so as an incoming SA and broke college student I am wondering what can stretch my dollar the best for work attire.
i’ve got a navy suit i bought my senior year of highschool and i’ve considered wearing it every day this summer but i can imagine that wouldn’t be great (also taking into consideration the fact that it doesn’t fit great).. any advice would be helpful about color, type, $$, etc. thanks
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macy’s
Seconded for suits - although they have a wide range of fits that aren’t for everyone
i did:
— brooks brothers shirts (4 for $200?)
— AE shoes (1 pair in black + the cleaning kit so you don’t have to rotate - on sale for $250 regularly)
— Nordstrom socks (navy and gray)
knew other guys who went to Suit Supply but they were way cheaper back in the day
brooks Brothers used to do a 2 for $1200 on Suits that was pretty good (a Macys suit is probably $250-$350)
Yea they have a good selection
Most IB roles don't require suits in office. Would definitely start out with it to get a feel for the office but a nice button down, pants, and dress shoes should be suffice. Macy's, J Crew, J Crew Factory are all good starting places. I don't think going out and buying multiple new suits would be the best use of money.
Kohls
Walmart
Banana Republic factory outlet & J Crew factory outlet have some nice & affordable stuff.
The most budget friendly I would say is the local Goodwill. Many places are more button-down type, so you can get away with a few shirts and pants. Just get them cleaned, tailored to fit at a local tailor shop, then cleaned/pressed at a local dry cleaner (unless it is a two for one stop). I remember going to the thrift store and getting two practically new shirts and a few pants (tags still on them) for a steal of a price. I got them fitted and they lasted for years.
Shoe wise I'd go for comfort - Kohls or Payless. They have some really good ergonomic, comfortable dress shoes with softness for long wear. Just take care of them and they will last you for awhile. If you go either, CHECK your mail for discounts (online as well) and coupons you can use. I used a coupon deal plus an Amazon return (they print out a discount % coupon you can use) PLUS store sale on a pair before - price went from $89.99 to $24. Macys/JC Pennys also have deals as well - so don't let the options I provided to you be the only ones. I am not a big fan of second hand shoes because it is difficult to gauge the condition and comfort wear of them. If you do this part right, you'd save a ton plus have good longevity pairs.
Feel free to PM me.
SuitSupply for a suit - get a well fitted navy one and you’ll be good. Pick up a second pair of pants in charcoal while you’re there. If you steam your pants every day after work they’ll last for a year plus (currently doing this and I go into the office 3-4x a week). Highly recommend the conair handheld steamer ($60 on Amazon).
Charles Tyrwhitt for shirts - for some reason they’re not well liked on this site, but the quality and range of sizes/fits for the prices is the best. They often do like 3/$89 or 4/$199 sales, just depends on what promotion you can get. Would recommend making sure you get your fit exactly right, then buy 5 (3 blue in various shades/textures, 1 salmon / light purple, and 1 white). They’re machine washable and last a long time, and customer service is really good. I’ve called them to ask about fits and fabrics and they’re very helpful. No dry cleaning is a massively underrated plus.
Allen Edmonds for shoes - 1 brown and 1 black in the Park Ave caps with leather soles. Don’t get ones with weird designs just because they’re on sale. Would recommend going wider than you think, makes them much more wearable. Take them to a cobbler and have them add the vibram rubber add-ons so you don’t slip in the rain. Worth the money. Learn how to shine and maintain your shoes with a leather conditioner and shoes trees too. Get matching belts, doesn’t have to be fancy at all. Go to Nordstrom rack with the shoes and just pick out a matching simple one.
You’re probably all in around ~$1,200 for a wardrobe that’ll last you your entire analyst stint if you take care of it. It’s barebones, and you could throw some quarter zips in there for the winter, but it’ll get the job done
Spend money on getting things tailored to fit right, and less on the quality. Get on pair of dark brown or black leather lace up dress shoes. Get 3-7 dress shirts from somewhere like Charles Tyrwhitt or j. Crew factory etc. (can spend under $100 on dress shirts, I hear even Costco has them) key is fit.
You already have a suit so get that tailored to fit properly (unless too small)
then get a pair of grey or navy dress pants (tailored) and get the opposite color of your suit.
get dress socks on Amazon for cheap.
dark brown or black (match shoes) leather belt with simple buckle (no logos or branding etc.)
Brooks Brothers will have all you need for a full ensemble, and Charles Tyrwhitt have the best shirts for fit and price imop. Best of luck!
Stone island store for jackets, Nike for the tech fleece and air max , and rowing blazers for polos
Measure yourself twice, then order suits and shirts from Spier & Mackay.. great quality and cheap prices.. pants might be a little too high waisted for some people, but I like them.. If you only want pants, and not too crazy about the high waist, I've found a lot of great deals on Boss from Dillards (also Hart Schaffner Marx suits and jackets) but you have to go when they have big sales (monthly but not sure exactly when)
AE for shoes and Nordstrom Rack for belts as mentioned above.
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