Sartorial Tips for Bankers: Elevate Your Professional Style

A little sartorial know-how goes a long way when putting your best foot forward, especially if you work in a profession that values tailored, situationally appropriate, and well-crafted style. The worlds of finance and banking, while other industries may have become more casual, still place a premium on dressing the right way every day, with refinement and crisp looks being top of mind.

Business Casual Looks for Bankers

Banking attire can cover a range of styles these days, from business casual to traditional suiting. In these increasingly casual times, the details make the difference. Bank job attire, whether client-facing, on the floor, or on the road, values versatile yet slightly more conservative dressing.

While there’s a time and place for vibrant prints, patterns, and colors, male banker attire should focus on classic colors and styles that are easy to match. This also applies to banker socks. Your socks are a cornerstone of an outfit in terms of comfort and even a touch of personal style. Versatility is still the name of the game, and our Pierre Henry Socks deliver comfort and classic looks in spades.

How Should Bankers Dress?

The demands of a look tend to vary based on role and position, but generally speaking, bankers should wear a classically cut suit in a versatile color like charcoal or navy. Patterns like pinstripes are more flashy, but when in doubt, a navy or charcoal suit is a safe bet. These colors pair well with a steady stable of stylish dress shirts, such as white or light blue dress shirts, which are the building blocks of a wardrobe. These shirts go with all manner of ties, especially preppy staples like a striped tie, but when in doubt, banking attire should feature solid colors in terms of your tie and accessories.

Accessorize Accordingly

In conservative settings, avoid additional accessories like the vest of a three-piece suit. Accessories beyond a white or subtly navy-trimmed pocket square should also fall within more conservative, classic style boundaries. And for all but the most modern of banking and finance roles, accessories like a tie bar or cufflinks might also be too flashy. When in doubt, keep things subtly stylish and classic, especially when it comes to bank interview outfits. Male banker attire often revolves around slightly more laidback pieces – a blazer might suffice in place of a suit. A timeless option like a navy blazer and a white dress shirt can also work well.

Trousers are another important consideration, as are banker socks. When wearing a suited look or a navy blazer, pay close attention to your lower half. A suit jacket should be worn with matching suit pants. A blazer can be paired with suit trousers or tan chinos. Avoid wearing a lone (or “orphaned”) suit jacket as a blazer. Keep your tailored look together in two pieces, but feel free to mix in a classic navy blazer or even a V-neck sweater in place of a blazer on more casual days.

In warm-weather situations, a crisp navy polo might work well with charcoal suit trousers or tan chinos – but only if the day turns extra casual. Use colors like navy or white on your top half if you plan to wear navy trousers.

What Shoes and Socks Should Bankers Wear?

Banking shoes and socks need to suit the situation and the office dress code perfectly, all the better to leave a great impression on the job or as you put together a bank attire interview look. Tasteful colors like dark brown and black work especially well for dress shoes. Look for brands like Beckett Simonon and tried-and-true office staples.

Beckett Simonon’s wingtip shoes are more casual, but their plain toe options wear well with tan chinos and refined suits. Even dark tan shoes deliver crisp style, but before you step into your shoes, pay careful attention to the socks you’re putting on.

Finding the Best Banker Socks

The right pair of banker socks ensures all-day comfort for long hours on your feet. We offer a variety of sock options to suit your bank work attire. Our over-the-calf socks provide traditional, maximum coverage, particularly in neutral colors like charcoal, burgundy, navy, and tan. Classic calf socks are also a good fit, especially if you’re wearing more casual trousers like tan chinos. Match your socks to your suit trousers for a polished look. For example, navy socks should ideally be worn with navy suiting trousers, and the same goes for black socks with black trousers.

In more casual situations, navy socks or socks with a touch of pattern can be worn with dark grey or tobacco-hued chinos. There are almost limitless possibilities when you consider our Pierre Henry Socks rotation – a pair for every day of the week, to match up with every suit and dress shoe in your rotation. Bank job attire should focus on traditional colors and styles, be it your navy suit, white Oxford shirt, dark brown dress shoes, or charcoal trousers.

The right details make the difference from the ground up, including banker socks and bank job attire.