To generalise : - USA apparently no; - Europe it's fine with tasteful cufflinks.

Personal opinion - I see no issue.

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 

.

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 
TheKing:
No one will really care. To be honest, I think most people don't do it because it can be kind of annoying to put them on, hahaha. Laziness trumps fancy cuffs.
I just realized this as well. For an interview: sure, why not. But squeezing in an extra 1.67 minutes of sleep in the morning is more important to me than fancy cuffs
Get busy living
 
xc48cross:
once in awhile, sure... but not everyday. it's a little over the top to wear them everyday at that level in the us
This is my thought too. I think they're ok from time to time but if you are American and junior and wear them every day it comes off as pretentious and douchey.
 
Raptor.45:
Serious post, cost benefit analysis of wearing french cuffs as a low level banker:

Potential benefits: absolutely none, all the other analysts will be wearing normal cuffs Potential costs: solid chance people will think you're a douche and/or weird and will crack jokes about your cufflinks behind your back

Benefit: dem bitchez think you ball, cufflinks are more potent than bottles.

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 

French cuffs are DEFINITELY too much for the analyst level, especially if you are just coming in. You don't want to out dress those above you. Second or third year associate, maybe, but definitely a fashion mistake for an analyst. You want to look sharp, yet conservative.

 

I guess it depends on your office, but I would tend to say avoid French Cuff. Nobody is going to give you shit if you dont have them, but (in my opinion) it is a little too "hotshot-y" for an analyst.

I think they are too flashy looking anyways. Conservative is safer, and usually classier too.

 
buysideguy:
dont wear french cuffs as a SA - play it safe and be conservative in dress and then see how the other analysts dress to see if they wear french cuffs or not for when you go back for FT. also, you are spot on about the heavy stripes and different collar shirts - dont wear em.

Ditto this advice. Nothing worse than a lack of self awareness. Play the status quo. You're not a rockstar and you don't want to give a pissy VP a reason to even think you have a high opinion of yourself.

 

As conservative as possible as an SA (and you don't have to buy that many suits/shirts so far). Then adjust based on what you see for later on.

Even as an analyst it really depends on the office, the bank and sometimes direct boss. I've had colleagues who were only allowed to see clients if they wore french cuffs and I've seen teams where they find them arrogant below a certian level.

 

It makes sense to hold off buying loads of shirts and start off wearing non french-cuff shirts. See how things pan out and, if you find it suitable, start buying the shirts you prefer.

 

One thing that really bugs me though is how french cuffs get stuck on the jacket sleeves sometimes when they retract beyond the cuff and then you straighten your arm again. Maybe it's just what you americans call a pet pieve though...

 

Dude, quit being paranoid... wear cufflinks, wear stripes - do whatever makes you feel good. You are going to be working 80-100 hours per week, just act normal, no one is going to care.

PLEASE DONT CHANGE EXCEL SHORTCUTS!!!
 
monkeypoker:
Dude, quit being paranoid... wear cufflinks, wear stripes - do whatever makes you feel good. You are going to be working 80-100 hours per week, just act normal, no one is going to care.

I don't think he's being paranoid, he's being cautious. In my opinion, it's always safe to be conservative, since you're always being watched. I don't think you'll get dinged solely b/c of wearing cufflinks, but that could be the deciding factor if you are a borderline candidate. You may come across as being too flashy to someone. Small things like that matter (to some people) Again, it's not that big of a deal, I would wear French cuffs once in a while, but not everyday. You will get different opinions on this subject as it is a matter of personal preference. So assess these comments accordingly.

And monkeypoker, What does wearing cufflinks have to do with "acting normal"?

 

I do not consider french cuff shirts to be "flashy". I consider a bright neon green shirt, orange tie, and baby blue suit to be flashy (obviously exaggerating here).

I cannot imagine any superiors getting worked up because analyst #32 enjoys french cuffed shirts.

If you prefer french cuffs then wear them. I have never been discriminated against for wearing Ferragamos or a Breitling, I can hardly imagine losing out on opportunities because I prefer french to barrel cuffs.

  • I would like to add a disclaimer however, I do realize I am from a completely different part of the country than most of you. Maybe things like this aren't such a big deal in Cali.
 

Seriously guys, it's not that big of a deal. I wore them everyday during the summer. People commented on my cuffs halfway through the internship but it was only from the analyst/associates who like to joke around. It doesn't really stand out that much. Just be smart and try not to be overly-flashy.

Here's another way to look at it, if you're working somewhere where people actually give you shit about your cuffs, then you'll know it's not the place to be.

 

I'm an analyst and wear nothing but double cuffs. It's in the confidence level. I'd predict those that care about the minutia of their cuffs are also risk adverse and will play things safe. If you want to rise to the top you gotta have confidence and it's in the way you carry yourself, make a statement and work.

If you can do a great job, then who cares what you wear if you are sitting at a desk minding your own business? No one does. The guys who say otherwise just don't have the balls to let their work speak for itself and feel a need to play office politics to get up the ladder.

P.s Avoid the Bling. Classic, clean line cuff links are a must have.

 

This is pathetic!

Sure braces are too much, white collar blue shirt too much, bling ass watches and cuff-links are over the top but frickin' knotted cuff-links with double cuffs! no.

especially as it is hard to find nice shirts let alone good shirts without double cuff.

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 

Do it.

I wear whatever I want to work...although noting outrageous.

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
 

In London not having double cuffs is seen as a bit trashy. One should always wear double cuffs, no pocket shirt. No turn ups on trousers, and black shoes only. Preferably lace up although because of our continental cousins loafers are now 'ok'.

A suit should fit properly and your shirts can be blue (sky, not any dark shades), pink or white. Your ties should be an understated Hermes, Ferragamo, Dunhill etc. You should have hair that is generally the same length all over...

What else do you wanna know?

From the ghetto....
 

Just try and fit in with the other analysts. It's not a fashion show. After your first day, it may be a few weeks before you even have the chance to get into a clothing store, but as soon as you do, go and buy stuff that makes you look just like all the rest of the analysts. Seriously. Better yet, find out before hand.

 
aspiringmonkeyisanidiot:
Just try and fit in with the other analysts. It's not a fashion show. After your first day, it may be a few weeks before you even have the chance to get into a clothing store, but as soon as you do, go and buy stuff that makes you look just like all the rest of the analysts. Seriously. Better yet, find out before hand.

Why should you dress like the other analysts? If they look like shit, would you dress down as well? I'd rather be the one looking smart. I'm sure my MD appreciates that I always dress well at work. My advice: have your own style, dress smart but do it CONSERVATIVELY. Certainly your performance at work is what ultimately counts, but you should definitely not be a copy-cat of others.

 

stick with a barrell cuff for the first few weeks. If you feel that it would be acceptable, break out the french cuffs. Be sure to not wear a white collar/white cuffed shirt and stay away from gold cuff links.

 

from my experience at work... white shirt with cuff links or something like that is never ever an issue... u pull out the white cuffs and white collar and blue shirt with serious cufflinks, ur going to get a some shit from the higher ups and prob some shit from ur other analyst buddies, all in good fun, but yeah don't really come in there to stick out, def not a fashion show

 

This forum is so US focused... Perhaps it's the norm in the US to wear normal cuffs but here in Europe french cuffs are somewhat the standard. Just remember that you should dress representatively.

Some guidelines:

Shirt: white, light-blue or light-pink shirt.

Tie: conservative colour tie (only for your first day and at client meetings, at work you will normally not wear a tie unless you are at Lehman's). FYI-senior bankers all wear Ferragamo/Hermes and the like, but you as an analyst should not! Moreover, remember the saying: "never trust a guy whose tie is brighter than his shirt's"

Suit: navy, charcoal or grey suit with double split (single split looks cheap). Definitely not black (=waiter!), brown, yellow or other strange colours.

Cuffs: metal (silver-coloured) or silk knots. Not too big and not too fancy

Shoes: Black, well-polished, no rubber soles. Save brown shoes for Fridays.

 

No one cars what you wear when you're working til 3am. Wear a purple shirt with gold cuffs if you like. As long as you're doing the work it doesn't matter. If you're not producing good work, you can wear navy blue suit and tie and white shirt and people will still think you're a douche

 

Avoid expensive ties (not because ppl might not like it, i used to wear hermes ties 30% of the time)
You will worry too much no to stain it and won't focus on your job. get charcoal/dark red ties (zegna and RL BL are nice) avoid blue ties unless they are very nice and maybe a yellow or orange hermes tie for special ocasions. black/brown oxford shoes + belt

shirts, get lots of them: light blue FTW (and white)

avoid stripes in shirts and suits .... so you can use stripe ties..

 

if you're working in the United States, I'd never ever wear French cuffs to work.

If you're on a date or doing some sort of night life that requires formal dress, go for the french cuffs.

The boldest I'd ever get is brown shoes with a gray or navy suit.

And there's nothing wrong with a center vent if you're in the US.

 

You can wear french cuffs in barrel style, with cuff links like the ones below (see link). I do this most of the time because its difficult to find good cheap shirts with a cutaway collar that have a barrel cuff. BTW to agree with rembrandt you can dress conservatively in nice clothing and look very good. Conservative dress doesn't mean looking like you just walked out of sears and are going to work a dunder mifflin

https://www.kentwang.com/cuff-links/mop-japanese-round.html

 

You'll get varying opinions because a large amount of what is acceptable vs. not acceptable is driven by personal preferences, biases and group culture. The prevailing rule for french cuff shirts is only where them if you are wearing a suit. This board also tends to think they are more appropriate for more senior roles. Now with that said, rules and norms are meant to be broken at times.

For instance, I wore french cuff shirts on occasion as SA without a suit and came away with a full-time offer. Never wore cuff links, only knots. One benefit is the dry cleaners can't break your buttons on the barrel collar which can be a pain in the ass to deal with. With that said, my group was more fashion forward and a little on the younger side so it was ok. It all comes down to assessing your groups culture and what is acceptable. And if you are going to wear them as a more junior person, make sure you own them and wear them well.

 
white collar:
You'll get varying opinions because a large amount of what is acceptable vs. not acceptable is driven by personal preferences, biases and group culture. The prevailing rule for french cuff shirts is only where them if you are wearing a suit. This board also tends to think they are more appropriate for more senior roles. Now with that said, rules and norms are meant to be broken at times.

For instance, I wore french cuff shirts on occasion as SA without a suit and came away with a full-time offer. Never wore cuff links, only knots. One benefit is the dry cleaners can't break your buttons on the barrel collar which can be a pain in the ass to deal with. With that said, my group was more fashion forward and a little on the younger side so it was ok. It all comes down to assessing your groups culture and what is acceptable. And if you are going to wear them as a more junior person, make sure you own them and wear them well.

Would love to hear more about your group. A slightly fashion forward group culture is more to my preference.

 

Until you reach the VP/ MD level...

-Tailored Navy/charcoal Suit -Allen Edmonds black lace up shoes -Taliored spread collar shirt -VV/Hermes tie -Black Belt

(No tie bars, handkerchiefs, French cuffs, Suspenders)

 
Connor:
Until you reach the VP/ MD level...

-Tailored Navy/charcoal Suit -Allen Edmonds black lace up shoes -Taliored spread collar shirt -VV/Hermes tie -Black Belt

(No tie bars, handkerchiefs, French cuffs, Suspenders)

Such a weird business, we are led to believe that dressing as to not attract attention is the way to go- yet a $300 tie is a must.

 

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. You can get away with a lot more than this board thinks you can. When it comes to style and the clothes you wear, its about your clothes fitting your personality and you owning your clothes. You don't have to wear black shoes and belts all the time just like you can pretty much wear any tie you want.

And in my opinion, to generalize, the analyst with an hermes tie is going to get more negative attention than the analyst wearing silk knots and french cuffs.

 

Honestly, I've seen Analysts do all sorts of shit in my old group. The only Analysts I know who wore French cuffs though were the Brits, those guys used to get away with wearing ridiculous colored socks too. I think people just thought it was a cultural thing and let them get on with it.

 

I wouldn't say i'm an expert by any means but hermes and Ferragamo ties are fairly easy to spot if you know ties. Most people in finance can pretty quickly distinguish between an expensive tie and a cheap tie. however, that is not to say you have to buy one or the other. I've gotten as many compliments on $10-$20 as I have on more expensive ones. Again, its the person wearing the tie and how you wear it that matters.

 
white collar:
I've gotten as many compliments on $10-$20 as I have on more expensive ones. Again, its the person wearing the tie and how you wear it that matters.
LOL YES! Some people can't tell the difference and getting a compliment on a tie purchased at a street stand is hilarious.
Connor:
-Tailored Navy/charcoal Suit -Allen Edmonds black lace up shoes -Taliored spread collar shirt -VV/Hermes tie -Black Belt
Since pants aren't covered here, go with these when in doubt: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/4378950193_d458bb0b6b.jpg
Get busy living
 
Best Response

I agree with everyone above. I never wore cufflinks as a junior then I started doing business in Europe, primarily London, and everyone wears them there so I ended up wearing them and liking them (interestingly I had to buy all new shirts anyway because American dress shirts tend to have a pocket, which is a faux pas there). Now years later I still have french cuffs but I have normal buttons as well. Cufflinks work in NYC (or Boston, Philly, DC, LA maybe Chicago but I don't go very often) when you're meeting with banker types or execs but when you go to smaller cities or the burbs/rural, or even in NYC if you're meeting with tech folks, they just look too flashy.

Wouldn't do it for an interview unless you're going for a high level position. If you get the job see what others do and just be a sheep and follow the flock for a while, wear them once or twice and see if you get any odd glances. It's silly but for some reason people see links on jr. guys and think it's inappropriate.

 

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