https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 18 Apr 2026 22:28:55 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729714 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 16:50:47 +0000 Ledonna N. 1729714@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Really long but intresting read. I fully understand. Where I need fabrics at work that can go from office meeting to telecommunications closet breathable movable professional at the same time comfortable has taken me 14 years to perfect. My closet is awash with things that can transition from work to after work. It is very cohesive. </p> <p>I hate athleisure wear. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729705 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 16:38:25 +0000 Staysfit 1729705@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Kimlee, when you refer to doctor, you must mean "she"!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729632 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 14:13:25 +0000 kimlee 1729632@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I work in a healthcare but in a role that does not have me in direct contact with patients. Our office does not have a formal dress code, so the attire ranges from jeans and tee-shirts to business casual (ala khakis and polos). &nbsp;For awhile, I gave in to the relaxed vibe and sported jeans and tees. But surprisingly enough, I felt more productive when I wore my skirts, blouses and cardigans/blazers. I am slowing building a wardrobe of more formal pieces that are also comfortable. &nbsp;For me this means primarily, skirts and dresses, with a couple pairs of trousers thrown in the mix when I need a "suit" for an important meeting.&nbsp;I have scaled back on the heel height of my pumps and am in search of flats that will work with my fussy feet, so that I can save my knees.&nbsp;</p> <p>As a consumer/customer, I tend to trust those dressed in a more formal way than I would those dressed more casually. I am not saying that the doctor who wears sneakers and tees isn't as competent as then one who sports his Brooks Brother's pants and tie, but I perceive them differently.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729599 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 12:57:27 +0000 LaPed 1729599@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think there's more at work here than simply changing tastes and casualization. For one thing, people are working longer hours (think about the Google/Apple model, where developers practically live at work) -- so they're not going home to change between work and an evening out. Everyone wants clothes that can transition from work to play. Or even gym-to-work.&nbsp;</p> <p>Also, work-wise, people's roles are more diversified. More people are working from home either some or all of the time, or working part-time and earning extra cash through slef-employment or gig-type jobs like Uber or AirBnb. And I suspect more people are being expected to take on multiple roles at their job that may take them away from their desks and out onto jobsites, labs, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, etc. more frequently -- places where a suit and heels are impractical. Not to mention, fewer people are commuting by car, and more walking/biking/public transit -- which I think is great, and I think it's great that designers and retailers have recognized this shift and are trying to create functional clothes.</p> <p>In my own field, I think about how different the expectations are for teachers now than they were 50 or even 20 years ago -- there have definitely been some shifts in pedagogy, especially in more affluent districts. Classes are more active, hands-on, and spend more time outdoors. Teachers, especially in younger grades, are now encouraged and expected to sit on the floor with their students, look them in the eye, participate in activities, be hands-on in how they teach. This was not the case when I was a kid. The pumps and skirts that used to be iconic teacher clothes just don't make sense anymore. Personally, I think that's great! And it's totally possible to look like a grown-up with authority and still be comfortable and have good range of motion. Hello, jeans and a blazer!&nbsp;</p> <p>I like Alexandra's point about fit. Clothes that fit well are comfortable -- a lot of us have forgotten what clothes that fit well feel like, and I honestly think stretchy fabrics are part of the problem here, not the solution. Maybe this doesn't apply to shoes though -- I've had heels that fit me perfectly, but I still wouldn't want to walk across town in them. My feet and legs matter a lot to me; I am Team Flats all the way. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729574 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 12:02:15 +0000 Liz 1729574@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I, too, was fascinated about the part you quoted, about parts of our lives blending. I've noticed this in myself when on a workday I might move from working at home to working in the office, to working in a coffee shop or somewhere else. My professional office clothes may not work in those other settings, even though I'm still doing the same level of professional work. On a day when I know my work will take me into all those settings, I dress differently. I can see how for&nbsp; people in a formal office setting (mine isn't, at all), that same type of work mobility might begin to change how they dress, even in their more formal setting. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729573 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:56:18 +0000 Alexandra 1729573@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Well-fitting clothes are comfortable, even formal ones. Part of the problem with uncomfortable clothes is poor fit. Most people wouldn't know good fit if it stared them in the face. The other part is emotional comfort - the self-confidence it takes to know that your clothes aren't writing checks your abilities can't cash. High standards for self and others come into play here. So does frequent wearing of relatively more formal clothes and acting accordingly. It's a matter of habit.</p> <p>Think of an evening affair where the men wear tuxedos. You can always tell the ones who wear them often vs. those who maybe rented one for that one evening. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729564 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:27:57 +0000 JamC 1729564@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks for posting this article. I subscribe to the WSJ but missed this one. I do enjoy their fashion reporting.<br /> I will admit to loving comfort in clothes and shoes but I also enjoy wearing fancier clothes for dinners out or other events. My life is casual without dress codes but I would be bored and would not feel like me if I wore jeans, a tee, and sneakers every day. Like Angie, I prefer jeans or trousers, blouse, and flats or booties as my FFBO. I am interested in new fabrics if they look and feel good. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729555 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:01:36 +0000 Staysfit 1729555@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree with Angie and Rachy. People in professional positions should look professional. They are not our friends, they have a role to play in our lives. They have a certain power and authority, training, knowledge, and we look to them for their expertise. We put our trust in them to do whatever it is that their professional training bestows. They should respect that and we should respect that. I do my best to look polished even when dressing casual. I do not work in a traditional office setting. I work in schools with children and adolescents who have behavioral issues and mental health concerns. The staff and majority of the professionals dress casually and in clothing that allow them to run after kids. I see sneakers, shorts and tees in the summer, sweats and sweatshirts in the fall and winter, jeans and logo shirts, etc. It has always been hard for me to figure out a professional balance where I'm not too formal as to be intimidating, but dressed enough to look my role which is unique in the environment. Even when I wear something casual, I am careful that it is more polished than anything I would see a family member or staff member from the program wearing. That may sound pretentious, but I mean it in a professional way. My goal is to look professional not pretentious. </p> <p>I believe I am successful. I will say that in doing this, I can wear jeans, nice tees, and even shorts. However, athleisure does not fit the bill. The clothes I can get away with wearing vary by day, weather, setting and my profession. I am certain my situation is unique. I don't think I would want to see a lawyer who dressed the way I do. If I am called to court, which occasionally happens, I wear a suit. The judges in my community are very conservative. The same goes for any meeting with any sort of administrator or outside community organization. Show up in professional attire if you are representing a client in any formal venue. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729548 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 10:41:37 +0000 Sally 1729548@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have to say i like comfort and in my job need to be able to move around quickly and not focus on what I'm wearing. &nbsp;i try to incorporate an element that makes it more formal. &nbsp;i will wear sneakers with formal trousers or jeans with a blazer. &nbsp;i would hate to feel I couldn't wait to get home to peel off my clothes at the end of the day but i wouldn't want to go to work in my Pyjamas.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729544 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 10:35:47 +0000 Anonymous 1729544@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>GREAT article. &nbsp;Thank you so much for taking the time to print it here for us that do not subscribe to WSJ. &nbsp;</p> <p>I love the idea of comfort, especially for the feet. &nbsp;A couple of years ago I saw an article that extolled "<i>Never Wear Heels Again</i>." &nbsp;What a novel concept!!! &nbsp;I decided to see if I could do it. &nbsp;I have slowly built up a wardrobe of flats and sneakers. &nbsp;My feet have never been healthier. &nbsp;Never say never, but today, I doubt I would ever buy heels again. &nbsp;</p> <p>Comfort is the bomb!! &nbsp; I consider comfort as one of my top priorities when planning my work and leisure wardrobes. &nbsp;I still believe I dress appropriately for all settings. &nbsp;I just tweak it somewhat to ensure that I am comfortable. &nbsp;</p> <p>Again, great article. &nbsp;I look forward to the forum discussion. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729474 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 03:37:48 +0000 rachylou 1729474@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I went to the pharmacy today. They have to wear a tie and button down behind the counter there. I found myself aghast/impressed that the guy had found a way to totally undo the look - shirt untucked, labcoat with sleeves pushed up and worn open and askew. Didn't like it. I want my pharmacist sharp in all things. Took a hard look at all my meds he gave me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729440 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 02:06:26 +0000 Angie 1729440@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I do too, Lisa. It is a BILLION percent possible - especially with modern technology.&nbsp;</p> <p>I have clients in high powered legal and financial positions. When we first started working together - their attire was MUCH more formal. Business Formal - and BRANDED at that. Those dress codes have relaxed to: Business Casual most days, jeans on Casual Fridays, and Business Formal for important meetings only.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729436 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 01:58:44 +0000 UmmLila (Lisa) 1729436@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think it's possible to be dressy, comfortable and appropriate at the same time. I hope that doesn't mean all athleisure!! I like my workout gear but I won't wear it all day.&nbsp;</p> <p>This article reminded me of being a new lawyer in the early 1990s and just dying to get out of my Liz Claiborne and Jones New York and Ann Taylor suits and pantyhose at the end of the day. Even if golden brown suits and high heeled brown maryjanes were the bomb. It seems to me that clothing materials have come a long way and we can look good and feel good at the same time. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729431 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 01:51:52 +0000 Angie 1729431@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I enjoyed the arcticle, Lisa. I am ALL for comfort - especially on the feet - but it DOES concern me when things just get <b>overly casual<i> everywhere</i>.</b> Personally, I don't find it professional, respectful and prideful. Plus if you love fashion - it isn't very fun.&nbsp;</p> <p>I am not into Athleisure at all. Personally, it's my least favourite trend of all time. The fashion industry might regret making it a trend - because it will never die! People LOVE wearing Athleisre in the US (not so much in Asia &amp; Europe). And that's fine for ultra casual settings. But I don't want my doctor, dentist, realtor, bank manager, lawyer, judge, architect, accountant, interior designer or fashion stylist addressing me in Athleisure attire. I'm happy to be old fashioned in this regard.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/the-new-trend-in-officewear---comfort#post-1729393 Tue, 20 Sep 2016 00:57:47 +0000 UmmLila (Lisa) 1729393@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I know I'm posting a lot of links / re-posts lately but this one is kind of good and I think relevant to how many YLF'ers think.</p> <p>My favorite quote plus the rest of the article below (because you won't see it if you don't subscribe to WSJ)</p> <p><div><br /> <div><br /> <div><br /> <div><br /> <div><br /> <div></p> <p>"<i>All this highlights fundamental changes in our culture. People who are never disconnected from work thanks to modern technology are<br /> melding their professional and personal lives in many ways—and what<br /> they wear is a reflection of that. It is impacting how people dress for<br /> places and events where dressy, uncomfortable apparel was once the<br /> norm</i>—like the office. Or the opera."</p> </div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div></p> <p>The New Trend in Office Wear:<br /> Comfort </p> <p><i>As the line blurs between our professional and personal lives, so have the clothes we wear</i> </p> <p>By CHRISTINA BINKLEY<br /> Sept. 18, 2016 10:10 p.m. ET </p> <p>Debra Bar is head of marketing at Bank Leumi in New York, but her<br /> office wear these days doesn’t scream “bank executive.” She has<br /> purged her closet of business suits, replacing them with colorful<br /> dresses that she enjoys wearing more. Her heels are gathering dust in<br /> a desk drawer while she dons flat shoes, and even sneakers, since<br /> injuring her knee. </p> <p>“No one really notices that I’m not wearing heels every day,” she says.<br /> “As long as you look nice, no one cares anymore. There’s no dress<br /> code.”</p> </div></div><div><br /> <div></p> <p><i>So what are you wearing<br /> today? Chances are, you are<br /> feeling more relaxed in your<br /> clothing than you were just<br /> five years ago</i>. Sneakers are<br /> chic and are being worn<br /> under everything from<br /> pinstriped suits to bridal<br /> gowns. Women’s evening-<br /> wear labels such as Sachin &amp;<br /> Babi are revamping their<br /> collections to include<br /> separates, slacks and flat<br /> shoes. Remember the button-down news anchor? NBC’s Matt Lauer didn’t even bother<br /> wearing socks on set to interview Ryan Lochte in August.</p> </div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div></p> <p>Styles and fabrics have taken so sharp a turn toward comfort that fashions may never entirely turn back again.</p> <p>“<i>People expect comfort</i>,” says Caroline Belhumeur, creative director<br /> for the apparel label Club Monaco. “It’s not like in the ’80s when<br /> people were stuffing themselves into blazers and stilettos and<br /> hobbling around.” </p> <p>Blurred lines </p> <p>Athleisure seemed to be just a fad when athletically styled fashions<br /> were introduced as daywear a few years ago. It quickly zoomed from<br /> wearing Lululemon to the supermarket to wearing a Gucci sweatshirt<br /> to the office. The styles began eating into the denim market, formerly<br /> the bastion of casual. Milan and Paris runways in recent seasons have<br /> featured pajamas as evening wear, track pants made of fine silk and<br /> Adidas-style athletic slides with fur.&nbsp;</p> <p>When move your arm, you want your blazer to move with you,” says Ms.<br /> Belhumeur.</p> </div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div></p> <p>The men’s luxury label Berluti, owned by France’s LVMH, recently<br /> named a new creative director, Haider Ackermann, and charged him<br /> with making the label more casual. The brand’s chief executive,<br /> Antoine Arnault, noted that casual clothing is outselling “sartorial”<br /> tailored clothing across the board. </p> <p>All this highlights fundamental changes in our culture. People who are </p> <p> </div><br /> </div><br /> <div><br /> <div></p> <p>This shift<br /> has moved<br /> beyond<br /> athletically<br /> inspired </p> <p> </div><br /> </div></p> <p> <div><br /> <div></p> <p>Added<br /> stretch is<br /> making<br /> some men’s<br /> suiting<br /> more<br /> forgiving.<br /> “When you</p> </div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><br /> </div><br /> </div><br /> <div><br /> <div><br /> <div></p> <p>All this highlights fundamental changes in our culture. People who arenever disconnected from work thanks to modern technology are<br /> melding their professional and personal lives in many ways—and what<br /> they wear is a reflection of that. It is impacting how people dress for<br /> places and events where dressy, uncomfortable apparel was once the<br /> norm—like the office. Or the opera. </p> <p> </div><br /> </div></p> <p> <div><br /> <div></p> <p></p> <p> </div><br /> <div></p> <p>There’s less<br /> separation<br /> between<br /> weekday<br /> and<br /> weekend<br /> clothing<br /> these days,<br /> says Roopal<br /> Patel,<br /> fashion<br /> director of<br /> Saks Fifth<br /> Avenue. </p> <p> </div><br /> </div><br /> <div><br /> <div></p> <p>“We’ve started to see a shift in how our customers are getting dressed<br /> every single day.” </p> <p>Clothes with stretch </p> <p><i>These changes wouldn’t be happening without vast improvements in<br /> polyester,</i> a fabric whose name was once synonymous with “ick.”<br /> Improvements in textile manufacturing have turned poly into a<br /> luxury fabric, useful in everything from haute-couture dresses to<br /> breathable, moisture-wicking running clothes. </p> <p><i>People in their 20s and 30s are particularly adamant about<br /> comfortable clothing.</i> Eunice Cho, 31 years old, founded Los Angeles-<br /> based Aella after attending UCLA’s business school and interviewing<br /> for jobs. </p> <p>“All the business options out there were really uncomfortable and so<br /> expensive,” Ms. Cho says. “I was like, why wouldn’t people want to<br /> wear comfortable clothes when they’re at work?” </p> <p>Aella makes suiting and other office-ready looks from fabrics that feel<br /> like yoga wear but look more polished. Ms. Cho avoids styles that look<br /> “frumpy” because many of her customers—women in their mid-20s<br /> and older—want to wear their work clothes out to evening events.<br /> Launched in 2014, the label is carried at stores including<br /> Bloomingdales and sold online. </p> <p>Ministry—which recently changed its name from Ministry of Supply<br /> and launched a womenswear line—was created five years ago by three </p> <p> </div><br /> </div><br /> </div><br /> <div><br /> <div></p> <p></p> </div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><br /> </div><br /> <div></p> <p>former MIT<br /> students<br /> who asked a<br /> simple<br /> question:<br /> “Why can’t<br /> the clothes<br /> we wear<br /> every day be<br /> as<br /> comfortable<br /> as the<br /> clothes we<br /> work out </p> <p> </div><br /> </div><br /> <div><br /> <div></p> <p>A Kickstarter campaign to make a men’s dress shirt with moisture-<br /> wicking, four-way stretch four years ago aimed to raise $30,000. It<br /> raised $430,000, selling 8,000 shirts the first month. The brand now<br /> makes shirts, suits and other apparel that look like traditional office<br /> fare, but could be worn for yoga, calling its category “performance<br /> professional clothes.” Co-founder Gihan Amarasiriwardena last<br /> December ran a half-marathon in Boston wearing one of Ministry’s<br /> suits—a buttoned jacket, shirt and tie. </p> <p> </div><br /> </div><br /> </div><br /> <div><br /> <div><br /> <div></p> <p>Ministry Co-Founder Gihan Amarasiriwardena ran a half-marathon last year in Boston in this<br /> Ministry suit. PHOTO: TIMOTHY ANAYO </p> <p> </div><br /> </div><br /> </div><br /> </div><br /> <div><br /> <div></p> <p></p> </div></div></div><div><div><div><br /> </div><br /> </div><br /> <div><br /> <div><br /> <div><br /> <div></p> <p>Clothing’s symbolism has shifted, too, as people don hoodies and track<br /> jackets rather than suit jackets. Sport coats, once an essential part of a<br /> professional man’s daily wardrobe, now carry a new significance in<br /> some circles. </p> <p>Derek Guy, a 37-year-old graduate student in political science at the<br /> University of California, Berkeley, says he wore sport coats routinely<br /> when he was in his 20s as a way to signal his cool style. These days,<br /> very few young men wear sport coats in the classes he teaches. The<br /> few who do, he says, “come off as slightly dorky” and “pretentious.” </p> <p>And what about those women who walk to work in heels? </p> <p>“When I see a woman in heels walking to work, I’m like, ‘Why?” says<br /> Ms. Bar. “It just looks out of place.” </p> <p>Ms. Binkley is a news editor for The Wall Street Journal in Los Angeles.<br /> Email her at <a href="mailto:christina.binkley@wsj.com">christina.binkley@wsj.com</a>. </p> <p></p> </div></div></div></div></div> </p>