I-bank tie knot standard?

[sellahi22]



There's a difference between what you can do once you're hired and how you should present yourself while looking to get hired. Once you've landed the job, they don't really give a **** as long as you're doing your work. I have seen an analyst get **** for wearing a monogrammed shirt, I've heard MDs talk about this one analyst that keeps his jacket on during work, I've seen a VP bust his favorite associate's balls for wearing cufflinks... they might not care, but they notice these things.
In the hiring process? This is an extreme situation, but I've seen the deciding factor between two well qualified candidates for the last position come down to the fact that one of them wore striped socks.

Conspicuous monograms, cutaway collars, and big knots are just tacky and undermine your image in almost any situation. Taking your jacket off is just a matter of observing protocol. I don't know why you keep mentioning cufflinks. The majority of shirts you see in NYC finance have french cuffs. Maybe it's different in flyover country. Your striped socks point is also confusing, unless they were extremely flamboyant.

 

[Quadcammer]



Conspicuous monograms, cutaway collars, and big knots are just tacky and undermine your image in almost any situation. Taking your jacket off is just a matter of observing protocol. I don't know why you keep mentioning cufflinks. The majority of shirts you see in NYC finance have french cuffs. Maybe it's different in flyover country. Your striped socks point is also confusing, unless they were extremely flamboyant.

cutaway collars are not tacky

 

[malat]



There's a difference between what you can do once you're hired and how you should present yourself while looking to get hired. Once you've landed the job, they don't really give a **** as long as you're doing your work. I have seen an analyst get **** for wearing a monogrammed shirt, I've heard MDs talk about this one analyst that keeps his jacket on during work, I've seen a VP bust his favorite associate's balls for wearing cufflinks... they might not care, but they notice these things.
In the hiring process? This is an extreme situation, but I've seen the deciding factor between two well qualified candidates for the last position come down to the fact that one of them wore striped socks.

Worst advice ever. As someone who is working in finance: office politics is HUGE. senior bankers care very much about what you're wearing. if you're interviewing with associates and other junior bankers they won't care or notice, but senior bankers do.
No cufflinks, no cutaway collars, no fat ari-gold tie knots.
Shine your shoes. light shirt, dark tie, dark suit.
that being said: your clothes won't land you the internship (i'm assuming because of the timeframe) but they can sure as hell keep you from it.

I have worked in finance for an American bank in both Japan (the height of conservative uniformity) and the US, and your advice is borderline absurd. Nary a single time in my career have I or any of my [senior] colleagues discussed, reviewed, dinged, or commented on a prospective hire because of his interview dress. The truth is, in banking/finance, folks "get ****" for all kinds of silly nonsense. An analyst may get **** for wearing a monogrammed shirt or cufflinks the same way an analyst may get **** for living in the wrong neighborhood, going to undergrad at Rutgers, or asking out the waitress at Sushi Zen who could barely speak English. My advice for the OP and his interview(s) is to use common sense, don't look sloppy, and wear a suit and tie that neither looks like you just left a wedding at the imperial palace nor are you headed clubbing immediately after the interview.

 

[Quadcammer]



I have worked in finance for an American bank in both Japan (the height of conservative uniformity) and the US, and your advice is borderline absurd. Nary a single time in my career have I or any of my [senior] colleagues discussed, reviewed, dinged, or commented on a prospective hire because of his interview dress. The truth is, in banking/finance, folks "get ****" for all kinds of silly nonsense. An analyst may get **** for wearing a monogrammed shirt or cufflinks the same way an analyst may get **** for living in the wrong neighborhood, going to undergrad at Rutgers, or asking out the waitress at Sushi Zen who could barely speak English. My advice for the OP and his interview(s) is to use common sense, don't look sloppy, and wear a suit and tie that neither looks like you just left a wedding at the imperial palace nor are you headed clubbing immediately after the interview.

exactly.

I get my balls broken at least 10 to 15 times a day, and with the average vp, you can give quite a bit right back. Even a few MDs can take some light ribbing about clothes or otherwise.

 

[TheFoo]

*Groan*

 

[TimelesStyle]

I wouldn't worry too much about this. Don't go for a huge Windsor but otherwise it won't matter. I know a number of people in the industry and in my experience the more junior guys rarely even wear suits unless presenting to a client. Other than at GS I don't think I've ever seen someone below the rank of VP wearing a suit or a tie; it's typically slacks, dress shirts, sweaters. The higher ups will dress up more since they're seeing more people/not spending 14-18hrs/day hunched in a cubicle.

That being said, 99% of the time I'm a half-Windsor guy; since I'm fairly tall and am tying the tie closer to the skinnier end I need the extra bulk added by that knot vs. the 4-I-H.

 

[TheFoo]

Don't be that guy. The douchebag who desperately wants to wear the "correct" tie knot for investment banking. That's the guy we're most likely to make fun of when we're considering his candidacy.

Wear a suit. Don't wear something ridiculous (common sense is as good a barometer as anything you'll hear on Styleforum). That's all. Nobody will care about your outfit.

Also, nobody says "I-bank" except for college seniors looking for analyst positions.

 

[Swag22]

^I agree, but knowing that many people in this industry are pretty image-conscious I wanted to have it covered.

That said, I am using my one black fitted suit (not too fitted), light blue shirt, black brooks brothers tie ($50, small windsor knot) with diagonal light blue stripes, and some cap toe oxfords. I think it looks good (aside from apparently breaking a commandment with a black suit, but screw it I am poor)

 

[GBer]

Please no full windsor with an extra-wide spread collar...


http://www.tie-a-tie.net/windsor.html

 

[TheFoo]



^I agree, but knowing that many people in this industry are pretty image-conscious I wanted to have it covered.
That said, I am using my one black fitted suit (not too fitted), light blue shirt, black brooks brothers tie ($50, small windsor knot) with diagonal light blue stripes, and some cap toe oxfords. I think it looks good (aside from apparently breaking a commandment with a black suit, but screw it I am poor)

Aesthetically this is terrible. Professionally, for a poor analyst candidate, it's perfectly acceptable.

 

[riverrun]

Hey mafoo did you become a banker and I missed it? If so, congrats on the career switch, hope it's treating you well. Wish I'd had more people as interesting / weird as you at my firm when I worked in banking.

To the OP: wear tweed.

 

[JubeiSpiegel]

So, what you guys are saying is that the knot required has no baring on the collar space available?

 

[Quadcammer]



So, what you guys are saying is that the knot required has no baring on the collar space available?

well of course. A windsor on a point or button down collar looks stupid and crowded. On a spread collar or cutaway collar, I think 4ih look a bit puny.

With a tie of normal thickness,a tight windsor or well tied 4ih both look good.

 

[TheFoo]



Hey mafoo did you become a banker and I missed it? If so, congrats on the career switch, hope it's treating you well. Wish I'd had more people as interesting / weird as you at my firm when I worked in banking.
To the OP: wear tweed.

Helluva a lot better than being a lawyer!

So, what you guys are saying is that the knot required has no baring on the collar space available?

I'm saying it has no bearing on what an investment banker will think of the OP as an analyst candidate.

Of course, the correct answer from an aesthetic point of view is always four-in-hand. A well-dressed friend of mine wears huge windsor knots; I don't personally like it but I consider it his eccentric freebie.