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A.Word.A.Day--white-shoe

This week's theme: Words with color as metaphors

(hwyt/wyt shoo)

noun: Pertaining to a business or those who run it, typically conservative, rich, and elite, in fields such as law, finance, etc.

[Apparently from the earlier popularity of white shoes among such men.]

"[John] Street's problem was that, unlike the white-shoe lawyers and sleek inside players who'd mastered this game, his people were new to the trough."
Chris Satullo; Not a Crook, But Still a Failure; Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania); Jan 5, 2008.

See more usage examples of white-shoe in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

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