First Day Attire?

I'm starting on a sales desk shortly at the end of training. I've visited the desk and it was mostly business casual that I saw, but should I still wear a suit on my first day (take the jacket off if need be) or should I just dress business casual? I just don't want to stick out if everyone else will be dressing a certain way.

52 Comments
 

Suit is the safest bet, as you can always strip components away until you are business casual. I am guessing this is too late (as it is Monday you probably already went to work) but emailing people at the office is also a good idea. Works especially well if they assigned you a mentor of some sorts, or if you have an open line of dialogue with some of the other group members.

 
smalleightsSuit is the safest bet, as you can always strip components away until you are business casual. I am guessing this is too late (as it is Monday you probably already went to work) but emailing people at the office is also a good idea. Works especially well if they assigned you a mentor of some sorts, or if you have an open line of dialogue with some of the other group members.

pants first

 

Starched white shirt (if it's your dads shirt and 2x sizes to big, take it to the tailor and get it fitted for 10 bucks), conservative tie (half windsor for a moderately wide collar, four in hand for button down. Make sure the knot is tigh against the collar, can't stress this enough), navy / charcoal grey suit, leave the Ferragamo / Gucci loafers at home.

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Stringer Bell Make sure the knot is tigh against the collar.

Why do people not do this? What gets me the worst is the off center tie knots, absolutely ridiculous.

The answer to your question is 1) network 2) get involved 3) beef up your resume 4) repeat -happypantsmcgee WSO is not your personal search function.
 
bfin
Stringer Bell Make sure the knot is tigh against the collar.
Why do people not do this? What gets me the worst is the off center tie knots, absolutely ridiculous.
You are too concerned with neatness to understand them, for they are true gentlemen:

" ... laboring to present yourself scrupulously clean and neat suggests that you're worried about status slippage and that you care terribly what your audience thinks, both low signs. The perfect shirt collar, the too neatly tied necktie knot, the anxious overattention to dry cleaning - all betray the wimp. Or the nasty-nice. The deployment of the male bowtie is an illustration. If neatly tied, centered, and balanced, the effect is middle-class. When tied askew, as if carelessly or incompetently, the effect is upper-middle or even, if sufficiently inept, upper."

 
bortz911
bfin
Stringer Bell Make sure the knot is tigh against the collar.
Why do people not do this? What gets me the worst is the off center tie knots, absolutely ridiculous.
You are too concerned with neatness to understand them, for they are true gentlemen:

" ... laboring to present yourself scrupulously clean and neat suggests that you're worried about status slippage and that you care terribly what your audience thinks, both low signs. The perfect shirt collar, the too neatly tied necktie knot, the anxious overattention to dry cleaning - all betray the wimp. Or the nasty-nice. The deployment of the male bowtie is an illustration. If neatly tied, centered, and balanced, the effect is middle-class. When tied askew, as if carelessly or incompetently, the effect is upper-middle or even, if sufficiently inept, upper."

Source?

The answer to your question is 1) network 2) get involved 3) beef up your resume 4) repeat -happypantsmcgee WSO is not your personal search function.
 
Best Response
bfin
bortz911
bfin
Stringer Bell Make sure the knot is tigh against the collar.
Why do people not do this? What gets me the worst is the off center tie knots, absolutely ridiculous.
You are too concerned with neatness to understand them, for they are true gentlemen:

" ... laboring to present yourself scrupulously clean and neat suggests that you're worried about status slippage and that you care terribly what your audience thinks, both low signs. The perfect shirt collar, the too neatly tied necktie knot, the anxious overattention to dry cleaning - all betray the wimp. Or the nasty-nice. The deployment of the male bowtie is an illustration. If neatly tied, centered, and balanced, the effect is middle-class. When tied askew, as if carelessly or incompetently, the effect is upper-middle or even, if sufficiently inept, upper."

Source?

this is well known class code. for a primer, paul fussell summarizes nicely.

 

I would have thought that rich people use butlers and servants to tie their knots, which should then be impeccable (as substandard knots would lead to termination).

 

Might be some truth to that.

On Bruce Wasertein: "While Wasserstein enjoyed many of the accoutrements of great wealth—a sprawling mansion in the Hamptons and a duplex on Fifth Avenue—he was famously unkempt, only in later years dressing the part of the Lazard chairman. ...In his eulogy, Adam Moss, the editor of New York, captured the insecurity Wasserstein provoked in lesser mortals......Wasserstein’s eyes rolled back in his head in the middle of their conversation and he appeared to take a cat nap. Moss came to admire Wasserstein and his trenchant deconstruction of his fellow power brokers. "

on the other hand, successful people are likely to be perfectionists, even in their dressing.

 
ZIRHwho adds mushroom on a steak? option 2 sounds like a safe bet...

Thanks. I was leaning towards blue shirt because it's safe but a little different. Maybe white would be better...

On a side note, I would say mushrooms are tied with onions for most common steak topping. Here's were I would put them in terms of prestige:

  1. Gorgonzola cheese
  2. Mushrooms
  3. Onions ...
  4. A1 steak sauce
 

Does it really matter. Chances are if you wear option A on your first day you will likely wear option B the next, or vice versa, lol.

Both are just fine. Wear which ever one makes you feel more confident...if that makes any sense.

Regards

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan
 

Most likely no. See what everyone else at the office is wearing and dress like them. Trying to overdress as an intern will only make you look like you're trying too hard.

Life is too short to be on WSO. But here I am.
 

Dude it's just the first day better safe than sorry. Take the tie with you in your pocket and if people are wearing one throw it on, if not you're in the clear.

 

FT in banking right? Probably half the people will show up in suits.

I would just follow the dress code as stated. If it says business casual, go business casual. No one really cares but why bother going through the hassle if you don't have to?

 

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