Ask Harry: What To Wear While You WFH
Your questions, answered by our experts.
"Ask Harry" has been a regular feature at Harry Rosen for over 30 years, first appearing in our print advertising and then as a column in our biannual print magazine. Now we're going digital with a regular column that's here to answer your most pressing sartorial questions. Follow us on Instagram at @harryroseninc where we'll regularly ask for your questions and find the best expert at our disposal to answer your query.
"I'm not going into the office regularly but want to wear more than just t-shirts and sweatpants. What should I wear this fall?"
A timely first question! If we all thought we had our wardrobes worked-out pre-Covid (a man can dream), suddenly we had to make some significant adjustments. Some of us attempted to give blazers and proper trousers a go as we sat in our home offices, but others gave up after a few days or weeks.
But when it comes to getting dressed for a day of working from home, whether your approach is relaxed or more dressed-up, "comfort is absolutely paramount," says Harry Rosen's Product Specialist Andrew Chitty. "A man needs soft fabrics that move with him. For example, Patrick Assaraf offers styles made with extra-fine Merino wool that are all about comfort and movability. It's a fabric that's little more malleable for working at home. In this kind of fabric, moving over to the couch or the kitchen table for a coffee break is comfortable and seamless."
I am having a hard time finding pants that both look presentable and are comfortable. What's the seated man to do?
We can't extol the virtues of a pair of stretch pants enough, and we're not talking yoga pants. Stretch chinos or 5-pocket pants are ideal for an 8-hour shift in the home office, but can also withstand your walk or bike to work.
Mason's is a master of tailored trousers with soft, technical fabric made with extra stretch that will help you move with ease. They're cut slim but don't feel restrictive, helping you move with ease. BOSS, PT01, Zegna, Re-HasH and many others make similar styles all built for versatility and wearability. Move and sit with ease, gents.
I'm finding my WFH footwear situation to be difficult to navigate. Slippers and socks aren't doing it. Any suggestions?
Don't overthink it! Slides and slippers had their time in the summer months, but as the seasons change, we suggest simply reaching for a pair of clean sneakers designated for the house.
For our VP of Digital and Strategy and Harry's grandson, Ian Rosen, this was somewhat of a game-changer. "I made a very big effort after two weeks of being in quarantine to say, at the very least, I'm getting dressed today, and I'm going to feel like I'm going somewhere, even if I'm not," Ian says. "One of the things I ended up doing was I got a pair of indoor sneakers, some Moncler Monacos. They are my go-to's. There's something about putting shoes on for the day versus wearing socks. An indoor pair of shoes was a huge difference-maker for me. It made me feel as though I was at the office."
There you have it: hard bottoms = productivity.