The clothes we wear do more than serve a merely practical purpose. Clothes contribute to how others perceive us but, more importantly, how we perceive ourselves. Research from Northwestern University suggests that our attire influences our work, increasing attention to detail and care. Essentially, what we wear to work matters.
The earliest types of workwear first appeared in the 17th century. Royal court members would be given uniforms that point to their employer in both color and insignia.
Centuries later, daily work clothing still informs how we dress in the workplace. Now we have the freedom to let personal aesthetics shine, whether that means pleated or wide-leg apparel or something else entirely.
To that end, Paskho has collected several comfy work outfits designed to help you look and perform your best.
Identifying the Dress Code
The overarching dress code of the workplace varies based on the individual office. For men, the most formal office apparel is a complete suit and tie. For women, neutral, dark, and black dresses and pantsuits are the most formal apparel.
Most offices presently operate with a variant of business casual apparel. For men, this includes blazers, semi-formal pants, and shoes like loafers. For women, this includes a wider variety of dresses, skirts, tops, and pants.
Identifying the exact dress code you are operating in is up to you. The work outfits listed below primarily skew towards business casual. However, they can easily be dressed up by layering or swapping items out as needed.
Comfort and Style for Performance and Leisure
Many of the most comfortable work clothes take a great deal of inspiration from leisurewear. After all, this was the apparel in which the world first saw the introduction of comfort fabrics.
Performance apparel often uses synthetic fabrics, even if it is a small amount. These were primarily developed in the mid-20th century for a variety of purposes.
Not every piece of leisurewear is appropriate for office dress codes, however. Sleeveless garments are only sometimes acceptable, and plain t-shirts rarely, if ever.
The outfit ideas we have below follow a few patterns. We highlight neutral colors, both for their formality and for their ease of wearing. We highlight travel apparel for its incomparable blend of office-appropriate style and functionality.
Outfit Ideas for Women
We’re first going to highlight a few outfit ideas for women. These include complex layering garments and clothing whose complexity comes from their simplicity. In each case, these are minimalist ideas suitable for the workplace and appropriate well beyond it.
Outfit 1: Luxe Layers
Work can be hectic. To that end, we have a garment ready to calm every nerve with the Meditation. These stretch trousers are designed to be simple and authentic while providing everything you could desire from professional attire.
Sustainably-Made Micro Modal Stretch Knit provides a full range of movement while retaining a slim fit shape. Even with this flexibility, the fabric resists wrinkling and shrinkage.
Two front and one back zipper pockets are concealed in a bid to streamline the silhouette of these pants. The end result is a timeless style piece, whether in the workplace or going out.
We suggest a layered look by pairing this piece with the Monastic. This simple, timeless style cardigan offers a bit of formality that only layering can provide. The garment is made from 100% ethically sourced Merino Wool. This provides supreme breathability, a subtle stretch, and the ability to better regulate your temperature.
For your work wardrobe, we suggest layering the cardigan to enhance your favorite tank top or tee. The Prosperity is just the piece to serve this purpose, with a flared seam that elevates traditional tanks. Alternatively, for a more casual work outfit, you can pair a preferred short-sleeve or long-sleeve blouse over the garment.
Outfit #2: Precise Tailoring in Service of Elegance
Our next outfit can be summarized in two simple words: Understated elegance. This outfit is perfect for the workplace during the day or for dinners afterward. We start with the Luminous, whose ruffled details update the traditional tunic.
Merino wool innately provides a breathable, stretchy fabric with an elegant drape. Midnight and charcoal colors provide a slimming effect. The most eye-catching feature of this tunic is the drape-enhancing ruffled sleeves and the presence of hidden side pockets.
Such a tightly designed top deserves a pant that matches. To that end, we’ve elected to pair the Purity with this garment. This pant shows what can happen when deliberate craftsmanship is paid to every detail.
The distinctive front-knee seam of the pants creates an immediately distinguished wave of fabric that still stays close. Ultrasonic welded and bonded seams confer a variety of benefits. They enhance longevity in the garment and durability. Hidden zipper pockets mean that, in tandem with the tunic, you can easily and secretly store all your personal effects.
Navy and black offerings of the Purity allow you to match for a number of different impressions. For the maximum tailored look, pair with your favorite wedge or heel.
Outfit Ideas for Men
Our menswear designs build on classic staples of business apparel. These include blazers and technical pants, as well as classic polos. They take all these timeless garments as a jumping-off point before making them their own.
Read below for business-professional attire and sporty looks for the active among us.
Outfit #3: The Consummate Business Professional
Our next outfit shows a personal styling combo for comfortable semi-formal office apparel. Business casual standards are going to be showcased here, starting with the blazer — the Individualist.
The Individualist is best for men who want to redefine work attire by blurring lines between functional and fashionable apparel. Its unstructured fit reduces wrinkling and helps you look your best for business meetings.
Meanwhile, zipper pockets on the interior and exterior of the garment set it apart from your usual working blazer. Snap closures over traditional button-up shirt designs makes for a more comfortable fit in tandem with stretch-tech fabric.
Pair this slightly oversized blazer with your favorite button-down shirt or collared shirt for a casual office look. For outside-the-workplace events, even uncollared shirts pair well for a dressed-down, versatile look for your blazer.
A blazer that breaks the mold deserves a pant that redefines the work environment. Urban is a technical pant whose design can replicate work attire, especially in black and khaki colors.
The Urban uses ultrasonic welding rather than traditional sewing to increase its durability while reducing chafing. In other words, it provides something necessary for well-wearing work attire.
4-way stretch tech fabric and a lock-snap closure give it a more comfortable fit in the waist than other garments. It offers general comfort, thanks to the aforementioned fabric.
It repels water, oil, and dirt, while also being abrasion-resistant. In an environment where cleanliness is even more paramount than usual, you’ll be accident-proofed thanks to these pants.
Both of these pieces are easily machine washable, though you will want to let the blazer air dry. With in-born wrinkle resistance, taking care of your work clothes has never been so easy.
Outfit #4: A Sporty Office Look
The ideal pair of work pants should be all-purpose. They should be items that transition from day to night. The Minimalist achieves this style while being one of the most comfortable articles on this list.
An elasticated waistband provides a personalized fit, while stretch-tech fabric ensures full movement and comfort throughout the day. A moisture-wicking finish also helps with the water, oil, and dirt repellent properties. This sporty work pant deserves an equally sporty top.
We couldn’t round out a list of work-appropriate attire without including a polo shirt somewhere in the mix. The polo shirt is one of the few pieces of true sportswear that sees regular use in the workplace. Originally invented for the sport of the same name, it transitioned to the golf course before the workplace.
The Innovator is meant to provide the next iteration on what is, fundamentally, a piece of performance apparel. Contrast stripes along each arm and a black collar distinguish themselves in deep plum, black, and navy versions of it.
4-way stretch fabric made from Merino wool, viscose, and silk provides thermoregulation for all temperatures and unprecedented softness. It also manages to be breathable, leading to more comfortable working attire than most. Pair this wardrobe staple with oxfords for a dressed-up look or casual shoes for a relaxed appearance.
How Your Work Clothes Change Your Work
The clothing we wear vastly impacts the way we work and the way we feel at work. Technical apparel is a game-changer for the workplace. It maintains the strictures which have given the business dress code power. At the same time, it elevates the code and allows us to be truly comfortable while working.
The above is just a glimpse of all that Paskho has to offer. Comfortable pants, luxe-feeling tops, and transformative outerwear all make up our collection. This isn’t just clothing for the workplace. It’s clothing for any place. Wherever you go, Paskho has apparel ready to support you in style and luxury.
Sources:
Uniforms in Jobs: A Short History of Workwear I Realm of History
Nylon: A Revolution in Textiles | Science History Institute
A Brief History of The Polo Shirt - Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt Lacoste Fashion History | L'OFFICIEL USA
Research Shows That the Clothes You Wear Actually Change the Way You Perform | Inc.com
