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I often find myself trying to avoid a dressy shirt during the hotter parts of the summer. The Lululemon New Venture shirt may look like your typical button-up, but thanks to its fabric, it keeps you extra breezy while on the move. It does this with a four-way stretch and lightweight cottony soft material that doesn’t contain any cotton, which is one of the ways it dodges that stuffy dress-shirt feeling. In addition to being exceptionally low-maintenance (wrinkle-free and quick drying), the shirt is also sweat-wicking and treated with Lululemon’s No-Stink Zinc, which prevents odor-causing bacteria from building up. The Lululemon New Venture shirt comes in a classic and slim-fit option and is available in seven colors, so you can load up for an entire work week.
Why I Swear By It
Traveling to and from the office is a real struggle in this heat. From the moment I step out in the morning till the end of the day, my daily work fit will include a sweaty upper lip and my perpetually damp back clinging onto my shirt (very sexy).
Given the constraints of this blasted corporate world, I can’t exactly ease my travels by sporting a sleeveless shirt or loose fitting shorts, dare I risk getting pinged by HR. It’s a real first world problem. For this reason, I am earnestly impressed by the finance bros I spot heading to their little banks in long-sleeved dress shirts, slacks and all. Through every economic collapse and record-breaking heat report, they remain steadfast in their commitment to white and blue button-ups and I’ll have to applaud their consistency.
I first heard about Lululemon’s New Venture Classic-Fit Shirt from a finance bro who couldn’t — and still — can’t shut up about it. According to him, it’s the kind of shirt you’re always digging into your closet for, only to realize it’s already sitting in the laundry bin. Not only does it keep commutes pleasant, but it’s also the most comfortable getup for catching flights and trains straight from the office. Traveling in a dress shirt might sound archaic; after all, you will find at least one dapper grandfather in a matching blazer and bow tie in every train station. But why lug an extra set of clothes to change into, prompting you to sweat even more, when you can easily move through the day in one sweat-wicking, wrinkle-free shirt?
I get it, looking put together is tricky this time of year. The heat is relentless. Especially when you’re hopping from calls and meetings to planes and trains, nobody wants to compromise comfort in the name of business casual. I like how the New Venture Shirt doesn’t look like technical apparel at all — you really wouldn’t know the difference from any other traditional button-up. I prefer the classic fit because it has a bit of give and a relaxed drape. Wider chests and arms may find the slim fit more grabby, but the way it skims the upper body definitely gives off a polished finish.
I don’t see an end to the capitalist codes of corporate dressing in my lifetime, but at least this shirt eliminates the sweaty and stinky discomfort I’d usually associate with the nine-to-five day. Be warned, though — once you get a taste of this shirt, you’re probably going to want another. That finance bro I mentioned? Absolutely ecstatic to get a second New Venture shirt. Getting that coin is much easier when you’re feeling easy breezy, after all.
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