French Cuffs as an analyst?

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

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.

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.

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.

Agree, for the most part. I wear either silk or very basic silver colored ones. Nobody has ever commented about them.

Plus, I think barrel cuffs look terrible in the sleeves of jackets; there is so much gap.

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?

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 would like to add a disclaimer however, I do realize I am from a completely different part of the country than most of you. Maybe things like this aren't such a big deal in Cali.

Suit jacket sleeves have buttons to unbutton apropos of satisfying the french cuffs space requirements.

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.

People will ding you for something stupid like wearing cufflinks if you are an annoying person to work with. If you act normal, wearing cufflinks (which happen to be classy in most cases) won't make a difference.

agreed with the all white linen suit. maybe a seersucker one too with a straw boater hat

You gotta be fucking kidding me. In what kind of a twisted, sicko Orwellian world do you live?

welcome to investment banking

Perception is reality. If you choose to believe in what you're saying, then your life will be an Orwellian nightmare. I mean, common, cuff links as the deciding factor for borderline candidates? I'd sooner expect them to fire an analyst because he shits, although I guess that doesn't apply to you.

Here's a story: my best friend worked in CS last summer. He wouldn't wear a tie while others did, he had a pierced ear, he wore shirts of patterns that I considered a little too liberal, he had a fight with his HR coordinator, etc, etc. But guess what -- he was doing a kick ass job, busting his ass, and he got an offer. Moreover, he was rated 1 in his summer evaluation.

Of course, I'm sure if you were his MD, you wouldn't hire him back, because of the earring or some other shit like that. But luckily for the rest of us, there are normal people working everywhere.

You just listed 3.5 reasons why I would not hire him back. Girls wear earrings.

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

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.

Well played.