Why you will find the best dressed bankers at BNP Paribas

If you work for Goldman Sachs, don?t necessarily expect to wear a suit. Goldman these days is more a chinos sort of place than a world of Ferragamo loafers and shirts with your initials embroidered on the cuff. Only 21% of Goldman?s summer interns see themselves working in suits and if you work for Goldman?s tech team you?ll be free to be ?totally casual? at all times. 

It?s not like this at BNP Paribas, or at least it doesn?t seem to be.

At BNP Paribas, you?ll seemingly still find plenty of bankers wearing suits, ties and silken socks even when they?re not at client meetings. Research by Emolument suggests nearly 40% of BNP bankers are still wedded to formal dress at all times, compared to just 20% at J.P. Morgan. 20% of BNP bankers told Emolument they were also given guidance on the colour of their garments.

Paribas declined to comment on Emolument?s findings. We understand, however, that the bank stipulates that its employees must be dressed in a ?smart professional? manner, which is one notch up the ?smart casual? favoured by rivals.

This article was published in EfinancialCareers, 9th September 2017