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The Easy, Miyako-Approved Styling Hack that Makes It Fun to Get Dressed Again
The world of workwear is changing. Our Chief Creative Officer has tips to help you keep up.
Over the past few weeks, our styling team has noticed two prominent trends. One, many of the women they’ve been working with are getting ready to return to work. And two, everybody is confused about clothes right now and wondering, what will we wear to work, post-pandemic?
“We made a pretty big transition last year,” says our Chief Creative Officer, Miyako. “Many of our customers went from curating their wardrobes around the office environment to working from home.” On top of that, the rise of work from home has made the line between dressing for on-duty and off-duty fuzzier than ever. “Workwear and weekend-wear have become quite blurry,” says Miyako. “These days, I find myself mixing weekday and weekend pieces, where I used to have a distinct separation between the two.”
It can all feel like a lot to navigate—but luckily, Miyako has a solution. “Try mixing different levels of formality into one outfit, like wearing leggings with jackets, or tailored trousers with T-shirts,” she suggests. “I think you should always wear what you feel comfortable in—don’t feel like you need to completely change your style or formality. For example, if you’re used to having a more formal uniform, try adding just one item that’s one step more casual than what you’re used to. Say your old go-to office outfit included poplin shirts, tailored trousers, and jackets. Try swapping your shirt for a knit top instead.”
You may be dressing more casually, but you can still achieve that ready-for-the-day feeling you get from putting on a polished outfit. “For me, it has a lot to do with the textiles that clothes are made from,” says Miyako. “I have my weekend T-shirts and jeans, and I have my weekday T-shirts and jeans. The ones I wear during the week have a more pristine finish and polished fabrication—and I think a lot of M.M.’s clothes fall into that category. We’ve developed heavily into casual wear, like T-shirts, hoodies, and terry cloth, but we’re always thinking, ‘Would you be able to wear this to go get a coffee without feeling like you’re outside in pajamas?’ That’s a differentiator for our clothes—even if you’re wearing leggings, you’ll still feel (and look) like you’re wearing real clothes.”
Personally, I can’t wait to start experimenting with this new take on work dressing. Blazers with leggings, sweaters with heels, tailored dresses with sneakers—it all sounds very fun and exciting. Want to join me? Here are a few Miyako-approved looks to try.
Dress It Down with Sneakers
Here’s a cool thing about our Hadley pants: Wear them with pumps, and they look like business-formal trousers, but pair them with sneakers, and they give off a trendy weekend vibe. Add the machine-washable, odor-resistant Antoinette top in Olympic blue plus some silver hoops for a look that strikes that perfect balance between elevated and easygoing.
Add a (Better Than) Denim Jacket
Pro tip: Adding a jean jacket is a quick way to give your formal dresses a more casual feel. Our cropped Anna jacket recently launched in a stretchy Turkish cotton that we call Better Than Denim, and it’s just the thing to throw on over the elegant James dress and Ella sandals.
Color Outside the Lines
Adding unexpected splashes of color to your outfit can also help make your look feel fresh. For example, try pairing the Foster pants in russet with the calming, sage-y hues of the Ismelka top in lichen (pictured here in alabaster) and the turquoise Winona earrings. Pop on the classic white Koio sneakers, and you’ll be the embodiment of springtime.
Keep It Short and Sweet
Shorts with a blazer is exactly the kind of formality clashing I can’t wait to try out in the office. The Caitlin shorts have enough length and structure to wear to work, but they’re still shorts. So yeah, they’re pretty casual. But add the silk Vicky tank and beautifully textured O’Hara blazer in herringbone, plus the Rowan flats in snakeskin for dimension, and you’ve got a post-pandemic power suit.
Rethink Your Layers
I asked Miyako what she’s wearing these days, and she told me that she’s been really into shirts that look like jackets—and jackets that look like shirts. “We made the Scotte jacket in silk for that concept, because I wanted to offer something that could be worn as a blouse or a lightweight jacket,” she explains. Try wearing the Scotte jacket as a shirt with the Stella leggings and Irene slingbacks—chic, comfy, and upside down in the best way.
Go Sweater-Chic
Knits are inherently more casual than typical workwear fabrics, like jacquards or silks, so wearing a knit dress automatically gives your outfit that relaxed feel. Try the Dylan dress with the Chadwick sweater (both in pearl) and Koio sneakers for an ultra-sleek monochrome look. The Claressa hoops tie it all together and give you that ready-to-go glow.
