All About Work Leisure Attire

Before the days of Covid-19, dressing up was the norm for going to work. Now, that concept is becoming less popular, and the idea of work leisure is the newest trend. If you haven’t been able to hop on the trend, you may be wondering what exactly work leisure is, how to wear it, and when it started.

 

What is Work Leisure and Where did the Trend Come From?

As a result of Covid - 19, society became more laid back due to having to stay inside. Everyone began working from home and caring less about how they presented themselves. As Zoom calls became more frequent and the effort declined, professionals started wearing business on the top and casual on the bottom.

This resulted in the concept of work leisure: A combination of athleisure and traditional work attire. The perfect way to be professional and comfortable at the same time.

As office dress codes are becoming more casual, many working professionals are taking advantage of the new style trend as a chance to look good and feel good throughout the day.

The concept may seem a little weird, but there’s a method. As Matt Feniger, director at Tobe TDG stated, “A continuous design direction is putting ‘the broccoli in the brownie,’ if you will”. Meaning, “Working comfortable construction into more polished pieces, whether that means front or back elastic waistbands, fabrics with two-way stretch, or double-knit fabrics for styles with both comfort and structure.”

There are many different levels of work leisure. It can be casual or a little dressier. It’s all personal preference and office standards. If your office hasn’t fully gotten the pandemic memo, don’t stress. We’ve got you covered so you can still try out the trend without getting scolded by your boss.

 

How to Wear Work Leisure Attire

It’s all about having good staple pieces, layers, and lots of accessories. Luckily, the #bkfam has lots of exciting options for you to spice up your work leisure attire. Don’t you love the idea of wearing your favorite comfortable clothes without having to worry about looking like you just rolled out of bed?

If one good thing comes from the pandemic, it’s getting rid of our uncomfortable work attire and bringing in a comfy, stylish, cool way of showing up to work.

Whether you walk, ride a bike, take the subway, or drive a car, you’ll be able to commute without worrying about wrinkling your trousers or messing up your nice suit. You might actually be excited to take that long commute to work in efforts to show off your new attire. For warm weather and cold weather, Brooklyn Cloth has the perfect pieces to kick start your work leisure outfit game. 

 

All About the Pants

We are starting off with the staple of a successful work leisure outfit. The pants. You can’t expect to be comfortable while wearing uncomfortable pants.

Our Men’s Tobacco Cargo Zip Pocket Jogger is an easy way to style an effortless and nice work leisure outfit. The Tobacco color goes well with many neutral colors, which makes them versatile and acceptable all year round. The basic design allows you to experiment with different top styles and layering. These Joggers are able to be dressed up or down depending on your needs and preferences.

Joggers Casual Look Pair With:

• A basic tee with minimal looking sneakers
• A short sleeve button up tee with a pair of Greats Royale sneakers

Joggers to Work to Dress Them Up:

• A basic tee with a less structured blazer

Another cool jogger to work option for you to play around with is our Men’s Diagonal Pocket Twill Jogger. We mentioned how part of work leisure attire is about the material of the items you are wearing. Brooklyn Cloths Twill Jogger is made from a mix of polyester and cotton to create a unique, durable, and versatile jogger.

Giving you maximum comfort and style, you really can’t go wrong with this option. The jogger is structured and looks nice, rather than looking like a pair of pajamas, like some do. But since the #bkfam doesn’t want you to show up to work looking like you didn’t change your clothes in the morning, trust us when we say these Twill Joggers are perfect for that work leisure look.

Keep it casual:

• Basic tee and jean jacket or bomber jacket
• Basic long sleeve tee

Dressing it up:

• Simple Polo shirt
• A neat dress shirt: Try loosely tucking it in for a more dressed up look

The Shoes You Will Need with Joggers

One thing we know here at Brooklyn Cloth is that sneakers are the only thing that really look great with a pair of joggers. So, for joggers to work, we suggest keeping your sneakers clean and looking nice. If you need some dressier options check out Great Royale or Oliver Cabell Low 1.

If you are feeling bold, you could wear the joggers with a pair of boots. This will create an edgier vibe, so if your office is all about keeping it classic, then we suggest you stick with a nice-looking pair of sneakers. Some boots to try out if you are loving this idea are Chelsea or Chukka boots.

Options for if You Aren’t so into Joggers

Although Brooklyn Cloth does not offer jeans, the #bkfam loves supporting our fellow brands and they are too good of a styling option to miss out on. Jeans are great to dress up for a workday. We usually opt in for a darker denim because it looks dressier and more professional. However, if your office is super casual, a light wash will work just as well.

There are many ways to style your jeans for a dope work leisure look.

Tops to Pair with Joggers to Work:

• A basic tee and blazer
• A simple sweater
• A button-down shirt
• A long sleeve crew

Shoes to Wear with Joggers to Work:

• Minimal sneakers
• Boots
• Loafers

When creating your work leisure look, consider what type of vibe you are trying to accomplish and go from there. Jeans may be easier to dress up compared to joggers. Or maybe you are aiming for higher comfort levels, whereas you may feel better in a pair of joggers to work. We love how much opportunity and versatility there is with work and leisure, and we know you’ll love it too!

But before we get ahead of ourselves … Let's pick out some tops!

 

Basic Tees

These tee options can be paired with joggers, jeans, and trousers. The awesome thing about basic tees is that they are so easy to style. We seriously think every man should have basic tees in his wardrobe and if you don’t … then what are you waiting for?

Our Men’s Streaky Print Crewneck Tee is a cool way to add a textured look to your work leisure outfit without going over the top. You can easily style this tee with a pair of jeans or joggers. Add a jacket or blazer for cooler days or to dress it up. We are positive you’ll be the only one in the office rocking this look. Your coworkers already know you're smart by why not show them you have style too.

Available In:

• Black
• White

Yes, we know we’ve been playing it safe with neutral colors, but we want to save our bright bold colors for the weekend when we can have some fun and don’t have to worry about being a working professional. So, let’s keep it going with the ultimate basic tee to add to your collection.

The Men’s Big & Tall Printed Space Dye SS Crew. This tee is simpler and more versatile for your work leisure attire. It can be worn with jeans and boots, a blazer and loafers, trousers and sneakers, or on its own. If you are unsure of where to start with an outfit, this is the place. If you have an important meeting or just feel like getting a little dressed up, you could pair it with trousers and a blazer. You’ll have the vibe of a suit while still keeping it somewhat laid back and relaxed.

Available in colors:

• Black
• White
• SPS

 

The Shift to Work Leisure

We think you are ready to test out your work leisure looks. It’s all about being functional and presentable at the same time. You no longer need to worry about sitting at your desk, counting down the hours until you can go home and put on your favorite sweats and tee. You’ll feel confident and comfortable. Perfect for a productive day.

Although work leisure attire was introduced a couple years ago, no one seemed to catch on. The time has finally come. People experienced the luxury of lounging at home while simultaneously “being at work,” but we all knew that day would come to an end. A decent compromise was found through work leisure.

Some of you may think work leisure is the same as business casual, but don’t get it twisted. Work leisure attire allows you to be yourself while still looking professional. Like Vanessa Freidman from The New York Times stated, “work leisure is more creative than business casual, which was really just a suit with a mismatched jacket and pants.”

The great thing about work leisure is it can be styled for all year around. You only have to worry about throwing on a jacket or sweater if it’s cold. In the warmer months, less is more. Since most pieces being styled for work leisure are lighter materials, it is super easy to layer or not to layer and keep cool.

Another bonus of work leisure is that untucked is okay. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of that? You’ll be ready for a meeting while still maintaining a casual aesthetic.

Many business professionals are stating that they don’t see themselves ever wearing suits to meetings again. It’s crazy how business attire has been around since the 18th century and now post-pandemic, that standard is slowly starting to wash away. Maybe after building up your work leisure wardrobe, you’ll start to feel the same way.

 

Lucky for you, this trend isn’t about stepping outside of your comfort zone but rather staying in your comfort zone!

It is time to start a new pattern in history, and the #bkfam is so excited for you to be a part of it with us. You know how they say history repeats itself, so don’t throw away your tie collection just yet, but for now put that tie collection away and bring out your tee collection.