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.

I had an interview yesterday and I wore white leather Superga with wide trousers.
Got the job 🤣

51, managing director, technology (not hip ‘tech’ more old school)with corporate clients. I wear both Converse, Veja, NB for work with smart wide trousers or suit. Also jeans, blazer, brogues.

@TheNachtzehrer That's as maybe, but any trainer with a shaped sole makes me think of my running shoes or my gym shoes, neither of which I would wear outside of those specific contexts. I actively hate my running shoes, but they do the job they're designed for.

NB might not 'be' sports shoes but to me they look like they are, so they in turn look too casual for a suit.

It's not us that are important here really though, it's the other people at OP's work event and whether they thought 'ooh fashion' or 'yikes, poor lass forgot her shoes'.

It's not us that are important here really though, it's the other people at OP's work event and whether they thought 'ooh fashion' or 'yikes, poor lass forgot her shoes'.

Which I rather suspect they wouldn’t do. Lots of people do have their finger on the pulse.

Sounds absolutely fine to me. A pretty accepted modern look in the workplace I would say. I'm sure there are more conservative sectors where trainers with a suit would be strictly verboten but you know your sector and what's considered acceptable attire. Tell your husband he's being a fuddy duddy.

A bat signal seems to go out every time trainers are mentioned on this board, ensuring we get the same people making sure everyone knows just how much they dislike trainers. Message received a loooong time ago. You can rest now.

yep!

and i was accused of being ageist in the previous replies when i questioned the ages of those saying not suitable when its reality that different ages will have different ideas on whats suitable/trendy

for example i as a nearly 35 year old do not think what late teens/early 20’s wear particularly fashionable or suitable but im totally aware thats because i am a different generation, and they would think the same as me.

post covid office trends have changed MASSIVELY. Everyone is about the comfort and in the OP’s case its a totally acceptable outfit in her field.

It's a breakfast meeting and a pair of box fresh trainers wore with a trouser suit. It's fine and not uncommon in the charity sector. Have been to numerous breakfast meetings in the City, and even at the Mansion House and the Guildhall, it's not unusual to see smart trainers. However, and as we know, some posters don't think trainers can be smart at all. Yet happily wear frocks more suited to toddlers and Widow Twanky to the office.

Tbh, I find the shirt colour more offensive.

People who say New Balance 327s are gym shoes clearly don't exercise or go to the gym 😂

I think your outfit is perfectly acceptable! ignore your DH.

I wear trainers to the office sometimes if I'm in trousers, but only plain black ones. White/coloured ones look scruffy and out of place to me.

Trainers are not business wear

I googled them and like them OP. I bet you looked great. I wear safety boots to work so I am not sure I am the best person to ask if they were suitable or not!

Black suit with white trainers sounds horrific to me.
It doesn't seem professional to me either

I am so intrigued though, I want to see a photo of the outfit cause maybe I'm just picturing it wrong it my head

I think it depends on the suit - I can imagine they would look lovely with a modern, wide legged style, but can't imagine them so much with a more traditional, office-y suit.

Trendy to me = a fad.

I've never seen a single person at work wearing trainers!

But I definitely have walked to work in trainers and then swapped into shoes.

They passed me by in the same way as those ridiculous ripped jeans passed me by. They are not something I want to wear no matter how fashionable they are. I've never seen a pair of trainers that l want to own.

The issue isn't whether they are "fashionable" anyway. It's whether they were suitable for a business event. They might be for the OP's business. OP thinks they are - her husband thought not. although if she's so sure she they were I'm not sure why she needs her opinion validated on here.

It's irrelevant whether they are fashionable - and only the OP can determine if they were suitable for the business event. Presumably OP can trust her own judgement? In my business the most fashionable, box freshest trainers in the world are not acceptable at a business event where clients are attending.

It's a bit relevant if they're 'fashionable' or not. Being in fashion means more people wearing them which makes them more commonplace and acceptable. I work for one of the big four and wear trainers.

I think this style of trainer looks great with a suit. These are totally different to the OP's.

I wouldn't wear that combo but I'm not really a trainers person.

Businesswear is as fashion-driven as any other area of attire. Just as fashion has become more casual, so have business dress codes. There are few areas of business where old-fashioned formal business dress codes hold any more, and those that still exist tend to be very conservative fields. "Clients" generally expect people to dress like they live in the current year.

Trainers have also been a fashion area and a culture all of their own for at least fifteen years. Actual athletic shoes are a very small subset of trainers.

OP is in the charitable sector which skews even more casual than many fields. I wouldn't be surprised if she was the most formally dressed person at the event. The whole point of mixing low/high by wearing trainers with a suit is the way that the trainers undercut and chill out the suit's formality.

From what I know of the charity sector, I'd say it's a snake pit these days (sorry snakes). Everyone's chasing the same, ever dwindling pots of money. Contracts and sponsorship deals are renegotiated every nanosecond. If it was an event where 'partners' (ha bloody ha) and sponsors were in attendance, I wouldn't take any risk whatsoever. That might mean wearing trainers or it might not, but I would do my homework beforehand and the decision would have nothing to do with fashion and everything to do with who was going to be there and any unwritten / unspoken dress codes.

The idea that clients is some kind of universal descriptor, and that all clients are caricature businessperson cut-outs who would be horrified by the sight of a professional contact wearing any type of trainers to an event … it’s wild, actually. Wild that anyone could make those assertions so scathingly and with a straight face.

Also the bit about how one wouldn’t want to see one’s financial advisor or accountant wearing trainers, because … because <mumble>

I almost think that pp is trying to wind everyone up.

What is your ‘business’ out of interest?

I think the idea that the charity sector is some kind of cuddly community where no-one cares how you look is equally wild. The dress codes might be different but they exist and you transgress them at your peril.

I can't answer the op's question as to whether trainers were acceptable because it would depend on 1) the sector concerned 2) who was going to be there and how much power they had. It's quite possible that trainers would be the correct choice - the point is not to make assumptions.

Sorry but I wouldn't have worn trainers either. The rest is fine