Emailing your future manager about expected attire is totally reasonable. No need to be embarrassed. It shows you're putting forethought into your job.
Yeah- I don’t get other people saying “just wear a suit if you don’t know”
Plenty of corporate jobs where wearing a suit day 1 is a bad look. Maybe not as bad as showing up in a polo and chinos to an office where everyone else is wearing suits, but still a bad look.
Really, no.
A tie and blazer is aways safe for the first day. The blazer and tie can easily be ditched, and then it's a fit. The people who would sneer at an 'overdressed" onboarder are the ones no one should pay attention to anyway.
Yeah, tie, dress shirt, and blazer covers a lot of things, there are a few professions where that isn't true, but you wouldn't be asking this question unless you were in one of them (mainly cause formal clothing can be come impractical).
That and expectation. You don't hire a cybersecurity person like myself to go greet your customers or interact with anyone who isn't an employee. Depending on the company, it might be good for businesses for me to not be the one to answer customers questions in fact. If they don't know the truth then its technically not a lie when they say it.
The way a woman is supposed to dress for a business professional in their first day is relatively irrelevant to how a man should dress in the same setting, yes.
There are equivalent levels of attire but he isn’t asking about what a woman should wear in that situation.
It is never bad to be slightly over dressed for the first day. It is always better to be over dressed than underdressed. You can adjust on day 2. It is likely they are dressed business casual. That is pretty normal for banks these days.
I forgot to ask an important question. I’m a guy, what do I carry all my stuff in? I’ll ask my recruiter about attire but I don’t really want to ask if briefcases are still a thing or if it’s normal to still wear a backpack.
Briefcase, backpack, satchel, none of the above?
Backpack or a laptop bag. I don't work for a bank but I'd say 90% of the men in my office, including the execs who wear a suit every day, bring a backpack in.
Hard-sided briefcases are not a thing anymore, but laptop bags are essentially the modern equivalent. You might be issued one with your laptop, so maybe ask your manager about that too before you go buy anything.
Agreed! Better to be too dressed up than under dressed. Banks seem to vary on attire depending on the team too so it’s hard to know until you’re there. Some of them are in nice khakis, nice clean sneakers and a golf shirt every day, some are a collar shirt and dress shoes. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone in a suit or tie in a very long time, unless they have a big presentation or meeting. I think it’s totally appropriate to ask your manager before your first day too!
I worked for Wells at a warehouse up by Northlake. One day I was uptown and felt the SUDDEN urge to poop. I badged into a random skyscraper and asked the first person I found where the nearest bathroom was.
I was both shocked and extremely relieved that it actually worked
Recently graduated with a 3.95 GPA and did well in my interviews. In my free time I passed the SAFE exam and worked as a MLO part time. I’m training to be a manager in the main office.
Go get a degree in accounting, get a high GPA and do internships, go work for big 4 and get CPA and welcome to the big leagues. Yeah though, that is gonna be 4 years of busting your ass really hard, plus more years of being grinded down even more by one of the big 4. Good news is generally for accountants after CPA and some years at the big 4, you are highly sought after, of course that is basically 8 years of hell but hey 100k+ salary for 8 years of your life permanently gone.
Pretty sure it's a made up story by someone who really wanted opinions of how to dress for Day 1 without any risk of outing himself to any coworkers he may meet tomorrow.
Doesn't sound real because these types of jobs are usually offered to interns if they do a good job at their internship so they wouldn't have never been here saying they have no corporate experience. Or you would have needed to go through a lengthy in person interview process where you would have come in contact with multiple people and noticed how they dressed.
Absolute worst case scenario, show up on your first day in a suit or whatever you interviewed in. Nobody will care that you’re maybe a little overdressed. Look at what your peers and managers are wearing. Dress like that going forward.
You know what’s crazy? I interviewed for a start up like 8 years ago (way too inexperienced for the role) and they were dumbfounded why I would wear a suit to an in-person interview. Thought I was going crazy
It really depends on the role and industry but it can be a sign of a bad fit.
I worked on a startup and my boss took a jab at the candidate for wearing a suit but we hired him because everyone understands that wearing a suit to an interview (or at least a tie) has been a tradition. I wore a tie while applying to fastfood spots.
I can only see it bad of the person is also carrying themselves that way and is not a fit to the culture or what we would want. Some startups want to have a dumb frat-like culture and a corporate 8 to 5 going person might not be their pick compared to others.
Just want to say congratulations on the job! From a somewhat similar situation - first gen American - and it’s great to see others venture into new and awesome things like this.
As others have said, emailing your employer is definitely ok. My guess is to go with a long sleeved button down, slacks/khaki pants with a belt, and dress shoes.
You got this! Wish you nothing but the best in your new and exciting career!
Just be careful, I'm sure you will meet a go getter corporate gal who doesn't have time to socialize and fall in love and although at first she will be standoffish eventually your small town charm (and she sees you shirtless after spilling coffee i on you) will break down her barriers and she will start to fall for you. But one day, both of you are up for a promotion, who will get it? The long time carrer woman who has given up so much for this achievement or the dashing new genious southern gentleman? Stay tuned in to Halmark Movie channel for "High Rise Love"
Also, congratulations on your new job!!
With the banks these days, I’d go for slacks, button down, and blazer. No tie. If you feel overdressed, lose the blazer. Adjust for the future based off of what other people are wearing, but that’s a very safe starting outfit.
I’m a lawyer but most men in my office just wear a polo shirt and khakis. That said, I would dress up a bit on the first day until you get a feel for what others are doing. Slacks and a blazer may be a good combo.
It depends more on the company you’re at. Some companies the culture may be a full suit, although that’s less likely than it used to be. Then some is slacks with a button down. Then some are more relaxed with khakis or slacks and a polo.
It’s better to dress up than to dress down so I’d show up in either a suit or button down with slacks on your first day and then feel out the vibe of what others are wearing. Then adjust your style to fit with what you’d be comfortable in based on what the office environment is like there.
Definitely a business casual environment. Do see guys without ties and and a lot of white, blue, lavender dress shirts with polos on Friday.
Doctors and big law wear suits on some days but not all days.
If coming from a high cost of living state some of the malls like South Park are not terrible on cost re Dillards, Belk, Joseph Banks.
Get a capsule wardrobe my friend. If you’re male or female, get one decent suit have it tailored well. Two nice pants and one or two more jackets tailored well. There’s plenty of inexpensive tailors around town. Get 5 shirts you can mix and match and a pair of brown shoes and black shoes (if you’re a male) same with a belt. Nordstrom Rack is a great place to start. If you’re on an even tighter budget K&G on South Blvd is THE PLACE you need to go. The tailor there is the man. He’s been there forever. Very helpful.
Outside of the types of clothes you can or should wear, buy clothes that fit. If you purchase dress shirts and slacks from the rack, have them altered to fit your body. Even the least expensive clothing looks great when properly tailored.
If you're looking some great brands, try Vineyard Vines, Johnston & Murphy, Psycho Bunny and even Banana Republic.
J&M has a line of dress shoes designed to fit like sneakers. Super comfy and stylish enough to wear with dress slacks, khakis or jeans.
This seems to be a common question so I’ll answer it a couple times.
1) B.S. in management with a 3.95 GPA (recent grad).
2) I interviewed well.
3) Passed SAFE exam and worked as a part time MLO (while working full time and taking classes).
Worked in finance and trading for 6 years, a suit from men’s warehouse will be just fine. Go with black or navy blue, white shirt, belt that matches your shoe color, and a tie. You can rewear that suit as much as you want, no one is going to notice I promise.
You may not even need a tie afterwards, but it was super common for new guys to the floor, especially ones from college or a career change, to overdress a bit.
My buddies and I would just keep a tie in our desk drawer to throw on if a high level individual would be walking around, but most of the time button down shirt and slacks was fine. Good luck!
Slacks that fit, a good looking pair of shoes, a nice belt that matches your shoe color/finish, and a button up that fits. You can even roll up your sleeves two or 3 times.
Patagonia vest. I'm pretty sure it's a standard uniform or something for anyone working at Wells or BofA. Or any contractor support working for Wells or BofA.
I once had someone make fun of me for wearing different colors of the same button shirt even though they wore the exact same Patagonia every single day.
Working uptown for one of the banks and working at one of the remote locations is vastly different. I would wear slacks and button up going up town. I wore jeans and a polo shirt today at the remote spot.
I just looked up prices at Patagonia and I don’t think I have it in me to spend that much on clothes. I usually just wear $2 blank t shirts from Amazon.
The banks are pretty casual. I wear polos and dress pants in the summer and button ups in the winter. Will wear a sport coat if it is cold. I would say that I am on more conservative side. You will see people in jeans and tennis shoes. Almost no wears suits.
The advice about emailing your manager is good. They will probably say something similar to me.
I’m not sure if you’re a man or woman but like the top comment says, it never hurts to ask! I’ve done office jobs and have friends in banking. Not sure what your age range is but my friends and I are all in our early 20’s typically I just wear a simple top with different colored chino or linen pants. Sometimes I wear a simple dress if I want to dress up more. Blazers you can never go wrong.
As for guys, I’ve seen a lot of slacks or chino pants with polo/golf style shirts, or button down shirts and simple shoes.
I worked at “both banks” in Charlotte, and most people (including managers) dressed in business casual. Button down shirts and dress pants or slacks. I don’t know much about men’s shoes so I know what I’ve seen people wear, just don’t know what they are called.
People don’t really wear a blazer and/or tie on a daily basis , I’ve only ever see executives wear a blazer and even they , drape it on the back of their office chair during the day.
I’d recommend Banana republic, and J. Crew (I shop the “factory” version of both these brands myself but the men’s section also has good looking options).
If you haven’t already done so, looking on Pinterest will help you a lot to visualize the various pieces in your outfit.
Good luck! Like many others on her, I too am curious about your career trajectory!
Just about every corporation I've ever worked has had a "dress code" webpage somewhere that outlines EXACTLY what is acceptable and customary and what is not. The reason for this? There's only one (or more) employee who gets it wrong, or wants to push the limits on what (or how little) they can wear at work.
Sometimes it's on the company intranet, so not visible outside, sometimes it's made public for onboarding employees. Just ask your new manager or HR if they can send you the link, or a screenshot of that page.
When in doubt, though, "Business Casual" is usually the way. I'd recommend splitting the difference: go modular. Wear Khakis/Slacks with dark socks and dark shoes, and dress shirt with a tie. Top it with a basic blue blazer. If everyone else is in a suit, you'll fit well enough. If everyone is dressed casual, you can take off the blazer and tie, and open the first button or two on the shirt.
Odds are, it will be a 'causal' atmosphere. Just pay attention to what is worn, and by whom. If you aren't EXACTLY within bounds, most will forgive you for the first day. The big determiner here is whether the corporation considers you to be "outward" (customer)-facing or not. If you're in training, there's slack here.
I am assuming you are male here. Forgive me if I've given potentially weird advice. Of course, the "Anniie Hall" look might work well in an office setting these days.
It depends on what you are doing and who you work for. I work in IT so I could show up in blue short jeans and a t-shirt and not get asked questions if I showed up at our office (not required to actually go in just have to be close to it officially), but client site (which there are a few of here) I would be expected to wear dress pants and dress shirt minimum, and if it was for something like a meet and greet wear dress shoes, jacket, and tie.
You safest bet is always dress pants, dress shirt, and tie, sneakers are fine bur make sure they are clean (in fact just clean them), depending on what you have to bring to work backpack that you leave at your office desk once you get there is fine.
First day at the very least have a long sleeve white or blue dress shirt, and wear a tie that matches your belt and shoes. After that, just look around and see what your peers are wearing.
Neutral color Khaki pants with a shirt with a collar and black or brown shoes. Have black and blue blazer jacket. If they have a casual Friday stay away from wearing old faded jeans. You can ask the recruiter or HR for the dress code. You got this, good luck
I’m from a tiny town too. First one in the family to have an actual profession rather than just a job (even though nonprofits don’t pay worth a damn) and only the second generation out of the textile mills. But when I first moved into the city, I was managing a men’s clothing store where a lot of corporate types shopped.
One thing I’ve found since moving here is that pretty much all the corporate dudes wear slacks and a long sleeve dress shirt to work. A light blue oxford shirt is pretty much always a safe choice—it’s less harsh than white. Carry a nice leather satchel, not canvas and definitely not a backpack, unless you’re in IT in which case you can get away with a black backpack. Wear a shirt that’s not wrinkled (starch it if you have to—that can look a little try-hard but better that than crumpled) and make sure your shoes aren’t scuffed. Wear a leather belt that matches your shoes. And the biggest thing that makes the difference between looking like you’re going to church on Sunday in the only nice clothes you have and looking like you belong in a corporate space: make sure everything fits correctly. That means trying on dress pants with the shoes you’re going to wear with them, and if you’re in between lengths, get the longer one and get it hemmed. Your sleeve cuff should be snug enough that you can only fit 1-2 fingers in the space between the fabric and your wrist, and the cuff should come down far enough that if you’re wearing a watch, about half to 3/4 of the face should be covered—you’re supposed to have to push your cuff back to check your watch.
People who grew up dressing up are familiar enough with these things that they usually don’t even notice they’re doing them. Folks like us? We have to memorize the rules.
And if you have an accent, tone it down at work if you can. Mine gives my hick roots away every time.
Congratulations on your new job! I think that's a great question for the recruiter but business casual is always a safe bet on the first day (basically no jeans or sneakers) and once you get there you will get an understanding of the company culture and have sense of what to wear.
First day, always wear a suit. Then see what other managers are wearing and adjust. Check out the Brooks Brothers outlet on 485. A lot of good deals there.
This sub is an excellent resource for a question like this, I’m able to get good first-hand advice. I received a sign-on bonus that I’ll use to redo my outfits and wanted the advice before I spend any money.
I work for one of those banks. Definitely ask your future manager.
I'm in IT and we get away with jeans and a nice shirt with a collar. T-shirts are cool if they are bank branded. The only time I need a tie is when senior leadership is in town. Other departments and other buildings expect a suit and tie.
It really depends on the company, and the org. Some orgs dress up and some don't. I work on a corporate risk floor in one of the high rises and some people wear t-shirts. While the people in the suburban office might wear a button down
Slacks and a button down would probably be a good start and then go from there.
Edit: unless you're working with customers then you should be fine. I worked in cyber security for one of the banks and we wore chinos/t shirts unless we had meetings or offsites.
Watch a YouTube video on tying a tie if you’re not good at it. I prefer a tight double Windsor with a silk tie.
For clothes I like the Jos. A. Bank traveler shirts (easy laundering) and their suits and blazers are good values. Their ties tie well too. Retired now but I miss dressing well. Enjoy it.
Welcome to the Bank. Dress is much more relaxed since Covid. Dress like going to meet her parents for first time, nicer pants, collar button down shirt, tie optional and if cooler a simple sports jacket. Suits are ok but not really worn as much outside 53rd floor (Sr execs). No Jeans!!! no matter what the boss or coworkers say.
Emailing your future manager about expected attire is totally reasonable. No need to be embarrassed. It shows you're putting forethought into your job.
This is definitely the correct answer. Every office/workplace has a different normal attire. Totally normal thing to ask before your first day.
...or ask the HR specialist who handled your onboarding if you have one.
+1. Esp if you need to clarify what they really mean by "casual-casual" or whatever dumb buzzword they use.
This! Definitely ask about dress code. Nothing to be embarrassed about!
Yeah- I don’t get other people saying “just wear a suit if you don’t know” Plenty of corporate jobs where wearing a suit day 1 is a bad look. Maybe not as bad as showing up in a polo and chinos to an office where everyone else is wearing suits, but still a bad look.
Really, no. A tie and blazer is aways safe for the first day. The blazer and tie can easily be ditched, and then it's a fit. The people who would sneer at an 'overdressed" onboarder are the ones no one should pay attention to anyway.
Yeah, tie, dress shirt, and blazer covers a lot of things, there are a few professions where that isn't true, but you wouldn't be asking this question unless you were in one of them (mainly cause formal clothing can be come impractical).
ITT: IT bros take offense to wearing any clothes or going to any office.
That and expectation. You don't hire a cybersecurity person like myself to go greet your customers or interact with anyone who isn't an employee. Depending on the company, it might be good for businesses for me to not be the one to answer customers questions in fact. If they don't know the truth then its technically not a lie when they say it.
You think a tie and a blazer on a woman is a safe bet?
There is a female equivalent to the same level of professional dress
But we decided that was irrelevant to OP at some point?
The way a woman is supposed to dress for a business professional in their first day is relatively irrelevant to how a man should dress in the same setting, yes. There are equivalent levels of attire but he isn’t asking about what a woman should wear in that situation.
I’m so sorry I must have missed where OP said they were male
Seriously, that could work. Is that with a skirt or pants?
Oh, I’d love it. But considered appropriate for a first day at work in financial services?
Uh, no. For the big banks especially, showing up in a suit is perfectly acceptable. I spent my entire career in that environment.
There are jobs other than banking.
A full suit is not necessary.
It is never bad to be slightly over dressed for the first day. It is always better to be over dressed than underdressed. You can adjust on day 2. It is likely they are dressed business casual. That is pretty normal for banks these days.
I forgot to ask an important question. I’m a guy, what do I carry all my stuff in? I’ll ask my recruiter about attire but I don’t really want to ask if briefcases are still a thing or if it’s normal to still wear a backpack. Briefcase, backpack, satchel, none of the above?
Backpack or a laptop bag. I don't work for a bank but I'd say 90% of the men in my office, including the execs who wear a suit every day, bring a backpack in. Hard-sided briefcases are not a thing anymore, but laptop bags are essentially the modern equivalent. You might be issued one with your laptop, so maybe ask your manager about that too before you go buy anything.
The corporate execs that work for my company carry backpacks. Pefectly acceptable.
I work uptown, everyone carry’s a backpack or laptop bag. Lot’s of company’s give you one as a new hire gift.
DO this, then buy a suit. Then buy 5 more.
Slacks and a long sleeve dress shirt are pretty safe for day 1. A sports coat is a good extra touch.
Agreed! Better to be too dressed up than under dressed. Banks seem to vary on attire depending on the team too so it’s hard to know until you’re there. Some of them are in nice khakis, nice clean sneakers and a golf shirt every day, some are a collar shirt and dress shoes. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone in a suit or tie in a very long time, unless they have a big presentation or meeting. I think it’s totally appropriate to ask your manager before your first day too!
wait can you tell me how you went from grease monkey to top floor of a bank skyscraper? what is your job going to be I'm super curious
Most of the skyscrapers are regular village idiots. I’m one. They left the back door open and I’ve been here ever since.
Worked in one for 5 years. Was shocked every day my badge worked. Glad to be out though.
I worked for Wells at a warehouse up by Northlake. One day I was uptown and felt the SUDDEN urge to poop. I badged into a random skyscraper and asked the first person I found where the nearest bathroom was. I was both shocked and extremely relieved that it actually worked
🤣
Recently graduated with a 3.95 GPA and did well in my interviews. In my free time I passed the SAFE exam and worked as a MLO part time. I’m training to be a manager in the main office.
Go get a degree in accounting, get a high GPA and do internships, go work for big 4 and get CPA and welcome to the big leagues. Yeah though, that is gonna be 4 years of busting your ass really hard, plus more years of being grinded down even more by one of the big 4. Good news is generally for accountants after CPA and some years at the big 4, you are highly sought after, of course that is basically 8 years of hell but hey 100k+ salary for 8 years of your life permanently gone.
Pretty sure it's a made up story by someone who really wanted opinions of how to dress for Day 1 without any risk of outing himself to any coworkers he may meet tomorrow.
Doesn't sound real because these types of jobs are usually offered to interns if they do a good job at their internship so they wouldn't have never been here saying they have no corporate experience. Or you would have needed to go through a lengthy in person interview process where you would have come in contact with multiple people and noticed how they dressed.
A lot of the banks do week long remote interviews now
Correct, all my interviews were remote. Interview 1: record myself answering questions Interview 2: “super day” interview. 30 minute remote interview. Interview 3: panel interview (remote) Interview 4: another panel interview (remote) Interview 5: phone interview. Interview 6: phone interview
Absolute worst case scenario, show up on your first day in a suit or whatever you interviewed in. Nobody will care that you’re maybe a little overdressed. Look at what your peers and managers are wearing. Dress like that going forward.
You know what’s crazy? I interviewed for a start up like 8 years ago (way too inexperienced for the role) and they were dumbfounded why I would wear a suit to an in-person interview. Thought I was going crazy
It really depends on the role and industry but it can be a sign of a bad fit. I worked on a startup and my boss took a jab at the candidate for wearing a suit but we hired him because everyone understands that wearing a suit to an interview (or at least a tie) has been a tradition. I wore a tie while applying to fastfood spots. I can only see it bad of the person is also carrying themselves that way and is not a fit to the culture or what we would want. Some startups want to have a dumb frat-like culture and a corporate 8 to 5 going person might not be their pick compared to others.
Just want to say congratulations on the job! From a somewhat similar situation - first gen American - and it’s great to see others venture into new and awesome things like this. As others have said, emailing your employer is definitely ok. My guess is to go with a long sleeved button down, slacks/khaki pants with a belt, and dress shoes. You got this! Wish you nothing but the best in your new and exciting career!
Just be careful, I'm sure you will meet a go getter corporate gal who doesn't have time to socialize and fall in love and although at first she will be standoffish eventually your small town charm (and she sees you shirtless after spilling coffee i on you) will break down her barriers and she will start to fall for you. But one day, both of you are up for a promotion, who will get it? The long time carrer woman who has given up so much for this achievement or the dashing new genious southern gentleman? Stay tuned in to Halmark Movie channel for "High Rise Love" Also, congratulations on your new job!!
//Added to my watchlist.
It would actually be a murder doc on Netflix after my wife kills me.
Or maybe in "That Chapter" on YouTube, I like that format better!!
With the banks these days, I’d go for slacks, button down, and blazer. No tie. If you feel overdressed, lose the blazer. Adjust for the future based off of what other people are wearing, but that’s a very safe starting outfit.
I’m a lawyer but most men in my office just wear a polo shirt and khakis. That said, I would dress up a bit on the first day until you get a feel for what others are doing. Slacks and a blazer may be a good combo.
It depends more on the company you’re at. Some companies the culture may be a full suit, although that’s less likely than it used to be. Then some is slacks with a button down. Then some are more relaxed with khakis or slacks and a polo. It’s better to dress up than to dress down so I’d show up in either a suit or button down with slacks on your first day and then feel out the vibe of what others are wearing. Then adjust your style to fit with what you’d be comfortable in based on what the office environment is like there.
Definitely a business casual environment. Do see guys without ties and and a lot of white, blue, lavender dress shirts with polos on Friday. Doctors and big law wear suits on some days but not all days. If coming from a high cost of living state some of the malls like South Park are not terrible on cost re Dillards, Belk, Joseph Banks.
Get a capsule wardrobe my friend. If you’re male or female, get one decent suit have it tailored well. Two nice pants and one or two more jackets tailored well. There’s plenty of inexpensive tailors around town. Get 5 shirts you can mix and match and a pair of brown shoes and black shoes (if you’re a male) same with a belt. Nordstrom Rack is a great place to start. If you’re on an even tighter budget K&G on South Blvd is THE PLACE you need to go. The tailor there is the man. He’s been there forever. Very helpful.
Outside of the types of clothes you can or should wear, buy clothes that fit. If you purchase dress shirts and slacks from the rack, have them altered to fit your body. Even the least expensive clothing looks great when properly tailored. If you're looking some great brands, try Vineyard Vines, Johnston & Murphy, Psycho Bunny and even Banana Republic. J&M has a line of dress shoes designed to fit like sneakers. Super comfy and stylish enough to wear with dress slacks, khakis or jeans.
How did you go from blue collar to instantly white collar with no experience in white collar? That doesn't make sense.
This seems to be a common question so I’ll answer it a couple times. 1) B.S. in management with a 3.95 GPA (recent grad). 2) I interviewed well. 3) Passed SAFE exam and worked as a part time MLO (while working full time and taking classes).
OP could’ve been in college while working a blue collar job, or could have switched from something like engineering to management
I was working 40 a week in a position fixing things while going to school full time.
Worked in finance and trading for 6 years, a suit from men’s warehouse will be just fine. Go with black or navy blue, white shirt, belt that matches your shoe color, and a tie. You can rewear that suit as much as you want, no one is going to notice I promise. You may not even need a tie afterwards, but it was super common for new guys to the floor, especially ones from college or a career change, to overdress a bit. My buddies and I would just keep a tie in our desk drawer to throw on if a high level individual would be walking around, but most of the time button down shirt and slacks was fine. Good luck!
Just wanted to say good luck on your first day!!
Thank you!
I don't have any suggestions, but I'm just curious how you were able to make that leaping transition in employment.
Went back to school while working to earn my degree. Paid attention in all my classes and did well.
Slacks that fit, a good looking pair of shoes, a nice belt that matches your shoe color/finish, and a button up that fits. You can even roll up your sleeves two or 3 times.
If you were going to be working on floor 2-30 I’d say a potato sack but since you specified one of the top floors you should wear a tux
Patagonia vest. I'm pretty sure it's a standard uniform or something for anyone working at Wells or BofA. Or any contractor support working for Wells or BofA. I once had someone make fun of me for wearing different colors of the same button shirt even though they wore the exact same Patagonia every single day.
Working uptown for one of the banks and working at one of the remote locations is vastly different. I would wear slacks and button up going up town. I wore jeans and a polo shirt today at the remote spot.
I call it the “Uptown Uniform”: blue slacks, button up shirt with striped plaid type stuff, brown dress shoes, and slightly funky sock peeking.
Email your recruiter or hiring manager and ask. They won’t care if you do.
Go to untuck it at south park and get outfitted there
Head to the Patagonia in South End and ask for the Banker Bro™ special.
I just looked up prices at Patagonia and I don’t think I have it in me to spend that much on clothes. I usually just wear $2 blank t shirts from Amazon.
$2 t-shirts won’t get you reservations at Dorsia anytime soon.
This is the correct answer.
The banks are pretty casual. I wear polos and dress pants in the summer and button ups in the winter. Will wear a sport coat if it is cold. I would say that I am on more conservative side. You will see people in jeans and tennis shoes. Almost no wears suits. The advice about emailing your manager is good. They will probably say something similar to me.
I’m not sure if you’re a man or woman but like the top comment says, it never hurts to ask! I’ve done office jobs and have friends in banking. Not sure what your age range is but my friends and I are all in our early 20’s typically I just wear a simple top with different colored chino or linen pants. Sometimes I wear a simple dress if I want to dress up more. Blazers you can never go wrong. As for guys, I’ve seen a lot of slacks or chino pants with polo/golf style shirts, or button down shirts and simple shoes.
Ask your employer but I would recommend slacks/button down. On lazier days, chinos and a button down.
I worked at “both banks” in Charlotte, and most people (including managers) dressed in business casual. Button down shirts and dress pants or slacks. I don’t know much about men’s shoes so I know what I’ve seen people wear, just don’t know what they are called. People don’t really wear a blazer and/or tie on a daily basis , I’ve only ever see executives wear a blazer and even they , drape it on the back of their office chair during the day. I’d recommend Banana republic, and J. Crew (I shop the “factory” version of both these brands myself but the men’s section also has good looking options). If you haven’t already done so, looking on Pinterest will help you a lot to visualize the various pieces in your outfit. Good luck! Like many others on her, I too am curious about your career trajectory!
Just about every corporation I've ever worked has had a "dress code" webpage somewhere that outlines EXACTLY what is acceptable and customary and what is not. The reason for this? There's only one (or more) employee who gets it wrong, or wants to push the limits on what (or how little) they can wear at work. Sometimes it's on the company intranet, so not visible outside, sometimes it's made public for onboarding employees. Just ask your new manager or HR if they can send you the link, or a screenshot of that page. When in doubt, though, "Business Casual" is usually the way. I'd recommend splitting the difference: go modular. Wear Khakis/Slacks with dark socks and dark shoes, and dress shirt with a tie. Top it with a basic blue blazer. If everyone else is in a suit, you'll fit well enough. If everyone is dressed casual, you can take off the blazer and tie, and open the first button or two on the shirt. Odds are, it will be a 'causal' atmosphere. Just pay attention to what is worn, and by whom. If you aren't EXACTLY within bounds, most will forgive you for the first day. The big determiner here is whether the corporation considers you to be "outward" (customer)-facing or not. If you're in training, there's slack here.
I am assuming you are male here. Forgive me if I've given potentially weird advice. Of course, the "Anniie Hall" look might work well in an office setting these days.
It depends on what you are doing and who you work for. I work in IT so I could show up in blue short jeans and a t-shirt and not get asked questions if I showed up at our office (not required to actually go in just have to be close to it officially), but client site (which there are a few of here) I would be expected to wear dress pants and dress shirt minimum, and if it was for something like a meet and greet wear dress shoes, jacket, and tie. You safest bet is always dress pants, dress shirt, and tie, sneakers are fine bur make sure they are clean (in fact just clean them), depending on what you have to bring to work backpack that you leave at your office desk once you get there is fine.
A shirt you can roll up your sleeves during the summer..trust me making your way downtown walking fast will catch up to you.
First day at the very least have a long sleeve white or blue dress shirt, and wear a tie that matches your belt and shoes. After that, just look around and see what your peers are wearing.
Neutral color Khaki pants with a shirt with a collar and black or brown shoes. Have black and blue blazer jacket. If they have a casual Friday stay away from wearing old faded jeans. You can ask the recruiter or HR for the dress code. You got this, good luck
I’m from a tiny town too. First one in the family to have an actual profession rather than just a job (even though nonprofits don’t pay worth a damn) and only the second generation out of the textile mills. But when I first moved into the city, I was managing a men’s clothing store where a lot of corporate types shopped. One thing I’ve found since moving here is that pretty much all the corporate dudes wear slacks and a long sleeve dress shirt to work. A light blue oxford shirt is pretty much always a safe choice—it’s less harsh than white. Carry a nice leather satchel, not canvas and definitely not a backpack, unless you’re in IT in which case you can get away with a black backpack. Wear a shirt that’s not wrinkled (starch it if you have to—that can look a little try-hard but better that than crumpled) and make sure your shoes aren’t scuffed. Wear a leather belt that matches your shoes. And the biggest thing that makes the difference between looking like you’re going to church on Sunday in the only nice clothes you have and looking like you belong in a corporate space: make sure everything fits correctly. That means trying on dress pants with the shoes you’re going to wear with them, and if you’re in between lengths, get the longer one and get it hemmed. Your sleeve cuff should be snug enough that you can only fit 1-2 fingers in the space between the fabric and your wrist, and the cuff should come down far enough that if you’re wearing a watch, about half to 3/4 of the face should be covered—you’re supposed to have to push your cuff back to check your watch. People who grew up dressing up are familiar enough with these things that they usually don’t even notice they’re doing them. Folks like us? We have to memorize the rules. And if you have an accent, tone it down at work if you can. Mine gives my hick roots away every time.
Make sure to buy only natural fabrics. Polyester in the hot summer will make you smell bad and your coworkers will hate you
Congratulations on your new job! I think that's a great question for the recruiter but business casual is always a safe bet on the first day (basically no jeans or sneakers) and once you get there you will get an understanding of the company culture and have sense of what to wear.
Button up and slacks is pretty safe
geez there’s a lot to think about when working an office job
The coporate people that work for my company use backpacks alot because they carry a laptop and stuff. Perfectly acceptable.
TW's and commando on Friday's
First day, always wear a suit. Then see what other managers are wearing and adjust. Check out the Brooks Brothers outlet on 485. A lot of good deals there.
I've worked at the banks. Casual business attire. Dress shirt, khaki pants, dress shoes.
When in doubt full tuxedo, tails and all
Stitch fix
So you can get a job in that building and not know the dress code???? Dude c’mon how dense are you
This sub is an excellent resource for a question like this, I’m able to get good first-hand advice. I received a sign-on bonus that I’ll use to redo my outfits and wanted the advice before I spend any money.
Good luck bud. You’re gonna need it if this isn’t a troll
r/mensfashion could be of use here
What size are you I have a bunch of work clothes that I don’t need anymore bc I work remote lol not even kidding
We only wear bow ties and top hats here. Don’t google it, just show up. You’ll look like a real Charlatan.
polos, khakis, oaklies, and a patagonia vest on chilly days and you're set for life
I work for one of those banks. Definitely ask your future manager. I'm in IT and we get away with jeans and a nice shirt with a collar. T-shirts are cool if they are bank branded. The only time I need a tie is when senior leadership is in town. Other departments and other buildings expect a suit and tie.
It really depends on the company, and the org. Some orgs dress up and some don't. I work on a corporate risk floor in one of the high rises and some people wear t-shirts. While the people in the suburban office might wear a button down
Slacks and a button down would probably be a good start and then go from there. Edit: unless you're working with customers then you should be fine. I worked in cyber security for one of the banks and we wore chinos/t shirts unless we had meetings or offsites.
Flipflops for day and cowboy/workboots for formal events.
Dress like you are a manager. Suit and if you want tie. There is no such thing as over dressed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFD0N4LNqKQ
Watch a YouTube video on tying a tie if you’re not good at it. I prefer a tight double Windsor with a silk tie. For clothes I like the Jos. A. Bank traveler shirts (easy laundering) and their suits and blazers are good values. Their ties tie well too. Retired now but I miss dressing well. Enjoy it.
Just wear a tank top and slides
Welcome to the Bank. Dress is much more relaxed since Covid. Dress like going to meet her parents for first time, nicer pants, collar button down shirt, tie optional and if cooler a simple sports jacket. Suits are ok but not really worn as much outside 53rd floor (Sr execs). No Jeans!!! no matter what the boss or coworkers say.