Wholecut Dress Shoes

[The Knize]

So I saw my first Wholecut (black) today. Former Lawyer that switched to banking

Well, this thread may have gotten you to notice, where you would not have otherwise. I feel like I should apologize for that!

I actually do not know if I have seen actually someone wearing a pair of wholecuts other than me! I might notice after this thread. I am not sure I would have prior to this thread! I am guessing not.

Today I am wearing a pair of AE black plain-toed Derbies, which I suppose would be considered a less formal style of lacing, maybe even conflicting style-wise/formality-wise with the plain toe. And only two eyelets. With a gray suit. To me they look a bit more stream-lined than a standard business dress shoe and thus a bit toward a wholecut, but the Blucher lacing takes them away from the starkness of a wholecut. I have had these for a very long time. I guess they still look like unremarkable business dress shoes to me. I do not think they would stand out.

 

[Multum in parvo]

Well, this thread may have gotten you to notice, where you would not have otherwise. I feel like I should apologize for that!

I actually do not know if I have seen actually someone wearing a pair of wholecuts other than me! I might notice after this thread. I am not sure I would have prior to this thread! I am guessing not.

Today I am wearing a pair of AE black plain-toed Derbies, which I suppose would be considered a less formal style of lacing, maybe even conflicting style-wise/formality-wise with the plain toe. And only two eyelets. With a gray suit. To me they look a bit more stream-lined than a standard business dress shoe and thus a bit toward a wholecut, but the Blucher lacing takes them away from the starkness of a wholecut. I have had these for a very long time. I guess they still look like unremarkable business dress shoes to me. I do not think they would stand out.

I told him to get rid of his tie otherwise he would stand out too much in the office

The suit was awful unfortunately too short, too tight, too crumpled and overall a poor quality. So it’s not shoes only…

 

[The Knize]

The suit was awful unfortunately too short, too tight

I was in Indochino on Saturday--not my usual suit place/brand, but I thought I would give their made to measure a shot--and I asked the youngish guy who was doing the fitting whether young guys were still going for the Thom Brown look of short and tight suits. I am not sure he knew what that look was, and he gave kind of a non-descript answer along the lines of guys ask for all sorts of different pants and sleeve lengths. I never got Thom Brown because to me it looked like you were wearing a suit you got in high school and had out grown. Maybe your guy got fat in his years of being a lawyer. Easy enough to gain weight by working too much and eating bad food. But sounds like he made enough money to buy himself some clothes. Unless he bought suits and actually had them overly shortened and tailored overly tight. Does not seem very lawyerly or bankerly! But you know better than I.

too crumpled and overall a poor quality

A steamer can work wonders, but one has to be willing to go to the trouble of using one. I take i this was an important meeting. Or send the suit out to be pressed, if you do not want to use an iron yourself!

I assume he paid something for the shoes. I see wholecuts that are not all that expensive, but I do not think I see them supercheap.

I told him to get rid of his tie otherwise he would stand out too much in the office

Ha!

 

[Multum in parvo]

I was in Indochino on Saturday--not my usual suit place/brand, but I thought I would give their made to measure a shot--and I asked the youngish guy who was doing the fitting whether young guys were still going for the Thom Brown look of short and tight suits. I am not sure he knew what that look was, and he gave kind of a non-descript answer along the lines of guys ask for all sorts of different pants and sleeve lengths. I never got Thom Brown because to me it looked like you were wearing a suit you got in high school and had out grown. Maybe your guy got fat in his years of being a lawyer. Easy enough to gain weight by working too much and eating bad food. But sounds like he made enough money to buy himself some clothes. Unless he bought suits and actually had them overly shortened and tailored overly tight. Does not seem very lawyerly or bankerly! But you know better than I.

A steamer can work wonders, but one has to be willing to go to the trouble of using one. I take i this was an important meeting. Or send the suit out to be pressed, if you do not want to use an iron yourself!

I assume he paid something for the shoes. I see wholecuts that are not all that expensive, but I do not think I see them supercheap.


Ha!

A slim younger guy (30s) just a bit frayed at the edges from being worked too hard at the firm and getting admitted to the bar. He will come around.

 

[The Knize]

A slim younger guy (30s) just a bit frayed at the edges from being worked too hard at the firm and getting admitted to the bar.

Understandable! A young guy coming over from a big firm you looked too tanned and rested, too polished, too heathy, keeping up with current events, with outside interests, such as, I suppose, clothing, and, say, a scratch golfer, would be suspicious, wouldn't he? In my experience, law firms and investment banks do tend to eat their young!

 

[Natsoi]

Worth re-quoting for truth.

In 99.9999% of interviews*, you won't get hired because you nailed the interview attire. But buggering it up could cost you the interview. Ditto with brushing your teeth and combing your hair ... nobody is going to hire you because you brushed your teeth really really well and combed your hair to perfection; they will check your personality and qualifications. But show up unkempt and with four days of unbrushed stank on your teeth, they will toss you without a second thought.


*Maybe maybe, a job interview at a high-end clothing store could be based on whether or not you can dress the part. Only IF you can, we move you on to stage two of the interview. Something like that.

I tend to refer to these things as disqualifiers. Especially if there are a lot of candidates, people are often better at expressing what they don’t want as a way of ordering things.

 

[Doc4]

I guess they still look like unremarkable business dress shoes to me. I do not think they would stand out.

In today's world, where "not wearing sneakers" is "dressing up", yes they will stand out ... but not as "how dare you wear blucher-laced Derbys when Oxfords are called for" but as "golly you got really dressed up" sort of standing out from the crowd.

You are not being compared to "ten out of ten on the IBM dress code compliance" but to "just rolled out of bed and threw on some crocks and cargo shorts".

I never got Thom Brown because to me it looked like you were wearing a suit you got in high school and had out grown.

It's a look that is (was?) appropriate for Pitti Uomo and about seven acres of Manhattan.

If you don't know what Pitti Uomo is, if you don't live and work in that tiny chunk of Manhattan, it's not for you. Tom Ford instead.

I tend to refer to these things as disqualifiers. Especially if there are a lot of candidates

Indeed.

It's like buying a bottle of wine. The first thing I check is that the bottle itself isn't cracked and the cork is sound. Once I know the bottle and cork are sound and fit for purpose, I move on to the contents. But if the winery can't manage a decent bottle and cork, there's no point in considering the contents.

But I buy my wine based on what's the best wine, not what's the best bottle and cork.