Thomas StewartIntro
We’ve all experienced it. The numbing feeling when you get out of bed in the morning and have no idea what to wear. The feeling of still being tired after you’ve showered, staring into the abyss that is your wardrobe and having no inspiration. This problem – the ‘what to wear to work’ problem – can be solved with this simple premise: turn the mundane into the eccentric. Sound harder than it is? Nonsense. It’s easy, it’s quick and it’s fun. Putting outfits together, testing looks is what we, here at MFM, love doing, it’s what we do best, and it’s what excites us. Style in the mundane? Most definitely.
When you look at your wardrobe in the morning or go out shopping to fix yourself a new outfit think about what can complement it. I always say that accessories complete an outfit and that’s the case here with work wear. Yes, most of the time you will have to wear a shirt to work and yes, sometimes it will have to be plain white but you can add your own distinctive style, your own twist on the generic ‘work look’ by adding accessories. Wearing a watch, for example, puts your own signature on the oufit. The watch a person wears says a lot about them, someone who wears a vintage watch, for example, has a different style than someone who wants to wear a Rolex. Buttons over cufflinks, laces or not, the choice is yours. The choices go on.
However, there is a rule I must profess for what to wear to work, it’s the rule that embodies the three looks below and is just as important to take to work as your briefcase. The rule: put a spin on the ordinary. I’ve mentioned accessories but there are other choices. If the shirt and trousers is something your work demands of you then think about the shoes you wear. Brown, polished shoes with laces add that definitive style rather than black slip-ons. Adding a bit of colour to the outfit really pulls it all together. Black shoes have their place with certain outfits – you don’t want to have too much going on – but brown is a subtle way of pulling style into what you wear to work.
The best way of looking at what to wear to work – that challenging leap you have ahead of you in the morning – is that it’s fun. It’s fun to put outfits together, its fun to have that one item that makes the outfit complete and original. Have a look below at the three outfits I’ve put together that demonstrate that adding accessories, having one patterned item to the simple shirt and trousers can really make a difference.
Look One:
When thinking of what to wear to work, you can never go wrong with a suit. Boring, you say? That’s why you choose a tweed suit. A tweed suit is much more different than a normal suit. Don’t misunderstand, there’s nothing wrong with a suit – we, MFM love them – but wearing tweed to work screams style. Don’t just stop there. By adding cuff-links rather than buttons and a modestly coloured bag to carry your things you don’t have too much going on, you have exactly enough. You’re saying you’re completely in control of your own style and you’re embracing it.
Look Two:
Winter is here and we need to wrap up warm, even in work. Cardigans are made to keep you warm but also they look good. It’s not too casual – with the balance of cardigan and dickie-bow, it shows that you value the importance of looking smart but can do so with a casual spin on the generic look. Also, when you’re working and wearing a cardigan it shows that you mean business.
Look Three:
This look is all about the accessories that make it. In theory, it’s a generic look – a shirt and trousers – but with a patterned tie it already makes the look that bit more interesting and stylish. Going from there, the cufflinks and watch complement each other to give a vintage spin on it. Completing it with a pair of plain black shoes works in this look because it stops the outfit from having too much going on. It’s a subtle look with small details that bring it together.
Conclusion
What is important to remember when thinking about what to wear to work is how do you make the boring un-boring, how can you change the stereotype of shirt/trousers/tie to something that bit more interesting, eccentric but – most importantly as we at MFM love – stylish. Add accessories; add a patterned tie, colourful shoes with laces, cufflinks rather than buttons. Small things complete outfits, they give it that life that other outfits don’t. As always we love to hear from you so let us know what you wear to work and any ideas you have on changing the stereotype of work wear.