The New Formal: Ditching the Tie for a More Pragmatic Style

There is a romanticized fashion style, especially among men from the era of Big Ad agencies and luxury airplane travel. The time when boys returned from war to put on their first tailored suit and join the workforce as they became men of means.

Go look at any magazine from this period of roughly the 1940s through the mid-1960s. You’ll see perfectly coiffed hair with a clean-shaven face riding high in a blue or brown suit with a white dress shirt and tie so well ironed you could surf on them in Waikiki.

Then came those free lovin’ hippies that transformed modern dress and started fighting back against the rigidity of “the man.” While other countries like Japan and Europe embraced more elegant business attire, North America began to transform. Instead of suit-wearing punctual faceless businessmen marching up and down the train station depots, we began to see the introduction of casual attire.

After a short stint in the (cough, cough) ’80s, we entered into the grunge of the '90s and, finally, the technology revolution of the modern era.

What does all this mean for men’s fashion? Instead of being force-fed blue suits where only perfect lines and regimented shoe shine are acceptable, we have relaxed and allowed personality and pragmatism to enter our lexicon. How did this happen?

What is Pragmatic Style?

This is where some in the fashion industry split. The idea of being pragmatic is to introduce sensibility and realism into your everyday dress instead of wild new ideas or outrageous garments that restrict or feel uncomfortable.

The idea of pragmatic fashion is to have a wardrobe full of clothing that can be used and interchanged for a wide variety of occasions. It means walking into a business meeting with a pair of slacks and a t-shirt and still looking fantastic because of the quality of the items and the simplicity of the outfit.

How Did We Become so “Dressed Down?”

Do not make the mistake of thinking pragmatism means less fashion sense. In fact, the minimalist approach is often highly desirable because it stands the test of time and allows you to showcase accessories that highly value your personality and approach.
For example, a pragmatic businessman wearing jeans and a t-shirt to a meeting while also having a Patek Philippe Nautilus Steel watch on his wrist kind of accents his style and power in a more subtle way. 

You take notice of someone with a cleaner, more refined look because they seem focused and streamlined for operation instead of something over the top. There is more mystery and classic eloquence to pragmatism.

We did not fall into this new fashion sense by accident. Sure, there are those corners of the finance world where a suit and tie are still required because of the old money walking through the door. However, most modern businesses setting the standard for business growth and development today come from the tech sector.

Go look at photos of Steve Jobs (Apple), Sir Richard Branson (Virgin), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), and Elon Musk (Tesla). These are some of the most influential individuals in the world, wearing casual clothing to practically every event they attend. They transformed the look and feel of a business by setting the trends everyone else wants to emulate.

Wearing a suit and tie today would almost be frowned upon or considered overkill in many instances. Startups and creative businesses thrive on letting the individual have the room to express themselves because that directly translates into productivity.

Adding Style to Hum-Drum Traditions

When you think about it, we have introduced creativity into the boardrooms of cookie-cutter business suits. We have brought about a revolution where style is allowed to lead our appearance instead of assimilating to the status quo.

So why choose pragmatism when there are so many exciting options? The simple truth is making the personal choice for a minimalist wardrobe is highly sensible. It saves you time and money making decisions and allows you a more versatile closet as long as you stick to higher-quality garment choices.

Pragmatism is hard to grasp when you stick with the $5 shirts from H&M. They break down so quickly that you would have to spend every weekend trying to keep up with your daily demand. That is where introducing quality like men’s Pima cotton t-shirts can help.

With Pima cotton, you get a longer-lasting wardrobe option that holds up exceptionally well to washing and looks fantastic in the boardroom or out on a date. You can join the ranks of DiCaprio, Pitt, Dean, McQueen, and more. Sure, they can pull off a suit when needed, but go and look at any pictures of them in their natural element, and you’ll find a minimalist look that emphasizes their faces and personalities in far more subtle ways.

The practicality of wearing a suit and tie to work every day has gone the way of extreme customer service on airplanes and milk being delivered to your doorstep every morning. Especially now in the post-covid era, we have embraced a far more practical approach to fashion. Not because we don’t appreciate fine clothing, but because we want the freedom to focus on other important matters.

When you require a pragmatic wardrobe full of premium men’s Pima cotton t-shirts, look no further than our company. At IF... THEN WELL, we provide the much-needed high-quality shirts that you can use for showing up at a blind date or discussing the future of your company over brunch. These comfortable shirts slip easily into your wardrobe and can be used in many combinations, from travel to the product launch party. So visit our store today and join the revolution of sensible and realistic fashion that stands the test of time better than any other choice.