If you son doesn’t want to pay huge amounts of outside laundry bill, he should purchase more expensive perma press collared shirts and pants so he can dry on hangers after a short spin in the dryer. I find inexpensive perma pressed shirts still need ironing if you want to look professional. I used to get my son Brooks Brothers shirts but I haven’t paid attention to what he wears lately. BB shirts look very crisp if taken out of the dryer while moist.
Most NYC professionals have their shirts, pants and dresses done outside.
I told my husband to stop buying Costco shirts as they need to be ironed still and I wasn’t going to do them.
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I will keep this brand in mind, and let my son know. My H has J&M and also SAS (for his lab work from prior days). He now works from home and seems to have forgotten everything about dress shoes.
My kid was originally looking at shoes similar to the tan whipstitched one mentioned earlier- he had read the NY Times article about dressing down. But the store clerk convinced him he needed something a little dressier.
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My husband says that he rarely looks at other people’s shoes. Unless someone is wearing a pair of flip flops or a super spiked, punky pair of CLs with a suit, he would not notice (or even recognize!) what brand of shoes they wore… ties, OTOH, can be conversation pieces. He (I) got a couple of second hand Hermes ones… a variant of this is his favorite for those occasions when he had to meet with investors:
I am on the West Coast at a quant buy-side firm. Once we return to the office, we might be wearing jeans but always will need suits handy for on-site visits. We may be more informal than NY, but I’d say the guys still wear khakis and a collared shirt. They do wear polos as well. Shoes- mostly comfortable loafers. No more wing tips. For the ladies- we have always had it easier. I never wear skirts though because I still feel weird not wearing nylons as that is an unfinished look ( perhaps I am too old school and am not from CA originally) and when I was on the sell-side back in the day, nylons were a must.
In NY, I would say the guys in finance still wear collared shirts and dress pants. Khakis and jeans and polos are reserved for casual Fridays. This is pre-pandemic. I agree a pair of black loafers are very versatile.
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I’ve been wearing Samuel Hubbard shoes to work for years. Not exactly cheap, but very comfortable and they hold up well. They have Vibram soles.
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Ah ha… Damp wash cloth with shirt in the dryer trick. 5-10, minutes… But I take my shirts to the cleaners and other times I will iron them. My sisters taught me how to iron when I was like 10. I actually enjoy ironing, it’s relaxing to me.
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Wrinkle free dress shirts from Nordstrom Rack rock. 
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I was helping a friend with her dad at a wedding (he was in a wheelchair and I was pushing). He called his grandson over. He asked grandson if he just got a new job as a lawyer, and the grandson confirmed he did. Grandfather said said, “Well, with your first paycheck, buy a pair of black shoes.” I burst out laughing as I had noticed it too.
The young man was wearing a blue suit with brown shoes, just like all the NFL guys do on Fox/ESPN Sunday morning shows do (if they aren’t wearing enormous white sneakers). They think it is fashionable, but I’m old school and think black shoes with blue or black dress pants, brown with brown (and dark brown, not that light color brown that is lighter than the pants).
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I took a look at my son’s wedding picture. Son had those medium brown, dressy Cole Hahn shoes on with a dark blue suit. With grey suits, it was 2 black, 2 medium brown. I may have preferred black for all, but I’m no expert.
In CA, son wears Allbirds, as does his wife.
So, all I can offer is what some of the nerdy types wear.
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In dressier business environments, be sure the rest of the outfit fits. No one will notice the shoes if other stuff does not fit. Interns and new graduates are more likely to have athletic builds than most men, which can lead to issues finding well-fitting dress shirts and the like.
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I just looked at my son’s wedding pictures from last year. Same thing- blue suit(but not navy, more like a cobalt type blue ) with brown shoes.
I think his suit was Bonobos and his shoes were Allen Edmonds. He liked Allen Edmonds shoes and Brooks Brothers suits when he first started in tech consulting. He’s still in tech but with a company now that is much less formal. So, he dresses more casually most of the time. I would not advise your son to invest alot in new clothes or shoes until he gets on the job and gets a better feel for the workplace and how people dress.
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I would also get a pair of brown shoes. They look a bit more stylish than black shoes.
I would get some nice white shirts to wear with or without a suit. A lot of people take off their suit jacket while at work. Stick with white or light blue shirts.
Dark Blue and grey suits are nice. Get them tailored so they fit well.
If he is in tech it may be a bit more casual, but I would still get nice dress pants.
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It is a new trend - the brown shoes with blue suits for weddings and dress up. I noticed this started a few years ago. This from an August 2021 brides magazine page.
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The shoes will only be noticed if they are out of place - dirty/muddy, work boots, or sneakers. I think any other “dress” shoe would be fine. My husband worked on wall street until retiring end of 2019. He had two pairs of dress shoes - black for his dark pants (blues and black) and a brown for his lighter colored pants (brown/beige family). He hadn’t worn suits for years, it was dress pants with button down shirts his last 10-15 years. And his dozens of ties also went unworn during that time.
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It’s a very popular look, but I always notice it right away because it is not my taste. It was just funny because this grandfather called him out on it and I just thought it was so funny because I always notice it on the NFL Sunday shows. Those are millionaires and they like the look, so maybe Wall street does too?
West coast- younger generation likes brown shoes with navy. My H switched to brown with navy about 4 years ago. I prefer it.
Can’t give input on clothes or shoes. My son works in a creative field so no suits, slacks or ties.
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LOL - If that’s how his coworkers dress, it might be fine.
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If concerned about what brand of shoes for a Wall Street Tech Analyst:
Avoid #1 Jason of Beverly Hills
Consider: #32 Stefano Ricci, #27 Salvatore Ferragamo, #21 John Lobb, #16 Giacometti, #15 Fendi.
P.S. If he gets transferred to the Houston or Dallas, Texas office then go to lucchese.com
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My kid has long, narrow feet - the pictured attire would make his feet look like a couple of swords sticking out (although the brown shoes may work with beige or brown slacks).