Bespoke suits out of college

[whnay.]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

For you people that work in casual environments, do you really think anyone would care if you wore dress pants and a sportsjacket instead of khakis? I just don't see the big deal. I think that in a lot of cases it's all in your heads. As long as you do your job well, I can't see how anyone would complain that you dress a bit better than everyone else. At first you might get a couple of comments asking why you're dressed up but my experience has been that people soon get used it and stop concerning themselves with it.
This is exactly the way I feel, if your talents cannot stand on there own you've got far worse problems than dressing well. And if your working at a place of business that holds dressing well against you, maybe its time for a job change...

I've been given the nickname "fancy" at work from various people at my firm. I've used it to my advantage...nice way to break the ice with people.

 

[johnapril]

Screw it. At this point in your career you should only go for a bespoke leather jacket. Need help?

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on 75006 Paris

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[auto90403]

Originally Posted by edmorel

I've yet to visit a hedge fund where they weren't running around in fleece vests and pleated khaki's. Private equity is a different story if you are going to work at a place like KKR or Blackstone, where the dress is more formal. But then, if you are making 75k and you walk in with a 5k suit and 1k shoes, the powers that be might think to themselves that you would do anything, including stealing from them, to maintain your lifestyle

On a side note, there seems to be a lot of people in the equity business on this forum. Maybe we should start our own PE shop. We'll have a strict dress code (your daily outfit must retail for greater than 5k) and we'll raise money for a buyout fund that will specialize in high-end manufacturers and retailers. Once we have the funds, we'll buyout Bergdorfs men's business, buyout Kiton and Brioni, throw in a couple of the bespoke British and Neopolitan clothing and shoe makers and then a couple of cashmere and wool mills for good measure. We'll have pick of the litter for all of our clothing needs! How will we make money for our investors?? When you look as good as we will, who cares

Every last one of my business school classmates who went into smaller Wall Street shops "overdressed" during interviews and later, once they started working. To a man, they said it was important to send the appropriate signals to the powers that be in their firms. This was before seemingly all of Wall Street succumbed to dress casual, when working buttonholes on suit jackets was something people noticed.

Upon further reflection, I'd like to amend my original advice to Nelly.

At the start of my second year in business school, a prominent Hollywood costume designer came to campus to advise students about clothes. Or rather, about how we needed our clothes to send the right message. We would tell him what kind of jobs we were seeking. Based on that, combined with how we looked in the clothes we were wearing to interviews for those jobs, he'd tell us if we looked capable of playing the part.

It was one of the most useful experiences of my two years at business school. Big guys who too easily came across as intimidating were advised to stay away from power looks (unless the guy wanted to look imposing). Men who needed help looking more self-confident or take-charge were told what clothes helped or detracted.

His take was how to dress a character so the audience could instantly "read" him the first time he appeared on stage/screen.

In that spirit, I'd ask Nelly if he thinks he can pull off wearing MTM Kiton. Or do the clothes end up wearing him?

The last thing he needs is to look like a faker or phony because his clothes overwhelm the rest of his presentation of self.

Nelly might be better off investing in good shoes, good ties and MTM shirts.

 

[Joffrey]

Originally Posted by edmorel

I've yet to visit a hedge fund where they weren't running around in fleece vests and pleated khaki's. Private equity is a different story if you are going to work at a place like KKR or Blackstone, where the dress is more formal. But then, if you are making 75k and you walk in with a 5k suit and 1k shoes, the powers that be might think to themselves that you would do anything, including stealing from them, to maintain your lifestyle

On a side note, there seems to be a lot of people in the equity business on this forum. Maybe we should start our own PE shop. We'll have a strict dress code (your daily outfit must retail for greater than 5k) and we'll raise money for a buyout fund that will specialize in high-end manufacturers and retailers. Once we have the funds, we'll buyout Bergdorfs men's business, buyout Kiton and Brioni, throw in a couple of the bespoke British and Neopolitan clothing and shoe makers and then a couple of cashmere and wool mills for good measure. We'll have pick of the litter for all of our clothing needs! How will we make money for our investors?? When you look as good as we will, who cares

Wait you're saying someone with great style but cheap clothes won't be allowed membership? And someone with lame style but expensive clothing would be welcomed with open arms? That leaves me out in the cold...

 

[grimslade]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

... From what I know of him though, I don't think he'd give a **** if someone under him chose to wear more expensive suits than he did, as long as they got the job done. ..

I think it depends a lot on the office and the boss, but the phrase "going around with a target on his back" is probably more right than wrong. If someone at the bottom of the totem pole looks like a dandy, two things are possible: He does great work, acquires the admiration and respect of those around him, and people think he's a classy guy, too. But if he slips up, even a little bit, even in ways that might pass unnoticed from a more-anonymous-looking, BB-wearing associate, he risks being tagged as the guy who ought to spend less time thinking about clothing (or posting on SF!) and more time working. It's a double-edged sword, but the risk is real.

EDIT: I think the advice on good custom shirts is probably pretty good. I suppose that whether they're custom depends in part on the fit you get from RTW, but if you're a "spreadsheet jockey," you're going to be wearing dress shirts day-in and -out for a couple of years. Having distinctive ones that fit well will lend a real air of class and put-togetherness, but it's not going to turn anyone off. It's one of those things that will make you look better, even if most people can't quite figure out why they think that.

 

[gdl203]

Originally Posted by grimslade

I think it depends a lot on the office and the boss, but the phrase "going around with a target on his back" is probably more right than wrong. If someone at the bottom of the totem pole looks like a dandy, two things are possible: He does great work, acquires the admiration and respect of those around him, and people think he's a classy guy, too. But if he slips up, even a little bit, even in ways that might pass unnoticed from a more-anonymous-looking, BB-wearing associate, he risks being tagged as the guy who ought to spend less time thinking about clothing (or posting on SF!) and more time working. It's a double-edged sword, but the risk is real.

EDIT: I think the advice on good custom shirts is probably pretty good. I suppose that whether they're custom depends in part on the fit you get from RTW, but if you're a "spreadsheet jockey," you're going to be wearing dress shirts day-in and -out for a couple of years. Having distinctive ones that fit well will lend a real air of class and put-togetherness, but it's not going to turn anyone off. It's one of those things that will make you look better, even if most people can't quite figure out why they think that.

I would agree with that. Thinking that people are judged solely on their work performance are a bit utopist IMO. Also, the IB analyst job is extraordinarily competitive so "doing a great job" is much harder than in other jobs : there is a whole class of 100+ other first-year analysts who started all at the same time and all want to prove they should be ranked (and paid) in the top 10%. Humility is perceived as a core value for an IB analyst - dressing like a dandy would go a little against what everyone expects of you

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by Jodum5

Wait you're saying someone with great style but cheap clothes won't be allowed membership? And someone with lame style but expensive clothing would be welcomed with open arms? That leaves me out in the cold...
Which part?