BigLaw Summer Associate - Men's Wardrobe Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'll be a summer associate at a San Francisco BigLaw firm starting in a couple weeks. I went to law school straight from undergrad and I haven't had any need for a full professional wardrobe (I managed to land an in-house job last summer that was business casual, heavy on the casual). So, without sounding like a total idiot, what exactly do I need to buy to make it through the summer?

I have a couple suits, few shirts, etc., but I want to start afresh. Any advice about how many and what type pants/shirts/shoes/jackets I need, any one-stop shops I can go to (Brooks Bros? J Crew?), etc., would be really really really appreciated. Also, if this has been asked and answered elsewhere, I apologize in advance!

[stretchedtoothin]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=262752

[kaytraco1]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=262752

doesn't quite answer the question(s), unfortunately

[stretchedtoothin]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=262752

doesn't quite answer the question(s), unfortunately

explain.

ETA: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/s ... mit=Search

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 23&t=63606

[cannibal ox]

Also, if this has been asked and answered elsewhere, I apologize in advance!

Half the topics in this forum answer these exact questions.

[SLS_AMG]

Both Brooks Brothers and J Crew will have everything you need and are definitely one-stop shops if you want to keep it simple. Which one you choose will largely depend on your budget and/or physique. Brooks Brothers is more expensive and of somewhat better quality. J Crew offers a more tailored fit that looks good if you are in good shape and terrible if you aren't.

[KM2016]

Brooks Brothers non-iron shirts (tailored), Banana Republic 100% wool pants (such as http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/pr ... =175360002), and black Allen Edmonds Park Avenues.

[BmoreOrLess]

Both Brooks Brothers and J Crew will have everything you need and are definitely one-stop shops if you want to keep it simple. Which one you choose will largely depend on your budget and/or physique. Brooks Brothers is more expensive and of somewhat better quality. J Crew offers a more tailored fit that looks good if you are in good shape and terrible if you aren't.

Only thing i'd note is that Jcrew dress shirts suck, otherwise this is credited. I'm rocking almost exclusively jcrew bowery slim pants and Brooks Brothers extra slim (now milano fit) shirts this summer.

[barkschool]

No one in this forum has a male figure in their life to ask?

[Kratos]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 23&t=63606

I'm sure there's an answer in the ~200 pages of the above thread

[nick417]

This topic is covered every summer.

Your answer is very firm specific. First day, go full-suit. After that, see what the associates are wearing and mirror them.

It really isn't that hard. Dress shirt, pants, tie (optional).

End of discussion.

[Anonymous User]

And a good iron and ironing board - even for wrinklefree shirts, particularly if you're not dry cleaning them

[NonTradHealthLaw]

Inadvertent anon RE ironing

[BmoreOrLess]

This topic is covered every summer.

Your answer is very firm specific. First day, go full-suit. After that, see what the associates are wearing and mirror them.

It really isn't that hard. Dress shirt, pants, tie (optional).

End of discussion.

Tie is not optional. It's a hard no without a jacket.

[Anonymous User]

Most of the advice on this forum is NY-centric. Last summer, I showed up to my first day at a SV firm in a full suit, having heeded the "obvious" advice on this forum to show up in a full suit the first day, and I was the only one wearing a suit. Actually, I was the only one wearing a tie.

Without knowing what firm you are going to, I would still advise you to wear a full suit the first day, but I wouldn't go out and buy a whole new wardrobe expecting to dress "business casual" in the classic sense. I wore jeans most days.

[Love With The Coco]

Are shirts with a front pocket acceptable? Or is that a faux pas?

[Clemenceau]

Are shirts with a front pocket acceptable? Or is that a faux pas?

As long as they don't have a dumb flap they're fine

[nick417]

Are shirts with a front pocket acceptable? Or is that a faux pas?

That is the way to get no-offered. Shirt with front pocket.....

By the end of the summer, you all will feel ridiculous for worrying so much about your wardrobe. Unless you live in a cave in the mountains, I think you can figure out what is appropriate to wear for work.

[nick417]

This topic is covered every summer.

Your answer is very firm specific. First day, go full-suit. After that, see what the associates are wearing and mirror them.

It really isn't that hard. Dress shirt, pants, tie (optional).

End of discussion.

Tie is not optional. It's a hard no without a jacket.

I am a tie no jacket guy. Just too hot for a jacket in the summer.

[Glasseyes]

This topic is covered every summer.

Your answer is very firm specific. First day, go full-suit. After that, see what the associates are wearing and mirror them.

It really isn't that hard. Dress shirt, pants, tie (optional).

End of discussion.

Tie is not optional. It's a hard no without a jacket.

I am a tie no jacket guy. Just too hot for a jacket in the summer.

Lucky for you, you can save yourself from buttoning the top button and trapping all that heat. Ironclad laws of fashion have clearly spoken on the tie-without-a-jacket look, and it is verboten.

Don't be this guy:

http://i.imgur.com/nBOsOty.jpg

[ze2151]

Be competent, be attentive to your clients'/partners' needs, be fun, have a personality, and don't wear clothes with stains on them, and you'll be fine.

I am not exactly fashion forward and nobody has ever said anything to me one way or the other. I say this all by way of encouragement. You're overthinking it. The firm hired you for the summer, so they like you. You already have credibility with them. I doubt you'll lose it by not having monogrammed dress shirts.

[BmoreOrLess]

This topic is covered every summer.

Your answer is very firm specific. First day, go full-suit. After that, see what the associates are wearing and mirror them.

It really isn't that hard. Dress shirt, pants, tie (optional).

End of discussion.

Tie is not optional. It's a hard no without a jacket.

I am a tie no jacket guy. Just too hot for a jacket in the summer.

Lucky for you, you can save yourself from buttoning the top button and trapping all that heat. Ironclad laws of fashion have clearly spoken on the tie-without-a-jacket look, and it is verboten.

Don't be this guy:

http://i.imgur.com/nBOsOty.jpg

Tiebars are the fucking worst.

[nick417]

This topic is covered every summer.

Your answer is very firm specific. First day, go full-suit. After that, see what the associates are wearing and mirror them.

It really isn't that hard. Dress shirt, pants, tie (optional).

End of discussion.

Tie is not optional. It's a hard no without a jacket.

I am a tie no jacket guy. Just too hot for a jacket in the summer.

Lucky for you, you can save yourself from buttoning the top button and trapping all that heat. Ironclad laws of fashion have clearly spoken on the tie-without-a-jacket look, and it is verboten.

Don't be this guy:

http://i.imgur.com/nBOsOty.jpg

Haha, I am that guy! Except I don't do Khakis.

[patentlitigatrix]

Woman chiming in here. I work for a bay area firm. Here is what I would tell male summers:

1. Don't show up in a suit on your first day. Business casual is completely fine. You'll honestly look odd if you wear a suit. At my firm, we just don't wear suits unless we are going to court. We don't even wear them for all depos.
2. For dudes, business casual just means a long-sleeve button down shirt and slacks. By slacks, I mean dress pants, not Dockers or Bonobos. Also do wear socks and dress shoes (rubber bottom is acceptable if you don't have leather bottomed shoes). You should basically wear this every day. If you are a stylish dude and want to through on a sport coat and skinny tie from time to time, OK cool.
3. Most bay area firms have jeans day on Fridays. Do actually wear jeans and a button down shirt that is tucked in. Again, wear socks and dress shoes.
4. You will see attorneys not adhering to this. There are attorneys at my firm that wear a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers every day. Others wear cargo shorts (eep) and Tevas. Others skip the socks and wear boat shoes. I often wear sandals instead of dress shoes and some days when I am tired or going to be dealing with paper doc review or code review I roll in in a hoodie and work out pants and flip flops. Don't dress like this as a summer.

If you are working for Quinn or some other firm with a casual dress code, you will need to disregard this though...

Hope that helps.

[bruinfan10]

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