Anybody know the dress code at BAML? I've heard that BofA was business formal (suits required daily), whereas Merrill was business casual (dress shirts and slacks), but that now it is all business formal. Does this mean analysts wear suits everyday? Assuming not, how often is a suit worn (and how many are generally owned), and what do analysts wear instead?
Thanks.
| +158 | UBS Tech layoff | 52 | 22h |
| +147 | Analyst: Why is UBS IB doing worse than peers?, UBS CFO: No Comment | 23 | 2h |
| +145 | UBS’s M&A BANKERS ARE DOING TERRIBLY. $200M EXTRA IS BEING CUT | 31 | 1h |
| +60 | Are target prospects getting dumber? | 27 | 13m |
| +58 | How do YOU manage networking requests? | 17 | 7h |
| +48 | Leaked Interview Questions to Recruiting Services | 31 | 13m |
| +36 | Quitting After First 4 months | 12 | 1d |
| +34 | MBB Pay Raises | 26 | 1d |
| +33 | Cornell Club T10 Rankings (UPDATED 10/2026) | 19 | 1d |
| +19 | Career Crossroads | 2 | 1d |
Career Resources
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
Investment Banking groups - business casual. Historically was like that at Merrill also.
thanks a lot. so do i even need any suits and if so how many?
All groups are business casual?
Boyblanco, of course you'll need a couple of suits for the one-off days when there is client interaction or you're on the other side of the interview table.
What? Business casual EVERYDAY? That's not true.
It's business formal (suit and tie) Mon - Thu, and business casual (no tie) on Fridays.
Wear a suit full of green question marks and tell people you can help them get money from the government for free to pay their bills!
hahahahaha...it seems like that infomercial is never on anymore these days, it needs to make a comeback! i guess it's been replaced by gold brokers and real estate scams.
I currently wear a suit with dollar signs on it telling people how they can make money with $0 down in real-estate. This goes over especially well when I deal with folks in mortgage backed securities.
Pretty sure some groups are business casual.
i bought a green suit, but it doesn't have dollar signs. can those be ironed on? haha jk
but seriously: sof_2 is that information for BAML specifically or just IBD in general. i was kind of prepared for what you are saying, but obviously some other posters are saying business casual..
I'm talking about BAML specifically, but I'm sure most IBDs are the same. This is first hand information, so I'm not sure what other posters are talking about. Maybe it's different for S&T and CM.
You can just ask HR or a few Analysts if you know which group you'll be placed in.
To those of you incoming FT BAML analysts, have you already been placed in specific groups?
HR told me which desk I'm on
It'll vary from office to office and group to group... in the main Houston Merrill office, the GWM groups come to work in full suit and tie and just take off their jackets when they get to work, but they throw the suit back on for meetings with clients or prospects, etc. I wasn't sure about what to wear on the first day, so I just suited up to be safe.
Just buy two suits prior to beginning work. You will want these regardless of how often you must wear them. Have a full wardrobe of shirts. First few days, wear the suits and get a feel for how your floor or group dresses. Most likely you will be able to ditch the tie and jacket. In the event you need more suits, you'll probably have time to pick those up on your first weekend. Simple.
For s&t it's business casual
Dude.. Just dress like the other Analysts..
For sales, probably always keep a tie somewhere in your drawers, you never know when you have to entertain.
As an Analyst you'll spend most of your time pitching & schmoozing clients. You'd better have a closet full of suits. But be sure to scotch guard them, as you'll inevitably drink too much on several occasions during the summer experience & throw-up on yourself.
Ut provident reiciendis est consequatur est non. Sed quidem praesentium magnam quidem rerum. Earum veniam quibusdam consectetur expedita ut minus enim. Sint voluptatem commodi rerum eius. Asperiores ex dignissimos sunt in. A incidunt harum id consectetur.
Voluptate et nam at minus labore. Enim harum velit dolor dolores cupiditate placeat totam. Eius odit non vitae expedita.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Eius ad dolore quis omnis. Incidunt nihil modi fuga ullam qui officia cupiditate quae. Aut ut necessitatibus sequi.
Illum quibusdam ut quae autem sapiente id voluptatem. Necessitatibus recusandae ut quis accusamus aliquam ut itaque. Id ea quia modi eveniet consectetur. Perferendis consequatur est dolorem non libero alias pariatur.
Nisi porro quia sed maxime dignissimos quibusdam. Tenetur facilis possimus facilis. Autem ut deserunt id.
Nostrum ad saepe architecto assumenda quam ipsum. Aut placeat et qui qui iure. Ex maxime error et non voluptatem nihil est.