business casual - favorite brands?

[einolu]

I'm not sure how many of you have to dress business casual for work, but I was wondering where you shop? I'm looking for quality stuff that will last more than a few washings. Slim fitting pants, slim fitting shirts, not too expensive. Most shirts (14.5 - 15) fit fine on the shoulders but balloon out around the waist (30). For pants, its just hard to find a modern fit sometimes.

[keri]

Dockers, they are decent quality, cheap, and nice looking, but there's only like 2 good looking pants, so you'd have to buy multiples of the same ish in different colors if you went with them

Erik has the same issue with shirts, they just have to be taken in a little.

[poly800rock]

i asked my old boss if wearing jeans was ok in my last job, she said "yeah, but not like every day, like every few days is ok" which i took to meant, wearing jeans everyday. for shirts it was always a mish mash of stuff.

shirts that i still love are steven alan reverse seam shirts, rogan surprisingly make VERY NICE shirts. I have one that is satin lined around the sleeves and collar. cotton is very nice, but wrinkles like crazy. and clark wallabees or medium footwear envioronmentalist (which they discontinued) was my steez

[einolu]

yeah, most shirts need to be tailored but it would be nice to tuck in a unaltered shirt for once and not have it look like a potato sack. have any of you tried some of those valentino or mission shirts that are always on sale at filenes basement and the like (they look like they are made with some nice material)? I guess for dress pants I can keep shopping at h&m a while longer (good fit), though I really wouldnt mind spending more money for something better.

[ddohnggo]

A lot of my work clothes come from banana republic. i have two thomas pink shirts that i like a lot as well.

[poliopoliopolio]

i have the same problem. i work at a law firm and am afraid to wear anything creative at all to work. i have a couple pairs of slim fitting filippa k pants and some groupe 16sur20 shirts, but i still look like a tool. any ideas on how not to look like a total asshole when going to work?

[viv1984viv]

charles tyhwritt and hawes and curtis have quality shirts, loads of different styles and options and many slim cuts.

Dont know if you've heard of boden but i really wouldnt bother with them, they are cut very large, im a 15inch collar and none of their shirts fit me, spend a little more and go to the above mentioned, or thomas pink or van heusen??

[Brienneoftarth]

this is interesting b/c i wear clothes that are completely not my style to work. its just a uniform of brooks brothers slacks and shirts. i cant translate my own style into a business casual thing. its like jekyll and hyde as far as my work play clothes are considered.

also, will most tailors customize shirts? im going to a wedding in a month and want to order a nice shirt off ebay purple label or something, so if it doesnt fit i can have it altered?

[minya]

As long as the shirt fits your shoulders, then yes, pretty much everything else can be altered. If the shoulders don't fit, though, you're basically fucked.

oh, and the neck has to fit too

[viv1984viv]

glad you asked that thats a damn good question! Im thinking of shirts that i could tailored a little , take an inch off the sleeves and that....

too quik minya, now i know.

[cchen]

For work, I want the best quality. Off the rock, I have several Turnbull and Asser, Brioni, Kiton, and RLPL shirts. I do have several Charles Thyrwitt shirts as my workhorse shirts.

For pants, I'm fond of Incotex. I've actually found J Crew slacks to be a pretty good value as well.

[familyman]

Lands End is another source of basic shirts/pants that last a long time and are inexpensive. They're not too exciting but if you just need clothes for work then the combo of inexpensive/durable will save you money for your fun clothes. No use spending a bunch on crappy clothes you hate.

They also have several different fits for their shirts but even their tailored fit isn't exaclty slim though it is slimmer than brooks brothers or the like. They also do a custom shirt program starting at $50. For that price Jantzen and the like are also an option.

[einolu]

Yeah, get a decent tailor though. I had a shirt altered and they didn't even dart the back, just cut a little out and restiched the sides and Im pretty sure thats not how you do it.

I don't really care about personal style at work, I don't think thats part of the equation. I think looking clean and fitted is good enough (I only like about a third of my work clothes, the rest is just like a uniform). Some of my shirts are from banana republic, and they have some nice sweaters too. I would assume that charles twill has better quality shirts though, in terms of fabric and construction.

I think for a look, having some perfect fitting white shirts and some nice grey and black pants is a good start. A tie is optional where I work, but I kind of like the idea of a simple and nice white shirt plus an interesting tie. I had to buy all my work clothes pretty much at one time when I started working, so I didn't really think it through. Now Im planning to slowly start buying some nice things that I actually like.

[JesseJB]

Yeah business casual is tough. I made the mistake of buying a bunch of Kenneth Cole to save some money. I can't believe how fast it's all wearing out. And I bought a bunch of JCrew striped collared shirts in different colors at an outlet mall and theyve since shrunken to the point that I can't keep them tucked in very long, yet theyre too billowy to wear untucked with jeans. Useless! As Im typing Im wearing a banana republic shirt that seems to think that it needs to bulge dramatically in the front when I sit down. I keep punching it down but it keeps coming back up. Im not that fat, you stupid shirt.

And its suprisingly hard to find flat-front trousers in my experience. I ended up having to blow $110 at banana republic just for a decent pair because obviously Nordstrom hasnt caught the boat yet in the flat-front department. And they dont even fade in interesting ways after months of wear!

[faust]

I have to do it, fvcking hate it!!! I try to get away with as much as I can. I get away with turtlenecks and thing sweaters over tshirts in the winter, but in the summer i'm pretty much stuck with polo shirts.

My favorite brand for BC would be CP Company I guess. I also like Margiela a lot, he's perfect for it. It's classic, yet quirkly enough to stand out.

[minya]

I can see faust now, walking into his biz-casual office wearing a gigantic hooded parka with a pair of pilot goggles strapped onto the hood...

[einolu]

Yeah business casual is tough. I made the mistake of buying a bunch of Kenneth Cole to save some money. I can't believe how fast it's all wearing out. And I bought a bunch of JCrew striped collared shirts in different colors at an outlet mall and theyve since shrunken to the point that I can't keep them tucked in very long, yet theyre too billowy to wear untucked with jeans. Useless! As Im typing Im wearing a banana republic shirt that seems to think that it needs to bulge dramatically in the front when I sit down. I keep punching it down but it keeps coming back up. Im not that fat, you stupid shirt.

And its suprisingly hard to find flat-front trousers in my experience. I ended up having to blow $110 at banana republic just for a decent pair because obviously Nordstrom hasnt caught the boat yet in the flat-front department. And they dont even fade in interesting ways after months of wear!

Yeah, pretty much the same experience. I have a Jcrew shirt and after a month I already had to reattach 2 buttons. I have some Zara pants that are working out quite nice. My dad actually has some nordstroms shirts that he has had for years and they are pretty much as good as new, so I might pick up a white one when I can and try it out (they have a tailored fit, who knows how good it is).

[faust]

I can see faust now, walking into his biz-casual office wearing a gigantic hooded parka with a pair of pilot goggles strapped onto the hood...

BAM!!! LOL, yea, it's their most popular piece, but they really do a lot of smart stuff you can wear at the office. Wearing a treated cotton/linen pair of pants in dark brown herringbone by them right now :-)

[JesseJB]

Yeah, pretty much the same experience. I have a Jcrew shirt and after a month I already had to reattach 2 buttons. I have some Zara pants that are working out quite nice. My dad actually has some nordstroms shirts that he has had for years and they are pretty much as good as new, so I might pick up a white one when I can and try it out (they have a tailored fit, who knows how good it is).

I have a white John W. Nordstrom herringbone dress shirt. Its excellent and egyptian cotton. Wasnt a bad price either..~$75 Too bad its too nice for business casual and plus I dont want to dirty up the collar too quick. and yeah I forgot to mention I realized one of my JCrew buttons fell off just yesterday!

[Waxy]

what's it cost to get a shirt tailored

god i hate having to even think about doing this i'm so lazy

[blackshadow]

any ideas on how not to look like a total asshole when going to work?

I really like this post for some reason. I guess just because everyone i see wearing "business casual" does indeed look like an asshole.

My $.02 have your shirts tailored. One at a time if you don't have all of the cash up front. Plain front pants only none of that weird ass pleated nonsense. Also pickup some dress boots/chelsea boots to look a bit more stylish than the other assholes with penny loafers, and those that think that Rockports are the gold standard in style.

Good luck man those are rough waters to be treading.

[dismalfuture]

Luckily I don't have to dress up more than a few days per year and it's jeans, t-shirts, and chucks for most of the rest, but if I were having to do business casual (which I hate the most of any dress style I'd suppose) I usually wear cheap Asian MTM shirts and MTM trousers, with nice shoes. I've found that young raw jeans (none of your 9-month old Nudies or APCs need apply) can look ok with a shirt and some less casual shoes. On days where I was supposed to dress up, I showed up in a white Fred Perry and my raw Diors w/o a belt and found the look was clean and nobody said anything to me.

On the jeans note, I think in some places it might even be possible to get away with black overdye jeans, or the twills/corduroys in jeans cuts.

[einolu]

dismal, where do you get cheap made to measure?

[einolu]

thanks, I will have to try that out. instead of getting anything for now, I will just pick up some american apperal polos to wear with sweaters when it gets a little colder out.

[damnIam]

I have an extensive collection of WWII khaki pants flat front with button fly and Lee Chetopa work pants circa 1950s that I wear, usually with a polo or a white dress shirt tucked in. I wear either desert boots or redwings with them in black or blonde suede. Black or brown belt as needed. I wear my khakis with XXX heavy starch and they stay nice for several wearings. On cool days I will wear denim jacket (Lee Stormrider circa late 1960s) or one of many vintage light jackets. Simple and clean.

[Brienneoftarth]

damnlam what do you do for a living? i have a bullshit customer service job that wildly overpays me so im staying while i pay off my student debt...ive gotta wear prep kind of stuff as its based in connecticut

[rhythmandsound]

sounds sick damnlam, i'm feeling that description 100%, you should post some pics... i've basically got a similar thing going, only done the 'easy' way as none of my stuff is vintage (except the shoes): flat-front button-fly chinos with tucked-in button-ups and leather irish Wallabees, and same as you, a denim jacket when it gets cooler (inside or out). everything's from Supreme basically, 'cause 1) i think they do the basics in a way that's real legit and with a good fit, and 2) i've got an unhealthy obsession, ha. anyway, i work in a corporate hi-rise downtown but it's pretty much a business-casual free-for-all.

[constant struggle]

ugh business casual, i sit at work and stare at my clothes half the day going i really don't like what i'm wearing... i need some slimmer pants, but most of those you need to pay up to $100-200 on, which okay isn't that big of a deal, but i'm not going to be wearing the same pants everyday, so i'd need a few... also, if you don't have to wear a tie, sizing down 1 on mall brands kinda works for shirts, otherwise i'd check out hugo boss's hugo line, under the 'slim line' these shirts look like they are tailored... i need some new black shoes, right now i have some clarks, but they are too round and boxy

im thinking of getting some APC pants for work, and then slowly build my business casual wardrobe to the point where if i want to wear something nice out on a friday night, its the same stuff i'd wear to work, which i'm not sure is professional enough but whatever... i'm glad some days we get to wear suits, and then i feel like i look alot better in my well tailored suit

[ouss]

better start building my wardrobe while i'm still a student...

[constant struggle]

I just got some J. Lindeberg pants off of www.tobi.com for 50% off, they look like they can work real well in a business casual setting

I can wear these with my allen edmonds i picked up recently...

and i need to get some shirts tailored to fit this aesthetic...

I was thinking of getting a brooks brothers slim fit, and just getting it slightly tailored...

Anyone else any recommendations for business casual...

Also what are some good belts, im short (5'8) the ones i currently have are pretty wide looking, making me look even shorter...