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

[sprezz]

Thoughts on dress boots? Maybe this is a Texas thing but I have always been complimented on these when wearing a suit: --LinkRemoved--.

Reading through this thread though perhaps this is too flashy for OCI? I'm a median guy at UT so I'm trying to play up the "Houston/UT/oil flows through these veins" cards as strongly as possible.

i'm not from texas and i'm more confident in this answer than i should be, but: interview? no. informal coffee or lunch conversation with an alum at a target firm you imagine features dress boots in the hallways on a typical day? hell yeah.

[icedflames]

Any thoughts on these for interviewing versus the park aves?

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/allen-edmon ... rd/2872721

I have these already and don't really want to purchase another if possible.

edit: in black though.

[romothesavior]

Any thoughts on these for interviewing versus the park aves?

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/allen-edmon ... rd/2872721

I have these already and don't really want to purchase another if possible.

edit: in black though.

Nice shoes but pretty flashy for an interview. Less flashy in black than in walnut, but still.

[PennBull]

Thoughts on dress boots? Maybe this is a Texas thing but I have always been complimented on these when wearing a suit: --LinkRemoved--.

Reading through this thread though perhaps this is too flashy for OCI? I'm a median guy at UT so I'm trying to play up the "Houston/UT/oil flows through these veins" cards as strongly as possible.

i'm not from texas and i'm more confident in this answer than i should be, but: interview? no. informal coffee or lunch conversation with an alum at a target firm you imagine features dress boots in the hallways on a typical day? hell yeah.

Crocodile texture doesn't exactly scream "Texas" to me

[sprezz]

Crocodile texture doesn't exactly scream "Texas" to me

heh. my response is based on the assumption that anyone receiving it can connect the dots from boots to texas, because i sure as hell can't

[hookem7]

Exotic boots always = Texas

[iMisto]

0L starting in August.

Is it too early to purchase a nice suit? I like to be ready and don't want to miss my tiny shot at a 1L SA. Thoughts or ideas?

BB/JAB seem to be good options, no?

Thanks!

[Nelson]

Is it too early to purchase a nice suit?

Depends on how much you're going to change in size over the next year.

[bowser]

Two questions:

1) I am a slim male who has a black slim-fit suit which I like the look of, but it definitely feels more like I'm going to a cocktail party than I am an office. Okay?

2) I had a 1.5-inch tear in my pants which I had a tailor sew up. The fix is a bunch of black stitching over the tear--you can tell if you look close. Would that be okay for interviews?

[wvu]

Two questions:

1) I am a slim male who has a black slim-fit suit which I like the look of, but it definitely feels more like I'm going to a cocktail party than I am an office. Okay?

2) I had a 1.5-inch tear in my pants which I had a tailor sew up. The fix is a bunch of black stitching over the tear--you can tell if you look close. Would that be okay for interviews?

Don't wear a black suit to an interview.

[SportsFan]

I can't be the only one who thinks the "YOU WON'T GET AN OFFER UNLESS YOU'RE WEARING PARK AVE'S!!!" attitude in this thread is a bit ridiculous... right? Hell, I went out and got a very nice BB suit just for OCI, but jeez you guys are a bit obsessed with the shoes.

[Nelson]

I can't be the only one who thinks the "YOU WON'T GET AN OFFER UNLESS YOU'RE WEARING PARK AVE'S!!!" attitude in this thread is a bit ridiculous... right? Hell, I went out and got a very nice BB suit just for OCI, but jeez you guys are a bit obsessed with the shoes.

Agreed. Conservative and black, but it seems silly to obsess over the cap toe thing.

[Nova]

I'm getting a pair because of this thread

[Flips88]

I can't be the only one who thinks the "YOU WON'T GET AN OFFER UNLESS YOU'RE WEARING PARK AVE'S!!!" attitude in this thread is a bit ridiculous... right? Hell, I went out and got a very nice BB suit just for OCI, but jeez you guys are a bit obsessed with the shoes.

No one actually cares what your shoes look like so long as they aren't so shitty that you'd notice.

[romothesavior]

"YOU WON'T GET AN OFFER UNLESS YOU'RE WEARING PARK AVE'S!!!" - Said no one ever

But sweet straw man.

[SportsFan]

"YOU WON'T GET AN OFFER UNLESS YOU'RE WEARING PARK AVE'S!!!" - Said no one ever

But sweet straw man.

Has anyone ITT approved of a shoe anyone posted in the last ~10 pages? I don't think so. Sure, I was exaggerating a bit, but the attitude ITT is a bit absurd. It doesn't matter what shoe someone posts, if its not Park Ave's, people find faults with it.

[romothesavior]

The best interview shoe is a black (or maybe burgundy/dark brown) captoe balmoral (i.e. non-blucher). It's highly unlikely that someone wearing a blucher, or even a non-captoe, will get dinged for it. But if the goal is to go as conservative as possible (which it is, for legal interviews) then that's the best option. This thread is simply about "best practices," it's not to say that people are certainly gonna get dinged for it.

Some of the shoes posted in the past few pages aren't being frowned on for not being AE Park Aves. It's because a pair of burgundy longwings or non-captoes with heavily brogued designs are probably too flashy to an interview. No one is saying they're bad shoes, or that they are even going to get the guy dinged, just that they're loud and not recommended for an interview.

Just what kind of shoes are you wearing, might I ask? I question the man who would buy a BB suit and then slouch on the shoes. Go big or go home.

[SportsFan]

The best interview shoe is a black (or maybe burgundy/dark brown) captoe balmoral (i.e. non-blucher). It's highly unlikely that someone wearing a blucher, or even a non-captoe, will get dinged for it. But if the goal is to go as conservative as possible (which it is, for legal interviews) then that's the best option. This thread is simply about "best practices," it's not to say that people are certainly gonna get dinged for it.

Some of the shoes posted in the past few pages aren't being frowned on for not being AE Park Aves. It's because a pair of burgundy longwings or non-captoes with heavily brogued designs are probably too flashy to an interview. No one is saying they're bad shoes, or that they are even going to get the guy dinged, just that they're loud and not recommended for an interview.

Just what kind of shoes are you wearing, might I ask? I question the man who would buy a BB suit and then slouch on the shoes. Go big or go home.

[Danger Zone]

I can't be the only one who thinks the "YOU WON'T GET AN OFFER UNLESS YOU'RE WEARING PARK AVE'S!!!" attitude in this thread is a bit ridiculous... right? Hell, I went out and got a very nice BB suit just for OCI, but jeez you guys are a bit obsessed with the shoes.

Oh cool, this again.

[SportsFan]

I can't be the only one who thinks the "YOU WON'T GET AN OFFER UNLESS YOU'RE WEARING PARK AVE'S!!!" attitude in this thread is a bit ridiculous... right? Hell, I went out and got a very nice BB suit just for OCI, but jeez you guys are a bit obsessed with the shoes.

Oh cool, this again.

I honestly wasn't aware this had been discussed before (I skim this thread pretty often but don't read every post). I'm really not trying to be a jerk or a troll or anything, I'm just surprised at peoples thoughts towards shoes.

[Danger Zone]

I can't be the only one who thinks the "YOU WON'T GET AN OFFER UNLESS YOU'RE WEARING PARK AVE'S!!!" attitude in this thread is a bit ridiculous... right? Hell, I went out and got a very nice BB suit just for OCI, but jeez you guys are a bit obsessed with the shoes.

Oh cool, this again.

I honestly wasn't aware this had been discussed before (I skim this thread pretty often but don't read every post). I'm really not trying to be a jerk or a troll or anything, I'm just surprised at peoples thoughts towards shoes.

No one is saying what you said. Instead, when people say they are looking to buy a shoe, we recommend the best possible interview shoe. When people say they already own a shoe, we evaluate it for appropriateness and make a recommendation.

Are perfect shoes necessary to receive an offer? Obviously not. Should you do everything possible in this economy to ensure that you look like you would "be a good fit" for the big firm life? Absolutely.

[romothesavior]

I honestly wasn't aware this had been discussed before (I skim this thread pretty often but don't read every post). I'm really not trying to be a jerk or a troll or anything, I'm just surprised at peoples thoughts towards shoes.

Even aside from interviewing tastes, I think this is a huge mistake that a lot of guys make. I call it the Shawshank Fallacy, aka the stupidest thing that ever came out of Morgan Freeman's mouth... maybe the only stupid thing that ever came out of Morgan Freeman's mouth. The idea that people don't look at your shoes, or that shoes are somehow an area to skimp on, is just flat out wrong. I don't think any single item can unmake a look as quickly as shoes. I can't count how many times I've seen guys in well-fitted suits, crisp shirts, sharp ties, and then looked at their feet and gone, "Really???"

I have a good friend who used to work in investment banking, and he used to relay a piece of advice he got from a senior partner at his firm: when you're in a room full of older guys, they almost invariably glance at your shoes and your belt, and they judge you for it. Having cheap or beat up belts or shoes just isn't a good look.

Again, this isn't to say that you're not gonna get a job because of your shoes. Nobody has ever said that ITT. But even interviewing aside, I don't really see the point in spending a lot of money on the other stuff (suits, ties, shirts, etc.) and then skimping on the shoes. The difference between nice shoes and crappy shoes is a lot easier for the naked eye to discern than the difference between nice shoes and a midlevel suit. I'd rather own a $300 suit that fits really well and compliment it with a nice pair of $200-300 AEs or Aldens, or at least a decent pair of Cole Haans or J&Ms, than spend $700 on a suit and pair it with a pair of cheap-looking Rockports from Macy's or the like. In your case, you're rocking a $1,000 MSRP suit with what look to be $100 patent leather abortions? It's like getting a BMW with a rusty passenger door. It's like you're trying but not really.

[Flips88]

Also, just to play devil's advocate, look on eBay. People sell lightly used shoes for pretty cheap. I bought some Park Aves for $49, which are coincidentally the only pair of nice brown dress shoes I've found in my size ever.

[ScottRiqui]

What's TCR for polishing dress shoes? Just enough to fill scuffs/scratches and keep a "glow" on them, or the full spit-shine route?

[SportsFan]

I honestly wasn't aware this had been discussed before (I skim this thread pretty often but don't read every post). I'm really not trying to be a jerk or a troll or anything, I'm just surprised at peoples thoughts towards shoes.

Even aside from interviewing tastes, I think this is a huge mistake that a lot of guys make. I call it the Shawshank Fallacy, aka the stupidest thing that ever came out of Morgan Freeman's mouth... maybe the only stupid thing that ever came out of Morgan Freeman's mouth. The idea that people don't look at your shoes, or that shoes are somehow an area to skimp on, is just flat out wrong. I don't think any single item can unmake a look as quickly as shoes. I can't count how many times I've seen guys in well-fitted suits, crisp shirts, sharp ties, and then looked at their feet and gone, "Really???"

I have a good friend who used to work in investment banking, and he used to relay a piece of advice he got from a senior partner at his firm: when you're in a room full of older guys, they almost invariably glance at your shoes and your belt, and they judge you for it. Having cheap or beat up belts or shoes just isn't a good look.

Again, this isn't to say that you're not gonna get a job because of your shoes. Nobody has ever said that ITT. But even interviewing aside, I don't really see the point in spending a lot of money on the other stuff (suits, ties, shirts, etc.) and then skimping on the shoes. The difference between nice shoes and crappy shoes is a lot easier for the naked eye to discern than the difference between nice shoes and a midlevel suit. I'd rather own a $300 suit that fits really well and compliment it with a nice pair of $200-300 AEs or Aldens, or at least a decent pair of Cole Haans or J&Ms, than spend $700 on a suit and pair it with a pair of cheap-looking Rockports from Macy's or the like. In your case, you're rocking a $1,000 MSRP suit with what look to be $100 patent leather abortions? It's like getting a BMW with a rusty passenger door. It's like you're trying but not really.

Fair enough, think what you will, but I haven't had a bad word said by anyone else who's seen them, including people who are in charge of hiring and have done MANY interviews.