MBA / Finance wardrobe

[why4009]

Originally Posted by tqd1

Good stuff. Thank you. I'm gonna hold off on bespoke suits until after I graduate. I'll look for some deals on stuff like Brooks Brothers, etc. and try to spend $300-500 x2 on 2 suits.

+1 I think that is the best bet. Plus, you don't want to be outdressing your superiors. And make sure the stuff you have fits right. I know a lot of people on this forum buy a shirt and then have it altered to fit right.

I think you mentioned you had only 1 pair of laceups. Get another pair so give each one a day off during interviews. I wouldn't wear loafers to any interview, ever, or networking event.

Good Luck!

 

[Don Carlos]

Originally Posted by why4009

I wouldn't wear loafers to any interview, ever, or networking event.

I wouldn't, either, but you can certainly get away with it at a bschool business-casual networking event. Almost all of your peers will be in loafers or some other form of slip-on. I would definitely support buying some lace-ups and taking it up a notch, but there's no need to break the bank in doing so. Just have 2 pairs of good oxfords and call it a day. Maybe 3 pairs if you want to go black/brown/burgundy for a solid, situationally adaptive rotation.

Also: never wear loafers to an interview. Agreed 100% there.

 

[poissa]

what are the urls to B&S and STP?

 

[tqd1]

Originally Posted by poissa

what are the urls to B&S and STP?

Would be helpful for me also. Same for all the other places mentioned. I have no clue when it comes to buying this stuff online.

 

[whiteslashasian]

Originally Posted by poissa

what are the urls to B&S and STP?
B&S (Buying and Selling forum) STP (Sierra Trading Post) STP Coupon for October: 15% off $100, 20% off $150 Valid through 11–4 Use code- ALOCTOBER9

 

[Big Bird]

To me your wardrobe looks fine for recruiting events and interviews. You might want to add a pair of black cap toe shoes. Spend some of your money to have your existing suits tweaked by your tailor, cleaned and freshly pressed.

I know there is a big difference between the US and London dress code but my tip would be to not wear a bottondown shirt or a shirt with a breast pocket with your suit.

My other tip is to invest in a second pair of trousers for each suit. (The new suits that you will buy once you're hired.) You will most likely spend 14 hours a day in your office chair and it is great to have a fresh pair to change into when you have that big pitch for senior management.

Good luck with your studies and recruiting process.

/BB

 

[mohwld]

Originally Posted by why4009

Seriously, given the economic environment and the unknown recovery time, focus on networking, the industry, and doing well in school. You don't need to be best dressed, you need to be either: the most networked guy or the smartest guy.

What is the point of looking good if you don't know anything? I guess at least for the first part "Hi, I am (insert name here)" you are still in the running.

I went to a Top 5 MBA program, so I am not trying to be salty because I am some bitter person. Plenty of poorly dressed people got jobs over their better dressed peers during business school.

Just look presentable, save the rest of your money for all the travel to NYC you need to do on your own dime to network. Unless you are going to school in NYC.

Remember fit is key, brand names only mean so much. I don't remember the post, but someone once said, people can't describe what it is about someone who has everything fitting right but it just looks right. In other words, no can (except people here) say exactly why you look so good but you do and a lot of has to do with good fitting clothes.)

One last thing, since you are starting school next year - try getting into great shape this summer, lose weight get fit develop good eating habits if you don't have them already. Get a head start on networking if you can. Or try to find an internship before school starts to give yourself an advantage.

Good luck!

Agree 100%. If you work hard and make Baker Scholar (Harvard's top 5%) or equivalent at your school, they will come knocking on YOUR door. Watch the movie "Real Genius" (early 80s, on cable all the time) to get a sense of how the smartest in the class get to set their own recruiting agenda!!

 

[tqd1]

Interesting you mention that. Isn't it very difficult to discern who is going to be ranked in the top 5-10% of their class during recruiting? From what I know (and I could be wrong), recruiting gets under way within a month of arriving on campus, and most internship offers are handed out by the Spring of your first year (before your first full year's grades are even calculated)?

I suppose that some schools have first year honors, and some firms may be able to find out who received those during second year recruiting. But, for investment banking, I was always led to believe that recruiting starts immediately, and most full-time offers are handed out through the internship class. This would make it seemingly difficult to take into consideration things like Baker Scholar (which is generally handed out around graduation time)?

 

[Don Carlos]

Originally Posted by tqd1

Interesting you mention that. Isn't it very difficult to discern who is going to be ranked in the top 5-10% of their class during recruiting? From what I know (and I could be wrong), recruiting gets under way within a month of arriving on campus, and most internship offers are handed out by the Spring of your first year (before your first full year's grades are even calculated)? I suppose that some schools have first year honors, and some firms may be able to find out who received those during second year recruiting. But, for investment banking, I was always led to believe that recruiting starts immediately, and most full-time offers are handed out through the internship class. This would make it seemingly difficult to take into consideration things like Baker Scholar (which is generally handed out around graduation time)?
This is generally correct. For summer internship recruiting in year one, especially for early-start industries like finance, recruiting begins very quickly after arrival on campus. At most schools, you haven't even had the chance to take a single semester or quarter to completion before interviews begin. Grades are thus highly speculative/theoretical. Many of the top schools don't even disclose grades. Things may change a bit in your second year for full-time recruiting. But aside from finance and consulting (and maybe the odd energy company or leadership development program), almost no companies ask for your grades. Your grades will almost certainly come up in banking and consulting recruiting, but the goal is to have locked down a full-time offer at the end of the internship you hopefully locked down in year one. So the question of grades in year two is, if you've been playing your cards right, fairly moot. For all very real intents and purposes, your grades in undergrad are more predictive of, and determinant of, your post-MBA prospects than your grades in bschool are.

 

[evil_bond]

Originally Posted by withstyle

no french cuffs.

no french cuffs? why?

 

[Don Carlos]

Originally Posted by evil_bond

no french cuffs? why?

It's a safe bet that almost nobody else is going to be wearing them, so there's a remote possibility that you might be seen, by contrast, as overly fussy or formal. That said, I think cuff type is one of those areas that's really not going to matter here. I remember wearing the occasional French cuffed shirt to job interviews or other business formal events, and nobody noticed or cared. In a perfect world, you'll want to wear button cuffs to these events. But if a French cuffed shirt is the only clean shirt available, or if it's the shirt you prefer, it's certainly not a deal breaker. Just make sure that your appearances to interviews and networking events in French cuffed shirts are the exceptions and not the rule.

And for heaven's sake, if it's a business casual event (rare in finance, but it happens), don't wear French cuffs without a jacket. Barrel cuffs sans jacket (but maybe a nice sweater) is the way to go here.

 

[makewayhomer]

Originally Posted by mohwld

Agree 100%. If you work hard and make Baker Scholar (Harvard's top 5%) or equivalent at your school, they will come knocking on YOUR door. Watch the movie "Real Genius" (early 80s, on cable all the time) to get a sense of how the smartest in the class get to set their own recruiting agenda!!
as others said, this was not my experience at all. many of the best jobs go to people who summer interned at the company after Y1, and these jobs are filled well, well before the first year is complete. also the idea that PE/VC/Hedge Funds/any other elite industries begging for your services is kind of lol, particularly in this economy. there are only a handful of these job to go around at even H/S/W

 

[markdc]

Originally Posted by Big Bird

I know there is a big difference between the US and London dress code but my tip would be to not wear a bottondown shirt or a shirt with a breast pocket with your suit.

/BB

Not a big deal in the US regarding shirts with breast pockets, in my opinion. The standard Brooks Brothers pinpoint oxford (either non-iron or not) is a staple shirt for analysts and associates and comes with a breast pocket. However, I definitely do agree regarding avoiding button-down collars. Depending on your overall build, I'd say go with a point collar or modified spread. As others have said, the basic gist is not to stand out significantly from the rest of the pack. Safe is good.

Once you land your IB job, then you can have a bit more fun, but still start off by observing the culture around you.

 

[calisanfran]

Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba

If you're in NJ the brooks at Bridgewater commons is a great one to visit for killer deals.

Really?? I lived 3 years in Bedminster (town right next to Birdgewater) and never bothered to go to the Bridgewater mall as I thought it didn't have very many good stores. Missed opportunity!!

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Its in the village at Bridgewater Commons.