Banking Attire: How Bankers Dress Like a Million Bucks at Work

A little sartorial know-how goes a long way when putting your best foot forward, and that’s quite literally true if you work in a profession that values tailored, situationally appropriate and well-crafted style. The worlds of finance and banking, for as casual as other industries might have become in terms of dress code, still place a premium on dressing the right way day in and day out, with refinement and crisp looks top of mind.

Above, a business casual look suitable for a teller.

Banking attire can cover all manner of styles these days, be it more business casual looks or tried-and-true, traditional suiting. And again, in these evermore 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.

Bank job attire... values versatile, yet slightly more conservative dressing.

While there’s a time and place for vibrant prints, patterns and colors – like with a button down shirt fit for weekend wear, male banker teller attire and related positions should focus on classic colors and styles that are easy to match. That also goes for 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 USA-made Boardroom Socks deliver comfort and classic looks in spades.

...focus on classic colors and styles that are easy to match.

But what should bankers wear, broadly speaking? Let’s take a look at bank job attire and answer specifically, “What do bankers wear?”

How Should Bankers Dress?

While the demands of a look tend to vary based on role and position, let’s look at one of the more traditional ideas for banking attire. 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.

Bankers should wear a classically cut suit in a versatile color like charcoal or navy.

Those colors pair well with a steady stable of stylish dress shirts – like 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 also feature solid colors in terms of your tie and accessories.

Above, a classic suited look that is always appropriate.

The same holds true for added accessories like the vest of a three-piece suit – this should be avoided in more conservative settings. Additional accessories, beyond a white or even a subtly navy-trimmed pocket square, should also fall within more conservative, classic style boundaries.

Accessorize Accordingly

And for all but the most modern of banking and finance roles, accessories like a tie bar or a cufflink shirt might also prove a tad too flashy. When in doubt, again, keep things subtly stylish and classic, especially when it comes to bank interview outfits. Male banker and teller attire often also tends to revolve around slightly more laidback pieces – a blazer might suffice in place of a suit, but a timeless option like a navy blazer and a white dress shirt can also work well.

...keep things subtly stylish and classic...

Trousers are another important consideration, as are banker socks. When wearing a suited look, or when wearing, say, a navy blazer, pay close attention to your lower half. A suit jacket, for example, should be worn with matching suit pants – a blazer can be paired with suit trousers or tan chinos, for instance. And yet, male bank teller attire should 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, for instance.

So, you might say those are the basics in terms of refined, tasteful style when it comes to male banking attire. Suiting wins the day, as do the classics – white and light blue dress shirts, solid ties in matching colors and minimal accessories for a stylish, subtle look. That brings us to the all-important question: What socks should bankers wear? Allow us at Boardroom Socks to deliver some enlightenment.

What Shoes and Socks Should Bankers Wear?

If we’ve said it once before, we’ve said it many a time: 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 like the Allen Edmonds Park Avenue dress shoes.

Black dress socks and black oxfords always look the part.

Beckett Simonon’s wingtip shoes are more casual, for instance, but the direct-to-consumer retailer offers sleek plain toe options that wear as well with tan chinos as they do a refined suit. Even options like dark tan deliver crisp style in terms of footwear, but before you can even step into your shoes, you need to pay careful attention to the socks you’re putting on.

Finding the Best Banker Socks

The right pair of banker socks, like a moisture-wicking, breathable merino wool option – like the ones we make at Boardroom Socks – ensures all-day comfort for long hours on your feet. And a variety of socks options should suit your bank work attire. We offer over-the-calf socks for traditional, maximum coverage, particularly in neutral colors like charcoal, burgundy, navy and tan.

Classic calf socks also should fit the bill, particularly if you’re wearing a somewhat more casual pair of trousers, like tan chinos. Opt for colors you can match up nicely with your suit – navy socks should ideally be worn with navy suiting trousers, and the same can be said for black socks and black trousers, for example.

Shop Navy Socks

In more casual situations, navy socks – or a pair of socks in a contrasting color, perhaps with a touch of pattern – can be worn with dark grey or tobacco-hued chinos.

There are almost limitless possibilities when you consider our USA-made Boardroom Socks rotation – a pair for every day of the week, to match up with every suit and dress shoe offering in your rotation. Bank job attire should focus on traditional colors and styles, be it your navy suit, your white Oxford shirt, your dark brown dress shoes or your charcoal trousers (or some combination of all of the above).

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

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