Casual officewear struggles
So back when I was in academia I could wear literally anything and nobody cared at all, but now I work in a big boy office and I'm finding myself in a creative rut with what I'm wearing day to day.
I love my job but it's in a casual office/lab environment which means tailored jackets are out of place and long pants are non negotiable. Also I'm on my feet a lot some days, which means I'm wearing comfy sneakers every weekday now. Graphic tees are fine but I'd be a lot more comfortable wearing chiller ones than unhinged ones. I'm attaching two photos which are kinda what I'm defaulting to (some sort of shirt over a tee + pants + sneakers) but the formula gets old and I feel like I'm cycling through variations on the same few outfits day in and day out.
A lot of the outfits that I've really enjoyed on myself in the past involved leaning hard into soft flowy clothing, sometimes pairing/contrasting it with tailored jackets / Ivyish pieces and I feel like I can't do much in that area.
In my experience these kind of problems require work on the poster's end (inspiration comes a lot faster if you actively try to be inspired) but I figured it was worth asking if anyone has advice on dressing in this "casual but corporate" environment that feels creatively sterile?
31 Replies
Here are some examples of things I have enjoyed wearing, for context
Is it one of those places where if you wear a blazer then people ask why you're dressed fancy or is it like a noone has set foot in the workplace in tailoring ever kinda place?
the latter, I get asked why I'm dressing fancy when I tuck in an OCBD ðŸ˜
Ah. Yes that's a challenge. I completely get why that kind of place could feel monotonous.
Wearing overshirts is a good way to layer without looking too dressed up. Your style tends to already incorporate these but could go over a tucked shirt to make it stand out less. Chore coats as well. I feel like you've generally got a wardrobe that can work.
FWIW I'm in a satellite office and whenever I have to visit HQ it's a bit more dressed down and I also struggle with this. It's easy to just fall back on a polo and chinos but that's no fun
good shout this is helpful
ye and all of holf or weeg’s inspo might also be worth sorting through
Yeah, if you're willing to look into heritage fashion, a lot of that stuff takes inspiration from Carhartt and can blend seemlessly into most work environments: chorecoats, denims, aged leather, high quality boots, that sort of thing. Its a stylistic shift for sure but definitely less likely to be actively questioned and some of it can mirror sprezzatura a bit. I would also say you could look into like summer sprezzatura styles more. Untucked Linens and that sort of thing. Depends on their tolerances though.
it's also OK to be the 'fancy' person if that's the case too. i've worked in various tech/media offices where some people rock full sweatsuits and convention hoodies and some people come fully suited. as long as you're comfortable in it i wouldn't worry. i mean there's obviously margins there, if you think you're going to feel out of place rocking a suit or tie or something, but i'd say it's still up to you.
basically i'd say flex on 'em even if you work your way up to it
@MI1101 KA0095's fits in WAYWT and on IG are good inspo https://www.instagram.com/m.yurtas/
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Niceness, Seeall, ssstein, a kind of guise, auralee, cristaseya, seya, are also all good inspo for this niche (basically the Neighbour/CHCM brand list)
Less so to buy, moreso for their lookbooks (since the price is absurd), Setchu is good to look at
Athleisure stuff can also be usedul to actively reduce the percieved fanciness of an outfit. Like tech chinos do not register to most people as fancily as chinos.
How did you get athleisure from his inspo examples ðŸ˜
No, no. I'm just saying you can change out a single piece in an outfit to soften it up if necessarily (usually the pants). But yeah, I get it. Its not the same.
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Why not mine huh
Oh yeah I'm not scared to wear a tucked OCBD or sweater and get a few "oh somebody's fancy today" but just trying to give the context that I would be sticking out in tailoring a bit too much for comfort
Good stuff I appreciate the suggestions!
Oh yeah that one's a classic
Here are some tailoring-free inspo images I have saved that I think kind of hit the casual officewear vibe while still looking good. Warning - lots of Drake's content because I am who I am.
I find a vest, jacket, or overshirt can help a lot. For a lot of casual office workers, tucking in a shirt is an extremely formal look so wearing something over it can help tone that down and break up the silohuette.
some days I feel like a broken record, but sillage has goated inspo for casual menswear
https://discord.com/channels/1116793467654381685/1117803378521673768/1394824931145158730
also leaning into taking some inspo from Lemaire (as rec'd earlier by awz with MI1101 KA0095)
but I dont know that either of those recs is casual enough to not stand out in the office
Good stuff, thanks k
yes...yes
I dare say, short of functionality, maybe just continue to dress better than your peers?
like dont let the influences of what you really like have to get pushed aside. show up in the ivy blazer even if you dont really have to wear it most of the day
im imagining this fit specifically but with some sneaker thatalso works
and more buttons buttoned
Ha good points, and yeah that level of unbuttoning may get me sent to HR
i constantly find myself buttoning my shirt on zoom calls lmao
kstocks also probably good inspo for this
maybe a little less casual than you could target but
GSH fits are a big inspo of mine!
Im realizing that you are talking mostly about shirts/jackets/shoes in your post. Maybe its worth focusing on pants as a way to inject some visual interest?
I can see a lot of potential by just inserting some flowy wool/linen pants in a wider cut into the mix, but im not sure what office etiquette say about that.
Ultimately to me it sounds a bit like you are constraining yourself more than you might have to, to better fit into your new job, perhaps because you don't feel as secure there yet because you are still new?
this is a great point! most of my pants are a pretty generous straight fit but I don't have any truly W I D E pants to wear
this is probably a factor, yeah
i was about to suggest you become a hedi boy but that works as well /j
Well in that case I would suggest slowly inserting more of your old stuff into your office wardrobe and live with some comments. Ppl get used to that stuff remarkably quickly anyway because thats how humans work.
Also just not acknowledging the formality game can be a useful move when ppl ask about more formal stuff. When someone is irritated i wear a sport coat i just respond that it has a lot of nifty pockets and i find that practical.