How much to spend on SA attire?

I'm an incoming female SA who's spent ~$1500 on work attire including bag and shoes and I feel like I still don't have enough clothing for 2 weeks of different outfits (I don't want to wear the same thing so frequently that people notice nor wash things like twice a week). I feel bad because I basically spent my after-tax signing bonus on clothes. How much are other people spending?

 

I bought 4 suits and 6 dress shirts one for each day. Also bought 3 pairs of trousers to mix match with jacket. All round I prob spent like ~1000 USD.

I don’t think you should worry that much, you already spent a lot. And if you really feel you don’t have enough I’d try focusing more on quantity vs quality.

Realistically with 2 pairs of trousers and 3 shirts you should be fine.

 

Buy quality stuff for your SA so you don't have to re-buy everything when you start FT. Trust me, it saves you money in the long term. Don't buy cheap clothes that don't last. Buy what you would buy as if you were starting a first year analyst role. Plus, think about inflation. Ferragamo & similar brands raised their prices by 10% this year. You are better off buying them now than buying them next year when they raise prices another 10%. 

 
Most Helpful

some of these threads make me laugh.

I've done a bell ringing in a $100 H&M suit (I've got a pretty standard build, so tailoring doesn't do much for me)  I've got a dozen $15 Amazon basics button-downs. (Tythwitt also has decent sales from time to time, but never pay full price there.)

Well fitting and well pressed beat expensive any day.  Except in shoes. No need to go expensive (Nasdaq uniform is a suit and ZeroGrand sneakers) but quality footwear is a must, especially here in NYC. I think my phone claims I walk about 7mi/day in my dress shoes.

The only difference between Asset Management and Investment Research is assets. I generally see somebody I know on TV on Bloomberg/CNBC etc. once or twice a week. This sounds cool, until I remind myself that I see somebody I know on ESPN five days a week.
 

Deleniti ullam sint nesciunt adipisci dolor ipsa vero. Non nulla in exercitationem doloribus voluptas. Omnis voluptatem voluptatibus dolores molestiae ea quod ut.

Earum ut incidunt veniam. Expedita et et et doloribus sint. Ut nemo pariatur doloremque aut quas.

Consequatur incidunt eum reiciendis et ut. Facilis distinctio est error doloremque.

Adipisci suscipit dolore quidem. Necessitatibus enim magnam exercitationem. Autem alias molestiae cupiditate at aut est nulla. Id id velit ipsum sapiente. Et optio error illum necessitatibus recusandae nam aut. Molestias enim quia qui quis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”