

That is, enter Bergdorf’s in your yoga pants, and you’ll likely receive the royal treatment roll into WalMart (or an interview at a law firm, management company, or most other places) dressed the same way, and you’ll get nothing but side-eye. It’s no longer cool to flaunt one’s perfectly coordinated designer outfits - it’s more badass, and more powerful, to fly under the radar.īefore you start burning all your finery and stocking up on sports bras and track pants, note that there's one big caveat: Dressing down is only seen as a symbol of power and status among the upper echelons of society. And, Coco Chanel’s striped sailor shirts, men's riding pants, and fisherman’s sweaters turned her into the most revered couturier in the world.Īnd, after several seasons of street-style peacocking at Fashion Week, editors have begun trading in their sky-high heels for Nikes. Albert Einstein wore the same thing every day (a sloppily thrown-together navy suit), which gave the impression that he did not want to waste his brain power on clothes. (It didn’t end well for her, but she did command attention.) Benjamin Franklin’s slovenly “frontier” attire gave him an authenticity and brazenness that his peers - and the French, especially - revered. Marie Antoinette - she of the extravagant hairdos and ostentatious court dresses - eventually began wearing peasant outfits to show her disdain for the rest of the French court. Similarly, by giving up the social benefits conferred by conformity, individuals show that they do not need these benefits because they already possess high status.” The Harvard team explains, “Wealthy individuals signal their position by giving up financial resources to purchase expensive luxury items. Rather, it’s an individual’s air of being above society’s sartorial rules that demands respect and credibility. That is, it isn’t Zuckerberg’s hoodie or Steve Jobs’s black turtleneck that gives (or gave) each his aura of power. Why is that? Well, it has to do with attitude.
#Yoga pants office wear professional#
“Wearing red sneakers in a professional setting or entering a luxury boutique wearing gym clothes lead to attributions of enhanced status and competence rather than social disapproval,” the researchers write. (An Observer reporter put this theory to the test, going to Bergdorf’s first in sweats and a puffer, and later in kitten heels, designer goods, and a blowout she got better service in her gym clothes.) And, not just in Silicon Valley, either - look at the rise of athleisure, with fast-fashion and luxury designers alike taking on upgraded gym clothes (Alexander Wang, Hood By Air, Beyoncé for Top Shop, the list goes on). In fact, if you really want to dress to impress, you might want to show up in a hoodie and sneaks, Zuckerberg style.Ī new study by the Harvard Business School finds that, in certain situations, dressing like you DGAF could work to your advantage.

They taper down from your waist and won’t flap around.That pressed interview outfit or sleek cocktail dress you have have hanging in your closet? Well, if you’re angling for a seat in the corner office or front row at Fashion Week you might want to ditch the suit separates, chic frocks, and high heels once and for all.

The pants are roomy enough, too-not skinny and compact. Snaps on the back pockets keep everything secure. Another curious detail: You can flip in the cuffs if you decide to go for a hike, exposing a reflective strip that catches car headlights. The pants have plenty of convenient design features that I appreciate-I really like the small internal front pocket, which I used for my car keys while I was out on a walk. The Commission Slim pants are semi-fitted for an office-worthy appeal, but they don’t make your legs look like toothpicks or like you are walking on stilts. Also, let me fess up about something: I’m not a skinny jeans person. As you probably know, the brand is known for yoga pants and athleisure products you might don for a gym date, but these pants-they are so comfortable and yet they look like something you’d wear to a meeting with your banker or at a startup. That’s why I like the Lululemon Commission Slim Pant so much. When it comes to clothes, I’ll usually find a way to be comfortable even when I need to go to a business meeting. I’m all about wearing my favorite slippers all day and watching Netflix. I’ll linger in a coffee shop for hours on end. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission.
