Workwear female Mckinsey Consultant London

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• Unfortunately, since we haven’t yet heard from a (female) ex-McKinsey coach who was located in the London office specifically, I would like to provide some actionable advice based on general experience: dress code essentially depends on 1) the client (e.g., retail and consumer products clients often tend to be more relaxed, whereas financial services clients are typically more formal), and 2) the broader office or natioanl guidelines.
• Given this, I would strongly advise you to reach out to your future Engagement Manager for the most accurate guidance, in addition to reviewing the official dress code materials provided by McKinsey.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming consulting career start at McKinsey, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best

Hagen

Hi,

 To answer your questions:

• Are trousers and jumper okay? Yes for internal work with no client calls. Some people were plain trainers (you know the kind, the simple ones e.g. adidas samba etc.)

•  Do I need to wear a blazer? No need, the goal is to look neat. But if this is a go-to to look extra professional, I'd wear them to meet clients, to go to client sites and to even attend online meetings where they can see your upper body.

  I personally never work blazers, but i loved to wear white shirts. I bought a ton from Hawes & Curtis London and basically wore a white shirt 4/5 days at work. 

• What do you recommend for shoes? Anything really, anything simple and something that makes you feel comfortable. Some women wore boots, flats, pointy shoes, high heels. I personally wore alot of boots and they were fine to wear into the office and for client visits and site visits.

I'd recommend that you dress simply and formally for your first week or so and then take alook at what others are wearing - you'll start to get a sense of what is normal in the office. For clients, you want to be on par or even more profesionally. But take cuesfrom your peers.

Happy to chat!

Hi there!

(Sorry, not a woman, but ex-McK who has done projects across industries and worn everything from PPE in mining projects to a full suit and tie in banking projects). 

In short - it depends on the industry, the client and your CST (client service team). In general, ask the EM, or if it hasn't been assigned yet, then the ED. 

Typically, it's trousers and a blazer. 

Jumpers are ok for more casual projects (e.g., digital transformations, or clients working in less formal industries). 

In terms of shoes, go for something comfortable yet formal, because you'll be moving a lot in the client building during the day and you'll be wearing them for like 12h+. 

Best,
Cristian

Hey hey, McKinsey woman here. As a McKinsey consultant in London, I would recommend:

• Office: Smart casual is fine, trousers and a nice jumper work well. Some people even go for jeans and sneakers, but wouldn't recommend in the firt weeks.
• Client site: Dress more formally, blazer recommended, especially for first days or formal settings. Some industries would be more strict that others (e.g., banking is very formal, operations is quite chill)

You’ll get a feel quickly, but when in doubt, dress up slightly, you can always dial it down later.

Hi there,

Generally speaking:

In your first days you won’t be allocated to a project, as you’ll be onboarding, so aim for smart casual, something elegant and formal yet comfortable. 
When allocated to a project, you can use your common sense to dress accordingly, but always tend to be more formal than casual.

See that this is not a trivial question, most consultants I have worked with wore very formal clothes and sometimes that would pose a clear distinction between them and the clients - not a good thing. Sometimes it is better to dress a little bit more casual or simply to connect with the people you will be depending on. If you do so, just make sure to explain the rational to your EM.

Good luck, I hope you enjoy your time at the firm! :)

Best,

Mari

I suggest that you go a bit more formal during your first weeks and then adjust as you see other people do. In any case, it is a good idea to be a bit more formal than average.

Also please understand that in some cases you should dress similar to the client, in others you should dress more formal. This really depends on how your expertise will be perceived (in some cases blending in is the best, in others it is wiser to stand out).