OCI - How many suits, white shirts, etc. do you need?

[Blunderbuss]

I only have 1 suit and 1 white shirt  , but am thinking about buying another pair for OCI.  What is the right price range for a cheap suit?  100-200?  I want it as cheap as possible, while still good enough for OCI.  Are stripe shirts acceptable for interviews?

[jarhead]

i've not been to "OCI" but i've been working for 15 years and done many an interview. when your just starting out try and get 2 nice suits, one a dark color black, dark grey etc. and one a light color tan or light grey. but if you can't affort two one will get you through your interviews. im from the NE so i prefer black but a nice dark blue will do. i don't know anyone just starting out who has a suit for everyday of the week, two suits is perfectly acceptable. it's the shirt and tie that make the outfit. as for shirts knock yourself out (they're cheaper get as many as you can afford. if your shirt collar has buttons it should not be worn with a tie, i know you see that all the time but it's wrong. those are casual shirts not meant to be worn with suits (if you don't believe me ask the guy in the store). you can make the same suit look like new just by changing up your shirt and ties. you can never have enough white shirts they're classy and go with everything. but you want to get some other colors as well. if you can only afford two get white and some other color. this is the most important thing i know you don't have a lot of money but you should get a nice suit as much as you can afford. macy's bloomindales etc. are always having sales stay tuned and catch a sale. (the average for a decent suit is $400-500) try and save or borrow from your parents. they usually don't mind coming off of money for an interview suit if you pay them back. i wouldn't get a suit that costs $100.00 unless it's been marked down i've not seen a $100.00 suit that looked good.  DO NOT BUY CHEAP SHOES i don't care how much your suit costs if you're wearing cheap shoes you will look like ish (if you don't believe me ask a lady friend). get a decent pair of dress shoes around $100.00 (once again try and catch a sale). you want to look nice, they know you can't afford the $1000.00 dollar suit but with a decent suit, and a nice shirt and tie you can fake it. oh one more thing when buying off the rack, get your suit altered to fit you correctly, it makes all the difference.

[Suzieq830]

any advice for women?  im assuming: pants or skirts suit, stockings, pumps, conservative jewlery?

[Blunderbuss]

$400-500?  That's so expensive, I doubt I can afford that kind of suit.  I was thinking more like $200.   
So what is in style, 2 button or 3 button suits?

[Gwiz]

$400-500?  That's so expensive, I doubt I can afford that kind of suit.  I was thinking more like $200.   
So what is in style, 2 button or 3 button suits?

At K&G in the Philly area you can get 2 decent suits on sale for $150 - $200.  $400 - $500 is kinda steep maybe that's the amount in NY or something.

Go stand outside of a biglaw law office (Or the courthouse) on monday and you will see what they wear.  If you go to the courhouse make sure you watch the lawyers entrance.

[jarhead]

$400-500?  That's so expensive, I doubt I can afford that kind of suit.  I was thinking more like $200.   
So what is in style, 2 button or 3 button suits?

At K&G in the Philly area you can get 2 decent suits on sale for $150 - $200.  $400 - $500 is kinda steep maybe that's the amount in NY or something.

Go stand outside of a biglaw law office (Or the courthouse) on monday and you will see what they wear.  If you go to the courhouse make sure you watch the lawyers entrance.

yeah it's steep, but i said decent suit. if you can only afford $150. or $200.00 you can probably find something at a K&G or men's warehouse, but you also get a $400 suit for $200 at department stores on sale, there's a lot of good deals right now because they are clearing out for fall merchandise. don't bust your budget but you have to pay $400-$500 and up for a nice suit anywhere you live (once again if you don't believe me ask around). it's an ivestment but you can wear it to work etc. especially for you people going to work in high end law firms. you can write that stuff off on your taxes by the way (business expenses). you're going to want to have a decent suit trust me. if you just don't have the money get the cheaper suit for the interview and then upgrade once you start working. the shoes are most important though you can really dress up a $200.00 suit with a nice pair of shoes, same token you can bust down a $500.00 suit with cheap shoes. the number of buttons is personal choice i prefer two but a lot depends on the cut of the suit and your body type. for women sorry i don't have as much "expertise" but i would still say get the best stuff you can afford. women's clothes tend to be a much cheaper than men's so you guys will probably have an easier time finding nice things you can afford.

[Blunderbuss]

Isn't solid black suit only reserved for dinner event or funeral? 
Should I get stripe black suits for interview and work?

[jarhead]

Isn't solid black suit only reserved for dinner event or funeral? 
Should I get stripe black suits for interview and work?

eeeeeh yeah kinda, it depends where you are. in NY black is standard you won't stand out for wearing black. black is classy and elegant (hence formal wear) but it's mainly an east coast thing. in other parts of the country it is considered more formal. if your worried about i would go with dark blue.

[Blunderbuss]

screw this, I am showing up for OCI in the infamous Mao Suit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_suit

[lawmama09]

I'm going to jump in here and advise that men buy one really nice suit instead of two cheap ones if it is at all possible budget-wise. My husband has both and the difference a more expensive suit makes is actually quite noticeable. He spent about $450 on his new suit (major sale - it is an $800 suit) and it looks fantastic on him. The $200 suit just isn't as nice, the fabric doesn't look as good and the more expensive one just hangs better. Men are lucky and can get away with one nice suit and different shirts and ties. Women really do probably need 2-3 different suits.

For anyone looking to save some money, Nordstrom usually has a big sale in the end of July (it starts 7/20 this year) and you can get some good deals. I will probably be picking up a few more suits for myself at this sale for OCI, and shirts and ties for my husband. Nordstrom is more expensive than a lot of other places, but the service is good and at least for men, I think the suit alterations are free.

Macy's is also a good option, and a bit less expensive, and if you get their store credit card, you can often save 20%. For a major purchase that might be well worth it. Also surprisingly, Costco occasionally has dress shirts that are nice and fairly inexpensive.