Congratulations! You worked hard, passed all of the interviews and finally landed in that awesome consulting job that you were looking for! Air miles and hotel points here you come (get the Bonvoy card now so you can start crushing the points game). This is all well and good, but what do consultants wear!? Consulting is an interesting dress code game. Some firms are still very higher-end business casual, but some are going more of the jeans route to cater to the younger workforce. So we decided to come up with a starter kit that is sure to make you fit in in the office, and at client site (at least for most clients). All our picks are meant to give you the basics you’ll need to meet or exceed the dress code for most offices. Based on your initial budget, we have split our selections into the Signing Bonus and Standard Starters categories, meaning some picks will be on the higher end, and some will be more affordable.

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Suits

You will need at least one suit to get you through the important client meetings and meetings with the partners, however, 2-3 is preferable for your first two years to avoid over use. Also, remember many of the managing principles or partners are old-school so dress like you care.

Signing Bonus

Standard Starters

Blazer

This can be a flex piece but should be versatile enough for you to wear twice a week when traveling to make sure you aren’t packing 30 pieces for 4 days. A quick travel tip, grab a neutral color jacket and wear it on Monday and Wednesday, but change the pocket square and shirt combo so people don’t notice.

Signing Bonus

Standard Starters

Shirts

You’ll want to snag at least 3-5 non-iron shirts that have a little bit of stretch so that you can rotate them without wearing them out. The non-iron feature will be key for travel. You will likely need to iron them anyway, but you won’t have to deal with any deep creases when ironing in the morning before you head off to client site.

Signing Bonus

Standard Starters

Pants

Grab 3 pairs of pants, a cotton-based pair for the more casual office setting and two pair of wool blends for the nicer work settings. The wool will look nicer, wrinkle less, and look amazing with a good blazer or just a button-down.

Signing Bonus

Standard Starters

Shoes

You will need a pair of oxfords if you don’t already have some. I highly recommend spending a little more on these because you will need the extra durability that comes with quality shoes if you don't want to have to buy a new pair every 2 years. You will also need a pair of nicer loafers to pair with the more casual clothes and wear in the warmer months. They also pack nicely since they are a slimmer profile.

Signing Bonus

Standard Starters

Did we miss anything? What are your consulting uniform go-to’s? Leave a comment and/or a link in the comments down below to help your fellow travelling business gents out.