Moto

Many of my business casual clients can wear a leather, pleather, Ponte or knitted type of a moto jacket instead of a blazer to work as a topper. It gives their blazers a break, makes them feel less classic, more fashionable, and changes things up. Most look for a lightweight and streamlined moto with fewer bells and whistles, minimal hardware, and in a tailored fit. Black, navy, grey, olive, taupe and burgundy motos are the most popular. Some have thrown teal, purple, blush, cream and red motos into the business casual mix. Shorter motos work particularly well with dresses and skirts, which is an outfit formula I covered last week.

I found fab examples of business casual moto looks with pants. Two of the renditions incorporate jeans because some of my clients can wear black or white jeans to work (but not blue). Allow the combination of silhouettes to inspire you, and sub your colours and patterns to suit your taste.

1. Simon Le Bon

If this outfit were black and white, it would be very similar to what the lead singer of Duran Duran wore at his 1985 concerts. High-waisted, baggy, pleated and tapered FULL-length pants with a tucked top and short boxy jacket scream the ‘80s. The combination is hip and trendy in 2019, and looks fably fresh. The high waist and tucked top are an acquired taste, and best suited to a longer torso. Sub the mock T-neck with a neckline that’s more to your taste. The Western boots add an on-trend touch. The full-length pants and high waist elongate the the leg line. The collarless moto is great on a shorter neck. A wonderful androgynous look.

2. Playful Wide Crops

This is my favourite of the four because the jacket is bright and white footwear is my thing. That said, you can wear the look in your colours. Combine wide crops with a shorter top, a moto, and tailored booties or pumps. Feel free to tuck or semi-tuck the top, or leave it untucked. The tie-waist on the crops is not essential.

3. Wide Legs & Dressy Flats

It’s fresh and fun to see tailored wide legs worn with dressy flats, which to my eye looks just as professional as pumps and dressy boots. Tucking the top elongates the leg line from the hips upward, which is an effective styling tool when combining flats with wide legs. Choose a shorter top if tucking and semi-tucking is not your thing. The black moto adds hard edge, and the white loafers soften things right back up. You could sub oh-so-trendy white sneakers for the loafers – but that would not be business casual.

4. Earthy Graphic

Combine white jeans with a black top, black boots, and finish off the look with an earth-toned moto. Throw in a bag that tickles your fancy. Brown looks serene, and black works with the palette. I’d have thrown in a burgundy, navy or red bag.

Clients who wear black or white jeans for business casual make sure the denim is polished and not distressed, which keeps the vibe dressy and professional, but in a more relaxed way. You can pop a roomy puffer, cape or cocoon coat over the top for warmth if you need the extra layer.

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