Want to stylishly wear jeans at work? First, please let me explain that my focus will be on jobs in office settings where jeans are not the traditional norm.
Many workplaces have relaxed their dress codes in recent years. I remember not so long ago when men were expected to, at a minimum, wear collared shirts and dress trousers or chinos – no jeans allowed.
Now jeans are becoming more accepted in the office. About ten years ago I worked at a place that allowed jeans only during the winter months to help us deal with the snow, ice, and slush of Ohio winters but then decided to permit jeans all year.
If you are in a situation where jeans are acceptable office attire, how do you wear inherently casual jeans in the office and maintain a professional, put together image?
Here are some tips for what to do, and what not to do.
Wear the Right Jeans
First, make sure you wear the right jeans. A slim fitting pair of dark wash jeans will look the most formal as far as jeans go and will be the easiest to dress up. Baggier fits and lighter blue denim will be more casual.
» Related: A Guide to The Best Jeans Brands
Also, avoid jeans with holes, rips, and distressing (even if the jeans were deliberately sold that way) so you don’t come across as sloppy. Additionally, your jeans should be clean and free of wrinkles.
Dress Up the Top Half
To raise the formality of the outfit, consider dressing up the top half of the outfit. Collared shirts such as Oxford cloth button downs pair well with jeans as described above.
Add a layer like a sport coat, sweater, or overshirt (a.k.a. shirt jacket) over a collared shirt for a further degree of refinement. Or, during the colder months try a turtleneck sweater.
During the summer, go with a well-fitting polo shirt short sleeve button down shirt, or long sleeve button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
Choose Your Footwear
Your choice of footwear will go a long way to dictating the formality of the outfit. To make it more formal, look at dress shoes like derbies, loafers, monk straps, or dress boots.
Avoid black Oxfords, and maybe even any dark colored Oxfords as the casual jeans clash with the more formal shoes and the outfit looks off. To dress the outfit down, try a pair of minimal leather sneakers. If you don’t want to go too casual, avoid running shoes, “Dad” sneakers, and athletic sneakers.
Try Different Colors
To stand out from the crowd, look at jeans in colors besides blue or black that most of your colleagues will wear. Gray, white, olive green, and burgundy are examples of uncommon jeans colors that work well with many outfits without being too bold.
» Readers’ Favorite: You might enjoy this article on the Dressing for Your Age.
Accessorize with Flair
Add some accessories to complete the outfit. Items such as a watch, bracelet, or necklace can give your outfit a nice finishing touch.
Finally, don’t be afraid to add a little bit of flair to your fit with a simple roll or cuff of the jeans
When to Skip the Jeans
There are some occasions to not to wear jeans to the office. You may be better off dressing up for special events, meetings with senior leaders, client visits, sales calls, etc.
Think about the message you want to send about yourself. Use your best judgment depending on the situation. It is usually better to be overdressed than underdressed.
Wrapping Up
I hope you his post helps you and inspires some ideas. It can’t hurt to look sharp at the office while still enjoying today’s relaxed dress codes. Thank you for reading.
About DeJuan
DeJuan is a husband, father of an 11-year old son and 4-year old daughter, and a chemical engineer. He enjoys watching sports, reading, playing and listening to music, and of course men’s style. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and works as a project engineer at a chemical plant. See more of DeJuan’s style on his Instagram.
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