Smarter Women’s Workwear
Three brands who are making business-casual actually enjoyable (and supremely wearable)
A new year means a re-assessment of your closet. Not many people ever get excited over buying a button-down, but just because you have a meeting scheduled for Wednesday doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. The three brands below are working overtime to design pieces that are more than what meets the eye, and most important of all, offer a boost in confidence when you most need it, especially by giving you one less thing to worry about. (Morning coffee spill? Some of these pieces are near-unsplashable.) Your mother’s padded shoulder, oversize blazers, these are not.
Argent
All blazers are not created equally. Often, it feels lately that “tailored” is code word for “less functional.” When you want to look like a powerful empress in the conference room, made-in-NYC Argent has got the bases covered. From longer and oversized cuts to ones in statement-making crepe—or for the sweaty types, a mesh-lined Coolmax Blazer made from high-performance, breathable bi-stretch suiting fabric—Argent’s blazers have hidden pockets for your phone, pens and touch-up lipstick. They’ve even got a sweet fully reversible version, too, so you get two for the price of one.
ADAY
NYC-based ADAY built its reputation from designing tech-forward
double-duty pieces that perform in both the office and gym. Their newly launched collection Multiplicity puts the “double-duty” on steroids with closet staples that maximize effortless efficiency —furthering their mission “to simplify wardrobes and do more with less.” Think self-hemming, Katherine Hepburn-esque wide legged pants (tailor be-gone), a dress shirt that can be worn five different ways, and a cinchable jumpsuit—all while being wrinkle-resistant, UV-resistant, and sweat-wicking for year-round wear.
“To craft a single piece of clothing that a variety of people can wear in multiple ways is incredibly difficult,” Multiplicity designer Millie Maidens tells CH. “Some of the hardest details for us to solve included finding shapes and silhouettes that could be versatile without functional-looking straps, buttons or other fussy elements that interfere with a beautiful, clean and minimal design. We solved it by working with double-sided fabrics, reversible details and invisible trims.”
Aella
If you’ve always had the most frustrating time finding a pair of go-to, everyday work pants, proudly-made-in-LA brand Aella just might be the solution. Their signature pants come in different fits, rises, lengths; something for every occasion. Because of the four-way stretch, they feel as comfortable as yoga leggings—but the luxe matte shine of the Italian fabric (a 72% polyamide, 28% Lycra spandex blend) screams, “I’m serious.” And they’re even more low-maintenance than you expect: machine-washable, wrinkle-resistant, fade-resistant, moisture-wicking, and water pretty much splashes off. Add roomy pockets and an elastic waistband, and you might never wear another pair of pants to the office (or airplane) again.
Images courtesy of respective brands
