DH saying black suit + sneakers is not smart enough

[GilmoreGirl84]

I went to a business breakfast wearing a black suit (jacket + trousers), paired with a burgundy shirt underneath and a pair of box fresh New Balance 327, white and burgundy. I had to travel by car and by train to get there and walk 20 minutes in the City, so I went for smart casual. DH is saying the sneakers look odd but I am pretty sure it is acceptable these days to wear them ironically under a suit? For reference, I work in the charity sector but it was a business event.

"that poster" was also me. You're talking about nuts and bolts, getting on with the work scenarios, not public, front of house business events.

They're New Balance 327s! Where the fuck have you people been? Because you've missed out on about ten years of trainer fashion.

New balance looks just as nice imo.

people are talking about smart shoes etc which to me is not a good look. Which goes to show everyone has different ideas on whats nice or not

but generally trainers and suits is ‘in’.

anyways if OP liked it then thats the main thing. I hardly think men are women fashionista’s or know whats on trend atm 🤣

fair point @NatashaDancing . I think if I were a bit younger I might still wear trainers though. Let’s be grateful that there are still business breakfasts to go to and it’s not just a load of people on zoom wearing pyjamas and slippers from the waist down…

I honestly despair. They’re on the wrong board. 😆

Sometimes I read replies on here to something fairly innocuous & realise I must live in a m world to many here

This in spades. Can we not bring age into it - I’m 52 and didn’t need to look up the bloody shoes to know what they look like. They’ve been very popular for a few years. I’ve never seen a single pair worn at the gym either. My office in London has become much casual since the return from Covid. I used to be the only one with tailoring and trainers but I see it commonly now. Love wide legged trousers or slim cropped - either looks good to me.

Well it was a "matchy matchy" outfit. And there are other options available apart from trainers and heels.

Joseph Cheaney shoes

Thanks.Agreed re actual events!

Fuck me. I'm in the "time warp " North, zero fashion cares and even I know that chunky trainers with suits / dresses js a "thing" looks great!

I am confused about the descriptor "box fresh". Does that literally mean fresh out the box? Surely you can only use that description once?

I’d have thought you looked unprofessional too but if you’re only in the charity sector it doesn’t really matter what anyone from the private or public sector thinks. If it’s normal to dress like that in your line of work then why give a shit about what anyone outside the industry thinks?

I may be wrong but box fresh was a popular descriptor in the naughties, there was also a clothing chain by that name. And yes it literally means the super newness of an item.

But New Balance are the new 'chunky white trainer' (and not even that new round these ways). I see them a lot in a work context, those and coloured Adidas Gazelles and Sambas.

It's a perfectly acceptable (and sensible) look when you've had to hotfoot it across the city, and especially in the charity sector which tends to be a little less stuffy in my experience.

My God, I see the Mumsnet fashion-proof hordes are out again.

Tbf OP wasn't asking if it was fashionable, but whether it was smart enough. Plenty of things are fashionable without being appropriate for a given event. Trainers (particularly white ones with a black suit) wouldn't be smart enough for a meeting with clients at my workplace.

But as I said up thread, OP will know the environment she was in much better than her DH, so I wouldn't worry about his opinion on her outfit's appropriateness.

It sounds fine. I couldn’t get away with it at work, but wish I could.

Amused that people are getting so het up about this! Yes, it's a popular trend, and imo looks ace- but OP will be coming across who aren't into style and beauty in her work, and this thread proved that quite a lot of people are likely to find the combination unusual or inappropriate. Whether OP cares about that is another thing!

I had to double check the 327s were the ones I thought, with so many people saying they were running shoes. Thought I was losing it for a minute. They are bang on, absolutely fine, and definitely not running shoes. I know this and I am OLD. Women should be celebrating the fact that it's now ok to wear shoes that aren't going to cripple us, without fear of losing our jobs. As for taking a pair along to change into, just why?

The woman in that photo might be extremely fashionable but to me that looks ridiculous.

As for the posters commenting about "have you never seen this look" ? Well yes, it's if anything a bit tired, it's certainly not "ironic"

We have women from their early 20s to their 60s in my office. Still not allowed to wear trainers. It's an office dress code thing, not an age thing.

We don't wear heels either - currently a lot of boots (it's raining in London), brogues, loafers ...

i do wonder about the ages of some people who comment here ( not offence at all btw)

Offence caused. And taken!

Why would you assume that people must necessarily become less stylish as a consequence of age? I haven’t.

But once again I do wonder if MN S&B is a pointless exercise; the majority of people who post seem to actively resent the very concept of evolving style.

Sounds a perfectly acceptable outfit, @GilmoreGirl84.

I frequently go to senior industry events and meetings in London wearing trouser suits. I would wear less obvious trainers such as gleaming white Stans. I wouldn’t wear NB though as back in the day, we’d all wear them to walk in and then swap to ballets/boots/heels. To me it’d feel like I forgot to swap.
In terms of what others are wearing, who cares really but I haven’t seen NB worn at senior business events in my field.
That said, I work in a more old fashioned industry. Clearly in fashion or publication you could get away with anything.

That is one of those occasions where you travel in suit and trainers and change into a pair of shoes as you walk through the door. You may get away with it more in an office (although even that would be questioned in a lot of places) but definitely not shoes for a business event

Agree that the ageism on this thread/board is something else!

Some of these responses are so confusing. I work in London and 9 out of 10 people I come across on public transport and work meetings are wearing trainers 🙃 Of course it's fine and has been a great look for years.

At the grand old age of 52, and living in Hicksville, I was surprised at the responses.

This look is everywhere on Instagram / TikTok...suit / trainers / oversized coat worn as a cloak / sunglasses / small gold chain handbag over the forearm / phone in the other hand / fake tan and fully contoured face.

19yo DD works the civil service and it's standard uniform there.

Yes, it is from the 1980s Wasn't it a thing with rappers and teenage boys Maybe OP was using it ironically?