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.