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I'm working in Detroit for one of the City's larger firms (also spending some time in Chicago - hence my anon) and curious what i should be planning to wear this summer. My take was to wear a suit most, if not every day. I'm sure, given what i saw during the interviews, that I'll be told I can "dress down" and wear slacks, shirt and maybe a tie, most days - but i'd rather dress the part. Any comments on this? Better to overdress with a suit than wear just khakis and a dress shirt even if told so?

Suggestions on colors of suits? I was going with either IndoChino or BlackLapel - i've used IndoChino before so i'm familiar with the product. Right now I have a charcoal and just bought a dark Navy blue but might buy another 2-3.

Anything else I should think about?

Only peasants wear Indochino. Have some self respect, brah.

You should run your idea past former summers who go to school with you. At some firms this might be totally fine and go unnoticed, but in some of the secondary markets fit is so very peculiar, I'd ask someone who actually knows about that particular firm. The last thing you want is someone caring more about you being "suit guy," than your work.

FWIW, all the guys I worked with this past summer (secondary market) looked very nice and polished without suits. Everyone always has a blazer in his/her office for meeting with certain partners, last minute court invitations/client interaction.

You should wear whatever everyone else wears. If plenty of people wear a suit and you want to, knock yourself out. If everyone wears slacks and a button-up, wear slacks and a button-up. The goal isn't to impress everyone with your sartorial prowess, it's to make them want to give you a job. Being weird about wearing a suit at a place where business casual is the norm is a not-so-good way to stand out.

Just show up the first several days in a suit and adjust down if other summers and associates are all in biz cas. Get a navy, a charcoal, and then either a gray or a conservative pattern (light pinstripe, subtle herringbone, etc) from wherever you can afford and you will be fine.

I'm an associate in Detroit, and this really depends on the firm (and maybe even practice group), so do what everyone else does. My firm is business casual unless meeting with client, court, etc. where formality is a must. Business casual is, for real, chinos and a polo for the bold (but usually a button with no tie). I notice "suit guy" (or girl, I've seen that too) who refuses to dress casual. Oh so you think you're special? Putting on airs like you're in court every day? So busy meeting clients as a summer associate you can't throw on some casual pants and join the fucking team? We're paying you out the ass and writing off everything you do and pretending you're helping and you can't buy some casual pants?

But no I kid - its more your attitude. Suit guy can be laid back and that's all that matters here. Now if you're stuffy, its not your suit wearing that's going to ding you. But as a personal pet peeve, I sort of chafe at suit guy summer because summers have a herd mentality, you get one suit guy then the others will feel obliged to suit up then you've got a bunch of eager suits all smiling at you like children of the corn and not relaxing. Just please god don't be suit guy.

Do you need to wear anything under the dress shirt?

Anonymous User wrote:Do you need to wear anything under the dress shirt?

...is this for real? An undershirt is pretty standard...

KM2016 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Do you need to wear anything under the dress shirt?

...is this for real? An undershirt is pretty standard...

Is this strict necessary even in the southern states? Is wife beater considered as an undershirt?

Anonymous User wrote:Do you need to wear anything under the dress shirt?

Nah i never wear an undershirt.

2014 wrote:Just show up the first several days in a suit and adjust down if other summers and associates are all in biz cas. Get a navy, a charcoal, and then either a gray or a conservative pattern (light pinstripe, subtle herringbone, etc) from wherever you can afford and you will be fine.

Several days? Just wear a suit the first day, then dress down. No need to drag it out if the office dress code clearly isn't suits.

NotMyRealName09 wrote:I'm an associate in Detroit, and this really depends on the firm (and maybe even practice group), so do what everyone else does. My firm is business casual unless meeting with client, court, etc. where formality is a must. Business casual is, for real, chinos and a polo for the bold (but usually a button with no tie). I notice "suit guy" (or girl, I've seen that too) who refuses to dress casual. Oh so you think you're special? Putting on airs like you're in court every day? So busy meeting clients as a summer associate you can't throw on some casual pants and join the fucking team? We're paying you out the ass and writing off everything you do and pretending you're helping and you can't buy some casual pants?

this seems pretty harsh. if someone is more comfortable and confident dressing up everyday, even in a relatively more-casual environment, I don't see how it harms anyone else.

NotMyRealName09 wrote:I'm an associate in Detroit, and this really depends on the firm (and maybe even practice group), so do what everyone else does. My firm is business casual unless meeting with client, court, etc. where formality is a must. Business casual is, for real, chinos and a polo for the bold (but usually a button with no tie). I notice "suit guy" (or girl, I've seen that too) who refuses to dress casual. Oh so you think you're special? Putting on airs like you're in court every day? So busy meeting clients as a summer associate you can't throw on some casual pants and join the fucking team? We're paying you out the ass and writing off everything you do and pretending you're helping and you can't buy some casual pants?

But no I kid - its more your attitude. Suit guy can be laid back and that's all that matters here. Now if you're stuffy, its not your suit wearing that's going to ding you. But as a personal pet peeve, I sort of chafe at suit guy summer because summers have a herd mentality, you get one suit guy then the others will feel obliged to suit up then you've got a bunch of eager suits all smiling at you like children of the corn and not relaxing. Just please god don't be suit guy.

Pretty much this. It's really all attitude. If you're the suit guy, you're going to be viewed by those who think you should be in business casual as more of a formal person, so you have to compensate for that with your attitude or else they think you're stuffy. Gotta be laid back and able to joke around and shoot the shit. But, on the bright side, the older partners who miss the good ole days when everybody wore suits will be impressed.

It's hot. Wearing a jacket when you don't need to is stupid. I'm team no-undershirt though so sweating through a shirt is a real concern.

I also was team no-undershirt for polos and got shit for it in middle/high school.

Undershirts are definitely not necessary. In fact, I think they're kinda out of style so only wear them if you're really sweaty.

Fwiw, straight from associates at my firm, they relentlessly judge those who wear suits after day 1. It's not that they think they are maladjusted. But when every single person in the office, including the 70 y/o managing partner does not wear a suit unless they are in court that day, associates just don't get you if you do. Also, team undershirts all the way! Although I'm a very hairy and sweaty man.

jrf12886 wrote:Undershirts are definitely not necessary. In fact, I think they're kinda out of style so only wear them if you're really sweaty.

Undershirts shouldn't be noticeable anyways. But they're definitely necessary if you sweat like crazy.(like I do)

Anonymous User wrote:

KM2016 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Do you need to wear anything under the dress shirt?

...is this for real? An undershirt is pretty standard...

Is this strict necessary even in the southern states? Is wife beater considered as an undershirt?

How did you find this thread? Genuinely curious

I also don't wear an under-shirt

If you're going to wear an undershirt, please for the love of god, don't wear a crew-neck if you are going to keep your top button unbuttoned. Wear a v-neck.

And I don't like wearing an undershirt, because my shirts already fit pretty well. Wearing an extra layer makes me look too bulky/chest too tight. I mean sure you might need to launder less, but you shouldn't be wearing your shirts more than twice anyway before putting aside. YMMV if you sweat a lot.

BizBro wrote:If you're going to wear an undershirt, please for the love of god, don't wear a crew-neck if you are going to keep your top button unbuttoned. Wear a v-neck.

And I don't like wearing an undershirt, because my shirts already fit pretty well. Wearing an extra layer makes me look too bulky/chest too tight. I mean sure you might need to launder less, but you shouldn't be wearing your shirts more than twice anyway before putting aside. YMMV if you sweat a lot.

Uniqlo airism undershirts are more expensive than Hanes, granted, but they do not add bulk and I do not notice any added heat. They come in v neck and crew neck. If you're a white guy like me, grab the beige ones to wear under white shirts--they actually show up less than white undershirts do.

lawman84 wrote:

jrf12886 wrote:Undershirts are definitely not necessary. In fact, I think they're kinda out of style so only wear them if you're really sweaty.

Undershirts shouldn't be noticeable anyways. But they're definitely necessary if you sweat like crazy.(like I do)

I think dudes also underestimate the extent to which their nips randomly show through without an undershirt. Nice refreshing cold office? Every one will see your nipples and it will be super awkward for them as they try not to look but they have to and its both repulsive and distracting, leading to you eventually getting fired.

It's like re-watching Friends - you never realized how often Jennifer Aniston's nips were showing until you see reruns on Nick at Night, but once you see it, you realize it happens all the time, and you feel dumb for not having noticed it before.

Traynor Brah wrote:

NotMyRealName09 wrote:I'm an associate in Detroit, and this really depends on the firm (and maybe even practice group), so do what everyone else does. My firm is business casual unless meeting with client, court, etc. where formality is a must. Business casual is, for real, chinos and a polo for the bold (but usually a button with no tie). I notice "suit guy" (or girl, I've seen that too) who refuses to dress casual. Oh so you think you're special? Putting on airs like you're in court every day? So busy meeting clients as a summer associate you can't throw on some casual pants and join the fucking team? We're paying you out the ass and writing off everything you do and pretending you're helping and you can't buy some casual pants?

this seems pretty harsh. if someone is more comfortable and confident dressing up everyday, even in a relatively more-casual environment, I don't see how it harms anyone else.

You're suit guy, aren't you?