I started at a hedge fund this month with decent AUM (in a range of $1-5 billion). I am rather surprised to see that the vast majority of the guys prefer semi-formal or business casual unless they have meetings. Is this common across the funds you guys work at?
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a friends of mine works at a top HF and there is a dress code
i'm always in business casual. when i have a meeting, i just throw on a blazer.
Yeah, leave suit in the office for meetings, but wear whatever you want (normally). Some more senior people tend to overdress and be at near business formal level.
A friend of mine worked at a Distressed Debt HF and everyone dressed in shorts and a t-shirt but kept a suit in the office for when they had meetings with people who would frown upon the shorts and t-shirt look
Four responses and no vest? Just when you think you know someone..
It's all about them branded fleeces, dawg.
I work on the west coast. Everyone wears Patagonia, and I haven't seen anyone in a suit in weeks. I don't work in a hedge fund, but most of the HFs are in the same area as my office.
I wear what I want but I like to look put together. Whether that's a suit or shorts and a polo depends on how I feel.
I interviewed with two $5B+ AUM HFs a couple months ago and both were really casual. One was t-shirt and jeans and the other had team fleeces/blazers etc but only went formal for meetings. PMs had closets in their offices.
Suspenders and a bow tie are a must to get promoted at a HF
Just started working at a HF, and the dress code is business casual during the week and whatever you want on Fridays. It's kinda nice to not have to have a tie lying around all the time
I wish we had casual Fridays... Roll up in some sweat pants
yeah chinos, maybe a dress shirt and a heavy fleece vest. we also have some down vests if it gets colder....havent worn a suit or tie in years now and also dont throw it on for meetings unless its a key one.
You haven't had a key meeting in years?
Dress code is branded fleeces, windbreakers, and pledge attire with suites on deck if needed.
The Joseph A. Banks instant shoe shine is dank btw
PS if your fund doesn't have wood wainscot walls gtfo
Were you drunk when you typed this out?
business casual and then Friday was wear what ever you want
HF Attire (Originally Posted: 01/20/2015)
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Perhaps just call HR to check and see what kind of clothing is appropriate/expected.
Vests. I swear everyone who works at a HF owns a vest...
Seconded. Vests are probably a legacy of the trading floor attire from the bulge brackets. Anyways, attire is usually business casual. You are not meeting any clients until you are a super senior MD trying to fundraise so just work hard and chillax about clothing.
I've actually seen someone trade in cycling tights once.
As mentioned, contacting HR is def the way to go.
Yeah, because guys that make a boatload of money in the industry usually wear Men's Warehouse suits everyday like used car salesmen
Since you have said no one wears a suit, you can adapt the style as how people working there have been used to. This may make give you th ecomfort zone and make you to never look odd.
I think this site is both a blessing and a curse. Common sense would involve asking HR or the guy who hired you. At the very least show up in slacks and a dress shirt and blazer. Suits suck ass and are for meeting clients or bank meetings. Business casual is great and HFs dgaf. I'd probably refrain from rocking stubbs and bonobos pink pants until our get established.
How did people servive before wso? Between what do I wear, does a bank drug test and what hair style should I have, pre wso I imagine nothing but social disasters.
Think of blending in, show up in a conservative pair of slacks & a basic color dress shirt. You will need a clean pair of simple shoes and a basic coat/blazer/suit jacket/vest/fleece etc. Just look clean, modest & professional. First day you should show up as early as possible, bring a tie & keep it in your pocket, if needed: hop in the bathroom after you get in and whip that puppy on before the employees show up.
You would rather be the guy who over dresses on the first day than the guy who is way under dressed.
Thanks guys for chiming in!
TNA, sometimes, the last thing I wanted to ask a guy who gave me my dream job is what I should wear on my first day.. lol
It's definitely not the first thing you think of to ask when you hear the words, "when can you start?"
While this is a dumb question, what is dumber is looking like a clown day 1 or wasting your cash on clothes you won't wear.
1) You need at least one nice suit for meetings with management teams and when investors come by. I recommend navy, no pinstripes, but charcoal is acceptable as well. BB is the standard, but you can go made-to-measure (no embellishments) if you want/need to. Target a $700-1000 price range. Do not get a suit from J Crew or the like. 2) The daily uniform is a dress shirt and dress pants.You can mix it up with the shirts, nothing too loud but normal stripes/checks/colors are fine, stay away from the british/fashion forward stuff. Try to get pants that fit well (this is surprisingly difficult), you may have to try a few different places. 3) Don't wear jeans until someone either tells you you can or you're killing it and want to 4) Vest. If you get a corporate one, go with that (don't wear it to the bar though). If not, pick up a fleece or puffer from your favorite outdoor brand. 5) I keep a blazer in my office because I think I look better in a jacket. That is probably vanity more than anything else. Has been helpful for going directly to evening events though. 6) Shoes you should get a pair of black cap toes (for the meetings) and can wear those every other day. For the second pair you can get oxblood or brown loafers, again might want to avoid too much ornamentation. Similar to jeans, hold off on rolling in boat shoes until it won't matter
I would not bring a full change of clothes day 1. Maybe have a tie with you though and wear a solid white or light blue shirt that day.
The way to build out your wardrobe is get the basic stuff before and add the fun stuff (i.e. Gucci loafers, etc.) as you feel you deserve it and can pull it off.
What's wrong with a light pinstripe suit from BB? Have I been making a fashion mistake all this time lol
^^Ty.
For suits, I know there's a couple guys who do Coppeley in town. I've got one of those and it's easily the most fantastic "old school" style suit I've had.
New HF must have: iPad which you take everywhere, especially meetings. You love pretending to take notes on your iPad in meetings.
Baby Boomers loooove their iPads, so hip in the meetings
that feel when a PM here comes to work in a white tee, jordan shorts, and air force ones...
OP love the humble brag, nicely done
Just wear a suit, Look good on the first day...
DP
agree with CUBuffwg...only because i went to CU, but i think you should be fine with business casual
The $25b fund i am at now doesn't have a dress code, jeans + trainer is fine. The $10b+ fund i used to work also doesn't have one, lots of jeans and trainers. Easier to go to the gym next to the trading floor. Some even wear jeans and trainers to meet mgmt.
BUT if investors are coming then we better dress at least business casual.
Fashion at our ultra casual hedge fund! (Originally Posted: 04/29/2011)
Check out pics here, lol: http://www.hedgefundlive.com/tfg_fashion
lol'ed @ meeting mgmt. wearing trainers. great stuff!
Yeah, that's something I've never noticed - only time when you actually should wear business formal minus the tie or something in that ballpark. All other times nobody should care since you don't need to dress up for the sell-side and especially not for your colleagues. Investor meetings are also likely isolated to a few senior people, so that doesn't really apply for 90% of the floor.
Dude, not trying to be a dick here, but your shop looks like a frontrunner for the cover of Better Boilerrooms & Chophouses or Bucketshop Quarterly.
My advice: avoid photos of your shop and crew. They'll only be used as evidence later.
Did I see Charlie Sheen in there?
Is your "fund" called J.T. Marlin?
liked the pic of the leprechaun intern
You all dress like shit, even those of you who try.
lol, funny sh*t.
Lol, even JT Marlin look wayyy more legit than that!
HedgeFund Live AUM = $2000.00
Woah woah woah, being a little generous with those four-figure numbers, are we 1man?
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