Dress code for the office?

Hi,

Well first of all, big congratulations on your offer! Rest assured it is going to be an exciting ride ahead :)

Let me share some fun anecdotal perspective in general about dress code in consulting. Answering from the perspective of a guy :)

#1 White shirt wisdom
You'll never be out of place in the classic white formal shirt and a stylish pair of dark colored pants on any day in Consulting

#2 Blazers for the big days
You could throw in a nice jacket / blazer of a darker shade (McKinsey blue blazers are a classic) especially when you are meeting clients or for important Steer Cos etc.

#3 Friday freedom
Fridays are usually more relaxed and dress-down. Semi-formal shirts with sneakers etc. are par for the day!

#4 McKinsey meets Milan
There are quirks to offices as well (at least I speak for McKinsey offices). Milan (understandably) is a famous one for always suiting up. Almost everyone from Junior consultant to Partner in the Milan office is exquisitely suited up nearly every day of the week, even when working from McKinsey's office. It was not unusual for young consultants in the Milan office to get a special allowance for Ferragamo ties (not sure if this is still the case!)

#5 Tied and tested
Speaking of ties, I would say it is extremely rare for consultants to wear a tie on an average day. I did that on my very first day at McKinsey and that was also the last time in my seven years there. But hey, you can always make a style statement of your own. I personally know of "suit-up Thursdays" and "Bow tie Tuesdays" as microcultures that have occassionally popped up within some offices :)

#6 Stockholm style syndrome
Colleagues in Scandinavian offices tend to have an elegant charm of something in between formal and semi-formal, exquisitely presentable and ready for the day, all the time, irrespective of when they hit the bed the night before!

#7 Mediterranean is a mood
Dress code at Mediterranean offices tend to be a bit more casual, in keeping with the warmer weather overall.

To summarize, it is always a good idea to stack up on your white shirts collection and a couple of blazers, as you embark on this journey. But most of all, irrespective of what you wear, remember to top it all off - with a spirit of excitement and happy confidence!

Hope that helps :)

hey there :)

Congrats on starting your first consulting role. In most top European firms in Eastern Europe the default is business casual leaning smart, meaning clean and polished but not full suit every day, and you adjust up if you are client facing or senior people dress more formally. When in doubt at the beginning it is always better to be slightly overdressed and then adapt to what your team does. Feel free to reach out if you want to sanity check outfits.

best,
Alessa :)