Can you help me find men's work clothes that aren't awful?

July 14, 2015 4:23 PM

I need to build a small set of work clothes that I can combine and re-combine. Unfortunately, since this is retail sales(with attendant conservative clothing policies) , there are some severe constraints in place. Feeling creative?

Before I lay out specifics, there are two factors that further complicate the question:

1.) Anything suggested must be available in Canada, either in-store or online.
2.) Anything suggested must fit a man who is both short (5'9) and slim (28W).

So, here is what the the company wants:

Pants: Full-length, pressed casual or dress pants. Solid black, navy, tan, brown, or grey.

Shirts: Long, 3/4 length, or short-sleeved. Collared casual or dress shirt. Solid colours only: white, black, all shades of blue. Turtle necks, pullover or cardigan sweaters may be worn over these shirts.

Shoes: Solid colours only. Brown, navy, or black is deemed acceptable.

Basically, I would like to wear something that doesn't make me feel like drone (as far as that is possible given the constraints). Fit and comfort (especially on shoes) first, but without entirely forging style, I guess? I'm thinking three shirts, two pairs of pants that be switched in and out and a pair of dedicated work shoes.

Not sure where to shop, or how to go about searching for what I want. My budget is not high, as this job pays only a little better that minimum wage in my area. As silly as this sounds, should I consider tailoring/alteration? Well-fit clothing has always been something I like, but I'm not sure that it will be possible (or cost effective) given what I have to buy.

posted by Gin and Comics to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total)

If your budgets really low I'd go with a chinos/Oxford/brown dress shoe combination from a fast fashion place like Bonobos/h&m/uniqlo. Here is an example look from h&m. They won't last more than 1-2 years but you can swap them out for nicer material & tailored bits from higher end stores later.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:40 PM on July 14, 2015

Here's another example (wear a belt though)
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:50 PM on July 14, 2015

Get a pair of black desert boots from Clarks and pair with grey chinos along with brown leather shoes from, say cole haan . Alternate the shoes every day. Base the rest of the wardrobe on that.
Black shoes = grey pants + white or navy chambray shirt
Brown shoes= tan/navy chinos + white, grey or light blue Oxford

Sorted.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:56 PM on July 14, 2015

Best answer: pants: the gap or gapcanada.ca will have a variety of khakis in all the colours listed, and often on sale (there's a 40% off code on the website right now, and if you don't like what you end up with it is zero trouble to return it to a store.) Alternately, The Bay has Dockers Alpha khakis, which are a well constructed, comfortable, and fit a little trimmer than most khakis. The nice thing about the bay is that if you wait long enough, it'll go on sale.

shirts: the gap, again, has a variety of solid shirts in a variety of colours. I'm a big fan of the oxfords as they're versatile, comfortable, and fairly sturdy.

sweaters: all of my favourite cardigans have come from club monaco, and I got them all from the markdowns-on-markdowns section — nobody buys cardigans in the summer, so stock up now.

shoes: if you're standing all day, make sure you buy shoes with room for insoles.

accessories: don't forget about them. wear bright socks and cuff your pants to show them off, or wear watch with a NATO strap that you change whenever the mood strikes you. I work in a place where everyone is literally in the same shirt and there's still a lot of room for individuality.
posted by heeeraldo at 11:26 PM on July 14, 2015

Best answer: Alright, overall tips though are that you may want slim cut tops if you're slim. Rolling sleeves can make you feel more modern (if sleeve rolling is allowed.) Definitely get a black and brown belt. Also, flat front pants are a good way to go. I would check on local tailoring costs. Generally hemming pants is only about $10. Maybe see if they would reduce the price if you bring in a few pairs. Also ask around if you have any friends that sew. (Do you know any moms? They often hem kids' stuff or sew.)

I will say though that Express ships to Canada and they often have really good sales. Sign up for their emails. Right now it's an extra 40% off clearance so these navy pants are only $30 and they have a 28x30 in stock.

Now for Pinterst links for visual guide:
Here's a good example of a well fitted outfit with a flat-front pant and a belt.
Here's a nice modern color combo with a light blue top and tan pant.
Here's how to mix navy and brown.
Here's a gray sweater look.

Also, this may be weird, but are you allowed to wear a watch? I know phones and all made watches obsolete, but they're coming back in a fashion statement, and you can find really cool (crap quality) watches for super cheap!! They make a fun or modern statement while possibly still being in your dresscode. I like the super cheap-o ones that come from Asia.

Here's one that's really sleek. The band on this one is awesome! And a brown and blue combo for a pop of color. [All links to Canada's Amazon.]
And I just got one of mine in the mail today! (Though I am a lady and do not have a strict dress code.)
posted by Crystalinne at 12:38 AM on July 15, 2015

Response by poster: Just a quick update: watches are allowed, as are ties and bow-ties. I shy away from latter since during eight-hour shifts neckwear can get a bit irritating, but it might be something to think about for shorter days.
posted by Gin and Comics at 9:10 AM on July 15, 2015

Best answer: I work in an office with a very similar wardrobe. Slacks, collared shirt, solid color shoes.

Docker Alphas are pretty well made pants with a cut that is modern but not overly trendy. I am 5' 8" but have pretty short legs so almost everything I buy I plan to get tailored, which you might have to do if your inseam is less than 30". The downside of this is that I have to pay about $10 extra for all my pants. The upside is that when stuff is on sale, I only have to worry about the waist size as I'm getting all the legs hemmed anyway. So, whenever Alphas are on deep discount (online or in store) I am usually able to pick up a couple pairs in the style of my choice.

I agree with pretty much everyone else about shirts. Oxford shirts are very nice for wearing in an office. I am not sure what is available in Canada among my preferred brands, though.

For shoes, I pretty much rotate through a pair of brown beef roll penny loafers, brown L.L. Bean Blucher Mocs and beeswax Desert Boots. All very comfortable and simple. Also, the beef roll makes the loafers look a bit more masculine. I don't really like to wear black shoes.
posted by coreywilliam at 10:36 AM on July 15, 2015

Given that you're 5'9" this is going to sound nuts, but hear me out: boy's pants from the Gap are cheaper than men's pants and the same look/quality. I can wear 29x29 Levi's from the men's department and boy's size 18 chinos from the Gap. The boy's pants are actually bigger!

Presumably you won't fit in boy's shirts, so for that I'd suggest H&M or ASOS. (nb: ASOS 28W chinos are also smaller than GAP boy's size 18.)
posted by desjardins at 1:47 PM on July 15, 2015