Your Advice GREATLY Appreciated - Dropping $5,000 on a Wardrobe for a New Job

[barracudapartne]

Hi guys,
I am planning on spending around $5,000 to build a new wardrobe for my new job. I just graduated from my MBA at Chicago Booth and will be joining Bain in Chicago.

Before investing this substantial amount of money, I would like to seek your opinions on what to remove, add, or modify for my wardrobe.

Please note, my job will require me to fly out of town 4 days a week, and fly back to the home office on Fridays.

I’ve posted several ad-hoc threads, and thought I would put everything into ONE thread instead for organization. Also, please note that I would prefer to buy from a department store or some kind of national store because I will need these relatively soon.

BODY PROFILE:
Age: 28
Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 177lbs (but planning on losing 2 lbs/wk) untill I hit 160 lbs
Neck: 15.5”
Chest: 43”
Around Belly Button: 40” (planning on decreasing)
Around Waist: 37” (planning on decreasing)

SUIT:
(Qty=1) Deep Navy Blue, 2 button, solid (no patterned fabric suit)
- I’m thinking BB Fitz
(Qty=1) Solid Charcoal Gray Suit, 2 button, solid (no patterned fabric suit)
- I’m thinking BB Fitz, again
(Qty=1) Some kind of pin-stripe suit? If so, what color? Or should I get a black-suit? **I NEED HELP HERE**

BLAZER:
(Qty=1) Navy Blue Blazer
· I’m thinking BB again. But I don’t see a “Fitz” jacket. **WHAT DO I WANT HERE**?
**DO I NEED ANOTHER BLAZER? WHAT COLOR?

SHOES
(QTY-1) BB Park Avenue – Black Calf
(QTY-1) BB Fifth Avenue – Brown Burnished
**HOW MANY LOAFERS DO I NEED, WHAT COLORS, AND WHAT STYLES**?

PANTS
(QTY-1) BB Regent in Navy
(QTY-1) BB Regent in Charcoal
(QTY-1) BB Regent in Medium Gray
**DO I NEED MORE, OR DIFFERENT COLORS**?

SHIRT
I’m sticking to whites and blues only for now until I see what it’s like. Going to order custom from propercloth.com because they have a fast delivery and I need these fairly quick.
Would also like to have good RTW options, and would prefer department stores – so please let me know brands.
Typically, when I wear 16” slim, my actual chest is too large and slightly pulls, and it snugs on my waist too much. And 16” classics are way too billowy in the waist and I don’t like that look. That’s why I’m going with custom for now unless you know of good brands for my body shape.
**I’M THINKING 15 SHIRTS; 5 FOR THE WORK WEEK; THEN TAKE THOSE IN OVER THE WEEKEND FOR LAUNDERING, THEN TAKING THE OTHER 5 WITH ME**

SPORT COAT
- I think I should own ONE, right? What color, from where?, What would be good pants and shoes with it?

SOCKS
What colors? What brands? And Type? How many?

UNDERWEAR
I love my under armour boxer briefs

UNDERSHIRT
I’M THINKING A white underarmour crew or v-neck. Which one would be better to wear under dress shirts?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Liquidus]

You need to mention what kind of dress your work requires. Spending $5,000 right away on an entire wardrobe is going to result in a lot of mistakes.

 

[js4design]

One Tom Ford suit. You'll have to go barefoot though.

 

[js4design]

Seriously though, just get 2 passable suits etc until you get where you want to be weight-wise. Drop 20 lbs and your expensive new clothes will look like ****.

 

[barracudapartne]

You need to mention what kind of dress your work requires. Spending $5,000 right away on an entire wardrobe is going to result in a lot of mistakes.

My understanding is that I'll need to wear a suit when we make presentations to clients. A few times during a 4-6 week project.

Otherwise, I will not be needing a suit, and will be adopting the dress code of what the client wears - which is most likely business casual, but COULD be a little more formal if I work with clients in the financial industry. And I will be working across a variety of industries and have no visibility into it for the next 2 years.

 

[barracudapartne]

Seriously though, just get 2 passable suits etc until you get where you want to be weight-wise. Drop 20 lbs and your expensive new clothes will look like ****.

Most of my weight drop will just reduce my abs and waist. Will my suit jacket by un-tailorable and still look poorly if my chest size remains relatively constant?

 

[Liquidus]



My understanding is that I'll need to wear a suit when we make presentations to clients. A few times during a 4-6 week project.

Otherwise, I will not be needing a suit, and will be adopting the dress code of what the client wears - which is most likely business casual, but COULD be a little more formal if I work with clients in the financial industry. And I will be working across a variety of industries and have no visibility into it for the next 2 years.

In that case you'll only need 1-2 suits and more sport coats and pants. If you're going to order everything from one store, BB is a good choice. I would get some BB shirts to start with instead of making a large MTM order that's going to end up wrong.

 

[Nicola]



Most of my weight drop will just reduce my abs and waist.

You know this how?

Short of surgery your body will drop weight where it wants to not where you want it to.

 

[barracudapartne]

In that case you'll only need 1-2 suits and more sport coats and pants.

Gotcha - I will scratch the 3rd suit then.

Do you think I will need black - or can I get away with deep navy and charcoal gray only? There may be instances where I could be in a board-room or with the CxO of a Fortune 500.

For sport coats - how many would you suggest?
Would I just want blazers, or patterned sport coats?

 

[barracudapartne]

You know this how?
Short of surgery your body will drop weight where it wants to not where you want it to.

I know this because I've been a yo-yo dieter and was at that weight not too long before. My chest stayed the same circumfrance, and looked a bit less man-boob-ish.

 

[barracudapartne]

In that case you'll only need 1-2 suits and more sport coats and pants. If you're going to order everything from one store, BB is a good choice. I would get some BB shirts to start with instead of making a large MTM order that's going to end up wrong.

I tried both of the BB shirt cuts

The slim fit was much too slim for me.

and the classic fit pillowed on my back. I think my back is too broad for my given neck size in a classic BB cut shirt.

 

[Nicola]

[quote name="barracudapartne" url="/t/307280/your-advice-greatly-appreciated-dropping-5-000-on-a-wardrobe-for-a-new-job#post_5582222" . My chest stayed the same circumfrance, and looked a bit less man-boob-ish.
[/quote]

How did the measurement stay constant and the boobs disappear?

If you've been yoyo dieting it's likely you lost muscle. Yoyo dieting is horrible for this.

 

[barracudapartne]

Because I dieted and lifted weight everyday.

So I just modified the look of my chest from a little fattier to more lean. The man-boobs turned more into pecs.

 

[NORE]

Get one navy suit, one pair of black shoes and one pair of medium gray pants. Wear these initially until you figure out what else to get.

 

[wigglr]

You're wasting your money if your body will change.