What I Wore Working from Home: Fred, Research Psychologist

Welcome to “What I Wore Today Working from Home.” AKA, WIWTWFH (pronounced: wee-WIT-wu-fuh). A series on, you guessed it, who wears what to work, when working, or NOT working, from home. To help keep you on track with your work (day job or self-improvement) when stuck inside for the next few weeks, this is a series on how to dress at home to put you in the right frame of mind. Would you like to be featured? See the bottom of this post for instructions. 

About the Author: Fred C. is a 38 year-old Post-doctoral Research Psychologist, specializing in social psychology and statistics (he focuses on the complexities of intimate relationships and the crazy math & statistics involved in making sense of the data we collect via these kinds of studies). He lives and works in San Diego with his girlfriend. Beyond work, Fred’s passions include producing hip hop music, fitness, cooking, comedy, politics, gaming, and home bartending.

Author’s Note: I’m at a point where 90% of my wardrobe has been thrifted (we have great thrift stores in San Diego), and I keep & use anything I buy new for as long as possible (I’m a big environmental & social justice dork). In the outfit here, the pieces I bought new were the pants, the laptop bag, the socks, and the watch. For the thrifted pieces, I’ve hunted around for current items as fill ins, since we all know thrift stores have unique stock. Happy hunting if you’re a thrifter!

The Sweater: L.L.Bean Cotton Fisherman Sweater, Shawl-Collar Cardigan in Navy – $139. Despite living in SoCal it’s not super warm just yet at this time of year. Shawl collar cardigans are as C O Z Y as it gets, and breathes well thanks to the chunkier knits. And since this pick is LL Bean, it’ll probably last and last and last. The thrifted cardigan I’m wearing at the top of this post is a belted wool-blend sweater from J. Crew.

The Shirt: J. Crew Stretch Organic Cotton Chambray Shirt – $59.62 w/ SHOPMORE ($79.50). Wait for big(er) sales, or if you’re also into thrifting like me, you have a good shot of finding plenty of chambray shirts in your local shop. Lightweight chambray (and chambray-like) shirts are a staple of modern menswear, so alternatives are widely available from lots of retailers. My thrifted shirt is actually made by Todd Snyder.

The Pants: Uniqlo EZY Ankle Pant in Navy – $39.90. Bought these new. The windowpane option is no longer available (mine are from Summer 2019) but a plain navy would suit you just fine as well. Mine are all synthetic, so they’re definitely not a go-to pants in the summer months, but they’re plenty good (and super stretchy) for cooler Spring and Fall days. Good news is, they now offer these pants in a 93% cotton alternative (though not in windowpane) that should breathe easier than last year’s full synthetic pair.

The Shoes: Mercanti Florentini Penny Loafer – $149.99. Casual but not in fuzzy slipper territory. I’ve got a pair of woven Johnston & Murphy loafers on at the top of the post. Thrifted again, but the style has been discontinued. DSW’s Italian brand Mercanti Firoentini fills in just fine here.

The Socks: Uniqlo Low Cut Socks – $4.90.  These have been my go-to for 4 years or so. Usually available from Uniqlo at 3 pairs for $12.90, available in a bunch of different colors. I’ve found that Uniqlo’s no-shows have been some of the only socks whose heel grip actually stays up throughout the waking day for me, and keep me from having to constantly try to covertly adjust my socks in public.

The Watch: Timex Weekender (Cream dial) on a FFF Button Stud Strap – $98. This one was my first stylish watch purchase, and the first purchase I made thanks to learning about it on Dappered years ago. I got it in 2013 and it has held up very well over the years. They’re still available and one of my absolute favorites.

The Laptop Bag: GEARONIC Leather Canvas Laptop Bag in Green – $32.99. From one of those all but generic brands that comes and goes pretty quick on Amazon. My bag isn’t even available anymore, but it’s surprisingly durable, and others have had good luck with these brands and bags. The GEARONIC pick is pretty close to what I have.

The Backpack: Goodfellow Waxed Canvas Backpack – $34.99. I primarily use a backpack when I’m cycling somewhere, since the messenger bag can swing around while pedaling and makes the ride a bit more hazardous in my experience.

Kitten (left) and Tai (right). Ten years ago, my girlfriend took them in after they were both found abandoned outside as wee baby kittens. We are very proud of the chonky thicc bois they have grown up to be, and delight in their companionship. Even when they wake us far too early on Saturdays and demand something to eat.

Want to submit your own WIWTWFH? Send an email to joe@dappered.com with who you are, what you do, and what you’d like to submit. And no, you don’t have to actually be working. There are plenty of jobs on standby right now whose workers can’t do the work from home. I’m not gonna discriminate. That’d be dumb. Now, to be featured, we’ll need a picture of you at home (at work, or not) as well as the details on what you’re wearing. Final image will have to be cropped down to 1500—840 pixels, so, keep that in mind when shooting. Landscape mode please, and let’s keep anything from the chin up out of it. Note that sending an email with your picks and a pic doesn’t guarantee publishing. We gotta have some variety, y’know? That’ll help your chances. Let’s keep it “Dappered.” But be yourself. Pics of pets always help too. Good luck. We’ll be in touch.