By Ray A. Smith, Mark Maurer and Lauren Thomas
A glossy fashion spread of four junior Wall Streeters has set New York's banking world aflutter -- and not just because of its heady title: "Meet the Finest Boys in Finance."
The memes began almost as soon as the Interview magazine piece hit the internet: "They look like kids dressed in their fathers' suits," wrote one Instagram poster about the fresh-faced finance bros decked in Loro Piana suits, Hermès ties and Bvlgari watches.
But the fashion crime that really got under Wall Street's skin? Even though it was all just dressup for a photo shoot, the young professionals were breaking the unwritten rule of finance fashion: Never dress above your station -- and certainly never better than the boss.
"Little wee VPs are not allowed to flex," posted one user on X. "You can't wear luxury items until you get a promotion." Another touched on the many "unwritten rules for associates and analysts." Among them: Shirts are blue or white. No Ferragamo ties. No Gucci loafers with suits, and no French cuffs.
Just as Wall Street culture adheres to a strict hierarchy, so does its unspoken dress code, says Jessica Cadmus, a fashion stylist and founder of Wardrobe Whisperer, who works with Wall Street professionals and other high-powered clients.
"Conspicuous displays of wealth are generally frowned upon, most especially when worn by junior folks," she says. "When you're an analyst or an associate, you want to look clean, sharp and polished, but conspicuous branding should be avoided."
Women have a little more leeway, but similar rules apply, she adds. "It's probably best to wait until you're at least a VP to do a Chanel, YSL, or Hermès bag for work."
Abiding by the sartorial pecking order has become more complicated as the financial industry's dress code has gotten even more casual since the pandemic. Long gone are the days when Michael Douglas's Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street" epitomized its 1980s swagger with his contrast-collar shirts and silk-printed ties. These days, even Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon wears the "midtown uniform" of a button-down shirt and fleece vest.
"If everyone's not wearing a tie at your place, and you're going to come in and wear a tie and a suit, that's already pretty provocative," says retired custom tailor Alan Flusser, who made the wardrobe that Douglas wore in the film.
The models in the Interview spread were cast from LinkedIn, the story said. Two of them work at Goldman Sachs, where some bankers were scratching their heads on Friday.
"No one dresses like that at Goldman," one employee said. "If you're in private-wealth or have a client meeting, you wear a suit. But most of the time you're not wearing a suit. The tradition at Goldman of not flashy is still very much en vogue."
"I see guys worth many hundreds of millions of dollars wearing a basic blue suit," the person said. "It could be Dior or it could be Brooks Brothers, but I have no idea."
A spokesperson for Goldman Sachs said its media relations team didn't approve the interviews.
One of the photographed men, Demarre Johnson, said he showed up to the photo shoot at the New York steakhouse Delmonico's in January and was handed multiple outfits. With the aid of a stylist, he donned a Prada sweat suit for one shoot and a pair of Dior pants, a Giorgio Armani blazer and a Bvlgari watch for another.
"To say we're entry-level associates but also putting us in multi-thousand-dollar watches is very satirical, so I can see how it added flames to the fire," Johnson said.
The latter outfit appeared in the released photos, but the Prada sweat suit didn't, which disappointed Johnson. "I don't know if they'll ever drop those pictures because of how much backlash it's gotten," said Johnson, whom the magazine identified as a financial-services data, tech and AI analyst at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
When asked if he was allowed to keep the clothes, Johnson said, "I wish. You would know. Trust, I would post about it every day."
Interview magazine didn't respond to requests for comment. PwC declined to comment.
Typically in investment banking or other roles on Wall Street, the people who make the most money at the firm are known to flaunt their wealth the least -- sporting Apple or Casio watches in lieu of Rolex or Patek Philippe.
The best advice for junior-level financiers, according to Tim Gunn, the natty fashion author and academic: Read the room.
"It's just flagrantly obnoxious to overdress in a workplace situation, especially when you're a junior member," said Gunn, best known for being a clear-eyed mentor on the fashion-design competition show "Project Runway."
"It will beg the question of the senior staff, why are you here? Why do we need to promote you? Why do you need a raise when you're flaunting things like that?"
A self-proclaimed menswear industry insider who goes by the username @rfkenmore on X told the Journal that most of his younger male friends in finance stick with under-the-radar brands like J.Crew and Lululemon for work wear. Ties are less prominent nowadays, and so are suits, he said.
"I doubt most banker bros even know the brand [Celine] -- and if they do, they don't know that they make men's clothing," he said, adding that many of his friends on Wall Street follow the general belief that you shouldn't be better dressed than whoever you're meeting in the office.
"It's obvious these outfits weren't pulled from these kids' closets," he said.
Write to Ray A. Smith at Ray.Smith@wsj.com, Mark Maurer at mark.maurer@wsj.com and Lauren Thomas at lauren.thomas@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 07, 2026 07:00 ET (12:00 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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