The Only Black Guy in the Office

The Subtle Flex of Being the Fashionable Guy in the Office

Am I the only one having withdrawals from wearing my fall fashion work wardrobe?

The Only Black Guy In the Office
LEVEL
Published in
4 min readNov 16, 2020

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Illustration: Michael Kennedy

Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.

I don’t know about you, but head-to-toe loungewear has officially lost its appeal. The home office perks of all-day PJs, pantless video calls (no Toobin), and sporting the same sweatshirt three days straight don’t hit like they used to now that cooler temperatures have become the norm. Autumn, my friends, is where I thrive. I don’t love fall only because of the balmy weather and omnipresence of pumpkin spice (don’t knock it ’til you try it) — it’s also the season when I get my best ’fits off. And I’m bummed that I’m missing out on it this year.

Even the idea of planning a work outfit is something I high-key long for. Waking up in the morning, having my breakfast, and thinking, Hmm, what will I wear to stunt on my colleagues as I make a fashionably late arrival to work? Because if we take the whole paycheck thing out of the picture for a second, getting first-day-of-school fresh for work is half the fun of the job — especially if you work in a city. Fall is peak office-style…

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The Only Black Guy In the Office
LEVEL
Writer for

Do you know him? Is it you? The trials and tribulations of a Black man navigating corporate life.