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In today’s edition of What I Wore This Week, Christian Allaire shares his past 5 days—working from home, by yourself, doesn’t have to mean dressing boring!
Working from home is certainly not a new concept to me: I’ve been doing it for well over a year now. Do I miss the jam-packed subway trains and the frigid air conditioning in the office? No! But the one thing I do often miss is seeing my colleagues, and more importantly, seeing what they’re wearing to work every day. The outfits at Vogue are, as you can imagine, always fun to take in, and it even inspires me to up my own fashion game. So without that, I’ve now found myself in a bit of a fashion rut: Why should I dress up if I’m spending the day on my couch on Zoom meetings? What’s the point?
This week, however, I tasked myself with a new challenge: To have fun with fashion again. Sure, I may still be working from home, by myself, and not seeing anyone. But that doesn’t mean I should dress boringly. For five days, I dressed up as I would in the office, and it reignited my love of experimenting and accessorizing again. I finally got to put some new items to use, including a Prada runway blazer I got on major discount at the Woodbury Common outlets (my secret spot—don’t tell anyone). I also wore some old favorites, like a silky Saint Laurent top, which was my office go-to before the pandemic.
The main takeaway from my week in fits? I’ve forgotten that I have a closet full of things that make me happy, and I should bust them out more. No, that doesn’t mean I’ll be giving up my sweats, but I do think that, for the rest of the summer at least, I will give them a well-earned rest. They deserve it.
Monday
I’m working from home again today, but I’m meeting my friend Margaret for drinks after work, so I need a cute look. My colleague Mark recently gave me this Dhruv Kapoor shirt—the embroidered clouds on it bring me joy. Since it’s such a statement piece, I decided to lean into more of a casual vibe, styling it with Levi’s 501 jeans (my daily staple) and blinding green Versace shades. I’ve also been going through a real loafer moment lately, so I busted out my new Gucci loafers. I love the classic horsebit detail, but they feel modern and new thanks to the chunky sole. They are heavy!
Tuesday
Today I actually have an in-person meeting in the office, as the team is discussing Fashion Week content for September. It’s going to be my first time going back since the pandemic, so the pressure to dress up and serve executive realness is, well, real. I decided to wear my new Prada blazer, which I scored on a major discount at the designer outlets at Woodbury Common. I love how it’s boxy but still super sleek. I paired it with black jeans, a black tank, and my Sharkchaser tote, which is the perfect size for a laptop and water bottle. Also, I got to wear my new Bottega Veneta loafers, which are super-comfy. I love the square toe—super ’90s.
Wednesday
I don’t know about you, but when it gets to Wednesdays, I start losing fashion steam—I typically want to wear pj’s. But, this week, I’m pushing myself to have fun with fashion again, so I’m doing elevated casual wear. I wear this sunflower Jacquemus shirt at least once a week (it’s my favorite type of flower). I paired it with some new Bottega Veneta cargo pants I just picked up and leaned into the utilitarian dad vibe with my chunky Prada sandals and a giant L.L.Bean tote. It’s so big that I don’t really know what to use it for, but it makes for a fabulous fit pic, no?
Thursday
I’m super-obsessed with Indigenous fashion at the moment, so today, I decided to channel my own Indigenous roots and wear some of my favorite brands. This Jamie Okuma windbreaker is my new go-to for when I’m running errands or bumming around at home; people always stop me on the streets when I wear it, it’s so graphic and fun. I dressed it up today with Wrangler’s Wrancher pants (they fit me so well), Christian Louboutin heeled boots, and a Warren Steven Scott necklace. Warren is another amazing Indigenous designer who does amazing jewelry.
Friday
For my last day of fits, I wanted to go with a full-on Western-glam look. Because why not? TGIF and yeehaw! I’m wearing a brown leather Prada blazer that I got on TheRealReal, and paired it with a polka dot silk Saint Laurent top, my go-to Levi’s jeans, and my glittery gold Saint Laurent boots (I love a heeled boot—can you tell?). It’s more rhinestone rodeo than actual rodeo. Now, do I normally lounge around and read a book in this outfit? That’s a big no, but I’m going to pretend that I do.
