What Successful Men Wear to Work in 2025

Words by Tony Wilkes

Visa senior account executive Kelly Read has seen men’s office attire U-turn in recent years. “I’ve been in the finance world for over three decades,” she tells us, “and I’ve seen it evolve from banker’s suits into jeans and a smart top with trainers. Visa is definitely moving in the direction of casual fintech outfits.” The transformation in men’s workwear is a remarkable loosening-up – a trend that spans a range of job roles and industries. So what are professionals wearing to the office, or their version of, in 2025? Three men who are leading their fields explain the shift.

“We don’t have any uniform,” says Alexey Bokov, VP of Brand Product, Content and Experience at Visa Europe. “It used to be that banks and financial organisations were more formal to bring trust and confidence to consumers. Once everyone started understanding that we need more relevance with Gen Z and Millennials – the cohort making up business today and in the future – everyone has changed from suiting to trainers. That’s also the way tech companies are operating. We all remember Steve Jobs and how he dressed, right?”

Bokov’s role involves partnerships with cool, agile brands and less corporate talent – a fact reflected in his own wardrobe. A T-shirt with a jacket and jeans is his go-to, with premium brands peppered throughout. “My shoes are Jimmy Choo. I wear Balmain quite a lot or McQueen.” He also points to the small, simple touches that can alter an outfit, like jewellery or a blazer. “That way I don’t have to change during the day,” he continues. “I’ll be comfortable on the commute in the morning, but I can still look good for a dinner with clients in the evening. It’s a really easy transformation.”

Musician Oliver Zeffman was once flying to conduct a concert in Russia wearing a T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms. “My luggage never arrived,” he tells us, “so I had to turn up for the first rehearsal – I’d never met the orchestra before – in my trackies and trainers, which I normally wouldn’t do! But the thing is: they didn’t care.” Zeffman is one of today’s most exciting young conductors, having previously worked with the London Symphony Orchestra, the LA Philharmonic and Academy of St Martin in the Fields, as well as inaugurating Classical Pride – the first time any major orchestra or concert hall has celebrated Pride outside the US.

“The point of Classical Pride is to try and reach new audiences by ultimately saying, ‘Classical music should also be considered a part of Pride’. Tchaikovsky was writing music long before Madonna was even born.” When conducting on stage, Zeffman opts for a classic suit and tie. “I can’t think of many conductors who [still] wear a white tie and tails conducting. Most wear suits. I’ve got a friend who is very kindly making me a suit which I will wear to conduct. One consideration is you’ve got to wave your hands around, so if it’s too restrictive it doesn’t really work.”

“Everything I own is black,” says Mark O’Flaherty. “It all goes together.” As a fashion journalist and photographer, O’Flaherty is a regular contributor to The Financial Times, HTSI, the New York Times and Harrods magazine, and has shot campaigns for Issey Miyake, Hermès and more. “On a busy work week I’d be on two shoots, then I might go straight from a shoot to a lunch, and then go home and write,” he explains. “I weeded out everything that wasn’t black because I’m travelling a lot. I haven’t got time to mix things up.”

A love of black naturally leads to Rick Owens (dubbed ‘The Lord of Darkness’), Yohji Yamamoto (O’Flaherty especially loves his joggers) and, above all, Homme Plissé Issey Miyake. “It’s really useful to shoot in,” he says of the brand’s pleated menswear. “Sometimes I’m literally rolling on the floor to get an angle in a shoot and Homme Plissé is really comfortable. And when I’m working abroad, I want to be able to roll everything up and shove it in my luggage and get where I’m going. They don’t need ironing. They come out of the washing machine dry and they’re ready to go!”