The sartorial codes of the City have changed in recent years. As society has adapted to a more relaxed, digital-forward lifestyle our financial institutions have reluctantly begun to catch up in their attitudes to office wear. Long-held strict requirements for dark suits and immaculately polished, jet-black Oxfords have softened into mere wishful guidelines. Brown is very much allowed in town. At long last, grown-ups trusted with billions in financial transactions each day are also trusted to dress themselves appropriately for the task.
The extent to which really dressing down is now acceptable varies with job function. One City CFO recently admitted to me he was in jeans and trainers most days unless there was an investor to meet, in which case he would upgrade to trousers and a shirt. Skinny chinos and sneakers are prevalent around Canary Wharf.
Ties are practically extinct, except for the last bastions of the investment banking divisions. And then there are the gilets. So many of them file out of Cannon Street each morning, completely devoid of colour, character or charm, it’s begun to look like a mandated part of the Trader Onboarding Pack.
This abandonment of rigid uniform in favour of fluid style should be taken as licence for self-expression. Just because you don’t have to wear tailoring doesn’t mean you can’t; if your peers are in jeans and you want to join them, that doesn’t create a new rule that they must be the exact same pair.
Brunello Cucinelli AW26 Tailoring
Natalino Jeans
Some outward-facing roles may still have a more prescribed aesthetic in terms of what high-spending clients want to see – the purse strings are often still held by an older generation who want to know their own traditions hold firm, regardless of how relevant they may be – but even they will be more accepting of a shift from the navy pinstripes and club ties which were once ubiquitous in the Square Mile.
The easiest way to introduce a bit of individuality is with colour and shape. If you’re part of the ‘trousers and shirt’ crew, then don’t go skinny. A pleat in the leg will flatter your shape and be far more comfortable when sitting at your desk all day, plus the extra room won’t look misshapen with a phone or wallet in your pocket.
Brunello Cucinelli has long mastered the art of casual refinement; this season their trousers come in a classic blue Prince of Wales check (£1,550, brunellocucinelli.com) or a slightly more unusual rich brown (£1,470, brunellocucinelli.com) for the more adventurous.
Flap detailing to the rear pockets and a generous cuff at the hem soften the formality and add visual interest. Consider pairing them with a cropped bomber jacket instead of that woefully ubiquitous body warmer: the short hem will finish more-or-less where the trousers begin, giving a more flattering proportion, and the sleeves make the outfit look complete.
Jeans can be properly shaped, with a rise at the front which will complement your body instead of looking like they were stolen from Britney Spears circa 2004. Independent tailoring brands like Natalino in Marylebone (£260, natalino.com) know how to do them right.
dunhill AW26 Tailoring
Don’t be afraid to vary your shirt as well. White cotton is great – no thought required, classic for a reason – but can become boring quickly. A dark denim wash may not immediately feel office-appropriate, but we’ve come a long way from laughing at the Scouse Tuxedo and there are now plenty of refined cuts of shirt which won’t make you look like you’re attending a cowboy wedding.
This season, dunhill presents an elevated version in a silk/cotton chambray (£540, dunhill.com) which can be worn alone with your trousers or placed under a casual tailored jacket. Above all, consider experimenting with colour: even in cotton, a blue or cream will look more considered than plain white without being too flamboyant for any work environment.
Wearing separates in that style – unmatched jackets and trousers – will also help keep you warm without having to resort to that same gilet. Soft shoulders will help a jacket feel less like a suit if that’s not your vibe, but it will still look smart enough for last-minute client lunches.
Buy them piece-by-piece or consider picking a suit and wearing the elements individually to give yourself more choice. A suit which can be put together for the rare moments you need one but look just as good when broken down to its constituent parts is one of the best style investments you can make.
Giorgio Armani Tailoring
Sunspel Knitwear
Giorgio Armani has been king of the office suit since the 1980s and remains so today. The signature gentle silhouette of its double-breasted suits (£3,450 at its Sloane Street boutique) lends itself well to being worn as a jacket over jeans or with the trousers paired with a crew neck in soft wool.
Sunspel’s recent Shetland wool version (£235, sunspel.com) works perfectly for this, with the wider ribbing at the collar layering beautifully under a jacket or looking smart alone, and a wide range of colourways which can either make a statement or blend into the background.
If full suits are still part of your work wardrobe – by mandate or by choice – there’s still plenty of scope for variety. Choosing something more traditional may well be the unusual choice these days. If that’s your preference, Canali has some exquisite classic cuts in its AW26 collection (from £1,890, canali.com), which will look sleek without being stuffy.
But expanding your colour palette allows you to make things more interesting. Dark browns and greens are perfectly acceptable and extremely stylish; they may have been country colours in the past but work anywhere today. Ties are a great way to add visual interest and draw attention to your face.
Many people decry them as restrictive, but that just means your shirt collar is too small and the knot is too tight. Spend a bit of time with a real shirtmaker to have your collar measured and learn what really fits. Suddenly, there’s a whole new world of choice at your disposal.
Crockett & Jones Oxfords
RM Williams Boots
The last thing to take care of is actually the most important: your feet. If you can get away with sneakers then great, but make sure they’re clean and still in one piece. Battered white Air Force 1s won’t cut it.
For the colder, wetter months something more substantial will be more practical anyway: an elegant Chelsea boot, with a tapered toe and slightly elevated heel. The right pair works with jeans, trousers, and suits alike (just ask Roger Sterling) so choose well and look after them. RM Williams’ Yearling model (£425, rmwilliams.com or in its new Jermyn Street store) will last you 20 years or more if you treat them right.
Or consider that black Oxford after all: Crockett & Jones do the quintessential English classic (from £545, crockettandjones.com) while Ferragamo has released a slightly more subversive pair for this season (£1,045, ferragamo.com), expertly wholecut and with an intriguing roping detail on the toe. Twisting the classics is just as much fun as abandoning them altogether.
