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Just ordered a Thick as Thieves (MTM) suit in navy nailhead. I hope I don't regret it. Also, anyone have cheap shoe recommendation so I can ditch these rubber soled dockers?

eth3n wrote:Just ordered a slightly modified conservative-cut Thick as Thieves suit in navy nailhead. I hope I don't regret it. Also, anyone have cheap shoe recommendation so I can ditch these rubber soled dockers?

Florsheims. You can get a Leather soled Balmoral Oxford for ~$50 if you search through Nordstrom Rack or Marshalls. I got a pair of Florsheim Lexington Cap-Toes for $45 at a sample sale store.

You can get a much more credited pair of Allen Edmonds Park Avenues on eBay from solid sellers for under $100, new or near-new.

eth3n wrote:Just ordered a Thick as Thieves (MTM) suit in navy nailhead. I hope I don't regret it. Also, anyone have cheap shoe recommendation so I can ditch these rubber soled dockers?

Very interested as well. I've been doing some searching online, and I've found a few websites with some decent deals. Google has been my friend.

I guess where I'm at in the Midwest, nobody really cares what kind of sole you have. I've always employed the Morgan Freeman from Shawshank Redemption attitude; I mean, how often do you look at a guy's shoes? For that reason, the shoes have been pretty much the last thing I've worried about. But if I'm going to be wearing a suit in front of people who do care, then I might need to get a few pairs of leather soled shoes to go with my new suits.

romothesavior wrote:

eth3n wrote:Just ordered a Thick as Thieves (MTM) suit in navy nailhead. I hope I don't regret it. Also, anyone have cheap shoe recommendation so I can ditch these rubber soled dockers?

Very interested as well. I've been doing some searching online, and I've found a few websites with some decent deals. Google has been my friend.

I guess where I'm at in the Midwest, nobody really cares what kind of sole you have. I've always employed the Morgan Freeman from Shawshank Redemption attitude; I mean, how often do you look at a guy's shoes? For that reason, the shoes have been pretty much the last thing I've worried about. But if I'm going to be wearing a suit in front of people who do care, then I might need to get a few pairs of leather soled shoes to go with my new suits.

I honestly have trouble imagining a situation in which rubber soled shoes would hurt you in an interview. First, the person wouldn't be able to tell 99% of the time, unless you crossed your legs or something. Second, it's more about the upper of the shoe and how clean and polished it looks. As long as you're not wearing cheap payless shoes, any number of nice rubber soled shoes should work. At least until you actually start pulling in the $$$, it'd be ridiculous to believe that rubber soled shoes are somehow unacceptable for a young law student or lawyer. This isn't even about tradition v. experimentation. Leather soles are definitely desirable, but nowhere near a must at this point in our "careers."

And I briefly considered ordering a MTM suit online from Indochino, but reconsidered mostly because I didn't trust that they would actually make the suit with the exact measurements I gave them. Some dude posted a measurement chart on his blog that suggested giving the site adjusted figures to sort of game the system and prevent tailors from making the suit how they thought it should be made rather than how you had ordered it. But all of this made me nervous and I just held off.

BunkMoreland wrote:You can get a much more credited pair of Allen Edmonds Park Avenues on eBay from solid sellers for under $100, new or near-new.

True. I would opt for Allen Edmond Park Avenues if the price were right. However my lack of confidence with the eBay limits me in that respect.

HenryKillinger wrote:

BunkMoreland wrote:You can get a much more credited pair of Allen Edmonds Park Avenues on eBay from solid sellers for under $100, new or near-new.

True. I would opt for Allen Edmond Park Avenues if the price were right. However my lack of confidence with the eBay limits me in that respect.

There's no need to lack confidence in eBay if you use the site the right way. I have bought and sold so many things on there, including watches, shoes, laptops, cameras, iPhones... and never had a bad experience (knock on wood).

Here's a pretty standard checklist to go over before buying from mass-sellers:

1) Is the seller US-based? If not, move on.

2) Is his feedback rating 98%+? If not, move on.

3) Has he sold other items identical to the one you want to buy? If so, read feedback left by buyers of that item.

Buying from individual sellers:

1) Ask to see more pictures, and ask for some random specific shot, like the inside of the tongue of a shoe. If he can't or won't provide pics, usually a bad sign.

2) Generally avoid non-US sellers and those with feedback less than 90%. I lowered the standard here because individual sellers have less transactions and all it takes is one customer unsatisfied with shipping to knock his % down significantly.

3) Expect the condition of a used item to be worse than the seller advertises. Not much worse, but worse. Honestly, with clothes, I would avoid used stuff altogether unless it is truly a find you can't pass up.

leobowski wrote:Jeez Duralex's babbling is worthless. It's like a small child clamoring to be heard at the dinner table. Good luck with your freakin cotton khaki suits and rubber-soled loafers, goofball.

(a) I'm 30 (b) If I do as well as the other 'goofballs' in LA similarly attired, I'll be quite pleased, thanks.

Also, Weejuns, while cheap, are leather soled. I didn't say 'wear Top-Siders' for crissakes.

It's amazing how tight-assed people are about this stuff.

Waterman's ebay advice is right on.

Duralex wrote:

leobowski wrote:Jeez Duralex's babbling is worthless. It's like a small child clamoring to be heard at the dinner table. Good luck with your freakin cotton khaki suits and rubber-soled loafers, goofball.

(a) I'm 30 (b) If I do as well as the other 'goofballs' in LA similarly attired, I'll be quite pleased, thanks.

Also, Weejuns, while cheap, are leather soled. I didn't say 'wear Top-Siders' for crissakes.

It's amazing how tight-assed people are about this stuff.

Waterman's ebay advice is right on.

Or you're just wrong, fool.

GodSpeed wrote:

Duralex wrote:

leobowski wrote:Jeez Duralex's babbling is worthless. It's like a small child clamoring to be heard at the dinner table. Good luck with your freakin cotton khaki suits and rubber-soled loafers, goofball.

(a) I'm 30 (b) If I do as well as the other 'goofballs' in LA similarly attired, I'll be quite pleased, thanks.

Also, Weejuns, while cheap, are leather soled. I didn't say 'wear Top-Siders' for crissakes.

It's amazing how tight-assed people are about this stuff.

Waterman's ebay advice is right on.

Or you're just wrong, fool.

Wearing shoes that aren't laceups to interviews is clearly tcr.

Or you're just wrong, fool.

Could be. Wouldn't be the first time, won't be the last. Still, I've actually worked at a law firm for years, unlike most of the people ITT who are hoping to do so. And personally know the kind of people they want to be hired by. Those who think I'm full of shit are welcome to disregard my opinion. These are not matters of earthshaking consequence, and the safest path is of course the most conservative look.

And for the umpteenth time, I see loafers in the office, I do not attend interviews.

Practice law for a decade or so and get back to me.

Duralex wrote:

Or you're just wrong, fool.

Could be. Wouldn't be the first time, won't be the last. Still, I've actually worked at a law firm for years, unlike most of the people ITT who are hoping to do so. And personally know the kind of people they want to be hired by. Those who think I'm full of shit are welcome to disregard my opinion. These are not matters of earthshaking consequence, and the safest path is of course the most conservative look.

And for the umpteenth time, I see loafers in the office, I do not attend interviews.

Practice law for a decade or so and get back to me.

You haven't practiced law for an hour.

You stubbornly insist on interchanging office clothing for interview clothing.

Hoho, such wit. I'm pretty sure the loafer wearing hiring partners I know have. Did you ignore the DC-based anecdote above (dated, but still....)

Anyway, wasn't this thread about both daily and interview wear? I'm not purposefully ignoring the distinction.

You guys are looking for an echo gallery for the conventional wisdom (fair enough, it's safe and generally not confusing--that's probably what the majority of new attorneys need) so I'm going to leave you in possession of the field. Enjoy!

Duralex wrote:Hoho, such wit. I'm pretty sure the loafer wearing hiring partners I know have. Did you ignore the DC-based anecdote above (dated, but still....)

Anyway, wasn't this thread about both daily and interview wear? I'm not purposefully ignoring the distinction.

You guys are looking for an echo gallery for the conventional wisdom (fair enough, it's safe and generally not confusing--that's probably what the majority of new attorneys need) so I'm going to leave you in possession of the field. Enjoy!

God STFU already. You're an 0L and you've obviously never appeared in court or interviewed for serious legal positions. Having parents for lawyers and some sort of paralegal job doesn't make you the authority on how young attorneys should dress. It'd be completely different if you were an investment banker or something like that. You're not. STFU.

leobowski wrote:

Duralex wrote:Hoho, such wit. I'm pretty sure the loafer wearing hiring partners I know have. Did you ignore the DC-based anecdote above (dated, but still....)

Anyway, wasn't this thread about both daily and interview wear? I'm not purposefully ignoring the distinction.

You guys are looking for an echo gallery for the conventional wisdom (fair enough, it's safe and generally not confusing--that's probably what the majority of new attorneys need) so I'm going to leave you in possession of the field. Enjoy!

God STFU already. You're an 0L and you've obviously never appeared in court or interviewed for serious legal positions. Having parents for lawyers and some sort of paralegal job doesn't make you the authority on how young attorneys should dress. It'd be completely different if you were an investment banker or something like that. You're not. STFU.

I especially like the part where the paralegal told the practicing licensed attorney, "Practice law for a decade or so and get back to me."

I especially like the part where practicing attorneys are so insecure at being disagreed with by a 0L paraglegal about dress that they imply having completed law school somehow makes them an authority on fashion....now THAT's funny. (FWIW, I've been to court [sit behind the bar, obviously.] Yes, I wore lace-ups.)

And, in case you actually have no sense of humor and are not pretending--I was suggesting that you might want more comfortable shoes about ten years from now.

Seriously, I've said my piece. It's clear you guys are confident about what you're wearing. Good. C'ya around.

Duralex wrote:I especially like the part where practicing attorneys are so insecure at being disagreed with by a 0L paraglegal about dress that they imply having completed law school somehow makes them an authority on fashion....now THAT's funny.

And, in case you actually have no sense of humor and are not pretending--I was suggesting that you might want more comfortable shoes about ten years from now.

Seriously, I've said my piece. It's clear you guys are confident about what you're wearing. Good. C'ya around.

"Go practice law for 10 years"
"What? You're your mother's paralegal. I'm a licensed practicing attorney"
"Oh sure, play the 'I finished law school card' "
--ImageRemoved--

Didn't quite get that--I'm saying wear nothing but lace ups for ten years, keep an eye on what other lawyers wear, and see if you change your mind--I'm not challenging you on a point of law--but the pic is awesome. I'm stealing it.

Okay I know this is the lounge, but this is a really helpful thread. Let's go back to chastising those who wear button downs with ties or something more useful.

I just bought my first suit! Some of the advice on here was very helpful. I ended up going with charcoal, and I'm picking it up next Tuesday after it gets tailored. It was pretty odd to buy one, since before this all I owned were t-shirts, jeans, and a couple nice dress shirts. Descent into lawyerdom, begin!

Waterman47 wrote:

romothesavior wrote:

eth3n wrote:Just ordered a Thick as Thieves (MTM) suit in navy nailhead. I hope I don't regret it. Also, anyone have cheap shoe recommendation so I can ditch these rubber soled dockers?

Very interested as well. I've been doing some searching online, and I've found a few websites with some decent deals. Google has been my friend.

I guess where I'm at in the Midwest, nobody really cares what kind of sole you have. I've always employed the Morgan Freeman from Shawshank Redemption attitude; I mean, how often do you look at a guy's shoes? For that reason, the shoes have been pretty much the last thing I've worried about. But if I'm going to be wearing a suit in front of people who do care, then I might need to get a few pairs of leather soled shoes to go with my new suits.

I honestly have trouble imagining a situation in which rubber soled shoes would hurt you in an interview. First, the person wouldn't be able to tell 99% of the time, unless you crossed your legs or something. Second, it's more about the upper of the shoe and how clean and polished it looks. As long as you're not wearing cheap payless shoes, any number of nice rubber soled shoes should work. At least until you actually start pulling in the $$$, it'd be ridiculous to believe that rubber soled shoes are somehow unacceptable for a young law student or lawyer. This isn't even about tradition v. experimentation. Leather soles are definitely desirable, but nowhere near a must at this point in our "careers."

And I briefly considered ordering a MTM suit online from Indochino, but reconsidered mostly because I didn't trust that they would actually make the suit with the exact measurements I gave them. Some dude posted a measurement chart on his blog that suggested giving the site adjusted figures to sort of game the system and prevent tailors from making the suit how they thought it should be made rather than how you had ordered it. But all of this made me nervous and I just held off.

While I was still living in the US, I ordered a pretty basic suit from Indochino for what I thought was a decent price around $350, but when it arrived the shoulders were just terrible and bumpy. It was recommended to me by a friend, and his suits look great, so it's a toss up really.

This was about two years ago, and from what I've seen they've improved dramatically so I may give them another chance once I get back to the US.

Thick as Thieves is great though. Jason does everything and is very accommodating. I think he even does the measurements himself if you live in LA. Definitely recommend TaT over most suits OTR in that price range. $500 or so. It's fully canvassed as well, so you are getting a quality suit.

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eth3n wrote:

elmagic wrote:

eth3n wrote:Just ordered a Thick as Thieves (MTM) suit in navy nailhead. I hope I don't regret it. Also, anyone have cheap shoe recommendation so I can ditch these rubber soled dockers?

Thick as Thieves is great though. Jason does everything and is very accommodating. I think he even does the measurements himself if you live in LA. Definitely recommend TaT over most suits OTR in that price range. $500 or so. It's fully canvassed as well, so you are getting a quality suit.

lol. I am trying to listen to IRL friends who have gotten TaT and not the guys over at SF who have mixed feelings about it. I just want a suit that fits well, so hopefully I am not taking too big of a gamble. My last sale JAB suit was baggy and meh even after tailoring so I thought it would be worth it for the MTM.

I have two TaT suits and they are comparable in quality and fit to a RLBL I have which is made by Corneliani, then again I am no suit expert so take from that what you want. Although I can assure you they are much higher quality than any sack suit you get at JAB.

A few questions (forgive me I haven't read through all 39 pages):

I have only one suit currently and it's a cheap black one from a department store. I obviously need to buy more.

How bad are the suits from Men's warehouse or Joesph A. Banks? Is the disdain on the pages I did read ITT from the look/cut/or merely the quality? Am I better to just drive to a Brooks Brothers when they are having a sale? Better to order MTM off the internet?

To further complicate, I'd ideally like to lost another inch or two off my gut. Should I wait or this not going to make that big of a difference?

blowhard wrote:A few questions (forgive me I haven't read through all 39 pages):

I have only one suit currently and it's a cheap black one from a department store. I obviously need to buy more.

How bad are the suits from Men's warehouse or Joesph A. Banks? Is the disdain on the pages I did read ITT from the look/cut/or merely the quality? Am I better to just drive to a Brooks Brothers when they are having a sale? Better to order MTM off the internet?

To further complicate, I'd ideally like to lost another inch or two off my gut. Should I wait or this not going to make that big of a difference?

Terrible, even for what you pay. It's a $250 suit worth $75 on sale for $190.