OCI/callbacks/etc Men's Clothing Mega-thread Forum

[JamMasterJ]

Just my $.02, but this thread is a bit firm oriented. All the advice is great for a big conservative law firm... but applies less to other arenas in my opinion.
In criminal law, for example, lawyers have a tendency to wear bold outfits to court (public defenders and DA's both). This is probably because the criminal lawyer needs to make an impression on the jury. Something like a light grey suit with a red tie, or a striped blue shirt with a lightly patterned tie under a navy suit will make you stand out. It's not boring, and in trial the last thing you want is to be too boring.
Also, criminal lawyers are not as heavily beholden to their higher ups. Their role gives them lots of autonomy, and room to wear what they actually want.
And, some of them just can't dress to save their life, choosing to wear ludicrous combinations.

This

[Pufer]

Just my $.02, but this thread is a bit firm oriented. All the advice is great for a big conservative law firm... but applies less to other arenas in my opinion.
In criminal law, for example, lawyers have a tendency to wear bold outfits to court (public defenders and DA's both). This is probably because the criminal lawyer needs to make an impression on the jury. Something like a light grey suit with a red tie, or a striped blue shirt with a lightly patterned tie under a navy suit will make you stand out. It's not boring, and in trial the last thing you want is to be too boring.
Also, criminal lawyers are not as heavily beholden to their higher ups. Their role gives them lots of autonomy, and room to wear what they actually want.
And, some of them just can't dress to save their life, choosing to wear ludicrous combinations.

I agree completely, but I'd argue that the topic is really more oriented towards a set of default rules than being big-firm oriented. There are plenty of big firms that don't require the level of conservatism as what we're really talking about here, and there are certainly other areas/regions where you don't need to wear a suit at all (the firm I worked at most of this last year, anything more formal than a polo and jeans would look out of place; the only times suits were busted out were for intern interviews and court).

All that said, if you're a 1L and don't know where you'll be working or what you'll be working at doing, or you're doing a summer internship/associateship and you don't want to risk anyone at the firm thinking you can't dress yourself, go with the conservative default rule. You don't want your one suit to a be a power suit with orange pinstripes because you're "certain" to be a PD doing big trials four years from now; you want your one suit to fit in no matter where you may end up or what you may do in the next few years. Given your lowly position as a law student, this is doubly true.

-Pufer

[jkay]

71 pages in and Pufer continues to dole out advice worth listening to.

[Rocketman11]

Where is a good place to find some non-iron slim-fit dress shirts? I'm not looking to spend Brooks Brothers prices, but man I just picked up a "fitted" shirt at Macy's (Geoffrey Beene - comes in Regular, Slim, and Fitted) and it was hanging off me like a plastic bag.

[twert]

Where is a good place to find some non-iron slim-fit dress shirts? I'm not looking to spend Brooks Brothers prices, but man I just picked up a "fitted" shirt at Macy's (Geoffrey Beene - comes in Regular, Slim, and Fitted) and it was hanging off me like a plastic bag.

you're going to have to spend brooks brothers money. And Brooks brothers slim fit non iron shirts are rough and uncomfortable anyway.

[HenryKillinger]

Where is a good place to find some non-iron slim-fit dress shirts? I'm not looking to spend Brooks Brothers prices, but man I just picked up a "fitted" shirt at Macy's (Geoffrey Beene - comes in Regular, Slim, and Fitted) and it was hanging off me like a plastic bag.

Nordstrom Rack.

I have fairly broad shoulder for my waist-size/height so it's harder to find shirts that don't balloon out at the waist. Nordstrom brand Fitted or Slim shirts are the best fitting shirts I've been able to find in the $20-$45 price range. They're usually hanging on one of the racks with all the other shirts, so you'll have to do some digging. You'll know them by the embroidered sailboat at the bottom of the placket on the non- button side. Only thing is that the Rack is always hit-or-miss and they don't always have those shirts there but if you keep going every now and again like I do, you'll find them.

[Borhas]

Loehmann's is probably a good bet too, maybe a bit cheaper

but even more hit or miss too probably

[Veyron]

Where is a good place to find some non-iron slim-fit dress shirts? I'm not looking to spend Brooks Brothers prices, but man I just picked up a "fitted" shirt at Macy's (Geoffrey Beene - comes in Regular, Slim, and Fitted) and it was hanging off me like a plastic bag.

you're going to have to spend brooks brothers money. And Brooks brothers slim fit non iron shirts are rough and uncomfortable anyway.

Not CR

[kalvano]

Where is a good place to find some non-iron slim-fit dress shirts? I'm not looking to spend Brooks Brothers prices, but man I just picked up a "fitted" shirt at Macy's (Geoffrey Beene - comes in Regular, Slim, and Fitted) and it was hanging off me like a plastic bag.

Well, it's Brooks Brothers, but have you tried their Extra Slim fit?

[Rocketman11]

Where is a good place to find some non-iron slim-fit dress shirts? I'm not looking to spend Brooks Brothers prices, but man I just picked up a "fitted" shirt at Macy's (Geoffrey Beene - comes in Regular, Slim, and Fitted) and it was hanging off me like a plastic bag.

Well, it's Brooks Brothers, but have you tried their Extra Slim fit?

Funny, my brother was a big BB guy and he told me just a couple hours ago how even the slim fit shirts were big on him (and he's bigger than I am). I think he also said the extra slim fits were very select styles only, almost all of which had button collars when he was in the store last. He advised I go through J Crew and said he only liked BB due to them being the only truly non-iron shirts he was able to find.

Where is a good place to find some non-iron slim-fit dress shirts? I'm not looking to spend Brooks Brothers prices, but man I just picked up a "fitted" shirt at Macy's (Geoffrey Beene - comes in Regular, Slim, and Fitted) and it was hanging off me like a plastic bag.

you're going to have to spend brooks brothers money. And Brooks brothers slim fit non iron shirts are rough and uncomfortable anyway.

Not CR

not even worth responding to. also lol 500 posts

[kalvano]

Where is a good place to find some non-iron slim-fit dress shirts? I'm not looking to spend Brooks Brothers prices, but man I just picked up a "fitted" shirt at Macy's (Geoffrey Beene - comes in Regular, Slim, and Fitted) and it was hanging off me like a plastic bag.

Well, it's Brooks Brothers, but have you tried their Extra Slim fit?

Funny, my brother was a big BB guy and he told me just a couple hours ago how even the slim fit shirts were big on him (and he's bigger than I am). I think he also said the extra slim fits were very select styles only, almost all of which had button collars when he was in the store last. He advised I go through J Crew and said he only liked BB due to them being the only truly non-iron shirts he was able to find.

I don't think you can find the Extra Slim in stores a lot of the time, but they seem to have a pretty good selection online in all collars and styles.

[Stanford4Me]

I'm a big fan of Charles Tyrwhitt, the only problem being the shipping time.

[goodolgil]

Gilt has some pretty sick deals on Hickey Freeman right now.

[James Bond]

I'm a big fan of Charles Tyrwhitt, the only problem being the shipping time.

This, plus Thomas Pink

[Rooney]

Banana Republic has some truly non-iron shirts...ballpark of $80

[Stanford4Me]

Gilt has been so underwhelming for me.

[kswiss]

I'm a dude. I know nothing about fashion.

For 1L interviews, I was rolling in a nice charcoal RL suit w/ black shoes/belt and a white shirt. Conservative tie.

I'm thinking I looked too nondescript. What are some ways that I can look more interesting w/out being outrageous?

I'm thinking I might try out some different shirt colors and see if I like them better, but I don't know enough about acceptable clothing styles. Would a light blue shirt be approp for firm interviews, or is white the only choice? Should I go for conservative ties, or would something with chunky stripes be appropriate?

How about patterns/stripes for shirts? Okay for interviews, or save for the job?

Thx.

[kaiser]

I don't think there is a problem with a soft color for the shirt. I wouldn't go with any bold color. But I don't see the problem with a cream, light blue, etc. shirt. As for tie, I'm not sure exactly what a "chunky stripe" tie would be, but I'd go more on the conservative end with ties. Though I have a number of striped ties I wear on formal occasions and they go just fine. I wouldn't worry about it too much. It takes all of 1 minute to just take a look in the mirror and say "yeah, this seems conservative enough for a law firm interview".

[Aston2412]

Disclaimer: I hate the classic white shirt. If you have to be uber conservative, go with a light blue and throw on a red tie. That's classic and powerful.

More general advice: Your suit sounds fine. Black accessories are always a safe bet with grey. You can do brown if it's the right brown with the right grey, but you may just want to err on the side of safety and stick with black.

Shirts: I prefer solid color shirts simply because they are easier to pair with more ties. If you have checked or striped shirts, that's fine. Just remember when wearing such a shirt you have to limit your other patterns. A general rule of thumb is no more than two patterns. What I mean by this is you can wear up to two of the following that have a pattern: suit, shirt or tie. If your shirt and suit are patterned, your tie should be solid. If your suit and tie are patterned, your shirt should be solid. Etc. In general, I'm a fan of bold shirt colors, but for a job interview you should scale it back. Soft colors are widely available now with pinks and purples being especially popular this season - just remember, you don't want pastel. You want a soft color that doesn't look like it should only be worn on Easter.

Socks: should match your suit, not your shoes. Additionally, if you're feeling adventuresome, you can wear socks that match your shirt (so if you wear a green shirt, then a similarly colored green would be appropriate) or on occasion your tie. If you go the socks-match-suit route, your socks should be one shade darker than your suit.

Ties: Keep it simple and you'll be safe. A solid color tie is always a safe bet and so long as you have a basic understanding of complimentary colors, you'll be fine. If you must go with a pattern choose something simple. Stripes are usually a safe bet, so long as the stripes aren't mixing in more than two other colors. A simple pattern (no themed ties a la flags or golf paraphernalia) or even a nice paisley tie (if you can find one that matches your shirts) can add some vibrancy if you've opted for non-pattern shirt/suit. White ties are a no go for work, and consequently interviews. A black tie, however, will be your best friend. It pairs well with a variety of colors and adds a distinguished look. Consider getting a regular black tie as well as a skinny black tie (note the skinny black tie should only be worn for those that aren't too much larger than average - if you're carrying too many extra pounds the skinny tie will look cartoonish and fail to give an adequate visual break to the shirt/suit like it's supposed to). Note that a red tie is classic, especially when paired with a light blue shirt. Finally, I'm not sure what you mean by "chunky" stripes, but in general I'd opt for a medium stripe - neither too narrow nor too broad. The important thing about striping is to remember that your tie stripes are competing with the stripes on your suit or your shirt and you have to make sure they don't create a visual cacophony - this should be readily apparent with a quick glance in a mirror.

Also remember that your eye is the final and decisive factor before you walk out the door. Rules of fashion can, and in some instances should, be broken...with the caveat that the result has to look GOOD. Likewise, the rules provided are general rules and if you adhere to them and still wind up thinking that something just doesn't look right, then it probably doesn't and you should change it.

[FantasticMrFox]

Eh, navy suits would've been easier to play with

[Rocketman11]

Banana Republic has some truly non-iron shirts...ballpark of $80

Went here yesterday. The selection was WTF? They either had a Medium with a 15-15 1/2 neck or a Small with a 14-14 1/2 neck. I'm not nearly asian enough to get into those.

I ended up at Macys (who have a BOGO on ties and shirts for fathers day. score) and found some Calvin Klein that will do.

[FantasticMrFox]

Banana Republic has some truly non-iron shirts...ballpark of $80

I like some of BR's stuff

[Cool Brees]

What is everyone's opinion on pleats vs. flat front?

[bartleby]

if brooks bros extra slim fit isn't slim enough, you gotta eat more. i'm a bag of bones and the extra slim fit is perfect

[Vronsky]

What is everyone's opinion on pleats vs. flat front?

pleats - make fat people look fatter, but make short people look taller. somewhat more formal/oldschool.
flat front - the opposite of above? Also less formal/more suited to a modern, slimmer cut jacket.

ETA - Suggestion for the OP - maybe try out a Blue shirt w/white collar/cuffs? I call it "the banker." Looks particularly good with french cuffs.