Help Starting a Wardrobe

[Lowndes]

Hey guys, I am currently a law student and next summer will be working at a large law firm. However, I am going to go ahead and start my wardrobe off with really nice pieces. I was wondering if anybody could give me any suggestions of what they would recommend. I have about $5000 to spend total on my wardrobe for the summer.

I am looking to get
2-3 suits
6-7 shirts
new pair of blacks shoes (already have deep brown santonis)
2 belts (black and deep brown)
2 pairs of nice jeans
Sport coat?
5 additional ties or so

If anybody could recommend brands that they would recommend or so forth. I am about 6'2 and weigh about 185. Also, if anybody could recommend any additional items that I might need. Thanks so much for the help.

Oh and the reason I ask now I was hoping to look out for sales during the next 6 months or so to snag some great pieces for a little less money.

[welldressedfellow]

Joseph A Bank always has good sales on suits and sportcoats (ignore the Executive line and go for Signature or Sig Gold).Never pay full price for anything there.I think Bank's shirts are bland as far as selection goes,so get some MTM from MyTailor (they really aren't that expensive).Everything else can be bought at reasonable prices from the Bank.For more expensive (and better quality) suits,go for BB but you won't have much left for anything else.

[a tailor]

waiting till the last minute is usually a disaster. so its good your starting now. the after xmas sale season is a great time for bargains.
dont try to buy everything at once. shop carefully and you will still have extra cash in your pocket. instead of the jeans get two pair of dress trousers to go with the sport coat.

[omanae]

Most places do their best sales in June and January, as Alex alluded to. I would suggest doing some shopping now and waiting to make a purchase till then.

I have many lawyer clients from various degrees of esteem in their firms, and I often hear it's prudent for the new lawyers not to overdress. I think you'd be wise to avoid the flashier labels and eccentric styles, and get some very nice quality pieces that work well across settings. brooks brothers is not my personal favorite stylistically, but for what your doing it might be the best bet, and you can definitely line up some sales and get some great deals on well made garments.

[alphadelta]

As others have mentioned, start small and work your way up. I'd go with one or two OTR suits as a foundation (navy blue/charcoal gray).

Fit is the most important factor -- try on a few brands at several stores and go with which make and model fits you the best. Have it tailored to improve the fit -- don't let a sales person measure you and send it off to their in-house tailor. Take it to a reputable local tailor and have him/her measure you and tailor the suit.

I would also suggest MTM shirts. OTR shirts are not worth tailoring unless they are a very close fit. Good quality OTR shirt can cost about the same as MTM and to me, not worth it. Start with a few whites, blues and stripes and add more later.

Don't forget ties and shoes -- one pair of brown and one black cap toe is a good start. Ties -- whatever complements the rest of your ensemble.

Start here and learn what you like. Build your wardrobe slowly over time.

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[Spence]

And given you appear to be thin, don't be afraid to seek out slim cut OTR clothing. It will make all the difference in the world.

Fortunately the economy will be in the gutter for some time, I'd wager you're going to see perpetual sales from now till spring!

-spence

[nmathew]

My wife is an associate at a large firm (not the city in my profile). At her firm, most/many lawyers do not wear full suits unless they are meeting with clients. It might be worthwhile to inquire about the general procedure at the place you'll be a summer at. You may find that having one or two sport coats might be better than the third (or maybe even second?) suit.

And a final piece of advice. Alcohol often flows freely at summer events. Given the current economic situation, many firms have cut back on hiring. This will partially be reflected in fewer summers getting job offers the next go around. By all means have fun, but let someone else get drunk, start a fight or throw a glass, and not get an offer.

[tbonz]

Brooks Brothers is having a great sale on some of their 1818 suits, 2 for $999. I'm not sure if all of them are included in the sale, but I would definitely recommend them as a great starter suit. BB is also a great place for slim fit dress shirts. Given your build, I think they would be a good option for you.

As far as shoes, I agree that you can never go wrong with a pair of black AE Park Aves. They are a great value in my opinion.

[Lowndes]

Thanks so much everybody for the advice they have provided so far. I really appreciate it.

Also, that definitely is a good piece of advice for the alcohol part. One of the reasons why I want to start out impeccably dressed is because it doesn't look the offers are going to be flowing as freely as they once were. Trying to look my best, act my best, and do my best and if I don't get an offer doing that well, that kind of sucks.

Thanks again everybody.

[KeithR]

I'd drop it down to two suits - charcoal and navy, and put money into having them fitted by a good tailor. With the savings, buy 6 more shirts and more ties. Having more shirts would let you worry less about the timing of your laundry runs, and two suits with a wider variety of shirts will look like you have a larger total wardrobe than three suits with the same shirts coming up every week.

This starter wardrobe won't be the same as your target wardrobe a few years down the line. As you train your eye and your tastes mature, you may find that what you started with you won't like as much later on. So don't spend everything on three suits that may not be your foundation in a few years.

[Lowndes]

Thanks, so I guess if I am getting two suits they should be a solid navy and a solid charcoal?

I also just learned that Hickey Freeman gives 40% off to grad students on their suits. Anybody have an opinion on these as opposed to BB? However, I guess it still is not as good of a deal as the 2 for $999 happening at BB. The HF's are listed at 1200 so after discount they would be 720. One more caveat, the salesman I talked to on the phone said that they do them made to measure for that price. Any opinion on that option would be appreciated as well.

Also, I think I will be getting a sport coat. Any suggestions on color whatnot. I figured navy blue is the classic. Thanks again for all of the help.

Why I am thinking about it one more question. What do you guys think about getting 2 pairs of pants with each suit? I go back and forth whether I like pleats and cuffs on my pants or whether I like them cuffless with no pleats. (I apologize if I am not using the correct terminology here.) I figured I could just get one of each and be set.