The Office to Evening Guide
Day to night: Transform your office wear into an evening out in 6 quick steps
Start with a well fitted men’s suit. Nothing looks worse than a men’s suit that doesn’t fit. A clean, pressed and properly fitted suit can easily transition from office to evening out with only a few tweaks and a little bit of planning. If you weren’t a Boy Scout, don’t worry, we’ve got some quick and easy tips to help you prepare.
First of all, bring a change of shirt with you to the office in the morning. After 5pm, strip off the button down. If you’re wearing a dark colored, conservative navy or grey men’s suit, go for a polo shirt in a lighter, contrasting color.
If you’re already hitting a fashion high note with a lighter colored Prince of Wales check or an aubergine Houndstooth suit, for instance, try a solid colored Henley tee. A black Henley tee with a black suit actually works great for an evening out – not too casual that you’ll be denied entry to the nicer restaurants and not too formal that your date will feel underdressed.
Next order of business – lose the tie. Do NOT fold it up and slip in into your suit jacket front pocket. Pocket squares are acceptable for casual evening wear.
Unbutton your shirt. Open the first two or three buttons. Just make sure you’re not showing more cleavage than your date.
Switch out the formal shoes for loafers and ditch the socks.
If you work somewhere that allows business casual, wear a sports coat or blazer and slacks to the office but bring along a pair of jeans. Order the Blue Herringbone jacket, the perfect blazer to take you from day to evening.
Finally, keep an extra set of loafers, a pair of jeans, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste and a light patterned pocket square in your desk. An emergency pack will give you the freedom to change plans and accept that last minute invite out without a second thought. Just stop by the men’s room, do a Superman in the stall and you’re good to go.
And don’t forget to brush your teeth before heading out the door, your smile should be the first thing she notices.