Pre-Interview Dinner Dilemma

I have an upcoming pre-interview dinner with a big accounting firm...and I am torn between what to wear. The invite says business casual, but a bunch of other students that are going will be wearing suits or most likely suits sans tie (blasphemy, I know!!!). I brought a bunch of clothes to university expecting a business casual dinner, so I don't have any blazers or odd sport coats which I would think to be perfect for the situation.

Here is what I have:

1x Charcoal Suit
2x Blue OCBDs (One light blue, one light-medium)
1x White Spread Collar Shirt
Bunch of ties
Bunch of pocket squares
1x Black Full Brogue
1x Black Cap Toe Oxford
1x Black PTB
Various business casual appropriate trousers

Just given what the other students are wearing, I was thinking...

Charcoal suit WITH a tie, fairly conservative pocket square, black full brogue, light blue OCBD

My main issue is the whole sans tie thing...I hate the look, but I am not sure if donning a tie is too formal, and would be inappropriate. If only everyone stuck to slacks and a button down, life would be easy!

Advice is much appreciated.

I will skip the tie, wear a dress shirt and suit, no tie. Make sure they are in good fit.

Next time bring a couple of blazer to college, they are often very useful and can be used with causal clothes.

Wear a ******* tie.



harvey_birdman said:

Wear a ******* tie.

Click to expand...

+1

Wear a tie. Don't get drunk. Good luck.

Wear the tie, skip the square - you can ditch the tie if everyone else is more casual.

Or you can go really sacrilegious and wear the jacket with different pants (depending on the jacket)

How can 'business causal' entails a tie? If they want suit and tie shouldn't they say business dress code?

Yeah they always say it, but then people go ahead and wear suits "to be safe". Now I feel as if I'm at a disadvantage in just slacks and an OCBD (which was my initial reaction).

Thanks for your help everyone, I will probably just wear a tie and if I have to, take it off.

Business casual to me = suit with no tie.

Good luck. Ditch the tie if you see others not rocking it.

Wear a tie

go with the suit and tie. as mentioned above, ditch the tie if the other interviewees and interviewers aren't. skip the square. good luck.

I'd wear the charcoal suit with a medium blue shirt and a tie. You won't be the only person there who's wearing a suit and a tie. Why not make a good impression? You may get the chance to chat with a few young ladies. In that situation, a suit and tie certainly won't hurt...assuming that it fits well.

It hurts more to be under-dressed in this situation. Before you enter the dinner take a peek at everyone else's wardrobe. Keep the tie if you think its appropriate, lose it if it makes you look overdressed.

The point of this is to make an impression, and its accounting firms we are talking about - they won't care as much about your attire as they do your grades, progress and acumen.

Good Luck!

There is no question or dilemma here, the invitation says business casual and wearing a suit, a tie all demonstrates that you cannot read, cannot take instruction, cannot understand the simplest of instruction and follow. You have failed, thank you for coming.

Forget what SF people might prefer, you are being interviewed in a profession where taking clients instructions and attention to detail is important. Just follow what is asked of you and try not to be a smart ass or else try to tell your hosts that they were wrong. Decent pair of trousers and an OBD meets what is asked of you.

Could someone please define Business Casual, then? I thought the blue shirt would have made it Business Casual even with a tie.