Loafers as a 1st year analyst (UK)
I was wondering if it's ok to wear loafers as a 1st year analyst in the UK. I'm not talking about Gucci loafers, but regular black penny/horsebit loafers. My price Max is around 300 GBP
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Of course, why wouldn’t it be OK?
As an intern in Germany, I always wore black oxfords. And almost other analysts there did so to.
But I assume, I should always wear my loafers with socks.
I think that speaks for itself
Black oxfords will always be the safe option. Ideally, start with that and figure out what others at your company wear. You should be able to infer what range you can play with after a couple weeks tops.
^this. sound advice. always start safe, then acclimatise.
Oxfords are always the safe choice. I disagree about committing to black exclusively. When wearing noticeably navy pants or suit a dark brown or oxblood is more appropriate if you can afford a few pairs.
I apologize for not knowing your level, as every sub-industry and firm has its own title structure in US AM. I recently went from a "Manager" to "Sr. Analyst" after an acquisition, which is a higher level title at the new firm than my old one would have been, while the situation was reversed at my old. I presume you are an entry level employee.
If I am correct, $400 (About 300GBP) shoes are overkill. You will basically live in those shoes. Get decent ones that are comfortable, and don't cost a noticeable chunk of your take-home. Everyday work shoes are guaranteed to get skuffed and beat up. Do you want to buy another pair of those expensive shoes in six months? Personally, I've talked to the head of investments for a trillion dollar AM fir in glorified sneakers. (Cole Haan Zero Grands) I wouldn't have felt comfortable doing so in the most expensive and conservative loafers.
Can tell you're from the US, there is this informal rule of 'no brown in town' in London. One of my MDs told me that when he was ana/associate his MD kicked out a candidate from a superday for wearing brown shoes...
I'm not talking medium brown, that would be a fashion faux-pas with anything but a light grey suit, which is itself a fashion faux-pas in finance. I'm talking a very dark brown like this color: https://www.allenedmonds.com/shoes/mens-shoes/oxfords-derbys/park-avenu… Black shoes with a navy suit just make the suit look blue-er, which is bad. A dark brown keeps it formal without emphasizing that your suit isn't black. (I picked that pair because it's easy to see the color, not because of how the shoe looks, btw)
EDIT: The Global Head of Product in my department (Including $30B in AUM in Europe) made positive unsolicited comments about my dark brown Oxfords/Sneakers this week. If they're good enough for him, then the only way that you can tell me no, is to have a counterpoint from the head of a major IB.
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Almost everyone in my team (US BB in LDN) wears loafers
I find it strange that people still care about this stuff but am not overly surprised at the OCD neuroticism found on this forum. No one is going to care about how you dress if they like you and you’re good at your job. Little details like the color or type of shoe won’t affect your bonus at the end of the year. Just avoid anything too ostentatious. The goal is not to stand out, but fit in. With that being said, I wore loafers as a summer intern.
I would invest in a nice pair of black oxfords over loafers if you don't have a nice pair already. Loafers with a suit are a bit of a mismatch if it's a traditional matched suit vs sport coat + separate trousers.
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