Appropriate suits for consultants?

I'm trying to decide between three different coloured suits. I currently only have a charcoal one and I'd like to expand the collection to three (over the course of a few months) but I'm wondering which one would be the next safest option to choose for the time being.

Pics:
Gray
Navy
Sharkskin

I've already got the offer so I'm not sure if I still need to be as conservative in my choice as I would be if I was interviewing. If it matters, this is a non-MBB firm.

Also, I currently only have a pair of shitty black shoes, so the suit would have to go with them at least until my first paycheque.

 

Ticket pocket may seem a bit affected if you are at the most junior levels. I rocked a suit with hacking pockets and a ticket pocket even back as an SA, but people definitely ribbed me for it now and again. I think it depends on how you wear it. If you're a confident but tasteful dresser, yes. If clueless, then avoid it, you'll look like you're in over your head.

I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.
 

Cool, I guess I'll try out the hacking pockets then. Might leave out the ticket pocket this time around.

I really want to go with the grey suit but I keep reading that navy is safer. That, and the grey suit in my original post seems to be a lighter shade - not sure how that compares to a darker one in terms of looking professional.

On the other hand, I feel like a navy suit would go better with brown shoes, which I do not yet have.

 
Western:
Cool, I guess I'll try out the hacking pockets then. Might leave out the ticket pocket this time around.

I really want to go with the grey suit but I keep reading that navy is safer. That, and the grey suit in my original post seems to be a lighter shade - not sure how that compares to a darker one in terms of looking professional.

On the other hand, I feel like a navy suit would go better with brown shoes, which I do not yet have.

I would definitely go with the navy and strongly urge you not to get hacking pockets, peak lapels, a ticket pocket, or any of that stuff. There's just no point in getting fancy with details like that on your first couple of suits because all it does is limit the number of places you can wear the suit and draws more attention to yourself. It seems kind of fun when you're buying them but there's very little upside to wearing that kind of stuff in an office environment (unless you work in media or fashion or something).

That's the kind of stuff you can put on your suits after you own three or four conservative ones and want to mix things up a little. But honestly, I don't even really like hacking pockets on suits then. I'd rather go with a slightly more interesting cloth or different cut of suit instead.

Also - that lighter grey suit is fine but again, if you don't own many suits you want to buy ones that are as versatile as possible, and that light grey won't be appropriate for slightly more formal occasions or environments.

Anyway, just my two cents.

Hi, Eric Stratton, rush chairman, damn glad to meet you.
 

Gotcha. I ended up ordering the Navy anyway earlier today. I'm still torn on the pockets. I selected the hacking pockets but I can still have them reverted back to the normal ones while the order is processing. I kind of wanted to use them to add a little flair to the suit and differentiate myself from the other guys (and since I might end up wearing the suit for occasions outside of work as well).

I checked a few pics of the slant on these suits (buying from indochino) and it doesn't seem that steep so I'm not sure if it'll be noticeable enough to matter. What do you think?

http://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA2LzI5LzIxXzE1XzA0XzUyNV9maWxl…

 

Those aren't that bad actually. It's up to you - I still say go with normal pockets. Just think about it - you will never, ever be incorrect if you have regular pockets on your jacket, but there are some situations where you might feel slightly uncomfortable if you having the slanted pockets.

Hi, Eric Stratton, rush chairman, damn glad to meet you.
 
Otter.:
Those aren't that bad actually. It's up to you - I still say go with normal pockets. Just think about it - you will never, ever be incorrect if you have regular pockets on your jacket, but there are some situations where you might feel slightly uncomfortable if you having the slanted pockets.

Yeah fair enough, that makes sense. Reverted back to straight pockets for now. I'll go for the hacking pockets at a later time. Thanks.

 
Best Response
Western:
Otter.:
Those aren't that bad actually. It's up to you - I still say go with normal pockets. Just think about it - you will never, ever be incorrect if you have regular pockets on your jacket, but there are some situations where you might feel slightly uncomfortable if you having the slanted pockets.

Yeah fair enough, that makes sense. Reverted back to straight pockets for now. I'll go for the hacking pockets at a later time. Thanks.

Glad to hear it. Now that you have basic suits you can wear for any occasion, you can have more fun with your future suit purchases if you choose.

EtherBinge:
You now have 2 suits (navy and charcoal), correct?

Time to step up your shoe game. Get some AE Park Avenues and call it a day. Worry about your next suit purchase when your paychecks start coming in.

I would also highly agree with EtherBinge. Grab some AE Park Avenues in black and dark brown. You're now set for basic business dress.

Hi, Eric Stratton, rush chairman, damn glad to meet you.
 
ILOVENYGUY:
Go to Brioni or Kiton ask them for something conservative, can't go wrong even if it is a different design then blue or gray

That's kind of a dumb suggestion for an incoming analyst. You just recommended he go buy the most expensive OTR suits on the market when he doesn't even own a pair of dress shoes.

Western:
Yeah, I was planning on going for Allen Edmonds after hearing good things about them. I'm just wondering how to go about getting them in Canada. Not sure how much they cost in the US, but a single pair of park avenues costs about $350 here. I might have to try them on in person at the store, find the correct size, and then order them from the states. Could be cheaper that way.

What's the consensus on wingtips or brogues?

I would get at least a pair of black cap toes, so the AE Park Avenues work great for that. As far as brown, I would again opt for a conservative shoe (the Park Avenues or Fifth Avenues if you want something slightly different). Once you have those two pairs of shoes, then you can move on to wingtips and stuff like that.

By the way I am giving you the most conservative advice possible. You can certainly be more adventurous with your clothing, but I think it's best to cover all the basics first and then start trying other things out. Because if you've got a meeting with some CEO somewhere and you want to look presentable but all you have is a striped suit with hacking pockets and a ticket pocket, plus tan brogues because you wanted to get more interesting clothes, you're going to feel a little silly and wish you at least had the option to wear something more conservative.

By the way, PM me about getting the Allen Edmonds shoes.

Hi, Eric Stratton, rush chairman, damn glad to meet you.
 

Yeah, I was planning on going for Allen Edmonds after hearing good things about them. I'm just wondering how to go about getting them in Canada. Not sure how much they cost in the US, but a single pair of park avenues costs about $350 here. I might have to try them on in person at the store, find the correct size, and then order them from the states. Could be cheaper that way.

What's the consensus on wingtips or brogues?

 

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