Streetwear can at times be a difficult beast to tame, especially when it comes to wearing it in a professional setting. However, with menswear showing no signs of moving away from the trend, and plenty of brands offering high-quality men’s streetwear in the UK, it’s time to get on the hype.
Much like those who grew up associating streetwear with youth culture and alternative fashion, this style of clothing has done some growing up, and if you know how to style it correctly, there’s no reason why you can’t mix up your 9 to 5 wardrobe with the latest urban-inspired clothes.
A Guide To Wearing Streetwear In The Office
Wear it Fitted
The most important factor to keep in mind if you want to flex some streetwear in the office while still looking appropriately professional is how each garment fits. Streetwear is well-known for its relaxed silhouette, but this can easily look sloppy if you opt for a lot of oversized items.
For a well-balanced outfit, play with different silhouettes by pairing an oversized item like a hoodie with some skinny jeans or wearing a muscle-fit tee with some relaxed fit chinos. This way, you can find the right proportions for your shape and avoid looking like you’ve turned up to work in your weekend wardrobe.
Mix It With Tailoring
Most offices have a smart-casual dress code, and this is your opportunity to take it literally by mix and matching streetwear with tailoring for an office-appropriate take on the urban look. We’ve seen this done plenty of times on the front rows of men’s fashion week, and even the catwalks themselves, cementing it as a fool-proof and fashionable outfit choice.
Outerwear pieces like track jackets will pair particularly well with an oxford shirt and tie, while a longline tee can be layered under a blazer or sport coat. In the colder months of the year, tailored coats and jackets offer the easiest way to style up streetwear pieces like hoodies and joggers to give them more of a grown-up look. Try mixing a dark coloured item with a fitted camel coat or a long wool coat.
Choose Luxury Fabrics
While streetwear was born out of urban-inspired trends, these days there are plenty of luxury options to choose from which fall firmly into the fashionable category. Forgoing popular streetwear materials like cotton and denim that are used for their durability, luxury pieces are fabricated in more delicate materials like suede, jersey, and even cashmere.
By choosing streetwear pieces in these luxe fabrics, you instantly elevate the look of your outfit from a casual look you would wear on your day off to a modern take on workwear.
Keep It Dark
While designers and high street brands alike have been putting out streetwear in every colour of the rainbow, the office is not the place to experiment with wild patterns or bold colours.
Ideally, you still want to look professional even if you are wearing some more casual pieces in work, which is why it’s a good idea to stick dark and neutral colour schemes, in the same way that you would with tailoring. There is something about darker pieces that instantly gives them a more formal aesthetic, especially when styled with a contrasting white tee.
Just remember to always let your personal style shine through when putting together a streetwear-inspired outfit for the office, as more often than not confidence is the key to pulling off a bold look. Of course, the corporate culture at your workplace will also play a role in how you choose to style your outfits as certain professions call for a strictly professional look, while other offices will be fine with you mixing things up with a more casual look.