Where to Buy Work Clothes That Won’t Crush Your Soul

What started out as a blue-collar workwear label decades before any Westfield existed, Madewell has turned into a modern fashion brand that mixes its denim roots with contemporary classics. Think button-down shirts, chinos, hoodies, and even a decent suit here and there.

COS

Best For: Minimalist design, muted colorways Price Point: $$

The COS label is known for its streamlined aesthetic in the vein of lauded labels like Lemaire and The Row for a fraction of the designer prices. If you’re after modern overshirts that look more at home in a brutalist art gallery than a log cabin, or billowy trousers emblematic of the quiet luxury aesthetic, COS is the place to go.

The Euro Upgrades

NN07

Best For: Business casual with Scandinavian twists Price Point: $$

NN07 may be best known for its fashion contributions to The Bear, but the viral jacket is actually a great summation of the brand as a whole. That is to say, classic relaxed silhouettes with modern flourishes and a willingness to delve into interesting colors and patterns. We’re fans of NN07’s striped shirts, workwear-inspired outerwear, and cardigans.

Mfpen

Best For: ‘90s-esque officewear (but way cooler than you’re thinking) Price Point: $$$

Mfpen has single-handedly taken the corporate-office aesthetic and turned it into the unironically cool uniform of menswear heads. Boxy suits that recall ‘90s designs matched with striped shirts and topcoats made of deadstock materials are par for the course here. It’s a subtle subversion of the office dress code that won’t actually get you called out by HR.

Studio Nicholson

Best For: Pared down style with big silhouettes Price Point: $$$

Studio Nicholson may be based in England, its designs mix Japanese and Scandinavian sensibilities together in a distinct way that we’re gonna describe simply as chic. Big, big pleated chinos, soft unstructured loafers, and elevated work shirts make up a good portion of the catalog, but don’t sleep on the leather bags and thick knits.

Margaret Howell

Best For: Clean designs that merge workwear, tailoring, and classic British style Price Point: $$$

Margaret Howell has been a fixture of the minimalist scene since the ‘70s and has earned a loyal following, especially in Japan. Workwear inspirations are sanded down to a delicately elegant aesthetic that can slot into any wardrobe and every kind of office.

The One-Stop Stalwarts

Ralph Lauren

Best For: Prep, Americana, suiting Price Point: $$$

If you had to limit your closet to just one label, it should probably be Ralph Lauren. There’s nothing that the self-made fashion phenom hasn’t done, and though he’s pretty damned good at most things, there are areas worth exploring more than others. Top-notch suiting, rock-solid denim, incredible and collectable knitwear with clear americana roots are just the tip of the iceberg.

Buck Mason

Best For: Laid-back California staples with a dose of western ruggedness Price Point: $$

From curved hem tees to drool-worthy tweed jackets, Buck Mason’s Cinderella story has got us at the GQ office in a chokehold. Of course, we’re in love with Buck Mason’s dialed-in T-shirt program, but it’s proven that it’s got serious game when it comes to tailoring, denim, and beyond. You could look sharp as a tack in a floor-to-ceiling Italian-wool suit and tie, but you could just as easily knock ‘em dead in a business casual fit.

Todd Snyder

Best For: Impeccable tailoring, luxurious knits, iconic collaborations Price Point: $$$