UK:  Lawyer who warned trainees never to wear brown shoes with blue suits under fire

He was just trying to let newbies know what is "done" in London's financial district

The ‘no brown in town’ adage has been the subject of scorn, sneers and scandal in City pubs for more than 100 years. Yet despite an increasing awareness of social mobility and social taboos, one top city law firm appears to have shunned such progress.

An unnamed partner has reportedly passed on some controversial sartorial advice to aspiring young lawyers.

Speaking at Thomson Reuters’ ‘Transforming Women’s Leadership in the Law’ conference at London’s Hilton Tower Bridge hotel  last week, the unnamed partner was reported to have told juniors: “Don’t wear brown shoes with a blue suit”.

The comments were first reported by Legal Cheek, quoting legal affairs journalist Catherine Baksi, who attended the event.

Ms Baksi tweeted that the partner, who worked at a top international law firm, was passing on advice to “unsuitably dressed trainees”.

Ms Baksi told The Telegraph that the comments were made within the context of helping people from non-traditional backgrounds who would not know “unspoken dress code rules” about blue suits and brown shoes.

“But then as other people quite rightly said,” Ms Baksi added, “it’s time for the dress code law to change” and not the candidates.

The comments immediately sparked a backlash on social media, with lawyers saying that the comments were “a step too far”.

A 2016 study released by the Social Mobility Commission reported that investment banks are less likely to hire men who wear brown shoes to a job interview.

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