#AskPedro – What does your casual wardrobe look like?
Custom pop-over shirt from Proper Cloth.
This question comes from reader Joel:
What does your casual wardrobe look like? I only dress up for client meetings since I work from home. I am always looking for style clues for looking great, but with a casual vibe. Thoughts?
My response:
This is probably the most salient sartorial question I’ve ever received because it gets to the heart of what it means to dress well today. Whether I like it or not, most men in this city do not wear a jacket and tie. However, I refuse to believe that means we cannot dress well, dress elegantly and dress with intent. But what does dressing well in a casual way mean?
Obviously, it is different for everyone. Since I place a lot of importance on dressing well, my casual wardrobe is also something I don’t neglect. But it’s much harder than dressing “up.” There are fewer options when it comes to very high quality items and only now are tailored casual options emerging. I also acknowledge that my version of casual is probably “dressed up” for some guys, but be that as it may.
Custom Leon Drexler hat and linen button-down from Brooks Brothers.
Let me start by explaining that I have three wardrobes: casual, tailored and formal. And they relate to different situations. Casual for weekends at home with my family or friends. Tailored for most of the work week and business meetings. Formal for the rare opportunities to break out the black tie. I will also admit another category that rarely sees the light of day: work wear. In that category are old trousers and stretched out tshirts that I use for housework, renovations and that sort of thing.
Jamieson’s Shetland sweater and Brax trousers.
The key, I find, to dressing well in a casual context is applying the same rigour and thought process I do to tailored clothing. Which means concern over quality, construction and fit. My casual wardrobe contains many custom made items because that is how I get exactly what I want. If an item is not so easily custom-made, I carefully research the best options, like sweaters, belts and socks, to insure they are not only very well made, but they fit well and will last.
Custom Walter Beauchamp jacket and linen Gardeur pants.
Another big part of my casual wardrobe, like my tailored, is thoughtfulness around combining elements. And this is also where I have fun with my clothes. I frame my casual wardrobes around two seasonal themes. In the summer, I embrace a relaxed Italian vibe: open neck shirts, light colours, lots of linen, even going sock-less. In the winter, classic English Countryside: Shetland sweaters, corduroy pants, earthy tones and, of course, ascots to keep the neck warm and colourful.
Ralph Lauren quilted jacket and Alan Paine shawl collar cardigan.
I suppose I should finish by pointing out the obvious: my casual wardrobe is an extension of my tailored wardrobe. It is a simplification of the latter, not a complete departure. I am still inspired by classic men’s style when I go casual, not contemporary trends or fashions. Consistency is very important for me; I want to be able to express my sense of personal style no matter what I’m wearing, no matter the occasion.
You know, I am thinking that the casual wardrobe has an advantage over the more tailored look in that it seems to reflect a more relaxed state of mind. I would guess a simple outfit would be more carefree, and would show in you demeanour.
You just seem more comfortable dressed casually, and I think that may be true for most of us.
Thank you for the comment, Carol, however I would say comfort is more than just physical. I could not be comfortable dressed as I am in this article while I am flying in a plane or at a business meeting. Comfort for me is also emotional and mental – a tailored wardrobe makes me feel more comfortable in certain situations. And believe me, at a black tie event I am supremely comfortable in my tuxedo.
2 Comments
Carol Radway
March 17, 2016 at 12:22 pm
Pedro Mendes
March 17, 2016 at 12:26 pm
You know, I am thinking that the casual wardrobe has an advantage over the more tailored look in that it seems to reflect a more relaxed state of mind. I would guess a simple outfit would be more carefree, and would show in you demeanour.
You just seem more comfortable dressed casually, and I think that may be true for most of us.
Thank you for the comment, Carol, however I would say comfort is more than just physical. I could not be comfortable dressed as I am in this article while I am flying in a plane or at a business meeting. Comfort for me is also emotional and mental – a tailored wardrobe makes me feel more comfortable in certain situations. And believe me, at a black tie event I am supremely comfortable in my tuxedo.