There’s a palpable sense that the world as we know it will never be the same again. So much has changed since the arrival of Covid-19, from the way we work – if we even have work – to the everyday precautions we now take that we didn’t before. For outside observers (should you ever venture outside, that is), perhaps nowhere is this shift in behaviour more visible than in the way we dress.

As with elsewhere in our lives, the pandemic has accelerated adjustments that were already in play. The need to wear a suit and tie to the office was called into question long before the need to go to an office at all was. Wider cultural trends have fed into what we wear – from the switch of focus from social functions to working from home to an increased reliance on video conferencing. But this brave new world has also forced us to consider elements that for many of us were previously completely alien. Foremost, the face mask, which has quickly become an essential accessory we’re going to have to learn to deal with, and the best of us are embracing with flair.

Perhaps, then, this collective timeout has allowed us to take a step back and think about our wardrobes in a different way. To invest in clothing that is sourced locally, of a superior quality or reflects a more sustainable way of living. Have you seen this as a chance to strip away what you don’t need, or work out what you do? Maybe you’ve found the confidence to experiment with your outfits, or grow a moustache.

Whether you’re after comfort, durability or simply a sartorial shake-up, here are our style rules updated for the world we now find ourselves in. Just begin your life in the new normal as you would any other day: with a change of clothes.

Yes, we’ve all seen the memes of men – and it is more often than not men – wearing a mask everywhere except where it is supposed to be, or not at all. The joke at the core of this is that correctly putting on a face mask isn’t that difficult. However, as with every accessory, how it fits into an outfit is important; perhaps even more so given that it will likely be the first thing other people notice. “You can have a lot of fun with masks,” Mr Olie Arnold, our own Style Director, told us in summer (although, at the time, we didn’t ask what he was doing with them). Equally, you can swerve the standard-issue blue disposable mask in favour of a tone that coordinates with your outfit. As ever, black is the safe choice. Safer, even, in this case.

Long before the world went sideways, riffs on what newsreaders wore below their belts proved perennial material for lazy comedy sketch writers. Sure, on camera, the anchor on the nightly TV bulletin is a vision of hairsprayed perfection, but what lies beneath the shiny desk… Acid-wash bell-bottoms? Hot pants? Nothing at all? Well, now thanks to video conferencing software, we’re all Ms Moira Stuart. But as anyone with attention-starved children/pets/postal workers will tell you, sometimes life gets in the way of Zoom meetings. So, while you could fully embrace the “business up top, party below” approach, it pays to also be ready for anything, even if it’s just to sign for a package. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll already know that it is entirely possible to wear sweats without being a slouch. Just keep everything in proportion and again think about coordinating your tracksuit bottoms with the rest of your clothing – or, you know, passing street furniture, as above.

Our worlds may have shrunk, but the amount of stuff we’re expected to lug around with us has grown exponentially. Mask, alcohol gel, gloves, smartphone, water bottle, spare mask, tinned provisions, Necronomicon… Short of turning to a discarded shopping trolley, à la the unnamed lead of The Road (we’re not there just yet), we’re struggling to find stylish ways to carry it all. Thankfully, the fashion industry has your back. Certainly, the collections over recent seasons have witnessed an explosion of storage options for men, from backpacks to belt bags, utility belts to just way more pockets than you’d ever thought you’d find a use for. It’s almost as if they had prior knowledge… At any rate, now you’ve finally got an excuse to own a field jacket with 27 separate compartments, don’t knock it. 

Just as divisions between the workplace and home have become blurred, the codification of acceptable attire for both is now somewhat confused. If you’d arrived at your office this time last year wearing pyjamas, you would’ve been met with raised eyebrows; today, they’re probably just surprised that you turned up at all. But for many of us, loungewear is more than what we put on in the morning (or are still wearing from the night before) – it has become our identity. And, what would’ve once had you turfed out of Tesco can be the talk of the town, provided you do it right. Elevated examples from the likes of Anderson & Sheppard, Derek Rose or Desmond & Dempsey should be your first port of call, teamed with a sharp overcoat to show that it’s intentional (and to keep out the draught).  

Blame Mr Mark Zuckerberg if you must – and there’s far worse you could lay at his door – but hoodies and sweatpants have been part of the corporate clothing conversation for more than a decade now. As with many things we’ve been putting off, Covid-19 has meant we’ve had to address this issue head on. At MR PORTER, we’ve long been proponents of wearing sweats alongside suits and tailoring; indeed in either a complimentary tone, or as a pop of colour, a hood worn over a blazer or suit jacket has become a contemporary replacement for a tie. Today, with the balance tipping in leisurewear’s favour, it is perhaps for more formal clothing to prove it still has a place in the modern wardrobe. As demonstrated here, we think it does.

There were outliers, inspired by basketball players, who long ago turned slides and socks into streetwear. And, of course, there were slip-on shoes for formal occasions, as well as driving shoes for lazy summer days. But only now are we talking about actual slippers as something worn outside the house by anyone other than curmudgeonly grandads shuffling out to buy the morning’s newspaper. But since we’ve spent more of this year in a pair of these than “proper” shoes (or, what in before times we referred to as just “shoes”), for some, squeezing your feet back into a stiff pair of Derbies is a step too far. Happily, there are variations of your standard crib kicks that can withstand the elements (although you take your chances with puddles). Investing in a pair by Gucci is to get off on the right foot. 

Since social distancing has afforded us all a bit more personal space, why not make the most of it? If you read that as exploring city centres suddenly emptied of citizens, so be it. However, those of a sartorial bent will see it as an opportunity to experiment with styles. The gentleman above hasn’t merely cultivated a lockdown moustache, he’s filled his allotted one-metre-plus with a boundary of billowing clothing. As mentioned before, sweats have raised their game, becoming an integral part of the working wardrobe. But equally tailoring is moving to meet somewhere in the middle, with brands such as Lemaire embracing more generous cuts and comfortable fabrics. Go big or go home? Why not try both.

The men featured in this story are not associated with and do not endorse MR PORTER or the products shown