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The Complete Guide to Office Casual for Spring. Let’s achieve a men’s coordinate that both makes a good impression and looks stylish!

The Complete Guide to Office Casual for Spring. Let's achieve a men's coordinate that both makes a good impression and looks stylish!

Spring, the beginning of a new year, is a season in which the impression one makes on others is more directly related to one’s reputation than one might imagine. This is because there are more opportunities to meet new people, both inside and outside the company, and one’s dress can easily be seen in terms of cleanliness, trustworthiness, and work-appropriate moderation. In particular, office casual clothing does not have a set correct answer as suits do, so it is difficult to adjust the dress so that it does not look too formal while maintaining a sense of neatness. In this article, we will explain in detail how to choose jackets, shirts, pants, and shoes, color schemes that will not stand out in the workplace, and what to avoid, based on the concept of what constitutes men’s office casual wear for spring. In addition, the book also includes OTOKOMAE’s accumulated perspectives on dress style, presenting the correct springtime coordinates that are not merely safe, but that both make a good impression and are fashionable.

Definition of 'office casual''Office casual' is a term coined in Japan, similar to 'business casual' in English-speaking countries

“Office casual” is a term that has taken root in Japan, but the Digital Ojiizumi explains that it was born from a campaign in the men’s fashion industry. industry campaign. The main dictionary entry easily identifiable in English-speaking countries is business casual, and Merriam-Webster and Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries also list it as a heading. Dictionary.com, on the other hand, lists office casual as a close equivalent of business casual. In other words, while office casual is widely accepted in Japan, business casual is more appropriate as a term for clothing in English-speaking countries.

By the way, what is the difference between business casual and office casual?Business casual is more outside-the-office oriented, while office casual is more inside-the-office oriented?

As mentioned above, the meanings of business casual and office casual overlap considerably, and it is not very significant to consider the difference between the two. However, if one were to venture to say that there is a difference, business casual is a little more considerate of the outside world, while office casual is a way of saying that it is a little more focused on fitting in naturally within the company.

How to dress without undermining your credibility at workOffice Casual is a way of thinking about how to dress that does not undermine your credibility at work while maintaining a 'neatness,' 'cleanliness,' and 'seasonality' that matches your workplace and your clients.

There are three conditions that make office casual work: “neatness,” “cleanliness,” and “seasonality. If any one of these is lacking, it is not a good idea to dress for work. If any one of these is lacking, it is easy to lose persuasiveness as workplace attire. For example, a shirt that is too open at the neck lacks neatness, while a shirt that is wrinkled and shoes that are worn out detract from the sense of cleanliness. Furthermore, choosing colors and materials that are not appropriate for the season will only make the wearer feel out of place. Furthermore, there is no single correct answer. The acceptable standard of dress changes depending on the workplace or client. If the workplace is relatively free within the company, no jacket and leather sneakers may be acceptable. On the other hand, if you are often dealing with people outside the company and the people you are dealing with are more conservative, a modest attire with a collared shirt, leather shoes, and navy or gray color may be more appropriate. The important thing is to judge whether or not you would fit in naturally in that situation, rather than your own personal preferences.
Editor Mitsui
If you are unsure of what is acceptable in your own workplace, I recommend looking at the jacket rate, footwear, and color scheme of your boss and senior staff. It is not too late to add a touch of stylishness after you have grasped the criteria.

Spring Office Casual Outfit Example 1If you want to express the spring feeling with bright colors, light gray suits and setups are easy to incorporate

If you want to express the seasonal feeling with bright colors in the spring office casual wear, light gray Light gray set ups are quite easy to incorporate. The standard colors for business suits are navy and gray, but light navy and blue tend to look stylish and flashy when you use brighter tones to express a spring-like atmosphere. On the other hand, light gray is easy to maintain moderation as work attire even when brightened, and it is also easy to add a natural spring feel. Another advantage is that the top and bottom layers are all matched, making it easy to maintain a sense of neatness. Fabrics that look light, such as tropical, hopsack, and dry wool blends, are preferable to smooth and shiny ones. For an undergarment, go casual with a white or navy T-shirt, or keep it business-like with a saxophone blue shirt. While using bright colors, the set-up’s reassuring feel makes it easy to tie the whole look together. It’s a must-have outfit for spring.

This Reference item for office casual styleSUPER100's Wool Tropical Wide Striped Double Jacket by GOOVI

GOOVI’s SUPER100’s Wool Tropical Wide Stripe Double Jacket is a key piece in making spring-like brightness a part of work attire. It is characterized by a color scheme of light gray with blurred white wide stripes. I want a spring-like seasonal feel, but I also don’t want to lose the sense of reliability as work wear. This is one jacket that fits the theme of this issue. The tropical fabric made of SUPER100’s wool, which is supple and soft against the skin, is highly breathable and easily creates a cool, spring and summer-like feeling. In addition, the natural roundness of the shoulders and the shallow double inside fit, created by our original pattern making, make this jacket not too classic and easy to incorporate into today’s office casual wear. The jacket is priced at 43,890 yen and the pants can be worn as a set for 18,590 yen, making it a strong candidate for a light gray set-up when you want to take the right approach.

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Spring Office Casual Outfit Example 2If you want to avoid mass-production and also don't want to make mistakes, brown and beige suits and setups are effective

Brown and beige setups are softer than navy and more relaxed than light gray. It is possible to add a spring-like look with a softer look than navy and a more subdued look than light gray. While we want to avoid mass production, we don’t want to go over the line of work attire by going overboard with the fashionable look. This is an option that fits easily in such situations. Fabrics that are light and nuanced, such as linen blends, dry wool blends, expressive grosgrain, and hopsack, are preferable to smooth and shiny ones. Colors such as taupe and deep browns with a hint of beige are more appropriate for work wear than reddish browns. For an inner layer, a white shirt can be used for a neat look, or an ecru high-gauge knit can be used to relax the look a bit. While retaining the security of a set-up, we want to deviate from the mass-production model only in the way it looks. This is a great way to do it.

関連記事 Guide to how to wear a set-up [ how to choose, examples of coordination & recommended models ].
セットアップの着こなしガイド【選び方やコーデ事例&おすすめモデルを紹介】
In addition to the generally recognized set-up suit, set-up is a generic term for workwear, jerseys, and other matching ...

Reference item for this office casual style

You want to keep the lines of work attire while shifting a half-step away from the mass-produced navy set-up. In such cases, you can rely on GOOVI’s cupro linen cotton grosgrain jacket and pants. In order to make a brown/beige set-up work wear, not only the color but also the perfection of the material and design are important. In this respect, this set-up is made of a grosgrain fabric of 46% cupro, 33% linen, and 21% cotton, which is modestly shiny and has a natural wrinkled appearance. Lighter than it looks and cooler to the touch than it feels, it is also suitable for spring and summer, and the set-up does not look overly formal. The natural roundness of the shoulders is also a feature of the unique pattern-making process, and while maintaining the contours of work wear, it is easy to create an atmosphere different from that of a mass-produced navy set-up. The jacket is priced at ¥32,890 and the pants can be worn as a set at ¥17,490, making it a realistic price range for both the jacket and pants. The color is a vintage-like deep brown, so if you want to look spring-like from afar, use a bright color as an inner layer, such as a white shirt or an ecru high-gauge knit. This will keep the calmness of the brown color and prevent it from looking too heavy. A white shirt for a more formal look, or a light-colored high-gauge knit for a more relaxed look. This is one of the strengths of this jacket.

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Spring Office Casual Outfit Example 3Navy Jacket x Shirt x Gray Slacks for a solid, classic jacket

The navy jacket, collared shirt, and gray slacks are the most difficult combination to miss in office casual wear. It is the most difficult combination to miss among casual office attire. This is because it is easy to ensure a sense of neatness and cleanliness without being eccentric, and it is difficult to disrupt the look regardless of the workplace or the company you are working for. The jacket sets the overall shape, the shirt supports the clean look, and the gray slacks create a sense of calmness while keeping the heaviness at bay. For a spring-like look, choose a jacket in a slightly bluish navy rather than a dark blue that is almost black, and a material with a visible weave, such as hopsack. Pants should be a medium gray, rather than charcoal, to give the look a tighter, less heavy look. The ability to choose the jacket and pants separately makes it easy to adjust the level of firmness to suit the workplace and the person you are meeting.

https://otokomaeken.com/ mensfashion/736

Reference item for this office casual styleJ.Press Pepin Merino Tropical Blazer

The first foundation for a solid pair of standard jackets is the perfection of the navy jacket. In this sense, the J.PR PR jacket is the first step in the process of creating the classic jackets. In this sense, J.Press’ Pepin Merino Tropical Blazer is quite excellent. What I want in a spring jacket is something that looks decent but is not too stiff like a suit jacket. In this respect, this blazer has the lightness of a backless blazer, but the firmness and elasticity of pepin merino wool prevents it from losing its shape. The natural shoulder construction is not too structured around the shoulders, making it quite easy to use as a royal navy jacket. The gold buttons give it a blazer-like appearance, but when worn with a white shirt and gray slacks, it is easy enough to be incorporated into a casual spring office outfit.

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Editor Mitsui
Incidentally, in spring office casual wear, the innerwear for suits and jackets tends to lean toward dress shirts with no tie or white T-shirts. The skipper polo is a good candidate for this purpose. It is attractive because it does not look too much like work wear as the so-called “biz polo” and is not as sporty as a regular polo shirt. Personally, I think that a collarless version like John Smedley’s SYRES is sporty and modern.

Spring Office Casual Outfit Example 4If you go with knitwear, a bouncy shawl collar cardigan is easy to use

The difficult thing about office casual wear with knitwear is drawing the line as to how far it can be considered work wear. A shawl-collar cardigan with a collar is a good choice. They are easier to see as work attire than crew necks or V-necks, and can be worn without as much posturing as jackets. The in-between position is significant. However, not just any cardigan will do. High-gauge garments that fall too softly are unsuitable, as they tend to look like innerwear. Office casual wear is best suited to low-gauge jackets that have a firmness and a beautifully turned collar, and that maintain the contour of a jacket.

This reference item for office casual style.GENTLEMAN PROJECTS' THE WOOSTER 2B CARDIGAN

For a shawl collar cardigan to work as work wear, it needs not only a collar but also a contour as a jacket. GENTLEMAN PROJECTS’ THE WOOSTER 2B CARDIGAN satisfies this requirement. It is positioned as a cardigan that can be worn like a blazer, and the shawl collar and two-button design create a balance that makes it look like a jacket even though it is a knit. The combination of cotton yarns and high stretch yarns gives it both softness and resilience.

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Spring Office Casual Outfit Example 5If gray slacks are a little too safe, add a spring touch with beige dress chinos

While gray slacks are neat and easy to use, they can be a little too safe and put together for spring wear. In such cases, beige slacks are effective. Beige pants are effective in such cases. While maintaining the neatness of a navy jacket and white shirt, it is easy to add a sense of the season to the lower half of the body. Beige is also a color that tends to look more casual than gray. Therefore, instead of casual five-pocket pants, choose trousers with a center crease, a little more room around the waist, and a less bulky hem. If the shape is dressier, even beige, it is easier to maintain moderation as work attire. A navy jacket and white or saxophone shirt will add a sense of the season while keeping a sense of closeness.

This Reference item for office casual styleAzabu Taylor's order dress chinos

The first thing that is important in landing beige pants as work wear without making them look like casual wear is the shape. In this sense, Azabu Tailor’s order dress chinos are quite easy to use. Beige pants can easily look like casual wear if you make a mistake, but this model has a classic look with its 2-in tuck and back straps, and even the chino material can be easily pulled together for work wear. The lightness of the cotton-linen blend back satin is also suitable for spring, and it is easy to follow the lines of office casual wear while adding a sense of the season. Not as stiff as gray slacks and not as rough as regular chinos. It’s a good choice for those who are looking for something in between.

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Spring Office Casual Outfit Example 6If you're going to tie up, use a knit tie to add a spring-like seasonal touch and a hint of hassle

Even in spring, there are occasions when you can fit in better with a tie up. While a regular silk tie is fine for a serious look, it can look a little heavy for spring office casual wear. This is where a knit tie comes in handy. While maintaining the modesty of a tie-up, the expression of the material can easily add a spring-like seasonal feel and just the right amount of pizzazz. It blends easily with both suits and jackets, and its strength lies in the fact that it is not too tight and does not look frivolous.

Editor Mitsui
Knit ties tend to have larger knots due to the thickness of the fabric, which eats up the length, so the large sword tends to come up shorter. That is why the oriental knot, which makes it easier to keep the knot small, is effective. Plain knots can also be used, but they are suitable for thin knit ties. For thicker knit ties, it is essential to be aware of how to balance the overall look without making the knot look too big.

Reference item for this office casual styleBEAMS F knit tie

BEAMS F knit ties are easy to use when you want to make your tied-up V-zone look a little lighter and spring-like. The material is 100% silk, but the expressive weave makes it look less heavy than a solid dress tie. The slightly slender balance of the tie, with a maximum width of 6.7 cm, makes it easy to use, and it blends well with both suits and jackets. If you choose a subdued color such as navy, brown, or dark green, you can easily update your V-zone with a slightly more modern look while maintaining the modesty of a tie-up. The price of ¥12,100 is also attractive and makes it a very realistic candidate for those who want to own a knit tie.

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