NYC IB Style Advice from ANT
Mod edit: Re: "I'd like to know how the NYC investment banker usally dress. How many banks are business casual and how many are formal. What is the trend now, ie are more banks going back to formal?"
Most places are either business professional (full suit) or business casual unless clients are enough and in that case you need a jacket and tie.Just go buy 3 suits (Navy, Grey and Charcoal) and a bunch of blue and white shirts. Rotate as needed. Get a steamer and two pairs of shoes (black and brown lace up). Get a two belts or a reversible if you must. I would recommend brooks brothers slim fit non iron, but you can go cheaper if you want. Just get non iron to save yourself the headache. Gold toe, over the calf socks, black and navy.
Addt'l advice from ANT below (ie the subtle difference between formal & casual in finance)
Most places are either business professional (full suit) or business casual unless clients are enough and in that case you need a jacket and tie.
Just go buy 3 suits (Navy, Grey and Charcoal) and a bunch of blue and white shirts. Rotate as needed. Get a steamer and two pairs of shoes (black and brown lace up). Get a two belts or a reversible if you must. I would recommend brooks brothers slim fit non iron, but you can go cheaper if you want. Just get non iron to save yourself the headache.
Gold toe, over the calf socks, black and navy.
Done.
Thank you! What is the most common attire i NYC, full suit or business casual? What do you think about the future, will it go more formal or more casual?
The only Human in WSO history has imparted his knowledge this thread is officially put to bed
Hold on. It's been 15 minutes since the last wardrobe update. What's the most recent changes in Wall Street attire? I understand at 2:34pm it was either business formal or business casual, but what is the dress now at 2:49pm? Couldn't find a post more recent than 2:34pm so please answer!
That has absolutely nothing to do with my question. Of course there can be changes in a 5 year period. Some BB could have gone to business formal in that time.
What do you think of the future, more formal or more casual? And why?
Honestly, call up HR when you get an interview and ask. Just buy the suits and clothes and if you get a bank that is business casual, don't wear the tie. Suits are an investment and if you are going into finance you will need them regardless. Three suits isn't going to break the bank and you will use them for a long time.
I think most banks on the street are business professional anyway.
Dude, the difference between formal and casual in finance is a tie. Bankers are not going to be rolling into the office in a track suit.
Stop worrying about the dress code; focus on acing your interviews. Dress code isn't going to come up during your interviews... unless you're casually dressed...
Wear a suit the first day and look at how the other analysts dress. See, that wasn't so hard.
I will, it looks like the only difference between business formal and casual is the tie anyway. So I'll come in a suit and just skip the tie if its casual.
Thanks for the answers!
Is this also the standard in Europe and Britain? Can anyone inform us?
In UK, french cuffs (double cuffs) are common at all levels, grey suits are more common, always black shoes. Heard some say navy is for the dept sales people/ security/ waiters. Benelux + France have a more colorful shirt palette. Germanic areas are usually formal all of the time, grey suits are common, always black shoes. Italians, well they are very fashionable, usually wear the slimmer fitting suits, also tend to be sartorial at times. Of course I'm making generalizations from what I've seen.
http://tradingevents.blogspot.com/p/uniform.html
http://tradingevents.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-brown-shoes-in-banking.html
In UK, french cuffs (double cuffs) are common at all levels, grey suits are more common, always black shoes. Heard some say navy is for the dept sales people/ security/ waiters. Benelux + France have a more colorful shirt palette. Germanic areas are usually formal all of the time, grey suits are common, always black shoes. Italians, well they are very fashionable, usually wear the slimmer fitting suits, also tend to be sartorial at times. Of course I'm making generalizations from what I've seen.
http://tradingevents.blogspot.com/p/uniform.html
http://tradingevents.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-brown-shoes-in-banking.htm…]
Excuse me? A navy blue suit is one of the most fundamental parts of a city boy wardrobe. Especially in the UK. No brown in town --- never wear brown shoes to work (only oxfords or monks, no loafers please).
3 suits is a little much but i guess it depends on the office
What about loafers? Some of us have to trudge through airports.
http://tradingevents.blogspot.com/p/uniform.html
http://tradingevents.blogspot.com/2011/12/no-brown-shoes-in-banking.html
i think ANT has nailed it for how to acquire and wear the easy, correct IB wardrobe. Happy to see we have finally put this issue to bed. Now I will do the hedge fund version:
Do not shave any more then once a week, hair should be to the shoulder and cut only on the lower east side of manhattan by a gay man with one name (ie prince, sting, etc), shirts should be untucked and unbuttoned to at least the nipples, cowboy boots are standard footwear, and jeans should be tight enough to discern the outline of your package. Rock this wardrobe, accompany with solid multi-year track record, and you will soon be flying on private jet.
^sounds more like Ross Johnson.
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=lagrange+glg&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&…
pierre lagrange
About the blue suits, they are very standard in the UK, but not well considered in Germany and Austria. They usually wear black/charcoal/grey instead of navy/charcoal/grey in the offices down there (from what I've heard). Maybe that's the misunderstanding?
One could always wear what the bankers in Hawaii wear.....
http://www.midweek.com/images/uploads/2011/110119/hs_2.jpg
In Tokyo we are business professional. Black/Dark Gray/pins.... Most of us get our suits tailored when Archi comes in from HK. Lace-ups, black. I prefer 3 piece. Keeps me warmer in the winter and in summer I am able to keep the jacket off yet still look professional towards clients.
http://www.blacktieguide.com/Style_Basics/Suits/BB_3piece_feb2011_colla…
Which of the BB banks in NYC are business formal/professional and which are business causal?
just please stop embarassing yourself, navy is a common london suit colour.
you can distinguish security by the fact that their suits are not tailored their shoes are squared toed and they dont wear hermes or ferragamo ties.
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