Ask HOPE ROBERTSON | Dressing Down

February 6th, 2008 at 5:33am

Hope,

I run a business and most days find myself dressed up. I need some grubby clothes I can wear during my ‘down time’, when I’m just out running errands or hanging out with friends. Please give me some help!

Dressing Down

Dear Dressing Down,

I can’t with a good conscious recommend you dress “grubby”, but you can take your wardrobe down a notch without looking drab. Assuming your daily work wardrobe consists mostly of suits or business professional clothing, I’d suggest buying some quality jeans — both worn-in and dark washes– and chinos, as well as a few polo shirts, and a good cashmere sweater.

J.Crew offers a wide selection of casual pants, and their cashmere shop is impressive (albeit expensive). They also make some stylish knit sweaters. I love this shawl-collar cardigan: You could totally wear it over a fitted white tee, or over a preppy button-down. It would look great paired with jeans or chinos, and stonewashed cotton is versatile enough to wear all-year long.

Also check out Banana Republic’s selection of menswear. They make an amazing essential cotton/cashmere blend half-zip sweater that can be worn with almost anything (even under a sport-coat). While I’m not a big fan of their jeans for men, I do like their classic straight-leg chino, which retails for about $70. Banana Republic offers occasion-appropriate outerwear — see their khaki jackets and casual blazers — that would work well with a laid-back wardrobe.

Shop these ideas now at BananaRepublic.com and JCrew.com