Wardrobe Investment Guide for IB and PE

I see a lot of junior bankers and incoming Analysts struggling with choosing what shoes or what sort of suits to buy, so I've decided to make a brief guide - that choice is what got me into classic menswear and I've spent far too much time and money exploring it.

Ultimately, your work output is what matters. But being the high-performing individual you are - why not optimise how you present yourself and get a bang for your buck as well? Looking the part also strongly contributes to coming off as a well-put-together individual. You are not a software engineer.

Criteria (Universally accepted for juniors in the US/UK/EU/APAC/MENA/Aus)

• Jackets - Notch Lapel, Single-Breasted, Plain Fabric (with no pattern or texture) in either Navy, Dark Grey/Charcoal.
• Trousers - Any that came with your suit should be fine - but try not to have "flair" like turn ups. Make sure it isn't tight or excessively tapered (so cover your socks).
• Shoes - Black, Cap-Toe Oxfords.  This is the safest option - if your team is not that traditional or you simply don't care, you could go with Black Penny Loafers or Black Whole Cut Oxfords. The shape of the sole of the shoe is called a 'last', make sure it isn't too round/chunky if you're buying a loafer because it's seen as less formal.

What to Look For

• Jackets
  • Construction: A jacket can be constructed in various ways, the cheapest way is to have it 'fused' with an adhesive of some sort. Most fast-fashion brands and surprisingly, a lot of designer brands, make them this way; they often have no longevity, are uncomfortable, and get misshapen during dry-cleaning. Either get a jacket with Half-Canvas or Full-Canvas construction, if you want a jacket that could last you decades and feels good. You can always look up which brands construct their jackets like this or ask the Sales Associate. Full-Canvas construction is the gold standard.
  • Fabric: Always get 100% natural fabric (eg 100% Wool, Wool-Cashmere Blend, etc). Don't get synthetic blends or synthetic fabrics.
  • Fit: I'd look up a brief video to see how a nice suit should fit. It's better to see it. This is arguably the most important part.
• Trousers
  • Fabric: Similarly, always get 100% natural fabric (eg 100% Wool, Wool-Cashmere Blend, etc).
  • Fit: Make sure they aren't tight or too tapered. They should sit comfortably at/around your shoes when you're standing.
• Shoes
  • Material: This goes without saying but try to get smooth leather, not suede or a type of grain leather. Most people wear box calf leather.
  • Construction: Look for something called a Goodyear Welt (used amongst good shoemakers in the UK and US) or a Blake Stitch (more common in Italy or France). Without getting too much into it, it means certain parts of your shoes were stitched together and not cheaply glued together. Most importantly - it means you can get them repaired instead of throwing them away. MOST mainstream designer brands do not have Goodyear Welt or Blake Stitch construction, so they look nice, but they are not good investment pieces if you want to get a lot of wear out of them.
  • Note on Protection: Getting your shoe re-soled is expensive ($200+) and buying a new one will be even more expensive. If it rains in your city, snows, or you walk a lot, get something called sole-protectors (also called a Topy sole) glued onto the sole of your shoes. They cost way less and will protect your soles from breaking down. Because usually with leather shoes, the sole gets destroyed whilst the upper is completely fine, so using a Topy could make your shoe 10-20 years. They can be quite unsightly though.

I'm not going to talk too much about brands because there is a variance in quality amongst various lines (eg Polo RL vs Purple Label, or new Zegna stuff vs Ermenegildo Zegna) and it can get very subjective. You can refer to other threads on WSO that discuss them, but I've left some notes below. Just don't be fooled by big names and look for value.

Tips

• For suits, if you do not care and just want to get a solid suit, go to SuitSupply and get a made to measure suit. Maybe pay an extra 50 for the Full Canvas option or more for nice fabric. A SuitSupply suit that fits you nicely is going to look way better to an untrained or even a trained eye than the crappy looking Kiton/Loro Piana/Brioni/ISAIA off-the-rack suits I've seen some bankers wear...trust me on this.
• For shoes, the cheapest you can get for solid quality are Meermin (owned by Carmina), Berwick, Velasca, and Scarosso. They are in the $180-300 range. If you wanna ball and go $450+, look for Allen Edmonds, Crockett and Jones, Carmina, Vass, Septieme Largeur, George Cleverley (made by Crockett). And if you have a big trust fund - check out Gaziano & Girling (King Charles' shoemaker), John Lobb, Berluti, Edward Green.

I hope you get value from this guide :) And remember that nobody wants an Analyst who is well-dressed but ultimately shite!