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

[Mredav44]

Apologies for asking a dumb question, but

Do navy blue ties go with charcoal suits?

[Leprechaun]

Not clothing related, but appearance related so this might not be the right thread but thought I'd ask anyway. I'm in my early to mid 40's, and my hair is black with a good bit of grey sprinkled throughout. If you were me, would you color (Just for Men) the greys out for interviews for SA spots? Or, should I just own the fact that I'm older, and keep as is?

[ScottRiqui]

Not clothing related, but appearance related so this might not be the right thread but thought I'd ask anyway. I'm in my early to mid 40's, and my hair is black with a good bit of grey sprinkled throughout. If you were me, would you color (Just for Men) the greys out for interviews for SA spots? Or, should I just own the fact that I'm older, and keep as is?

I'm about the same age, and in a similar situation. If it's just a sprinkling of "salt and pepper", I'd probably keep it. If it's coming in grey in patches or something that might be distracting, I'd likely cover it. I'm growing a beard for the first time in 20+ years, and I'm surprised at how much grey is in it, but I'll be shaving it off before interviews so I'm not as worried about it.

[PBateman1]

Apologies for asking a dumb question, but

Do navy blue ties go with charcoal suits?

That would be an entirely acceptable look.

[Anonymous User]

So I have OCI starting tomorrow and while I have a gray and blue suit, neither are really dark, though I would not call them light either.
Is this really going to be an issue?

[First Offense]

So I have OCI starting tomorrow and while I have a gray and blue suit, neither are really dark, though I would not call them light either.
Is this really going to be an issue?

It's not an issue in the fact that no one is going to bring it up. You might be out of place (depending on how light the suit is) a bit, and there is a possibility, in some interviewers minds, that it reflects negatively on you. Most probably won't care much if at all, but some might. If you don't have a different suit/shirt (although you could always run to a store and get a shirt, but whatevs) it's not like you have another option anyway, so just go in and do your best.

[BVest]

So I have OCI starting tomorrow and while I have a gray and blue suit, neither are really dark, though I would not call them light either.
Is this really going to be an issue?

If you want a more in depth answer than above (or a recommendation of one over the other), go to suitsupply.com and post links to the two closest in color.

[Emperor of Ice-Cream]

Bros, brown or burgundy bluchers/loafers: which do you think is more versatile?

[BVest]

Bros, brown or burgundy bluchers/loafers: which do you think is more versatile?

Versatile for OCI and CBs? None of them.

[FSK]

I think you would want a pear of black cap-toe oxfords for interviews to be the most conservative possible.

[sprezz]

burgundy blucher >> brown blucher >>>> burgundy loafer / brown loafer

burgundy plays better with darker grays than brown and slides around on the formal spectrum slightly better; laced shoes are always more versatile than loafers.

burg vs brown in loafer really doesnt matter. loafer's a loafer. neither look right with darker grays or play up on the formal spectrum.

i'm assuming this isn't for go-to interview shoes, which are pretty inherently not versatile.

[Emperor of Ice-Cream]

I have black AE PAs for suits, but I'd like something for wool trousers. I think burgundy PAs are better than brown as a second pair of oxfords, but for biz casual, is dark brown or burgundy more versatile?

If a callback is business casual, aren't bluchers or loafers appropriate and better than oxfords?

[Emperor of Ice-Cream]

burgundy blucher >> brown blucher >>>> burgundy loafer / brown loafer

burgundy plays better with darker grays than brown and slides around on the formal spectrum slightly better; laced shoes are always more versatile than loafers.

burg vs brown in loafer really doesnt matter. loafer's a loafer. neither look right with darker grays or play up on the formal spectrum.

i'm assuming this isn't for go-to interview shoes, which are pretty inherently not versatile.

Just the insight I was looking for, thank you.

[LRGhost]

Literally nobody will look at your shoes and be like "Holy shit, this guy we gave a CB to is in bluchers instead of oxfords. DING!"

[Emperor of Ice-Cream]

Literally nobody suggested they would. Question about appropriateness was sartorial.

[LRGhost]

Literally nobody suggested they would. Question about appropriateness was sartorial.

A blucher is less formal but the United States are a little weird with formality compared to England but none of this even matters anymore. You shouldn't wear any kind of loafer in to work if you're looking to be appropriate. A blucher as an all around shoe is fine and I think people overstate the ubiquitousness of oxfords both as the be-all-end-all appropriate office shoe and as the "formal" decision for an office. I don't know that an office is really elevated to the level of being a formal environment even if it requires conservative business dress. Stating true ignorance here.

Colors, I think it's easier to go wrong with browns. Traditionally, brown isn't worn into the city for work. Burgundy and cordovan colors work with pretty much everything and are hard to go mess up across the various greys.

[sprezz]

for business casual in general, just scope what others in the office do, especially re: loafers. as far as color goes, i'm with LRG; burgundy's just easier than brown and no less rewarding.

your inclination's right: tradition says blucher (or brogued balmoral) is technically better for non-suit outfits than a PA. but aside from tradition, my eye sees nothing wrong with dark wool pants + jacket + burgundy PA, so while a blucher may be my 1A, a burgundy PA might be my 1B for that level of bizcas. the "tradition" is weak enough that you don't always need to wear the optimal shoe as long as you're wearing an appropriate one. and when you throw in the interview complication, there's enough artificial formality embedded in an interview regardless of dress code that blucher vs balmoral is still not conclusively blucher imo. i think it's 50-50, both equally fine, neither better than the other (but both better than loafers at least for an interview).

[KD35]

Thoughts on this really quickly: Bad or acceptable to wear the same tie to the screener and CB interviews for the same firm? Meeting with the same attorney in each, with just over a week between the two interviews.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

Thoughts on this really quickly: Bad or acceptable to wear the same tie to the screener and CB interviews for the same firm? Meeting with the same attorney in each, with just over a week between the two interviews.

No one will notice. I did this. You're fine

[chrisbru]

Thoughts on this really quickly: Bad or acceptable to wear the same tie to the screener and CB interviews for the same firm? Meeting with the same attorney in each, with just over a week between the two interviews.

No one will notice. I did this. You're fine

FWIW, "I did this" is not a convincing reasoning.

Same tie to both is fine, but wearing a different one is better. There is a very small chance they will notice, though, and even a smaller chance they would care if they did notice.

[KD35]

Thoughts on this really quickly: Bad or acceptable to wear the same tie to the screener and CB interviews for the same firm? Meeting with the same attorney in each, with just over a week between the two interviews.

No one will notice. I did this. You're fine

FWIW, "I did this" is not a convincing reasoning.

Same tie to both is fine, but wearing a different one is better. There is a very small chance they will notice, though, and even a smaller chance they would care if they did notice.

Yea the one I wore is just the best tie I have to wear with the suit that I'll be wearing. Figured it wouldn't be a big deal but I really didn't want to screw the pooch over something stupid like wearing the same tie twice. Granted, if I got dinged because of that, IDK if that's the kind of place I'd want to work.

[toothbrush]

blue shirt for cb is fine right, or should i just stick w. white

[FSK]

Thoughts on this really quickly: Bad or acceptable to wear the same tie to the screener and CB interviews for the same firm? Meeting with the same attorney in each, with just over a week between the two interviews.

Just go over to brooks and get another tie. You'll need them, and if you get a classic style you'll use it forever.

[BVest]

blue shirt for cb is fine right, or should i just stick w. white

I'm not a big fan of the blue shirt for CB, but not for formality reasons. Blue shirts tend to show sweat more, and on my very first CB (I was wearing white, thankfully), my very first interview was in the office of a partner who apparently liked the temp 78-80 degrees. I was unable to cool down for the rest of my interviews and, while I was never in a flopsweat, by the end of it my collar was soaked. Had I been wearing blue, that would have shown.

Also, being in Texas, with Aug/Sept CBs I'm generally sweating between the garage and the building door.

[Danger Zone]

Just stick with a white shirt. It's a simple rule