The office
Workwear
Dressing for rooms where the dress code is unwritten. What reads as senior, what reads as sloppy, and how tailoring, knit gauge and shoe shape change the answer — checked against sizing charts and fabric specs, not dress-code folklore.
Three Wool-Blend Work Trousers Compared by Rise and Hem
Three wool-blend work trousers compared on rise, leg opening, wool content and hem allowance, using the figures the brands publish.
What this column keeps saying
- 01 Read the room first
- 02 Knit gauge reads as senior
- 03 Shoe shape sets the register
Editor picks
Three Blazers Compared by Construction and Vent
Three blazers compared on vent, length, lining and wool content, using only the numbers each brand publishes, plus the two US prices on the page.
Bag Size Against Body Scale and Jacket Length
Bag dimensions in inches against torso length and coat hem, and why the same 15-inch tote reads as luggage on one person and not another.
All entries
03 Summer Office Dressing Without a Jacket Aug 17, 2026 · 6 min 
04 Which Tailoring Alterations Are Worth the Money Aug 8, 2026 · 6 min 
05 Dressing for a Room With No Written Dress Code Jul 30, 2026 · 6 min 
06 The Commute Shoe: Sole Thickness, Heel and What Survives a Walk Jul 21, 2026 · 6 min 
07 Collar Spread Against a Jacket Lapel Jul 12, 2026 · 6 min 
08 Knit Gauge at a Desk: Fine Gauge, Rib and the Chunky Problem Jul 3, 2026 · 6 min 
09 Why an 11-Inch Rise Reads Formal and a 9-Inch One Does Not Jun 24, 2026 · 6 min 
10 Unstructured Blazers: Shoulder, Armscye and Sleeve Pitch Jun 16, 2026 · 6 min 
11 Four Signals That Make Tailoring Read as Senior Jun 7, 2026 · 6 min