Showcase: 3 Easy Off-Duty Looks for Autumn
Since we're waving goodbye to the Summer that has been, I thought it was timely to Haere Mai or Welcome Autumn in style. Yeah I know it's sad to part ways with the hot days and nights, road trips and days at the beach, but the cooler months are also quite special in their own right. From a fashion perspective, Autumn brings with it essential layering, which is really where all the fun is at. You can start to introduce various elements of texture and colour into your layers, like knits under bomber jackets, smash denim on denim and feature some fresh new outerwear. You get my drift - the colder season warrants more playfulness and experimenting when it comes to your sense of style - and that is why it's my favourite time of the year.
In this showcase I'm going to cover 3 key outfits you can easily roll out for the weekends. It's all about looking on-trend, but doing it effortlessly, so you're left with more time to get on enjoying the weekend shenanigans.
OFF-DUTY LOOK ONE // DENIM X DENIM
Denim on denim is rad. Sure it yells 'what's up 90's', but it's still got all the cool factor it had back then, now. I may be slightly biased towards the 90's as I grew up in that outrageous decade, but if you take a look around the current fashion landscape, many big hitting brands are throwing back to this influential decade for inspiration and even re-issuing old styles that are now selling out fast.
And I've got to tell you something that I'm totally fizzed about. While checking out Farmers' new Autumn men's range online, I discovered they stock Calvin Klein - one of my all time favourite labels! While at the moment Farmers have only a limited selection of tees and jeans, a little bird told me there's plans to roll out an expanded collection very shortly. I'll be first in line when they do.
So with double denim being the approach for the first off-duty look, I was super happy to get my first pair of Calvin Klein denim jeans, and you'll be pleased to know, while CK is a premium label, the jeans are very well priced at $139.99. It's a purchase that'll pay off, trust me on this one guys. A sharp looking black pair of denim jeans like these CK's should be found in any guy's wardrobe as they're user-friendly and work into any look you're after. We aren't quite done with these CK's as they feature again a little further through this post...as I stated before, these are multifunctional.
In search of the denim brother to the CK's, I found one of best the denim labels in the business that you're likely to be very familiar with, but may not know is available at Farmers - and that is Levis. While browsing Farmers denim, this awesome Levis black denim jacket (available in-store only) caught my eye, so I threw it on and hunted for the nearest mirror. I instantly liked what I saw (the jacket) and knew it would become a high rotation item across Autumn and Winter. And of course, it nailed the double denim look I was after. I then found this great Mossimo waffle henley long sleeve that works under the jacket as a great base layer. It's grey, so keeps within the monochromatic theme of the entire outfit and adds a little bit of texture thanks to the waffle. Things are looking good.
To complete my first off-duty look, I went straight for my own Tommy Hilfiger boots that I picked up when I was in New York late last year. I always look forward to lacing up a good pair of boots when the weather allows, and I selected these particular boots to give the entire denim on denim look even more attitude.
So that's the double denim look, it's simple and super easy to pull off. I've gone for the all black theme (classic Kiwi move) but you can totally mix it up and go dark on bottom, light on top. Just give it a go and see how it looks. Double denim ain't going anywhere so I'd rock it with confidence as one of your off-duty looks this season.
Levis Denim Jacket (in-store only)
OFF-DUTY LOOK TWO // ATTACK OF THE BOMBER
The bomber strikes again for another season and it's no surprise, as it was Google's number one menswear related query for 2016. I love me a good bomber and the numbers don't lie - I currently have five and you could even say six as I often steal/borrow my girlfriend's one too...which is actually a men's jacket that she rocks.
New and exclusive to Farmers this season is the menswear label Gasoline and their range includes some key on-trend items you'll wanna check out; first being the Gasoline slim bomber jacket. It's light, versatile and one of the easiest jackets to layer, whether it's over a cotton tee, shirt or even a knit. I don't tend to see a lot of Kiwi guys wearing knits, not entirely sure why, but I'm totally down for some great knitwear and this hooded knit pullover from the same range works a treat under my bomber jacket. I like the attention to detail on this knit, in particular the big buttoned placket at the front, and the hood which fits nicely over the back of the bomber. It's these finer details which allow the knit a bit of the spotlight alongside the bomber.
My sparkling new (not actually sparkling) CK black denim jeans are back to bring some denim action to the look. Because they're slim in shape and fit, they bring some sharpness to the outfit. See - black denim really just works with everything. I've cuffed the ankles which allow more tapering at the bottom, but also some breathing space between the pant and the sneakers I'm wearing.
These sneakers are my very own Adidas Tubulars which work well with slim demin. It kinda allows the shoes more room to be a statement piece, and they're extremely comfortable which is exactly what you need for a weekend, relaxed look.
Wearing bombers as a key layer just works. It's foolproof. No matter the pant, or what you're wearing as a top, bombers have this sense of compatibility that offers up so much flexibility. I wear mine over dress shirts, tees, jumpers, long sleeves & even over a denim jacket. The bomber is back this season so I'd grab one ASAP as a necessary part of your Autumn/Winter uniform.
OFF-DUTY LOOK THREE // NOT JOGGING YOU
Joggers are made for the weekend. They're all about comfort and ease, but it doesn't mean you have to be shy about wearing them outside of the house. All that's required is a little thought into how to upscale the look to make it street appropriate.
I'm a big fan of monochrome (as many of you will already know) so these grey with black detailing Gasoline joggers were an easy pick while browsing the Farmers men's department. Yes, joggers are kinda like track pants, well-no-actually, they are track pants, but they've gone through some form of refinement where they've been slim-lined to be more modern and fitting. The track pants' baggy past is left behind with its basketball roots. But who knows baggy may just come back very soon...
One of the biggest men's style trends at the moment is tucking tops in and there's no reason why you can't with these comfy joggers. Keeping the look fairly clean, I went for my favourite white & black Calvin Klein tee (find a similar CK tee here from Farmers) and tucked it in. The tuck helps elevate the casual nature of the jogger and is a simple way to make it seem like you've put some real thought to the outfit. But really minimal effort was required. Excellent.
In the spirit of layering I'm getting more use out of my new Levi's denim jacket purchase (available in-store only) by throwing it over the top of the CK tee for warmth, but more importantly to add some additional swag. The denim jacket and cotton jogger combo work so well together. It's got a bit of grit thanks to the denim, yet some softness from the cotton pant. They're a dream weekend team.
I'm wearing my crisp white Nike sneakers, which do a good job of matching the casual attire. These white sneakers make a frequent appearance across my variety of weekend outfits as they're sporty so great to wear for long durations and in simple in design so they're very workable with any outfit. White sneakers are a solid sneaker option and should be in your lineup for the new season. Just make sure you keep 'em clean.
Being comfortable in what you wear doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style standards. This look is definitely going to be a regular outfit that I'll be sporting out over the next few months. And as you can see from the imagery, jogger pants are made for doing activities like wheelies on the BMX.
Calvin Klein Tee (similar from Farmers)
Levis Denim Jacket (in-store only)
That's a wrap on 3 extremely easy off-duty looks you can make work for those more casual moments where you want to look great, stylish and on-trend, but don't want the hassle that can sometimes come with pulling it all together. Have fun trying out new things, give layering a go and keep looking cool in the cool this new season.
jb
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This article was created in collaboration with my friends at Farmers. All choices, words, opinions and creative direction are all my own.
📸 Behind the camera, the incredible Sophie Miya-Smith