They say dress for the job you want, and if you want to be anything within the financial world, you’d better skip out on wearing brown shoes.
A 122-page study released by Great Britain’s Social Mobility Commission titled “Socio-Economic Diversity in Life Sciences and Investment Banking” found that job applicants who wear poorly fitting suits, obnoxious ties and/or shoes in the brown color family are being passed over.
"Issues relating to dress may seem both superficial and relatively simple for individuals from all backgrounds to adopt," the report notes. "However, interviewees suggested that they do play a material role in the selection process as demonstration of 'fit'."
Apparently, specific dress codes are considered by banks to “provide reassurance to clients about the quality of service they will provide.”
The study also points out that a lack of middle class “polish” and certain speech patterns can also influence employers’ willingness to hire candidates.
For more on the story, including how Britain is working to break down class barriers in London’s banks, click here.