$400 shoes
Will be starting as an IBD analyst at a BB soon and so the wardrobe prep has begun - I am coming straight out of university and so had to start from scratch. I've bought two suits, one navy and one dark grey/charcoal (around $600 each) and plan to rotate wearing them every couple days. I've also bought an overcoat for just under $400, five shirts totalling $300 and three ties for around $150 in total. Do you think I've spent wisely and that I have enough items or should I opt for cheaper clothing? Slightly worried I've overspent on the suits and overcoat.
Now for the shoes, I am unsure how much to spend, do I go for an expensive pair of black business shoes for around $400 each or do I opt to buy a couple cheaper ones for like $100 each? Are $400 shoes actually worth it?
Would appreciate any advice.
I think you could have gotten the suits a bit cheaper, around the $400-$500 range but not a big deal.
I think spending $400 on shoes is fine. I bought a pair of Allen Edmonds and they're amazing. Also, once they start getting really bad wear & tear (after a few years), you can recraft them for $120 and they'll look like new. I would put off on buying them because AE might have a sale later in the year, but they recently had a great sale for Labor Day I think, and the park avenues were $250 (reg price of $400).
Depending on your group, you might need a few more ties. If you summered in your group, was it normal for analysts to wear ties?
Also, I think you're going to need more shirts (like 10 more). Did you get the 5 shirts from Indochino?
I recommend getting 6 or 9 shirts from CT when they do the 3 for $100 sale, definitely worth the price.
Suits: go to a high-end department store (Barneys, Saks, Neiman Marcus, etc.) and try on a few suits. Remember your size. Then, go to eBay and look up whichever brand fit you the best. Some brands to keep an eye on are Brioni, Canali, Zegna, Oxxford, and Hickey Freeman. You should be able to get a suit that costs $1,000+ new for a few hundred dollars slightly used. You can use this method for sports coats and blazers too.
Shoes: Allen Edmonds is usually what people use as a stepping stone to high-end shoes. They currently have a clearance sale going on and regularly have other sales too. The Park Avenue is their most iconic lace-up. They make a few loafers too.
Shirts: there are hundreds of custom shirt makers that will custom make you a dress shirt for $100 or less a piece. I don't really care about shirts, so I wear dress shirts from Costco.
Belts: I've always been a fan of getting dress belts from gun belt manufacturers. They tend to hold up longer in my opinion.
Costco dress shirts? Didn't even know Costco made dress shirts...
Yup. Costco actually makes quite a bit of clothing.
What kinds of belts do you recommend?
I am currently wearing a black dress belt from The Belt Man.
A pair of $400 shoes will last your 4 times as long and look better than a pair or $100 shoes. I have a pair of Allen Edmonds that have lasted me 3 years, after being resoled once, even with me walking to work every day---NYC sidewalks are not kind on shoes.
So much wrong with this thread.
The quick of it.
Suits: Fit matters more than brand. I am a big/atheltic size went to Jos A. Bank bought $200 suit, brought to a tailor for $150 and it is now my best fitting and looking suit. As long as the shoulders fit the tailor can take in almost everything else.
Shirts: Spread or Semi Spread but no Cutback Collars yet, or pinpoints. Get 3 white to save on money and get more ties.
Ties: 1 ties for every day of the week(min), go to Goodwill in NYC, I have found used Ferragamos for $20 each. Brooks Brother, Yves Saint Lauren, tiebar.com for saving money and you can't go wrong.
*If you wear all white shirts then nobody will notice your rotation but you should have at least 1 tie per day. I'd rather 10 ties from tiebar than 2-3 ties from brooks brothers. That is IF you wear them everyday.
Shoes: Spend the $400 on Allen Edmonds or Alden but you NEED 2 pairs of shoes. You have to rotate shoes every other day. And invest in cedar shoe trees. Go to Jack Irwin or Paul Evans or Meermin. BEST VALUES FOR YOUR MONEY.
I think AEs are a good investment. You can scoop them up cheep on ebay.
Suits - agree with above. Fit > brand. My favorite suit is a Jcrew suit (I've owned boss, RL black, a suit I bought in London, etc). At this point I just hit up suit supply.
Ties - keep it simple. Watch Gilt if you want fancy ties. Bought gamos for 97 each. Steal.
Shits - whatever fits, white, blue, etc. No purple or green.
No skinny ties. Not skinny lapels. Socks match pants. Learn to tie a couple tie knots. Get a good tailor and use him.
I would say go ahead with the AEs, but do pay attention about the width.
I wear Tommy Hilfiger fitted suits from Macy's. Always on sale. Brooks brothers shirts. Shoes from DSW. Never spent more than 150.
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