The guys in my office dress all right. Ok, I’ll be honest, I’m usually kind of impressed by what they’re wearing, given the disdain I usually feel when I see men in DC trying to wear clothes. It’s like Halloween, if Halloween were an occasion for all dudes to dress like somebody’s dad.

I asked some of my friends at work to let me take pictures of their everyday attire, and they were kind enough to answer a few questions about their personal styles. This week, I’ll be posting a few of my favorite looks.

Kyle

Jacket: Zara, Jeans: Levi’s, Shirt & Shoes: J. Crew, Tie: Dior, Glasses: Warby Parker

How would you characterize your style?
Going to work, then going to a show.

What are you influenced by when choosing clothes? Is there anyone whose style you admire and try to replicate?
Living in New York, and before that London. You assimilate. You go from looking like a tourist to not looking like a tourist. You adopt things into your personal style.

What’s your fashion philosophy? Do you prefer classic or trendy pieces, or a mixture of both?
For work, I buy all newer stuff. I try to maintain a more contemporary wardrobe. I end up pitching things a lot, cycling things in and out of my closet. At work, it’s almost exclusively contemporary. I do buy vintage outerwear and tee shirts, always as accent pieces.

Do you have any hard-and-fast rules when it comes to fashion?
No shorts, except for athletic activity and the beach. I just don’t think people want to see men’s legs. Style over comfort. I’m in the 5% of guys who don’t on some level embrace that they just want to be comfortable. I don’t really consider it a priority.

Our workplace is very business-casual. Most of you don’t wear suits every day, and you have a bit more freedom to wear what you want. What are the rules that you follow to make sure that what you’re wearing is office appropriate, yet not stuffy or super corporate?
Guys have less rules, but they’re stricter. You can’t just wear a single piece on top, for example. If you’re wearing a button down, you should have a sweater, a cardigan, or a jacket. You want to look a tiny bit more fancy without being stuffy. You can find ways to make things look professional just by adding more layers.

Name a fashion trend that you hate.
Man tank tops. Despite the fact that I had a pretty good run in New York, man tank tops were at the precipice of their popularity. As with shorts… no one wants to see that.