BB is having a sale, 25% off anything. Is it worth getting their non-iron shirts for 75% of their normal cost. Or can I do better shopping around. I also need a bunch of slacks too.

I love the BB non-iron slim fit. Best shirts around, in my opinion.

I got 4 for OCI and loved them. Too bad I picked 4 white. You can't wear white shirts for business causal right?

Of course you can. It doesn't look quite as casual as a colored or striped shirt, but any color shirt, without a tie, and with some slacks or khakis is business casual look

I just feel like a waiter.

Well, if you don't particularly like the look, thats another story. But its not like one of those "taboo" things that people would look down on if you did wear a regular white shirt in a more business-casual style

True.

You think ten options for tops and 5 pants is enough?

This is relevant to my interests. I don't have a ton of money to throw around pre-SA and I lost about 55 pounds between OCI and now so NOTHING I own fits. I'm basically starting from scratch.

i would like to acquire some nice button-down shirts for a skinny dude (like 6'/150). suggestions? should i be going with solid colors or patterns?

I guess I need some new dress shirts also. I really like the Jos. A. Bank slim cut shirts, and they sometimes do a sale where you can get 3 for 100, which is excellent, since the shirts are really high quality. Hope that sale comes around pretty soon, since I'd like to not have to spend too much on these.

The JAB slim-cut shirts are the equivalent of the BB regular cut.

I don't know who JAB designs their shirts for, but I'm guessing land whales.

I have 3 suits and I have to wear a suit every day to work. Will 2 more be enough?

I think it just has to do with kids now wearing much thinner and tighter cuts than they used to. And thats somewhat of a recent thing. The Jos. A Bank thin cut shirts are what a thin-cut shirt would have looked like 10-20 years ago, in that the cut is supposed to just be a subtle alteration to the shirt, as opposed to a form-hugging shape.

As for suits, I also have to wear one every day, and I was told 4 is enough, so I'm sure 5 is plenty

To be honest, Its probably better to talk about what not to do

1.) If you wear a jacket, it must NOT be the same color as the pants UNLESS it is the EXACT same color AND fabric.

2.) In regards to "jackets," do not simply wear a suit jacket with different color slacks. It must be either a sport coat or a blazer.

3.) Dark jackets go with light shirts, light jackets go with dark shirts. ALWAYS.

4.) Never wear a patterned jacket unless it is part of a suit

5.) patterned tie goes with a solid shirt, a patterned shirt goes with a solid tie. ALWAYS.

6.) NEVER put patterns over patterns unless you know exactly what you are doing. Even when you do, it will still seem incorrect UNLESS the people around you are aware of which patterns can be layered.

How many jackets, roughly, should we be layering at one time?

Last Call at Neiman Marcus is doing 30% off. I just picked up a Hickey Freeman suit for $400. It extends to sports coats, slacks, everything.

Love those shirts. But if you can wait until around late June, they will have their semi annual sale with 40% off.

Go to Paul Fredrick.com, I have around 8 non-iron shirts from them. They were 30-40 a piece on clearance. They are durable, look great and even more importantly DO NOT CREASE the entire day. Try one or two you will be very pleasantly surprised.

For the days you decide to wear khakis, what kind of shoes are appropriate? The only dress shoes I have are black, and I'm guessing that's not ok. I was planning on wearing these, http://www.clarksusa.com/eng/product/slone/82469 but I'm afraid those might be too informal?

Erroneous - sport-coats are quite acceptable for biz cas.

Those are hideous. Get a dress shoe like an oxford or wingtip or something (guys will be able to advise you better on what kind).

TatteredDignity, how formal is your job? Big firm? If so, I'd think about diversifying your shoes this summer. One pair of black dress shoes won't cut it.

If I were going to help a guy build a dress shoe collection from scratch, the first ones I would recommend would be:

1) Plain black leather-soled balmoral captoes AE Park Avenue is the gold standard. Every professional man should own a pair, or something damn close. It is about as formal of a shoe there is outside of tuxwear, and is very appropriate for things like interviews.

2) Next up, I'd recommend a walnut or mid-colored brown oxford. Something slightly less formal than (1), but still fairly conservative, say like a blucher instead of a balmoral. Some simple brogueing is alright but don't overdo it; we're just lowly SAs. I'm thinking like AE Cliftons or the J&M McPherson. Maybe even a split-toe like the AE Walton in the chili color. And I know a lot of people dislike them around here, but I also think a tasteful brown square-toe can be a good choice as well. Just don't look like you're wearing flippers on your feet.

Basically, I'm talking about shoes that are appropriate for business casual settings, not "casual" settings, which is what those Clarks you posted are made for (and they're hideous for any situation). While your category (1) is your formal shoe, your (2) shoe should be your "button down and slacks shoe." Resist the urge to go with something too casual, especially if you are working in a more professionally-dressed setting. You want to tone it down from the super-formal black balmorals, but still look sharp, classy, and traditional.

3) Loafers. Loafers are the best. Bit loafers and penny loafers are both great, and I also am a fan of tassle loafers but they aren't the easiest to jump right into (and some would say they have a "grandpa" feel to them... but whatever). I'd start with something simple like a basic penny, or maybe a Venetian if you are in a particularly casual environment. Black and brown are both nice to have. Highly recommended for a business casual environment, but I really love loafers because they are versatile enough to be both business casual and casual (i.e., sockless with shorts). Just don't wear them with a suit, because it is is usually gonna look silly.


At this point, I'd say you have your essentials. If you have your black formal captoes, one or two pairs of brown business casual shoes, and one or two pairs of loafers, you've got a solid little rotation of shoes for a business casual office setting. But if you want to move beyond this basic set, I'd next go with:

4) Burgundy or chocolate balmorals, aka something similar to (1) but in a different color. I like the AE Fifth Ave in the "Brown Burnished Calf" because it is a step down from the Park Ave with the very simple brogueing, and they look boss in the solid navy suit. The difference is very subtle between the black Park Aves, but it is meaningful. I feel fine wearing the Fifths without a suit, even dressed up in jeans once in a while, whereas the Park Aves only feel right in a suit. See also J&M Aldrich for a decent option along these same lines.

5) IMO, it is now time to mix in some suede. These can be awesome for a business casual summer look. I like the look of these JM McPherson's again. I really dig the taupe suede look in the summer. Also, I own these and love them, and I would recommend them if you can find them at a good price.

Anyways, there are lots of different options you can go with. Monkstrap shoes are another great business casual look, and there are all sorts of different styles of loafers and oxfords that would fit the description of what you are looking for. I thought a "Newbies Introductory Guide to Dress Shoes" might be helpful, but if you find anything you like, post it here before you pull the trigger and I'm sure you'll get some helpful feedback.

Wearing those shoes once should be grounds for a no-offer.

The Hart Schaffner Marx store on ebay has 100% wool pants for ~$40 in a variety of good-for-summer colors (e.g. light and dark tan). Like any proper dress pant, they are unhemmed so you will need to take them to a tailor/seamstress.

If you go this route, note whether the ones you are looking at are flat front. Some are, some are not.

PROTIP: For shirts, check the Gap clearance rack. I shit you not. Their "original fit" is like a slim fit at most other places (e.g. Dillard's, where every shirt, even the slim fits, are for fatasses).

TYFT. Very helpful for someone like me who doesn't know anything about fashion. Would you advise against wearing the fifth ave brown burnished calf shoes with khakis? I'm thinking if I could get a shoe that would go with both a navy suit and with khakis, I can avoid spending $1000 on shoes and crushing my soul.

Also, are the retail prices on those websites what I should expect to be paying? Do you think I can get better deals if I hold off until, say, memorial day sales?

Fifth Avenues in brown would be on the formal end of business casual, but they would definitely work. Probably a good choice at this point because they are versatile enough to work for you in a business casual setting as well as at OCI.

As for pricing, I got my Park Avenues at Nordstrom for like $200 during a sale. I got my Fifth Avenues on Ebay for like $120. You would be surprised what you can find on there, and a couple of my favorite pairs of shoes came from Ebay (and I'm about 10 minutes away from winning one more awesome pair). You just need to make sure they are in good shape with no major scuffs, scratches, or other defects, and make sure they are the real deal and not some ripoff. You also should go get your foot measured so you know both the size and width. Different brands can fit differently. For example, I'm usually a 13 in Cole Haan and a 12 in Allen Edmonds. You also want to know your width, because there is a lot of difference between an A and a D and an EEE.

If you are looking to get some serious insight on business casual fashion and shoes, that thread I linked to above is a good one. Some of the people in there are really knowledgeable and into this kind of stuff and it is by far one of my favorite TLS threads. I've gotten some great ideas from it.