Outfit ideas to help you transition back to sartorial brilliance once you’re required at the office again
It’s been over a year since we were mandated to work from home, and people are longing to return to dressing up for the office once again
SWEATPANTS AND LOUNGEWEAR became ubiquitous as folks everywhere worked from home during a worldwide lockdown meant to keep people safe in a pandemic. Add to that, masking requirements and filters on zoom just about made maintaining our appearance redundant. Inevitably, a blasé attitude developed. But studies have shown that our appearance can directly affect our self-esteem. Now that regulations have eased, we have to prepare ourselves to swap our quarantine drabs, as comfortable as they may be, for sharper ensembles. We recognise that readjustment can be tough, so here are outfit ideas to help you transition back to sartorial brilliance.
ATHLEISURE
With many of us spending most of the time at home, it is no wonder our recent online purchases comprise athleisure and loungewear. While these pieces have become staples for quarantine fashion, celebrities including Jared Leto and Justin Bieber were seen rocking and popularising these styles in public, creating an athleisure trend that was swiftly picked up by brands like Ermenegildo Zegna, JW Anderson and Off-White. This means you may not need to throw your athleisure outfits out. Try pairing them with broken suits for a contemporary twist, or livening up coordinate your ensemble with sportswear-inspired accessories.
OVERSIZED SUITING
Donning a suit is the surest way to look confident and sophisticated. Granted, after being swathed with baggy loungewear for almost a year, fitted suits might be hard to slip into for some during this transition period. But though they are traditionally considered formalwear, suits are more versatile than you think. We’re thankful for the recurring oversized trend, ungainly proportioned co-ord suits. They offer sartorial elegance and style without compromising comfort. So when planning your back-to-work outfits, think “relaxed”. Eschew the formal frills like cufflinks and bowties. Go against antiquated rules, and throw on a pair of cool sunglasses for good measure.
MONOCHROMATIC
Even if you are not generally a wizard at coordinating colours, you can always play the monochromatic card. Take a quick look at your favourites celebrities and you will see that tone-on-tone looks are classy and timeless. Gone are the days of extraneous clothing, a solid colour ensemble is an effortless way to look kempt and refined without the fuss.
A SENSE OF JOY
As we persist through the pandemic, many believe it would be good to repaint our canvas and rediscover our identity. “We will come out of this, like we come out of a war,” said trend forecaster Li Edelkoort, in a conversation with New York Times’ Vanessa Friedman. “The buildings are still there, but everything is in ruins. We will be aching for something new to refresh our personalities.”
Indeed, what we don may seem trivial against a backdrop of existential issues, but dressing up does provide catharsis, escape and a much-needed sense of joy.