THE JOURNAL
The notion of “workwear”, and what you wear to work, carries a fascinating duality. At once, it is steeped in its traditional association with hard graft and durability. And it also reflects its modern sensibility as the clothing we wear to navigate our professional lives, whether as accomplished attorneys, fastidious financial strategists, skyline-defining architects or sought-after creative minds.
While traditional, heavy-duty denim and flannel shirts remain vital – and long may they thrive – most of us find ourselves in spaces and roles that demand a different kind of wardrobe. Yet, in getting dressed for work, the essence of workwear endures. We still seek practicality in our clothing – like the utility of well-placed pockets for essential tools, perhaps a beautifully crafted fountain pen – while ensuring our attire reflects who we are and how we wish to be perceived.
Clothing has a transformative power: it can make us stand taller, feel more confident, and help us approach our work with greater efficiency and focus. Today, the workplace is more sartorially diverse than ever, allowing a broader scope of what is deemed acceptable – and, as self-confessed “clothes people”, we couldn’t be more thrilled.
01. The new banker elegance
If you must regularly wear a suit to work, a navy two-piece is the absolute minimum you must have hanging in your wardrobe. But this one, from Saman Amel takes the brief and knocks it out of the park with a herringbone silk and linen-blend twill and a modern, sleek silhouette. The silk tie from TOM FORD and the silver-bar embellished Derby shoes from Christian Louboutin bring this look even more firmly into the stylish now. Grab a luxurious Loro Piana cashmere coat for later in the season and a classic Berluti briefcase – no need to match to your shoes – and you’re ready to rake it in.
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02. The extremely imaginative creative
Working in a creative field is both sartorially freeing and dangerous. If you’re allowed to wear whatever you want, it can be all too easy to wear something completely inappropriate for work environments such as photoshoots or location visits. We’ve taken closet staples here and blown them out of proportion, ensuring that you can display your personality and personal style while still staying inside the lines. So, black trousers from KAPITAL, a blue pin-striped shirt from Acne Studios and a cotton-canvas overshirt from Isabel Marant anchor this look. With the footwear, some OTT Balenciaga sneakers finish it off, but you can go safer (or wilder), depending on the situation and your preference.
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03. The fit-in-anywhere freelancer
On your way to a co-working space? Meeting with a potential client? You don’t rely on a single source of income, but your look should be on the money. A little old-school prep goes a long way in projecting a “I’m professional” vibe. We like Massimo Alba’s Italian take on retro menswear (seen here in this houndstooth blazer) and Baracuta’s shell coat is as classic as it comes. But since you’re a freelancer, you can wear jeans. Choose some in a straight silhouette and pair with white socks and these can’t-be-beat G.H. Bass & Co. loafers.
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04. The pared-back professional
Clean lines and unruffled colours are the mark of a man who needn’t be distracted by things like logos, bells nor whistles when he gets dressed – he’s simply too focused on the task at hand. Let’s say he’s an architect or an engineer, this man is no nonsense, but has a keen aesthetic eye and a strong point of view. Luxe designers with a minimalist bent, such as Jil Sander (the wool-flannel overshirt), Gabriela Hearst (the silk and wool-blend shirt) and Stòffa (the tapered cotton trousers) go well with understated leather goods from Bottega Veneta.
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05. The work-hard, play-harder
Maybe you have a desk job, at which you beaver away, crunching numbers, filing memos, populating PowerPoint presentations. Perhaps you are a leader of men and women, a master delegator, a meeting aficionado. And you dress the part with smart separates and clean white shirts. In the evening, thanks to simple outfit arithmetic, you could subtract the suit jacket and Derby shoes and add a distressed denim jacket from John Elliott, a leather bomber from AMI PARIS and perhaps even boots by John Lobb. Now you’ve got a look that will go from the boardroom to the VIP room. When you know what works, why leave the formulas to the spreadsheets?