Dressed to Impress for Summer 2011 Forum

[phonepro]

this thread is ridiculous to a point. i worked at v5 before law school. yes, i was a paralegal, but i saw what the associates/summers wore. its not that big of a deal. business casual. wear a shirt and a tie, dont look like a slob. actually most attorneys didnt even wear ties, but i always liked to.

ETA: the only people you will be impressing/competing against with for what you wear will be your summer associate class thats posting in this thread and the rest of them. the attorneys will care that you don't look like a slob and that you do your work well/are likable.

[dakatz]

A shirt is a shirt. As long as it is wrinkle-free and doesn't look messy, no one cares. Many guys are looking WAY too much into it. I can understand spending a bit extra for a nice suit from time to time. But no one in their right mind will care what shirt you wear.

[Master Tofu]

This is ludicrous. People can tell. I don't consider myself snobby with regards to fashion but I can tell if you're wearing a shirt from BB as opposed to a shirt from TJMax. I've heard the same from people I talk to. Will I think less of you if you shop at TJMax? No, but quality is quality. It is easy to lapse into sloppiness when you wear lower quality shirts. The shirts will lose their shine and won't look as sharp as they used to much quicker than the better quality shirts. Be sharp and look sharp. It can only help. And if you're working at a large firm, you can afford it.

[Anonymous User]

this thread is ridiculous to a point. i worked at v5 before law school. yes, i was a paralegal, but i saw what the associates/summers wore. its not that big of a deal. business casual. wear a shirt and a tie, dont look like a slob. actually most attorneys didnt even wear ties, but i always liked to.

SOME firms are business formal, you know. You obviously didn't work at CSM.

[orm518]

For shoes Allen Edmonds is probably your best bet.

+1,000

Or, if you're loaded, Alden. (Shameless MA plug)

AE has a closeout inventory as well, I've gotten shoes that are a model year old for $109, instead of retail. Email mequon@allenedmonds.com with your size and they'll send you a list of first quality closeouts and factory seconds.

At retail it's hefty for a student, I have a pair of classic dress blacks I bought for my wedding ($325), but they'll last 10-15 years easily.

[romothesavior]

The suits thread is where you want to be.

But I agree, don't overthink this thing.

[Capitol A]

my money goes to J.Crew for shirts and suits. you are going to have a hard time finding better fits and quality for the money.
If you're "super skinny" like someone said earlier ITT, go for their slim fits, but I'm 6' and 165#, and I wear a medium in their regular fit and like it a lot, the slim is too tight in the chest (and i wear my clothese pretty tight).
As far as the question of "how many suits?"
for the rest of your life you only need the following:
1 black suit (ONLY wear this to funerals and formal weddings)
1 gray suit, the pants can be worn easily w/o the jacket, and if the jacket has the right fit you can wear it with jeans to go on a date
1 navy suit, again, if the jacket fits properly it will double as your navy blazer with the gray pants from above or with jeans/khakis
1 pinstripe suit, please, subtle stripes and only at the office
1 brown suit in a heavier fabric, only to be worn in the fall/winter
1 khaki suit IF you want. this should be cotton and can be worn in the spring/summer to change things up.
Oh, and +1 to whoever said people should not rember what you wear. If someone says: "hey, I like that____" whether it's your shirt, tie, suit, underwear, whatever, then they are noticing your clothes. If they comment at all about what you are wearing, it's only a good thing if they say, "YOU look nice," not "your CLOTHES look nice."

EDIT: 1: none of this matters if your clothes don't fit properly. Don't let your pants be too long or your jacket be too big-you will look like a slob in Gucci if your clothes don't fit.
2:the one item in your wardrobe that is absolutely worth spending some extra money on...shoes. If you buy a really nice pair of shoes and take care of them, they will make everything else somehow look nicer. $90 shoes last half as long as $180 shoes. $360 shoes can last a lifetime. Seriously.

[drylo]

This is ludicrous. People can tell. I don't consider myself snobby with regards to fashion but I can tell if you're wearing a shirt from BB as opposed to a shirt from TJMax. I've heard the same from people I talk to. Will I think less of you if you shop at TJMax? No, but quality is quality. It is easy to lapse into sloppiness when you wear lower quality shirts. The shirts will lose their shine and won't look as sharp as they used to much quicker than the better quality shirts. Be sharp and look sharp. It can only help. And if you're working at a large firm, you can afford it.

You are seriously underestimating TJ Maxx. Although every TJ Maxx store is not created equal, you can definitely get high-quality shirts/ties/pants there. And you will pay $35 or less for a shirt.

Also, Brooks Brothers' current sale does not match Jos. A. Bank's, for whoever said that the pricing is the same. Right now you can get 3 of BB's cheapest dress shirts for $209. Compare to JAB's shirts at $34: http://www.josbank.com/menswear/shop/Su ... =executive

[Capitol A]

This is ludicrous. People can tell. I don't consider myself snobby with regards to fashion but I can tell if you're wearing a shirt from BB as opposed to a shirt from TJMax. I've heard the same from people I talk to. Will I think less of you if you shop at TJMax? No, but quality is quality. It is easy to lapse into sloppiness when you wear lower quality shirts. The shirts will lose their shine and won't look as sharp as they used to much quicker than the better quality shirts. Be sharp and look sharp. It can only help. And if you're working at a large firm, you can afford it.

You are seriously underestimating TJ Maxx. Although every TJ Maxx store is not created equal, you can definitely get high-quality shirts/ties/pants there. And you will pay $35 or less for a shirt.

Also, Brooks Brothers' current sale does not match Jos. A. Bank's, for whoever said that the pricing is the same. Right now you can get 3 of BB's cheapest dress shirts for $209. Compare to JAB's shirts at $34: http://www.josbank.com/menswear/shop/Su ... =executive

plain and simple....You get what you pay for....to an extent. Up to a certain level, things cost more because they're worth more. i have clothes from JosABank, and from TJMax, that I bought because they were less expensive, and you know what? I don't wear them. They aren't as nice as the BrooksBrothers, j.Crew, Rugby, etc items that I have. you are better off buying 3 really nice shirts that you actually like and that make you feel good/confident when you wear them than buying 6 mediocre ones that just make it so you aren't naked. And before the comments start about how superficial that sounds, I'm not saying that people should judge you by your clothes, or that you should derive any amount of your self worth from your clothes. I'm saying that you know when you look your best, and it makes you feel confident. When you're confident and comfortable you perform your best. Look at the NY Yankees...When George Costanza got them those new cotton uniforms they felt great, and they played great. but after the uniforms got washed and didn't fit as well...they played like the Mets

[drylo]

This is ludicrous. People can tell. I don't consider myself snobby with regards to fashion but I can tell if you're wearing a shirt from BB as opposed to a shirt from TJMax. I've heard the same from people I talk to. Will I think less of you if you shop at TJMax? No, but quality is quality. It is easy to lapse into sloppiness when you wear lower quality shirts. The shirts will lose their shine and won't look as sharp as they used to much quicker than the better quality shirts. Be sharp and look sharp. It can only help. And if you're working at a large firm, you can afford it.

You are seriously underestimating TJ Maxx. Although every TJ Maxx store is not created equal, you can definitely get high-quality shirts/ties/pants there. And you will pay $35 or less for a shirt.

Also, Brooks Brothers' current sale does not match Jos. A. Bank's, for whoever said that the pricing is the same. Right now you can get 3 of BB's cheapest dress shirts for $209. Compare to JAB's shirts at $34: http://www.josbank.com/menswear/shop/Su ... =executive

plain and simple....You get what you pay for....to an extent. Up to a certain level, things cost more because they're worth more. i have clothes from JosABank, and from TJMax, that I bought because they were less expensive, and you know what? I don't wear them. They aren't as nice as the BrooksBrothers, j.Crew, Rugby, etc items that I have. you are better off buying 3 really nice shirts that you actually like and that make you feel good/confident when you wear them than buying 6 mediocre ones that just make it so you aren't naked. And before the comments start about how superficial that sounds, I'm not saying that people should judge you by your clothes, or that you should derive any amount of your self worth from your clothes. I'm saying that you know when you look your best, and it makes you feel confident. When you're confident and comfortable you perform your best. Look at the NY Yankees...When George Costanza got them those new cotton uniforms they felt great, and they played great. but after the uniforms got washed and didn't fit as well...they played like the Mets

I understand and agree with your sentiment. But I also feel very good in my TJ Maxx shirts (although I do have very nice suits). I was just defending TJ Maxx because you can definitely find a nice shirt there that nobody will ever notice in a bad way. At some point we are talking about diminishing returns and very bourgeois distinctions.

[pasteurizedmilk]

J crew is horrid, IMO.

[Capitol A]

I understand and agree with your sentiment. But I also feel very good in my TJ Maxx shirts (although I do have very nice suits). I was just defending TJ Maxx because you definitely find a nice shirt there that nobody will ever notice in a bad way. At some point we are talking about diminishing returns and very bourgeois distinctions.

You're absolutely right, and actually I shouldn't have included TJ Maxx in that comment becuase places like that (Ross, Loehman's, Nordstrom Rack, etc) do not have the same products/prices everyday, so they can't really be judged in the same way. it is certainly possible to find good items there and it's possible to find garbage. the key is to look for value not cheap.

J crew is horrid, IMO

Are you crazy? There is no question that J.Crew is not what it was 5yrs ago, but horrid? Out of curiosity, what do you prefer? Is it a matter of style that makes you not like J.Crew? because that I suppose I can understand (although their current suit selection is pretty classic), but the quality for the price is really pretty great. Are there higher quality items out there? absolutely, but you're going to pay more and j.crew is plenty nice. Are there cheaper options? sure, but again lets talk value, not strictly price. I would not be surprised by people not loving j.crew, but the term horrid is blowing me away.

J. Press and Vineyard Vines are also good choices.

Someone went to Princeton undergrad? Or summers on the cape?

[Patriot1208]

my money goes to J.Crew for shirts and suits. you are going to have a hard time finding better fits and quality for the money.
If you're "super skinny" like someone said earlier ITT, go for their slim fits, but I'm 6' and 165#, and I wear a medium in their regular fit and like it a lot, the slim is too tight in the chest (and i wear my clothese pretty tight).
As far as the question of "how many suits?"
for the rest of your life you only need the following:
1 black suit (ONLY wear this to funerals and formal weddings)
1 gray suit, the pants can be worn easily w/o the jacket, and if the jacket has the right fit you can wear it with jeans to go on a date
1 navy suit, again, if the jacket fits properly it will double as your navy blazer with the gray pants from above or with jeans/khakis
1 pinstripe suit, please, subtle stripes and only at the office
1 brown suit in a heavier fabric, only to be worn in the fall/winter
1 khaki suit IF you want. this should be cotton and can be worn in the spring/summer to change things up.
Oh, and +1 to whoever said people should not rember what you wear. If someone says: "hey, I like that____" whether it's your shirt, tie, suit, underwear, whatever, then they are noticing your clothes. If they comment at all about what you are wearing, it's only a good thing if they say, "YOU look nice," not "your CLOTHES look nice."

EDIT: 1: none of this matters if your clothes don't fit properly. Don't let your pants be too long or your jacket be too big-you will look like a slob in Gucci if your clothes don't fit.
2:the one item in your wardrobe that is absolutely worth spending some extra money on...shoes. If you buy a really nice pair of shoes and take care of them, they will make everything else somehow look nicer. $90 shoes last half as long as $180 shoes. $360 shoes can last a lifetime. Seriously.

You wear brown suits?

[Capitol A]

my money goes to J.Crew for shirts and suits. you are going to have a hard time finding better fits and quality for the money.
If you're "super skinny" like someone said earlier ITT, go for their slim fits, but I'm 6' and 165#, and I wear a medium in their regular fit and like it a lot, the slim is too tight in the chest (and i wear my clothese pretty tight).
As far as the question of "how many suits?"
for the rest of your life you only need the following:
1 black suit (ONLY wear this to funerals and formal weddings)
1 gray suit, the pants can be worn easily w/o the jacket, and if the jacket has the right fit you can wear it with jeans to go on a date
1 navy suit, again, if the jacket fits properly it will double as your navy blazer with the gray pants from above or with jeans/khakis
1 pinstripe suit, please, subtle stripes and only at the office
1 brown suit in a heavier fabric, only to be worn in the fall/winter
1 khaki suit IF you want. this should be cotton and can be worn in the spring/summer to change things up.
Oh, and +1 to whoever said people should not rember what you wear. If someone says: "hey, I like that____" whether it's your shirt, tie, suit, underwear, whatever, then they are noticing your clothes. If they comment at all about what you are wearing, it's only a good thing if they say, "YOU look nice," not "your CLOTHES look nice."

EDIT: 1: none of this matters if your clothes don't fit properly. Don't let your pants be too long or your jacket be too big-you will look like a slob in Gucci if your clothes don't fit.
2:the one item in your wardrobe that is absolutely worth spending some extra money on...shoes. If you buy a really nice pair of shoes and take care of them, they will make everything else somehow look nicer. $90 shoes last half as long as $180 shoes. $360 shoes can last a lifetime. Seriously.

You wear brown suits?

In the fall/winter a brown tweed or even a slim fit corduroy suit can be a great look. The fit and the fabric certainly have to right, but yes.

[HamDel]

this thread is ridiculous to a point. i worked at v5 before law school. yes, i was a paralegal, but i saw what the associates/summers wore. its not that big of a deal. business casual. wear a shirt and a tie, dont look like a slob. actually most attorneys didnt even wear ties, but i always liked to.

SOME firms are business formal, you know. You obviously didn't work at CSM.

OMG CRAVATH UR LIFE IS GONNA TOTALLY RULE HOLY CRAP YOU GET TO TAKE ORDERZ FROM THE BEST 22 YEAR OLD INVESTMENT BANKERZ!!!!! SIK!!!!!

[Anonymous Loser]

Also, Brooks Brothers' current sale does not match Jos. A. Bank's, for whoever said that the pricing is the same. Right now you can get 3 of BB's cheapest dress shirts for $209. Compare to JAB's shirts at $34

Brooks Brothers always has shirts for $39 on the clearance section of their website.

[Patriot1208]

this thread is ridiculous to a point. i worked at v5 before law school. yes, i was a paralegal, but i saw what the associates/summers wore. its not that big of a deal. business casual. wear a shirt and a tie, dont look like a slob. actually most attorneys didnt even wear ties, but i always liked to.

SOME firms are business formal, you know. You obviously didn't work at CSM.

OMG CRAVATH UR LIFE IS GONNA TOTALLY RULE HOLY CRAP YOU GET TO TAKE ORDERZ FROM THE BEST 22 YEAR OLD INVESTMENT BANKERZ!!!!! SIK!!!!!

Considering a 22 year old investment banker is basically the same thing as a paralegal, not quite right, but close.

[alumniguy]

2:the one item in your wardrobe that is absolutely worth spending some extra money on...shoes. If you buy a really nice pair of shoes and take care of them, they will make everything else somehow look nicer. $90 shoes last half as long as $180 shoes. $360 shoes can last a lifetime. Seriously.

This is the best advice in this thread. Get a decent pair of shoes and it will make the rest of your wardrobe look nicer. Get some quality leather guys and something tapered towards your toes (i.e., if it is square or round you don't want to buy it). Most firms have a shoeshine guy that walks the floors. For about $5 bucks every month, you're shoes will last years and look nice.

* * *

Also, no one cares about brands - it's all about quality (and fit). No one expects summers to look that good. I mean you don't wear this stuff everyday, yet. I'm a third year associate and am finally starting to build up my wardrobe (although I need more suits - just never wear them at the office). You should look presentable to a client, every day. Go to one of the big premium outlet type malls and stock up. I personally HATE non-iron dress shirts - they may be wrinkly free, but they look like crap. The material is awful. In biglaw, you get your shirts pressed and the press lasts the entire day (if you're lucky you can sometimes get a second wear out of the same press). Speaking of shirts, Theory has great shirts (usually can get some good deals at Bloomingdales for about $50 a pop). I wouldn't shop at TJMaxx or Marshalls for your work clothes either.

Also, your pant lengths need to be tailored properly (it costs $10 to have your pant bottoms tailored to the proper length in NYC).

[Capitol A]

This is the best advice in this thread.

No, this is:

Also, no one cares about brands - it's all about quality (and fit).

Also, your pant lengths need to be tailored properly

[HamDel]

this thread is ridiculous to a point. i worked at v5 before law school. yes, i was a paralegal, but i saw what the associates/summers wore. its not that big of a deal. business casual. wear a shirt and a tie, dont look like a slob. actually most attorneys didnt even wear ties, but i always liked to.

SOME firms are business formal, you know. You obviously didn't work at CSM.

OMG CRAVATH UR LIFE IS GONNA TOTALLY RULE HOLY CRAP YOU GET TO TAKE ORDERZ FROM THE BEST 22 YEAR OLD INVESTMENT BANKERZ!!!!! SIK!!!!!

Considering a 22 year old investment banker is basically the same thing as a paralegal, not quite right, but close.

*forehead slap*

[drmguy]

I keep reading slim fit this and slim fit that but I have no idea how slim any of these are. I personally own several slim fit BB shirts and they really are loose on me. I am 6'1" 165 and I need to find something that fits better.

[dakatz]

I was curious about this issue, so I asked a family friend who works in a large law firm. He said that in his experience (working for 2 different law firms), no one cares about brands. All that matters is that it fits well and looks neat. He said this is particularly true with shirts (since the times in which your appearance is particularly key, you will be wearing your suit jacket over it anyway). He says he never spent much on shirts. He did say he has 2 particularly nice suits for important meetings, as well as one particularly nice pair of shoes, but most certainly not the $360 shoes some people on here seem to mention.

[Capitol A]

I keep reading slim fit this and slim fit that but I have no idea how slim any of these are. I personally own several slim fit BB shirts and they really are loose on me. I am 6'1" 165 and I need to find something that fits better.

Try Billy Reid, or the slim fit from j.crew. If you like brooks brothers, maybe take a look at their 'black fleece' line. I also like the custom fit or purple or black labels from RL.
obviously slim is a relative term. The classic fit from BB is like wearing a tent, so the slim fit should really be called slimmER fit. Although they are coming out with this 'collegiate' line, which has good fits for OCBDs, but not true dress shirts. Speaking of OCBDs, my favorites are actually from Rugby. I'm about your same size and the medium is perfect.

[drmguy]

I keep reading slim fit this and slim fit that but I have no idea how slim any of these are. I personally own several slim fit BB shirts and they really are loose on me. I am 6'1" 165 and I need to find something that fits better.

Try Billy Reid, or the slim fit from j.crew. If you like brooks brothers, maybe take a look at their 'black fleece' line. I also like the custom fit or purple or black labels from RL.
obviously slim is a relative term. The classic fit from BB is like wearing a tent, so the slim fit should really be called slimmER fit. Although they are coming out with this 'collegiate' line, which has good fits for OCBDs, but not true dress shirts. Speaking of OCBDs, my favorites are actually from Rugby. I'm about your same size and the medium is perfect.

I had 1 black label RL shirt that fit really well but 300 bucks for 1 shirt is insane.

[LettuceBeefRealTea]

a good tailor is the most important part of your wardrobe. if you find a good one and give him constant business, he will do it for you at a discount. unless you can find a brand of slim fit shirts that fit you just right, you should include tailoring costs for all of your shirts as well as suits and pants.

every example posted in this thread looks like crap, except maybe the pink one. as much as i hate the company, rugby has some good stuff. several of my rugby teammates applied to work for their stores over the past two years since no one was hiring. they didn't get hired because their faces were all messed up with broken noses and cauliflower ear from rugby. very athletic looking and hardworking guys. just some hate for a&f wanna be practices.

BB is made for fatties. if you go this route, it would be best to get as many shirts as cheaply as you can and take them all to a tailor and try to get a deal. The guy that I go to back home, in la, started at $35 but now charges me $15/shirt. from what i have seen for first time visits, low end is $15ish up to $40/shirt depending on the quality of the tailor. if you bring a large order all at once, he should drop the price. smaller cities will adjust by cost of living.

btw that's for the body to be taken in. if you have small arms/shoulders it should be another ~$5-10 to get those made smaller.