The Elusive Search for Casual but Refined Tops

WFH-friendly tops without the fuss

As I've embraced sweatpants, joggers, and jeans for working from home, one area I've been struggling with massively is refined tops. When the bottoms are more casual, I crave some balance on the top but always struggle to find something that is comfortable yet adds that refined edge.

Under usual circumstances, it's quite easy to make an outfit look refined. Add a blazer, opt for more refined footwear, or choose a casual silhouette in a more refined material, like silk. Tucking in a T-shirt can also immediately elevate the outfit. However, comfort is key when working from home, and I personally don't tend to wear blazers or silk tops for daily wear, nor do I enjoy tucking anything in for eight hours of sitting down to work.

So while I found plenty of pants to wear at home, finding suitable tops remained a mystery. However, I do have quite a few requirements for the tops:

• No sleeveless tops

• No deep necklines

• No need for tucking in to achieve refinement

• Ideally, easy maintenance (machine washable)

• Comfortable material

• No bottom ups (bottom ups have their place, but I wanted to find something else)

Despite my familiarity with scouring numerous websites, I constantly struggled to find something that would work for me. Here's what I've identified and recommend. Please note that while layering with blazers or sweaters can refine an outfit, I'm focusing here on situations where only a casual pant and top are worn.

Textured T-shirts

Left to right: Cos, Tibi, Tibi, Cos

An easy way to make the T-shirt more refined is to find one with some elements of texture. It can be crinkled, fringed, pleated or have another interesting texture. Such tops immediately add an element of sophistication and make the sweatpants / joggers / jeans more intentional. The pleated collections from COS have quickly become my favorite, they are comfortable and also machine washable (!).