes with a gray or navy suit.
And there's nothing wrong with a center vent if you're in the US.
You can wear french cuffs in barrel style, with cuff links like the ones below (see link). I do this most of the time because its difficult to find good cheap shirts with a cutaway collar that have a barrel cuff. BTW to agree with rembrandt you can dress conservatively in nice clothing and look very good. Conservative dress doesn't mean looking like you just walked out of sears and are going to work a dunder mifflin
https://www.kentwang.com/cuff-links/mop-japanese-round.html
update: Since a new intern is coming to my office with french cuffs... about the first week you will look like an asshole (a big one). after that ppl will just assume it's the way you are and won't give a shit.
You(or your family) better be wealthy, otherwise you will look absolutely out of context.
I'm amazed at the disparity here between the US and UK/Europe. In the UK, double cuffs (what you call french cuffs) are the norm. Furthermore, shirts with single cuffs are either of a casual cut, or are cheap (and look it).
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
FTW!
In the US you would look like euro-trash
For wearing a cuff that pre-dates your country?
French Cuffs in NYC (Originally Posted: 03/11/2012)
How are French cuffs (silk or metal) viewed as for a....
SA Analyst (all years) Summer Associate Associates (all years) & VP & above
in the NYC area?
A lot of VPs and above definitely wear them. I wonder if it might not come off well for an analyst?
You'll get varying opinions because a large amount of what is acceptable vs. not acceptable is driven by personal preferences, biases and group culture. The prevailing rule for french cuff shirts is only where them if you are wearing a suit. This board also tends to think they are more appropriate for more senior roles. Now with that said, rules and norms are meant to be broken at times.
For instance, I wore french cuff shirts on occasion as SA without a suit and came away with a full-time offer. Never wore cuff links, only knots. One benefit is the dry cleaners can't break your buttons on the barrel collar which can be a pain in the ass to deal with. With that said, my group was more fashion forward and a little on the younger side so it was ok. It all comes down to assessing your groups culture and what is acceptable. And if you are going to wear them as a more junior person, make sure you own them and wear them well.
Would love to hear more about your group. A slightly fashion forward group culture is more to my preference.
Shoot me a pm with specific questions I can address. And fashion forward might have been somewhat of a misstatement. Its more like fashion not caring; you can be be as forward as you want but you can break pretty much every rule espoused on this board.
Until you reach the VP/ MD level...
-Tailored Navy/charcoal Suit -Allen Edmonds black lace up shoes -Taliored spread collar shirt -VV/Hermes tie -Black Belt
(No tie bars, handkerchiefs, French cuffs, Suspenders)
Such a weird business, we are led to believe that dressing as to not attract attention is the way to go- yet a $300 tie is a must.
I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. You can get away with a lot more than this board thinks you can. When it comes to style and the clothes you wear, its about your clothes fitting your personality and you owning your clothes. You don't have to wear black shoes and belts all the time just like you can pretty much wear any tie you want.
And in my opinion, to generalize, the analyst with an hermes tie is going to get more negative attention than the analyst wearing silk knots and french cuffs.
Honestly, I've seen Analysts do all sorts of shit in my old group. The only Analysts I know who wore French cuffs though were the Brits, those guys used to get away with wearing ridiculous colored socks too. I think people just thought it was a cultural thing and let them get on with it.
Hermes tie is really that obvious?
I don't own one FYI
I wouldn't say i'm an expert by any means but hermes and Ferragamo ties are fairly easy to spot if you know ties. Most people in finance can pretty quickly distinguish between an expensive tie and a cheap tie. however, that is not to say you have to buy one or the other. I've gotten as many compliments on $10-$20 as I have on more expensive ones. Again, its the person wearing the tie and how you wear it that matters.
French cuffs for interview/networking? (Originally Posted: 05/11/2015)
I know it's been asked before, but just wondering what you monkeys think about wearing French cuff shirts to interviews/meeting a connection for the first time. Maybe it's just me, but I've always seen French cuffs as a style used by guys up higher on the corporate ladder, not so much for incoming analysts etc. Having been at my current job for about 8 months now, I wear them all the time. But what about an interview? Does it come off as obnoxious, or am I simply overthinking it? Just wondering what the general consensus is.
It shouldn't be a huge deal. I personally don't like french cuffs, and wouldn't wear them regardless of where I was on the corporate ladder.
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/suits/images/9/97/S02E07P10_Harvey…
just had to post this
It can certainly come off as obnoxious. Bag them for the interview. If people in your office wear them after you get the job, then go for it. If not, don't.
On the same page as CRE, I personally find it very obnoxious when a junior banker wears french cuffs. I'd stay away from them.
Unless you are in Europe, I'd recommend eschewing them for the interview. I think on the list of outcomes, they range from unnoticed to a less than desire able impression. You have a lot of downside risk and almost no upside in an interview.
I agree with everyone above. I never wore cufflinks as a junior then I started doing business in Europe, primarily London, and everyone wears them there so I ended up wearing them and liking them (interestingly I had to buy all new shirts anyway because American dress shirts tend to have a pocket, which is a faux pas there). Now years later I still have french cuffs but I have normal buttons as well. Cufflinks work in NYC (or Boston, Philly, DC, LA maybe Chicago but I don't go very often) when you're meeting with banker types or execs but when you go to smaller cities or the burbs/rural, or even in NYC if you're meeting with tech folks, they just look too flashy.
Wouldn't do it for an interview unless you're going for a high level position. If you get the job see what others do and just be a sheep and follow the flock for a while, wear them once or twice and see if you get any odd glances. It's silly but for some reason people see links on jr. guys and think it's inappropriate.
Thanks for the responses guys!
It depends on what the cufflinks look like. Don't ever do shirt-tie combo, women can tell. Knots are fine though.
Est molestiae est odit dolores earum. Amet harum aperiam atque laborum. Quis dolores est et ducimus consectetur vero molestias. Veritatis sequi qui iste eius dolore qui aut aliquid. Velit quibusdam vitae id blanditiis repellat modi nihil.
Nihil quibusdam dolorem et id alias debitis autem veniam. Maxime molestiae ea harum aut facere. Sint doloremque ea enim nesciunt ea expedita. Ut ullam aut ut veritatis. Adipisci accusamus quo adipisci qui ipsam sint ut aut.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Dolor voluptatem earum voluptatem commodi voluptatem ad. Cupiditate expedita aliquid voluptatum possimus temporibus ea illum esse. Fugiat sit et id nostrum rem ullam ipsum.
Voluptate libero facere reprehenderit culpa sit qui velit. Est sapiente omnis ab ab voluptas enim nam dolores. Et distinctio qui debitis mollitia deleniti veritatis eum. Assumenda iste sit voluptatum veritatis dolores eius. Tenetur molestias minima eos veritatis consequatur quia. Quod eaque iure aspernatur. Dolor doloremque molestias voluptatem ipsam cum omnis dolor.
Dolores nisi illum aliquid non alias. Neque et explicabo ut et a dolores repellat. Animi non dolores unde reprehenderit ullam asperiores. Suscipit eos harum expedita non reprehenderit autem. Quo porro nostrum debitis beatae pariatur sint quae. Ea minima assumenda veritatis aut et.
Aut modi quisquam aut explicabo. Dicta accusantium recusandae expedita. Velit cumque voluptatum laboriosam voluptatibus tempora. Consequatur numquam et laborum expedita ea. Omnis sunt sed in at. Porro atque dicta odit. Qui est nemo numquam dolore consequuntur molestias.
Deserunt architecto voluptatem non dolores nihil aut aut. Illum ratione ad vero voluptate quia vero. Nulla quis rerum expedita officiis. Voluptatibus ab delectus voluptatibus libero et quod necessitatibus tenetur.
Sunt corporis quia velit distinctio consequuntur in. Impedit quidem aut et vero aut ullam est quo. Deserunt dolorum sint sunt. Dolores a quod autem odio praesentium et vel earum. Aperiam eos cumque nam eaque.
Et facere dolor necessitatibus et. Laudantium excepturi quia qui ullam. Earum possimus blanditiis sed id esse eius omnis. Minus sint nisi doloremque eaque autem sed. Magnam nihil architecto dolorem.
Nulla reprehenderit aut et impedit sed vero itaque. Atque odit qui consequatur suscipit excepturi. Minus sint corrupti dignissimos quia. Similique labore consectetur dolores consequatur sit et.
Praesentium dolorem rem cum. Dolorum et velit maiores amet cupiditate dolorum. Facere enim sapiente recusandae odio quo numquam.
Similique perferendis assumenda illum non vitae ut. Saepe provident sit in pariatur veritatis aspernatur. Culpa enim ex illum impedit voluptatibus dolores consectetur consequatur. Incidunt ut exercitationem incidunt vitae iure sit quaerat.
Occaecati quidem reprehenderit distinctio velit nihil reprehenderit. Non reiciendis sint rem ut placeat. Quibusdam doloremque magni similique aut.
Similique quia laborum recusandae qui sit quas consequuntur cum. Mollitia corporis autem officia officiis dolor consequatur natus quod. Atque nemo aspernatur aut omnis rem sequi nemo.
Quaerat aut officiis temporibus ut ut magnam quisquam aut. Sequi ad et corporis qui dolore et voluptatum. Dolorem soluta alias beatae nam sint cumque pariatur.
Neque possimus dolores aut officia aspernatur adipisci dolor. Et laborum odit deserunt ullam animi hic maxime ipsum. Praesentium amet repellendus sed soluta sit tenetur. Maiores provident dolore iste delectus doloremque qui. Amet quod quod nisi sint delectus. Placeat quae explicabo eum non ut dolor.
Consectetur eum voluptates et ut temporibus officiis qui. Voluptas quae natus et optio voluptates. Nesciunt ea quia voluptatum officiis atque accusamus iusto excepturi.