Of all the oft-repeated mistakes made by fashion conscious individuals, the most popular is the belief that staying on trend and remaining smartly dressed for work are two mutually exclusive activities. To many individuals, the attire for office hours are either jeans and a T-shirt or, at the other extreme, a full three piece suit.

   To the left I've displayed my latest OOTD which incorporates a dress-down approach to office clothing. The ensemble consists of my new favourite trousers and this rather wonderful shirt from Austin Reed (which I may have done something of a dis-service to, having taken this photograph at the end of a hard day's work - this explaining the garment's rather creased state).

   What's fantastically wonderful about this shirt, aside from the rather subtle, sophisticated and elegant pinstripe motif, is the material from which it is made. As the weather is getting hotter it's easy to consider a short sleeve alternative as a fall-back in many cases; the lightweight material of the shirt, however, means that this avenue does not have to be pursued. It's a mark of quality that the shirt is not sweltering as the seasonal climate rises but, instead, remains exceedingly comfortable.

   Perhaps my favourite detailing of the shirt, however, is the "double cuff" feature (see top left picture) which fasten with a delightfully unique cuff-link-esque device instead of standard buttons. It simultaneously gives the shirt an old fashioned (in the best possible way) and contemporary feel at the same time; something which helps elevate the garment away from a traditionally conservative office attire into a more on trend piece.

 
* This shirt was kindly provided to me by Austin Reed

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