Sweaters - business casual

I'm planning to wear a sweater with a dress shirt and slacks, no tie.

Would navy blue and grey be the best colors in general? V-neck or crew neck sweater? Cashmere or some other material?

What are your favorite brands and sweaters for business casual?

Thanks

21 Comments
 

Really? So nobody dresses like this in the office in investment banking (when you don't need to suit up for a client)?

Legitimate question, by the way...maybe I'm just out of touch with reality.

 
designReally? So nobody dresses like this in the office in investment banking (when you don't need to suit up for a client)?

Legitimate question, by the way...maybe I'm just out of touch with reality.

Depends on the firm (ie culture, size, and location). I interviewed for this M&A shop where the VP who was interviewing me wore almost that exact outfit. The analyst was also in trousers and just a button up shirt.

That said, normally I'd be surprised to see sweaters at an office.

 

I don't know where you got the job but generally it's OK to wear a suit jacket in casual if you really want to wear something over the shirt (just don't wear a tie!). I seen no reason for that however, its not gonna get cold.

Don't wear a sweater!

 

Where do you guys work? And what do you work with? I have worked in both London and NYC and have never seen heard about people wearing sweaters in IB.

 

Nothing wrong with a cardigan either, although I'd stay away from that one. Keep it conservative with sweaters, I wouldn't rock anything with a shawl (or hipster for that matter).

 

This is all going to completely depend on the office.

Quarter zips, fleeces and cardigans are pretty common in my office. Some people dress more casually than others.

Go to styleforum if you have specific questions. Most of us are completely unqualified to be giving fashion advice (me included).

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 
duffmt6This is all going to completely depend on the office.

Quarter zips, fleeces and cardigans are pretty common in my office. Some people dress more casually than others.

Go to styleforum if you have specific questions. Most of us are completely unqualified to be giving fashion advice (me included).

Office culture is key, yes. But the point is not fashion advice. The issue is that what works in the world of fashion might not be appropriate in the office. So this is actually the perfect avenue to ask questions like this. Its not about if your outfit works on the runway or not. Its about what your colleagues think of it.

Example: i have a purple suit that i bought as a fashion experiment (i know...). It's gotten me TONS of compliments from people in the fashion industry (i happen to have quite a few in my circle of friends). But imagine if i wore that to an office...

Less extreme example: busy colorful pattern socks. In the fashion world people are going crazy about these. Any fashion site/forum you see is advocating for these right now. But not a lot of offices welcome them.

 
Best Response
EngBanker
duffmt6This is all going to completely depend on the office.

Quarter zips, fleeces and cardigans are pretty common in my office. Some people dress more casually than others.

Go to styleforum if you have specific questions. Most of us are completely unqualified to be giving fashion advice (me included).

Office culture is key, yes. But the point is not fashion advice. The issue is that what works in the world of fashion might not be appropriate in the office. So this is actually the perfect avenue to ask questions like this. Its not about if your outfit works on the runway or not. Its about what your colleagues think of it.

Example: i have a purple suit that i bought as a fashion experiment (i know...). It's gotten me TONS of compliments from people in the fashion industry (i happen to have quite a few in my circle of friends). But imagine if i wore that to an office...

Less extreme example: busy colorful pattern socks. In the fashion world people are going crazy about these. Any fashion site/forum you see is advocating for these right now. But not a lot of offices welcome them.

I think you should have a pretty good understanding of what is reasonable based on your office culture alone. If your fellow analysts aren't wearing purple suits, that's a pretty good indication you shouldn't be either.

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 

Ratione voluptas ab repudiandae commodi ut. Aut labore est excepturi et asperiores sunt quasi. Sit sed quae sit quia. Doloremque ratione non quia quia animi accusantium ex. Autem ratione laboriosam iure aliquam ipsam.

Odit officiis reprehenderit quidem aut odit sed ut. Debitis dolores ea non sed soluta. Itaque eos voluptas similique assumenda. Facilis quo vero officia voluptas sequi quis nihil.

Est aut rerum quo sed et rerum nesciunt. Aut veniam voluptas ratione rerum optio qui quia. Voluptates laborum sint quas et. Tempora enim voluptas iste accusantium sed illo fuga.

Dolor enim laborum unde aliquam sit. Aut occaecati enim tempora cum enim mollitia. Est et ipsum quisquam ea placeat officia eum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”