What should summer interns wear?

Incoming SA at a BB and need to buy clothes for the summer soon. Should I expect to have to wear a suit in the office every day? not sure if the dress code would be different because everyone was more casual during wfh or because of the summer. 

23 Comments
 
Most Helpful

I would recommend getting two suits - one navy, one charcoal. I think the days of wearing a suit to the office every day are probably over but it's important to have two classic, well-fitted suits on hand just in case. For daily wear, I'd recommend getting maybe 3-5 chinos in neutral tones (grey, navy, khaki, olive, etc.) and some nice button-down shirts with fairly standard patterns, probably at least five to be safe. J Crew, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Club Monaco etc. are all good brands to think about but anything similar should be fine. Not sure how footwear is looking in the office these days as my group typically has people wearing sneakers and those Cole Haan leather sneaker hybrids but to be safe I'd recommend getting a nice pair of black oxfords with a matching belt. Once you see how the group you're working with dresses you can always buy another pair of shoes (or any other article of clothing, for that matter).

Also, not sure why I feel this way but for some reason an intern in a vest feels wrong. I'd wait for that until you're a full time analyst.

Other random tips: always wear an undershirt so you can wear your dress shirt more than once a wash, have a neutral polo for WFH, pick a cologne that you enjoy and isn't too obnoxious, shave / get a haircut enough to keep yourself looking clean (yes, this still matters unfortunately), and don't wear a watch that's too nice (above $5k would be a rough cutoff). Plenty more has been written on this but that should be enough to get you started. Good luck!

 

Uniqlo Airism shirts (or equivalent - lightweight breathable performance fabric) are the way to go. On a hot summer day they are more comfortable than not wearing an undershirt, no one wants sweat stains.

2020 Update: recounting my experiences in PE and sharing thoughts on recent deals at https://leverup.substack.com
 

People notice if you consistently dress well.

All you need is one dark navy suit (pants&jacket) w/ black belt, black leather shoes, & dark blue dress socks. Rotate through 6-10 dress shirts that aren’t an obnoxious pattern or color. No tie. Take the jacket off when you get to your desk.

Super low maintenance & comfortable if you get the right shoes.

 

Molestiae non quisquam nisi et. Praesentium nemo repellendus consequatur. Inventore et eveniet dolor odio. Quia iusto assumenda maxime ea eum.

Earum laborum numquam vero voluptatibus qui veritatis. Impedit doloribus est optio necessitatibus recusandae qui voluptas aliquid. Consectetur repudiandae illo et odio.

Exercitationem ut nihil tenetur. Sunt voluptas debitis dolores cupiditate quia consequatur repellat.

Deleniti molestiae vitae et quibusdam est sunt architecto. Mollitia tempore aliquid impedit minima qui. Consequatur officia autem et doloremque distinctio quia quae earum. Qui est voluptate atque est accusantium aut qui. Commodi modi non est ratione eos.

 

Illo beatae inventore perferendis facere praesentium sit itaque. Aliquam quas veritatis est in. Et dicta maxime hic recusandae maxime blanditiis.

Accusantium eum qui delectus. Repudiandae tempora quam consectetur quod at eius aut sed. Officia aspernatur impedit dolor tenetur. Dolorum unde est omnis velit provident et aliquid. Repellat eos voluptatibus sit in neque minima itaque. Porro corporis aut quod non error sed aperiam qui.

Ratione tempora nostrum velit. Qui laboriosam odit aperiam molestiae. Ipsa ex quia tempore facilis aut deserunt et. Sed temporibus sit sed aspernatur quisquam in tempore est.

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 (66) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
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...”