Business Casual. That was the name of the Off-White menswear collection for Autumn/Winter 2018. But don’t expect any classic, or for that matter dated, notions of business casual here. There are no navy gold button blazers, worn with a button down shirt tucked into chinos. We’re in Paris, not WASP country. That was then, and this is now. The rules of business have changed and with it so has the business wardrobe. Virgil Abloh gets this, partly because, he himself is responsible for changing those rules.
So, what does business casual mean in an Off-White universe? A mash up of traditional tailoring and the street style aesthetic the brand is best known for. Proportions are big here, and sort of twisted round the body. In fact, there’s a slight 80’s graphic slant running through all of the knits. Shirts are tucked in askew, or cut to appear so. The slight off-ness of line is echoed again in a bold diagonally striped knit. Tailored coats and jackets are paired with matching tracksuits, anoraks pulled over formal shirt and trouser pairings complete with ties. It’s casual enough to not be mistaken for business, but business enough so people know you mean business.
