Two times a trend?: The Work(Out) shirt

Exile to the hinterlands of suburban New England does not always provide ample opportunities for the type of social commentary I enjoy. Moving between the client and hotel means spending most of your waking hours in smallish rooms staring at a computer screen.

Sometimes, however, I am able to escape to the gym, to stare at another screen while pretending to exercise. During these brief respites on the elliptical, I am usually surrounded by other members of my tribe, the traveling consultant. Recently, watching these fellow hotel-dwellers, I have noticed a rather disturbing trend: the use of the button-down work shirt as exercise attire. I call it the "Work(Out) Shirt"

The first instance of this fashion violation occurred as part of a larger crime against the well-dressed. Another gym-goer chose to work out in black sneakers, high white socks, madras shorts, a loud blue and pink Thomas Pink button down, and slicked down hair. All he was missing was a tie, and the clashing patterns would have overwhelmed the room.

The second appearance of the Work(Out) shirt came three days later, on another perpetrator of the slicked down hair look. The offender paired a blue button down with gym shorts - marginally less offensive but still slightly horrifying.

I would say that the Work(Out) shirt is now a trend, but I have only seen it twice, not thrice, thus disqualifying it from official Thursday Styles coverage in the NYT. Next time I make it back to the gym, I'm sure the Work(Out) Shirt will be there, waiting, and ready to be declared trend-y (and I'll snap a photo!)