Previous generations had it easy when it came to dressing for work. If you picked a suit that fits and kept your shirt and tie sober, you’d be unlikely to put a foot wrong. Yes, it was restrictive. But at least everyone knew where they stood.
The revolution against the dress code has unyoked us from style servitude but, with right and wrong now less clearly distinguished, it’s easier to take a sartorial stumble. Can you wear trainers but still look like you mean business? Is there any way to wear jeans at your desk without looking like an off-duty dad? Yes, and indeed yes. Just follow our map through the minefield.
The Mistake: Gym Bags & Suits
You’ve binned the briefcase for a backpack as a more modern way to cart your kit to work, but know your limits. If what’s slung over your shoulder is riddled with velcro and pockets, save it for hiking.
The Fix
A backpack is office-ready if it passes a few tests: premium fabrics, muted colours, and a contemporary shape. Ideally, that means leather in black, brown or blue, with high-quality hardware and enough space for your laptop and a spare layer.
The Mistake: Misunderstanding Athleisure
Gone are the days when black Oxfords were the only option, but that doesn’t mean you can wear your running shoes to work. If they’re neon, or have seen the inside of a gym, they’re out.
The Fix
Work-worthy trainers are unfussy and, above all else, as clean as the formal kicks they’re replacing. Box-fresh canvas, leather or suede styles from the likes of Adidas, Common Projects or Axel Arigato work. The beer-stained ones you wore to last night’s gig do not.
The Mistake: Disrespecting Your Suit
What to do with that lounge suit you no longer need to wear every day? Dress it down by splitting the jacket from the trousers, of course. Fine, until a laissez-faire approach to tailoring renders it unwearable when you do actually have to dress up.
The Fix
Deploying a suit singly means the trousers and jacket wear out at different paces. Invest in some tailored wool trousers and a sprezzatura-inspired unstructured blazer, which is softer at the shoulder and more relaxed in fit. It also shrugs off wrinkles, so you needn’t stress about slinging it on the back of your desk chair.
The Mistake: Dressing Too Far Down
Luxury loungewear may have the designers’ seal of approval, but your boss isn’t refreshing this season’s runway reports. At work, being on-trend matters less than being appropriate; even in business-casual offices.
The Fix
Balance is one of the fundamental rules of menswear. If you’re going to dress-down your lower half, then find balance up top with a smart shirt and knit. Similarly, a polo shirt is fair game at work, but you’ll swerve any awkward glances by pairing it with tailored trousers.
The Mistake: Dad Denim
By now your DILF-dressing game should be on-point, but the urge not to be too out-there can steer you into Clarkson territory. Be wary of anything shapeless, or that looks like it’s been washed in an acid bath.
The Fix
Treat your work jeans like formal trousers by sticking to something rich in colour, without distressing, in a tailored fit. Pair indigo denim with an Oxford shirt, blazer and Derby shoe to make them safe for work.
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