What color dress shirt can you wear with a suit?

With a dark suit, are you pretty much forbidden from wearing anything but a white/blue dress shirt underneath? I like the look of a dark gray suit + black shirt with a gray or black tie, but I've heard this is a huge no, especially for people new to the industry.

Are different colored shirts something you have to work your way for? Would a new hire be silly to wear anything but a white or blue undershirt?

41 Comments
 

troll somewhere else, or at least with more wit

"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
 

To answer your question: yes, stick with plain blue/white and conservative patterns featuring both.

Your black shirt doesn't look as good as you think it does, trust me. No matter how senior you are.

 

Cant tell if troll or serious....

If serious, I have three shirt colors: white, blue, and cream, with the blue and cream barely distinguishable from white without you comparing it to a white shirt.

 
Best Response
comeonmacWith a dark suit, are you pretty much forbidden from wearing anything but a white/blue dress shirt underneath? I like the look of a dark gray suit + black shirt with a gray or black tie, but I've heard this is a huge no, especially for people new to the industry.

Are different colored shirts something you have to work your way for? Would a new hire be silly to wear anything but a white or blue undershirt?

This will change your life:

When your tie is lighter than your shirt YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.

 

I've seen people pull off light pink and lilac dress shirts pretty well, but if you're a new hire, you should just stick to the basic white and light blue.

 

The only people who wear "dark" shirts to work (red, orange, dark blue, black, etc.) are the people who work for T-Mobile in those little booths in malls.

Blue horseshoe loves Anacott Steel
 
Jamess1

The only people who wear "dark" shirts to work (red, orange, dark blue, black, etc.) are the people who work for T-Mobile in those little booths in malls.

Absolutely could not have said this any better. No self respecting man wears anything but a white or blue dress shirt. When I see matching colored shirts and ties, I think small town church or complete douchebag. If you question the validity of this advice, flip through a Brooks Brothers catalog some time. There's a reason they've been around since 1818.

 
comeonmachttp://www.seejackshop.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/black-suit.png

come on, tell me this isn't bad ass

That just looks awful to me. Especially black and blue. No one should combine black and navy blue. I have seen people pull off the "badass" look with dark dress shirts in a suit, but definitely in a no tie enviroment. Never in finance should that be emulated.

I'm fine with "edgy" dress shirts but do gingham or checks, not dark colors.

Blue horseshoe loves Anacott Steel
 

I find that everyday attire differs from interview attire, since you obviously want to send a certain message when interviewing for a job

what combo would you wear with a charcoal suit for an interview

 

Why are french cuffs frowned upon so much? Do they give off a pompous vibe? I find them to look very sharp and I enjoy wearing them. Obviously from what I have read and heard I would not wear one to an interview, but I would like too . . .

 

I don't think they give off a pompous vibe as long as the outfit is still conservative, especially the links. Nothing in bright colors, goofy patterns, dollar signs, etc. and you should be okay. As long as it's in good taste and makes you look conservative and professional, I'd say go with it

 
Niblita75

Good one . . . I hate clubs anyways, not much of a dancer or a guido. So being an internet tough guy is cool?

Ha! Love French cuffs with BB engine turn cuff links.

Only blue or white shirts. Colored shirts are tacky and make you look like maybe you should work at a Verizon store. Shades of blue, black, or grey for suits. Brown, green, and other earth-toned suits are like colored shirts: uncool. Of course, there are 2 exceptions to these rules. Everyone needs one white linen suit with a dangly tie like Colonel Sanders or Mark Twain, and everyone needs a seersucker suit (blue and white) with a pair of spectators or white bucks, a bowtie, suspenders, and a straw boater hat for the day of the race. In Kentucky, that's the Kentucky Derby. In Tennessee, it's the Steeplechase (which I had to miss this year for a stupid college graduation!).

 
goblanWearing a shirt with a collar cut that wide to an SA interview is just as bad as wearing a shirt with a contrast collar. Be normal and wear a plain white shirt.
There's nothing wrong with wearing a spread collar if it's a conservative color, you aren't 300 pounds.
 
goblanWearing a shirt with a collar cut that wide to an SA interview is just as bad as wearing a shirt with a contrast collar. Be normal and wear a plain white shirt.
Nothing wrong with a spread collar. In fact, point collars look horrible on certain people, namely tall skinny people with slender faces because all the point collar does is elongate the person's neck and face.

To the OP, stick to white and light blue. That shirt looks like a good tint of blue. Not sure I like the puppytooth pattern going on, though. If you can find a solid patterned shirt, I think that would be better, but I don't think your interviewers will really count it against you if you go with this shirt.

 

Non facere qui ullam porro consequatur quia. Sed aut suscipit commodi illo sed animi. Voluptatem eum temporibus voluptatem autem velit. Vel necessitatibus inventore nemo quod repudiandae aut placeat.

Ipsam sit fugiat explicabo incidunt aperiam magni. Reprehenderit alias ipsam aut rerum voluptas ut et quasi. Libero ea fugiat minus vel. Non eligendi sit fugit ipsum.

Corporis quod est quia quia sed. Architecto architecto nemo dolorum consequatur. Cupiditate fuga accusamus dolores et quidem.

 

Cupiditate atque sequi accusantium aut eaque quae. Omnis eos laborum et cum distinctio quibusdam architecto. Non alias soluta possimus sit. Distinctio tempora aperiam sit sunt officiis.

Exercitationem nobis et ea sunt unde ad laudantium ut. Consequatur aut veritatis neque sapiente repudiandae eum temporibus. Alias iure asperiores odit perferendis. Quas ratione et laudantium vel accusamus necessitatibus facere.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”