Is the traditional business suit dead?

Is the traditional business suit dead?

Author
Discussion

AudiMan9000

Original Poster:

783 posts

63 months

Saturday 8th February
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So my employer has required us to return to the office for 2 days per week.

Traditionally men would wear suits and ties for work.

However, after years of WFH in comfortable clothes, this feels restrictive, uncomfortable, and a bit overly formal for sitting on a laptop.

Aside from meetings with people outside of the business, is it still necessary for men to wear suits in the office?

If not, what are some smart-enough alternatives?

There are some people in lower roles who come in in jeans and t-shirts but to me this looks too dressed down and out of place.

I feel a bit archaic wearing a suit to work alone on a laptop, but what else could I wear? Is the suit a thing of the past now?

Super Sonic

9,564 posts

69 months

Saturday 8th February
quotequote all
Suit sans shirt & tie? Chinos? Polo shirt? Cardigan?

anonymous-user

69 months

Saturday 8th February
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Really?

Sporky

8,434 posts

79 months

Saturday 8th February
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Apart from my mum's funeral I think it's 16 years since I wore a suit.

shirt

24,319 posts

216 months

Saturday 8th February
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AudiMan9000 said:
There are some people in lower roles

jonysan

163 posts

43 months

Saturday 8th February
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often seen-----Overly tight Business suit wore with white shirt, no tie, and cheap sometimes brown often upturned shoes,

creepy and dreadful.

Casual suit, open neck shirt, or T shirt, good quality shoes or boots, Wear a heavier Jacket and scarf, and leather gloves when it's cold (not one of those crappy M&S stripy, Adder coloured scarves). Looks classy, other blokes will hate you for it. but sly glances from a few women.

FishOutOfWater

81 posts

91 months

Saturday 8th February
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My role has a dress code of business. However a lot of my work involves meeting the sort of public who are intimidated by that so I tend to flout this dress code and wear slightly more casual.

I find that fit is more important if you wear something that fits properly then you will usually look smart. Chose a fit which suits your body style. I’m short, and slim so I go for a slim/tailored look the break of my trouser leg is important in that any bunching makes me look scruffy or even shorter than I am arm length is also as key.

I tend to wear similar things all the time.
Tailored trousers in a suit style.
Long sleeve knitted polos (top button always done up)
Pique polos but with a button down collar and minimal branding always worn tucked in.
1/4 zip jumpers (no branding)
I don’t often wear shirts because I don’t bother with a tie and they can often look lacking without. If I do wear a shirt it tends to be an Oxford button down.

I stick to darker colours too.

Jackets often let blokes down. They’ll stick a technical puffa over the top of an otherwise smart outfit so there needs to be more consideration there.

In the summer I did experiment with tailored trousers and some white Stan smith trainers. It lasted nearly a week before I was informed I was pushing it too far.

If you want “inspiration” then football managers/pundits can be surprisingly stylish (the ones that don’t wear the training kit)


Edited by FishOutOfWater on Saturday 8th February 18:37

Dingu

4,885 posts

45 months

Saturday 8th February
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Surely only you know the answer based on where you work.

dave123456

3,433 posts

162 months

Saturday 8th February
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Well fitted chinos, Oxford shirt and wool blazer. I sometimes switch out a quality polo shirt in the summer or a polo neck in the colder months. I’ve lighter jackets too.

To be honest a suit is a bit ott nowadays I do keep meaning to buy a new one though, my new one is about 6 years old and has been worn maybe 3 times.

Regbuser

5,521 posts

50 months

Saturday 8th February
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FishOutOfWater said:
Jackets often let blokes down. They’ll stick a technical puffa over the top of an otherwise smart outfit so there needs to be more consideration there.
A well fitting blouson jacket in mild weather, and fine wool pea coat when colder.

bitchstewie

58,611 posts

225 months

Saturday 8th February
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Dingu said:
Surely only you know the answer based on where you work.
This is the right answer of course.

For me it's usually chinos and some days it's a hoodie some days it's a rollneck some days it's a tee shirt some days it's a polo.

Not sure there's a one-size fits all answer tbh.

softtop

3,146 posts

262 months

Saturday 8th February
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The whole formal casual attire, I remember being in the corporate world, everyone wearing Levi 501s, brown brogues and a checked button down shirt. Just corporate cloning that I would always avoid.

FishOutOfWater

81 posts

91 months

Saturday 8th February
quotequote all
Regbuser said:
FishOutOfWater said:
Jackets often let blokes down. They’ll stick a technical puffa over the top of an otherwise smart outfit so there needs to be more consideration there.
A well fitting blouson jacket in mild weather, and fine wool pea coat when colder.
I do very similar. Also, I have a wax Barbour which has just the right amount of wear to be broken in. But not so much thst I can’t wear it for work.

Macneil

989 posts

95 months

Saturday 8th February
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The dress code for my workplace was always smart trousers, collar and tie. It's evolved into chinos/dark jeans and open neck shirts. Definitely not t shirts. Definitely no denim. Company branded polo shirt if manning a trade fair or doing donkey work.

I think there's life in the suit though...I appreciate someone wearing a good well fitting suit, I won't miss the same guys turning up every day in something bought from the M&S outlet three years ago.


AB

18,360 posts

210 months

Saturday 8th February
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I'm dark jeans or chinos and either a shirt or a polo shirt tucked in. 1/4 zip jumper if it's cold. Dark chelsea boots.

But I'm Northern and nobody really cares.

ClaphamGT3

11,738 posts

258 months

Saturday 8th February
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Suit and formal shirt is still the expectation for anyone in a client-facing role at my shop.

I personally always wear a tie but we no longer mandate this and relatively few do

kevinon

1,695 posts

75 months

Saturday 8th February
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I keep hoping I can wear Gieves and Hawkes suits I had made a LONG time ago. Because cost per wear has remained the same for at least a decade !

IMHO, the connotation of a suit is for salesmen only. Be that estate agents, 'motor cars', corporate finance, legal services or politics.

I mean if the lawyer who sets up a string of nameplate entities for you in the Caymans can't wear a decent suit, can you really trust him to hide your business dealings from the authorities ?

;-)

miniman

28,121 posts

277 months

Saturday 8th February
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okgo

40,464 posts

213 months

Sunday 9th February
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It’s always old school businesses or silly retail nonsense that thinks it’s a proper business (estate agents) that do it. They’ll be gone entirely in the next 20 years.

PlywoodPascal

5,898 posts

36 months

Sunday 9th February
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I’m just shocked you go into the office and use a laptop! A proper computer would be so much comfier