was requiring a $1,000 suit, or multiples of it. I have worked with PE guys from NY and I know how they are focused on money, money, money. If one of those guys ever heard that you or your wife might launder your own shirts, they would laugh you out of the room. I have seen them many times spending $20,000 bucks on dinner for eight and it isn't a big deal (usually someone else's money), etc. etc. Bottom line is that frugality is not an honored character trait by this group. This kind of mentality is also very heavy at the C level at almost any fortune 500 company. Wearing something that isn't tailored is just ridiculous.

Clearly, this guy isn't clued in on a few things:

1. You don't show up to an interview without shined shoes.
2. Bringing up religion in an interview is generally foolish
3. To say that dirty shoes show how hard you work may be true if you are a farmer, but not a NYC PE guy.

However, I think that you can have success by wearing moderately priced clothing (different from low end), as long as it is clean and kept. My guess is that if you weren't so put off by this kid's arrogance, your original post would probably not have sounded like you need $1,000 suits for success.

For this guy to be surprised about any of this, interviewing in NYC and at a PE firm, shows he is clueless. Further, anyone who works for a successul PE group that doesn't think it will require significant sacrifice on the family time end had better find a new career very quickly.