Hipster Casual: Business Wear for 2008

by Rob Peters | January 11, 2008 at 12:46 pm | 2543 views | 23 comments

Some office wear observations from a formidable literary talent.

I recently started a new job and wasn't sure what to wear the first week. For some reason I went to my parents, both of whom are retired, and only one of whom dresses herself.

My mom told me to wear clothes that express how I feel, while my dad told me to let my girlfriend dress me.

Unsure which advice was wiser, I decided on clothes somewhere in the middle: a pink t-shirt with my full name on the front in green letters -- like a watermelon smoothie, as I'm often told -- along with a pair of old sneakers and a comfortable black hoodie.To my surprise, the outfit went over swimmingly. Within two weeks the CEO was introducing me as his CEO-in-training, and my editorial director was awarding me cash bonuses for writing news articles about grammar (true stories).

I mention this not only because it makes me look good, like the pink "Rob Peters" t-shirt itself, but because there are several valuable lessons to be gleaned here. First, and I've always said this, you've got to be your own marketing team in today's job market, you've just got to. Get your brand out there, even if it means a tattoo removal or two further down the line.

Secondly, and this is the more important nugget, business casual is for chumps. A pair of Dockers with a tucked-in denim shirt will not only hurt your romantic life, but also your career. It says to the world, "I'm stuck in the '90s, I lack a personality, I should have died with all the dot-com busts but didn't for some reason."

If business casual is borderline disgusting, what's the alternative? Needless to say, it definitely can't be found in neatly coordinated ensembles from Banana Republic or the Gap.

Rather, proper workplace attire can best be described as what my girlfriend calls "hipster casual" -- essentially what you'd get if you blew up an Urban Outfitters, a Value Village and East Vancouver. Hoodies, sneakers and American Apparel tight-fitting pants make the uniform of the modern white-collar worker. Hipster casual is casual business.

Like an Ikea yard sale, it offers simple solutions for modern living.

Popular thinking says there comes a time in every young man's life when he must choose between the sneakers he loves and the job he needs.

But I say let your beard grow long and keep your sneakers. Hell, get a boob job. You don't have to give in to the man -- not entirely at least. You only have to give in a little bit -- so you're just bohemian enough to come off like a "creative professional."

When you look like you honestly don't care -- a little cleaner than the homeless and a little more artful -- that's when people take you seriously in the boardroom.

That's hipster casual.

Rob Peters

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jordan

at 13:32 on January 11th, 2008

good stuff:

There's also a lot of cultivation that goes into that just-rolled-out-of-bed look. Except when you literally just roll out of bed and get on the bus. Like me.

jordan

at 13:49 on January 11th, 2008

Indeed, I had to dig through my floordrobe.

cynthia yoo

at 14:03 on January 11th, 2008

good stuff:

On a tangent, it was a good day when the last of the business casual fridays died. Oh the infamous golf-shirts handed-out free from corporate sponsors/clients, the clickety-clats of open-toed mules (and the exposed un-pedicured leathery heels), and double-pleated gap khakis!

May they never return!

Kaitlin

at 15:15 on January 11th, 2008

good stuff:

This piece raised an interesting question for me: What's hipster formal? Is it just throwing a blazer over the mess? I hope so!

mustardcookies

at 16:17 on January 11th, 2008

Being a stylist and artist working in Venice California one is almost expected to master the look of 'not trying at all yet making a statement'. It's a fine line we dance. And in the spirit of 'casual Friday' I instigated 'pajama Sunday'(in a kind of homage to "The Dude"), since everyday in a retail boutique environment is a 'casual Friday'. It was a great success. I recommend wearing your robe to work whenever possible.

mustardcookies has contributed a photo to this story.

jordan

at 16:57 on January 11th, 2008

... and bear-claw slippers! With skinny jeans to turn them hipster, of course.

TaDaa

at 16:39 on January 11th, 2008

My beautiful and amazing friend CJ here, (before a night of dancing till our bodies hurt) looking better in my closthes then i do!

TaDaa has contributed a photo to this story.

mtippett

at 16:58 on January 11th, 2008

good stuff:

Brilliant. Please don't get a boob job Rob.

Moment of Inertia

at 18:01 on January 11th, 2008

To spice things up, I wear an eyepatch.

Swan

at 21:05 on January 11th, 2008

good stuff:

Hi Rob!

This was not only a great piece, but an entertaining one as well. The imagery subsidised by the photo, was insanely good and I encourage you to keep writing in this manner. Well done!

Now who's getting the boob job? ; )
~ Swan

NSBP Diseño de Autor

at 22:29 on January 11th, 2008

In NSBP we project from the playful aspect, creating new concepts that
anticipate to your desires. Folds and pleats that adapt to your body
giving it freedom of movement and expression allow this, due to the
work of morphologic synthesis, with a minimum stitching and cuts that
will make you feel comfortable and without constraint. Life is a game
where you are the unique protagonist. NSBP generates bits of this
game. Find out by yourself its different uses, change its form, turn
them around, look at them differently, and play with its folds. And
they, themselves, will show you the way... to feel different every
day.
http://www.nsbp.com.ar

NSBP Diseño de Autor has contributed a photo to this story.

Vanessa Lippelt

at 10:27 on January 12th, 2008

I had the pleasure to shoot Dougllas Caixeta in his first fashion photoshooting. This picture is part of his book. He did a great job.

Vanessa Lippelt has contributed a photo to this story.

Vanessa Lippelt

at 10:34 on January 12th, 2008

I had the pleasure to shoot Dougllas Caixeta in his first fashion photoshooting. This picture is part of his book. He did a great job.

Dougllas is a brazilian new face wich was found in a mall. One of our scouters saw him and imediately invited him to join our casting.

This is part of my job: finding new models. I´m a model agency manager, and also a fashion photographer.

Vanessa Lippelt has contributed a photo to this story.

ohsoretro

at 12:50 on January 12th, 2008

My friend Dale modeling my clothing. The main component of any good hipsters wardrobe is his best girl friends clothing.

ohsoretro has contributed a photo to this story.

OldhaMedia

at 15:09 on January 12th, 2008

Hipster Casual look might workin Western Canada, but don't try that in NYC.

They will eat your head.

jordan

at 14:08 on January 13th, 2008

(Unless you're on Bedford Ave...)

Millie Motts

at 15:29 on January 12th, 2008

SO glad that this isn't the de regueur office dress anymore!

Millie Motts has contributed a photo to this story.

OldhaMedia

at 14:06 on January 13th, 2008

Hey! I contributed a photo, too!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2405/1808725063_326f88ae7a.jpg

pwalmsley

at 19:57 on January 13th, 2008

Rob, after reading this article I just realized hipster casual seems to be the dominating style @ NowPublic's offices. Which is great frankly. Every new hire seems to dress better than the last. We should start an NP Style blog.

Keep it up, team!

miss .ann

at 10:31 on January 15th, 2008

hipster fashion here.
and here:
http://bymissann.blogspot.com

miss .ann has contributed a photo to this story.

hosiery_advocate

at 02:26 on January 16th, 2008

I couldn't disagree with your dad more, even if I tried. Don't let your girlfriend dress you! Just look at my photos to see how I turned out, when I followed my girlfriend's advice. :^( ;^P

Seriously, I think that that is good advice. In general, I would expect women to have better taste than men. It doesn't hurt to ask.

That being said, I think that business casual should end. I think that it would be wise for use to dress nicer when we go to work, or even go out for some non-exercising fun.

An interesting thing happened to me in November. I volunteered to work at The Bay [Oakridge], for an evening, in exchange for some cologne. I was more interested in getting a behind-the-scenes look at a company that I loved.

During the evening, I saw a manager wearing LuLuLemon capri-length yoga pants. I was shocked for a couple of reasons.
1) I would never have guessed that she wore yoga pants, unless I looked over her pants very carefully for the distintive seams.
2) The pants had pinstrips on it. I had never seen any yoga pants with pinstripes, let alone yoga pants that could have passed for business attire.

The logo was on the leg of the pants, but I just had to ask her, because it seemed so odd that this happen, and yes, she said that it was a pair of LuLuLemon yoga pants.

I just wanted to share that with you, to let you know what trends are emerging.

I thought that what you wrote is funny, but it is a serious topic; a serious topic that could still be laughed at. :^)

It's very serindipitous that I even saw the invitation to post and submit photos. People usually don't email me regarding my outfit. I was just checking for any new newsletters in my inbox, and I just happen to be taking my first step tonight in becoming an author or writer. After reading this funny stuff, I'm really compelled to just go for it.

Thanks, Rob.

hosiery_advocate has contributed a photo to this story.

BenAE

at 23:41 on January 17th, 2008

Peter really lets his inner model loose in the National Management Association Fashion Show

BenAE has contributed a photo to this story.

uicukie

at 23:32 on January 19th, 2008

hipster bonding

uicukie has contributed a photo to this story.