What Gentlemen Wear at Home (& What GG Hosts Really Wear!)

Clothing for wear at home is essential for fans of menswear as well as for the general populace. We’ve alluded to it before in other posts, but we’ll cover in detail what gentlemen of style have traditionally worn at home, and share what our team members actually wear at home themselves. 

We could go back through the centuries and focus on historical at-home dress – it is a fascinating topic after all – but we’ll focus today on classic, private, domestic attire that still has a timeless appeal even today.

For a further definition, when we say “private, domestic” attire, we’re referring to those in-between times where you’re not at work, not out and about on the weekends, and also not explicitly entertaining at home, unless, of course, you’re the fellow in this advertisement in which there may be some overlap. 

As you’ll see, then, the majority of styles that we’ll be discussing today are those from the Golden Age of menswear and its surrounding decades, about the 1920s to 1960s or so. This, of course, shouldn’t be surprising as this is the time period we cover most frequently.

Accordingly, for domestic attire as well as other attire of these time periods, we find that it strikes the right balance between being classic, but also timeless and versatile.

By that same token then, domestic attire is, itself, a bit of a balancing act as, of course, you will want to be comfortable but, at the same time, presentable without being overly dressed-up as you never know when you might have unexpected visitors. 

History of What Gentlemen Wore at Home

Getting into our history then, many men traditionally changed some elements of their work attire into something more comfortable when getting home. If I started to hum a few bars of “It’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood,” you’d probably be reminded of one famous example.

The purpose of this change was two-fold as not only could work clothes take on the grime of the day, but also one could protect their investment in their wardrobe by not subjecting it to further potential wear and tear while at home.

But, unlike our more modern conception of the dissatisfied office worker tearing off his business clothes the second he gets in the door, gentlemen in the age of classic style didn’t feel as much of a need to participate in this ritual. This is because their domestic attire was curated to be easily incorporated into the remaining elements of workwear at the end of the day and worn for lazy days around the house.

Examples of Homewear

With that in mind then, let’s take a look at some of these sartorial staples for your own homeware.

1. Knitwear

Taking inspiration from period advertisements, mid-century television, classic films, and that neighborly fellow we mentioned earlier, knitwear is a great choice for wearing around the house. And when it’s made from quality materials, it strikes the right balance between being insulating, breathable, and, of course, comfortable. And unlike a suit jacket, which can become wrinkled during domestic chores or even just sitting around the house, you can stretch, bend, and flex more in knitwear without upsetting any lines.

Cardigans, in particular, are a great choice because they follow lines of the body, creating that pleasing V-shape on your torso that frames your shirt, tie, and face. And, of course, cardigans are very easy to switch out with the jacket or other outer layer you may have been wearing at work.

Other sweater styles can also be worn as an alternative to cardigans, of course, and, depending on the style, they can also add more warmth. An old sweater, in particular, can add a literal extra layer of practicality when doing tasks like cooking, cleaning, or gardening, and the lack of buttons on some sweater styles may also be a good choice around young children or pets. 

We’ve made a previous guide on styling sweaters, of course, but when it comes to at-home wear, whatever sweater looks and feels good to you is always going to be in style.

2. Odd Trousers

As we’ve already established that you’re going to be without your suit jacket while you’re at home, odd trousers (or just plain pants as we say here in the US much to the chagrin of our Commonwealth readers) are also going to be essential while you’re at home.

This might come as a shock in the 21st century, where we seem to have an influx of uncomfortable and tight-fitting pants. But, a well-cut pair of trousers with a pleasant and comfortable drape, made from natural and breathable materials can easily be worn at home comfortably without chafing or bunching.

So, even if you don’t wear a full suit day-to-day, we would still encourage you to invest in some quality pairs of well-made trousers as you’ll be able to comfortably wear them at home all throughout the day.

3. Dress Shirts

This same logic for trousers also applies to dress shirts. While it is true that even men in the past could be known to wear more casual shirting styles on the weekends, such as the sport shirts in this vintage advertisement or the polo shirt worn by Stanley Baker in 1962’s Eva, traditional dress shirts transcend time because a shirt that is expertly made and fitted and, again, made from breathable natural materials is going to be a pleasure to wear all day, even at home.

4. House Shoes

Next, when it comes to shoes, the shoemaker John Wildsmith once said, “You are either in your shoes or in your bed, so it pays to invest in both.” And while we can certainly appreciate the logic behind this sentiment, no one really wants to spend every waking moment in the same pair of shoes. Plus, it’s a good idea to take some time to relax both your feet as well as the leather of your dress shoes. And, of course, shoes worn outside might dirty your floors or carpets.

So, although an interest in classic style also involves taking your shoes off once you get home, we would still suggest that you avoid going barefoot because of both temperature and hygiene concerns, as well as walking around in your socks, especially if you wear well-made dress socks that might wear out more easily than a thicker style would.

The ideal solution then is to opt for house shoes, which, as the name suggests, are shoes usually made from leather or heavier fabric that is designed to be worn in the home and are generally too delicate to wear outside.

They’re similar to slippers and can include styles like the Albert slipper and Grecian slipper – both of which we’ve mentioned in our classic sleepwear guide – and can also include styles like the lounging moccasin, which often comes with a shearling lining, or the furlane, a shoe from Italy’s Friuli region, which is traditionally made with rubber soles and velvet uppers and was favored by the gondoliers of Venice because they’re soft enough not to scratch the hulls of their gondolas.

House shoes like these should keep your feet at a pleasant temperature, and protect both your feet and your socks all while looking stylish and graceful.

5. Pajamas

After talking about slippers, a comfortable set of PJs are a great follow through.

Of course, pajamas have been worn for hundreds of years. But, up until relatively recently, they were reserved for sleeping wear in the bedroom or perhaps while sitting at the breakfast table. And, of course, these pajama styles do look a bit more stylish than the T-shirts, sweatpants, and boxer shorts that are commonly worn as pajamas today.

6. Leisure Robe

Also, within the realm of loungewear that you might consider is the leisure robe otherwise known as a “dressing gown” or “housecoat.” Leisure robes were extremely popular in the mid-20th century, probably because they serve a similar function to the knitwear we mentioned earlier. They keep you warm and aren’t prone to unsightly wrinkling, all while keeping you looking suave and put together.

These dressing gowns then provide the ultimate in insulated elegance. But, if you are looking for a bit more structure, there are similar articles like smoking jackets, leisure jackets, and cocktail jackets. All of which allow for personal comfort while maintaining a refined domestic atmosphere. Even if you’re just lying around your house doing nothing, you’ll still feel incredible doing it when dressed like this. On the topic of doing nothing though, we, unfortunately, can’t do it all the time.

7. Old Clothes

There are chores to be done around the house, so we can’t simply spend all of our time nibbling on snacks, lounging around by the fire, or showing off our mooses to our friends. So, then, you’ll need the right outfit for doing these chores when they pop up.

Traditionally, messy or dirty chores required either donning heavier-duty clothing or recycled old clothing. This still makes sense today as wearing faded, stained, or otherwise damaged, old clothing allows you to protect your newer garments while still getting use out of the older ones.

Clothes like these might be too worn to be worn in polite company, but they still are great for wearing around the house, especially for doing chores and odd jobs. And by the way, if you’re unsure where a particular garment falls on the scale of “Wear It Out” or “Throw It Out,” we’ll help you with our guide to acceptable wear and tear in menswear.

Homewear of the Hosts

So, now that we’ve covered what our style idols in the Golden Age of menswear wore at home, how do we shape up when it comes to our own domestic attire?

Raphael

We’ll answer that question with a rundown of the at-home style of our hosts here at the Gentleman’s Gazette starting, of course, with Raphael.

As someone who loves clothes and has an extensive wardrobe, ranging from off-the-rack to bespoke, Raphael just typically wears whatever he wore to work that day at home. He does this because he finds it comfortable, he simply likes it, and he grew up in a family that didn’t really do house clothing or excessively casual attire. He might take off his jacket to avoid feeling overly constricted or to avoid the unnecessary wear and tear we mentioned earlier. But, for the most part, whatever he owns, he enjoys wearing it at any time.

If he knows he won’t be going out or if he’s only going to be doing chores like grocery runs, he’ll typically wear something like khakis or chinos and a polo shirt in the warmer months, or corduroys and sweaters in the cooler months. And when it’s particularly hot out, he still dresses accordingly around the house in a short-sleeved polo or sport shirt and shorts. Yes, even Raphael sometimes wears shorts.

He also likes to wear old shirts when doing tasks such as cooking or gardening because, of course, if they get stained or torn, it’s not a big deal and he can still get use out of these older pieces.

Around the house, Raphael often wears boat shoes because they’re light and breathable, but also sturdy and comfortable. So, he prefers them to something like tennis shoes 99% of the time. He also has a pair of custom, velvet Albert slippers from Animas Code with the Fort Belvedere crest on them. These are usually reserved though for when he’s entertaining guests.

Raphael also owns a few specialty domestic garments. He’ll often wear his TV jacket, for example, if it gets a bit chilly or if he wants to enjoy his attire while watching TV or film. Though, of course, he’s always going to wear his jersey while watching Brazilian soccer. He also owns a smoking jacket, but he doesn’t get as many opportunities to wear it (at least not right now) as he might like.

In general, then, Raphael’s home attire is very task-based. If he knows he might get dirty, he’ll wear clothes that he doesn’t mind getting dirty. Otherwise, he simply wears what he would otherwise wear to work or while out and about.

Kyle

Next up, Kyle will also often keep on his work attire when he gets home, especially if he’s exhausted after a long day of work. But, he also does put a bit more of an emphasis on intentional comfort.

For him, this often means a combination of loungewear like sweatpants or fitted T-shirts, especially those from local brands, or athletic wear if he knows he’s going to be working out later. He owns lots of basics of these types in black with colorful accent pieces, so he can put together outfits easily. This might not be the most classic at-home style, but it is classic Kyle.

In addition to these staples of T-shirts and sweatpants then as well as comfortable shorts. Kyle will typically wear chinos or jeans and a polo shirt if he knows he might be going out.

Seasonally, Kyle transitions between cabin socks and sweatpants in colder weather and tank tops and shorts in warmer weather. But, Kyle runs warm even by Minnesota standards, so you can often find him in shorts and a T-shirt even in the colder seasons.

As mentioned, Kyle doesn’t typically wear house shoes at the moment, but he does wear thicker socks at home for added insulation.

Kyle loves the idea of a classic at-home wardrobe consisting of a dressing gown, velvet slippers, and other such items we mentioned earlier. But, most of the time, after a long day of working retail, he simply wants to get home, sit down, and be comfortable, and we don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

Nathan

Nathan’s homewear is defined by versatile comfort. He wants to be able to feel good and relax at home, but also look presentable enough that he can quickly go on errands without having to change or worry about what he looks like if someone unexpectedly stops by. He certainly doesn’t want the pizza guy to catch him in his underwear, after all.

His typical at-home attire usually consists of tapered black, or charcoal joggers paired with a quality T-shirt. He prefers dark T-shirts for their versatility and because they can easily create a put-together, modern look.

Athleisure is a great fit for Nathan because it can easily handle most situations that will crop up at home, but he can also take his son for a walk, go on a diaper run, or pick up takeout, all while looking presentable. But, his at-home athleisure is more leisure than athletic as you’re not going to see any gym shorts, tank tops, or shiny materials for example.

Nathan favors dark-colored sweatshirts or hoodies in the cooler months and shorts in a similar dark color and athleisure-style fabric in the warmer months.

Nathan previously lived in a home with wooden floors, so he would typically wear a moccasin-style pair of house shoes. But, as he’s moved into a new home, he’s still relishing the joys of walking around on his carpets barefoot. His slippers now live in the garage and he wears them for quick jaunts outside, for example, to get the mail. But, he’s thinking about investing in a pair of Belgian slippers for a higher-quality house shoe. 

For errands, he’ll typically wear a pair of trainers, always in clean and simple white. For chores like power washing the garage or changing his car’s oil, Nathan will typically wear older gym clothes in the same style he wears when working out. So, if you see a guy on the treadmill in a paint-splattered shirt, it could be Nathan.

Nathan wants his at-home attire to be functional, but also smart. Essentially, he wants to both look and feel good. And for tasks for which he’s planning to get dirty or sweaty, as long as it fits, that’s really what matters. Overall, we’d say this is a good blend of form and function.

Preston

As for me, my at-home choices and habits are broadly similar to Raphael’s. Fairly often, I simply wear my work clothes into the evening and then transition to pajamas at bedtime. These pajamas, by the way, are featured in our aforementioned post on the subject; both the classic and more hyper-casual varieties, which I’ll choose between depending on the season or simply how I’m feeling.

In the warmer months, my pajamas will typically have short sleeves and, in the cooler months, long sleeves. And I may, of course, layer up with a dressing gown as well.

For typical out-and-about, weekend wear, my attire is broadly similar to what I wear during the workweek. Either a button-up shirt and trousers with an optional sweater, jacket, and so on during the cooler months, and a short-sleeved shirt, either a polo or a button-up, and trousers in the warmer months as I’m not really much of a shorts wearer by and large.

For weekend days that are exclusively spent lounging at home, I’ll typically stick with my pajamas. And for entertaining at home, I’ll either dress to my weekday standard, dress up fully, or very occasionally put on a dressing gown, depending on the nature of the event.

I’ve also got a selection of older, frayed garments that I’ll wear for chores or other manual labor and a small collection of athletic wear, which is generally worn only when I’m working out or doing other athletic pursuits. Not that I have too many of them.

Conclusion

So, whether it skews more traditional like Raphael or me or more modern like Kyle and Nathan, all of our on-camera team does strive to look presentable to some degree both when they’re at home and when they’re out and about.

And whether you’ve been reading this guide at home in a plush velvet robe while sipping a brandy or simply sitting on your couch in your underwear (no judgment, by the way), we hope that you’ve found interesting what classic gentlemen wore at home and what we classically-inspired gentlemen wear at home as well.

What is your typical at-home wear? Share it with us in the comments below!

Outfit Rundown

As you might have guessed then, what I’m wearing today is an outfit that you’re equally likely to see me in, whether I’m in the office or, indeed, at home.

It’s a simple and casual outfit consisting of a silvery gray polo shirt with a checked pattern and a pair of plain, black trousers. My belt is also plain black as are my loafers from Allen Edmonds, which are well-worn and well-loved. Though I have given them a fresh shine today.

To harmonize with this color palette, I’m also wearing a silver wedding band. My wedding bands are in silicone and you can learn more about them in our EDC guide.

To fit this more casual theme, I’ve also left the product out of my hair today and opted to let my facial hair grow a bit. And of course, rounding out my outfit today are my socks, which are two-tone solids in black and white from Fort Belvedere.

You can find these socks, as well as a wide array of other classic menswear accessories, by visiting the Fort Belvedere shop.