9 Fashion Items The NYLON Team Wears On The Regular

Ever find yourself #twinning around the office? We have. Sure, we’re always excited about new fashion trends, and we certainly switch up our looks from time to time — but always, always with these wardrobe essentials by our side.

These include items as classic and casual as mom jeans and Converse sneakers (one time, all 4 of us trooped out to lunch like a Converse brigade), or easy-to-wear pieces like wide leg pants and mules.

Blazers are de rigueur in our air-conditioned environment, while we steer towards more geometric accessories in muted tones. Speaking of muted, you’ll notice that colour isn’t something you’ll see a lot of, but no matter! We’re sure it’s the same for plenty of you guys too.

Here are the fashion items we can’t do without:

HIGH TOP SNEAKERS 

Sneakers are the most comfortable footwear around, whether we’re out at events, on set at a full-day shoot, or just crossing the road during lunchtime. And here at NYLON, white Converse chucks — both the low and high top versions — are the indisputable fave. There’s just something about that classic silhouette and cut that appeals to us all; you can pair it with a maxi dress, and suddenly, the look isn’t as formal-looking as it might seem. Second to that, the just-as-popular Vans sneakers, in black. We sure know how to pick the most versatile shades eh.

SILVER ACCESSORIES

Gold has had its day, it seems, judging from our accessories these days. The second-place precious element deserves to shine as well, especially when it blends in so well with a muted, cool aesthetic, and we like our silver pieces minimalist, with clean lines and structures. These often involve geometric shapes — think cut-outs, squares and circles — or more recently, organic ones with imperfect curves that look more handmade. Simple charm necklaces are a staple too. Where you can get more daring though, is by playing with proportions; pick your earrings oversized, for instance.

BLAZERS 

It gets really cold sometimes at our desks, and rather than reach for an old-lady cardigan or risk sweating buckets outside when putting on a sweater, we opt for the ultimate tropical climate-friendly outerwear: the blazer. Pick a flattering one and you can take your look from casual to smart-casual in an instant. Black’s a classic, of course, and we do like ours slightly oversized. The best thing is, you don’t have to be formal! You can totally rock up in a band tee and nail that effortlessly-cool vibe.

GREY PLAID 

True story: I stepped into the lift and my gaze immediately locked in on 3 of my colleagues who were wearing different forms of this grey glen plaid — pants, and a blazer. The menswear staple’s popular alright, and totally appropriate for women too. Pair your pants with a t-shirt, or a outerwear with denim, and even then it won’t look too “weekend wear”. Or, keep your look just as smart with a black turtleneck top, preferably in a lightweight ribbed knit.

WIDE LEG PANTS

If there ever was an office uniform, it’d be this. Everyone has a good pair of black pants, but instead of the stuffy ones our moms used to wear in the 90s, we can get away with less OL ones. Wide legged styles are a must, while we also steer clear of those that end beyond our ankles — culottes or ankle grazers please! Look out for cute details too, like a row of snap buttons that are more stylish than kinky-sounding. It’s also the season of plissé, a particular fabric treatment that gives a nice pleated effect. Standard-issue black goes with everything from a crop top to a shirt dress worn over it, while those in metallic bronze or navy with a subtle sheen work too.

RACING STRIPES

It may be the F1 weekend, but that’s not the reason why racing stripes are in — maybe it’s an evolution of the atheleisure trend, but swipe a stripe on the side of your garments, and suddenly, they scream stylish streetwear. My theory? It’s the accessible way of achieving the high SES look of say, a Ralph Lauren polo tee. Not to mention, vertical stripes are slimming too! We like that it draws your eye, with a bright pop of colour and contrast against an otherwise standard basic.

SLIP DRESSES

Think less Courtney Love sex appeal, and more everyday. The slip dress is our ultimate go-to because it’s, well, easy to slip on, and effortlessly feminine without being too girly. You can wear it on its own with sneakers, or under a blazer (see: above). And because these dresses are usually in a simple, basic silhouette, play it up with details, prints, and colours — a muted mustard shade manages to brighten up your outfit without making it look like you’re a walking canary, while you can opt for subtle floral prints too.

MOM JEANS

Of course, denim makes the list! Only this time, we’re getting rid of those overworn skinnies. As much as we love those, it’s high time you put on a pair of “fashionably unfashionable” mom jeans, a high-waisted cut that’s slightly more fitted than your boyfriend cuts, which we’re sure is part of the whole 90s revival in fashion. Though they exist in all kinds of comfy styles, all of us are fans of the mid wash shades, a more striking blue than the dark washes, and slightly more versatile than light or acid washes.

MULES

For days when we’re trading in our sneakers for more formal shoe options, mules have to be the most popular choice. For one, they’re just as easy to wear — and so endlessly versatile that we’ve done up a whole style guide on our favourite ways to pair them. The backless shoe is so in trend now that you can find every possible style out there, including heeled options, leather flats, those embellished with metal accents, or those made with shiny or glittery fabric.