Outfit Of The Week 2/4/24 – 2/10/24

The outfit I want to highlight for this week’s edition of “OOTW” is an ensemble I wore for a recent in-office day.

I work remotely 99% of the time, but I still need to make an in-person visit every month or so. I wrote an article last year about the perfect business casual uniform and I largely stick to that formula, which consists mainly of an oxford shirt, khaki pants or wool trousers, brown shoes, and some sort of sport coat, usually tweed.

As expected, I did not deviate from that ideal. Please excuse the junky office bathroom lighting. I was also not able to get a full-body shot without my trench, since I was running a bit late in the morning.

My sport coat was a brown, houndstooth, tweed from Charles Tyrwhitt.

This jacket is a little different from some of my other jackets, in that it has slanted hip pockets and an extra ticket pocket (which I actually used for my train ticket).

Since this jacket is only quarter-lined, it’s not too warm to wear in the office. A couple of my other tweeds are of similar weight, but are a bit too warm to wear while at my desk (especially after bustling through the city) considering they have a full lining.

I find this jacket’s pattern to be rather appealing. It’s brown at a glance, but up close you’ll notice a nice burgundy over check.

My shirt was a light blue, oxford-cloth button-down from Lands’ End.

My pants were khaki chinos, also from Lands’ End.

My shoes were my Beckett Simonon Dunham Derbies, which I have highlighted many times in this space.

I decided to go CRAZY and wear a belt with a gold-toned belt buckle! I know, I know… “ostentatious” is my middle name.

The weather wasn’t too cold that day, so I didn’t need a sweater underneath my jacket. I did, however, need some outerwear considering it was drizzling for most of the day and I have a fifteen-minute walk from the train station to my office. In addition to my ever-present cap, I wore a tan, double-breasted, Brooks Brothers trench coat.

I like that this trench has a removable, wool lining. I find that it’s more than adequate for all but the coldest of days, especially when worn with a formidable sport coat underneath.

Rounding out the ensemble was my red, plaid, wool scarf from Blarney Woollen Mills, which was a souvenir I picked up when I was in Dublin working at the National Museum of Ireland.

What I like so much about the combination of a tweed jacket, OCBD, and khakis is that it feels elevated, and yet oh-so-comfortable-and-casual. There is such an ease about this combination. It’s so simple. It feels like I’m wearing any ‘ol thing. Because of that, I feel very confident in it and I am sure that has an effect on my outward presentation. It’s possible that because I wear some variation of this combination so often I have a ton of practice. It feels like me. It doesn’t feel like a costume or that I’m getting dressed up for a special occasion. It’s not like when I am prepping my dinner suit and I need to have everything perfectly pressed and pristine. I just toss it on and go about my day.

And THAT, I think, is what we are all shooting for when it comes to our personal style!

Have a wonderful weekend!