Ottawa has a quiet style scene that rarely gets the spotlight it deserves — but menswear blogger Anmar Salman is changing that, one outfit post at a time. The Ottawa-based style creator has been building a following by breaking down one of fashion's most talked-about trends: quiet luxury.
If you've been scrolling LinkedIn or Instagram lately, you've probably noticed a shift. Gone are the loud logos and maximalist fits. In their place: clean lines, neutral palettes, and clothes that whisper quality rather than shout a brand name. It's the aesthetic of choice for professionals who want to look polished without looking like they're trying too hard.
What Is Quiet Luxury, Exactly?
Quiet luxury is less about what you spend and more about how things fit and feel. Think tailored trousers in camel or charcoal, crisp Oxford shirts, unbranded knitwear, and leather loafers that could take you from a morning meeting to a Friday evening dinner without skipping a beat. The goal is a wardrobe that looks intentional — elevated basics with no expiry date.
Salman's take on the trend is particularly useful for Ottawa's professional class, where the dress code often lives in that awkward in-between zone: not quite Bay Street formal, but definitely a step above startup-casual.
The Hybrid Wardrobe Formula
One of Salman's key pieces of advice is to build around what he calls hybrid pieces — items that bridge the gap between office-appropriate and off-duty wearable. A slim-cut wool blazer, for example, pairs just as well with dress trousers for a client meeting as it does with dark jeans for a Saturday brunch on Elgin Street.
His go-to formula for Ottawa professionals:
- A neutral base: Navy, grey, camel, and off-white form the backbone of a quiet luxury wardrobe. These tones mix effortlessly and photograph well — handy for anyone building a personal brand.
- Invest in fit over label: A well-tailored shirt from a mid-market brand will always outperform a designer piece that doesn't sit right. Ottawa has solid tailoring options for alterations if off-the-rack isn't quite cutting it.
- Footwear finishes the look: Clean leather Chelsea boots or loafers elevate even the most casual outfit. Salman frequently emphasizes that shoes are where quiet luxury lives or dies.
- Fewer, better accessories: A simple watch, a leather belt that matches your shoes, and a quality bag. That's it. Restraint is the whole point.
Why Ottawa Professionals Are Embracing It
Ottawa's professional landscape — federal government, tech corridor, legal and finance sectors — is perfectly primed for this kind of dressing. The city's workforce skews toward people who need to look credible without being flashy. Quiet luxury fits that brief exactly.
With hybrid work now firmly embedded in Ottawa's culture, getting dressed for a day that includes a 9am Zoom, a midday walk along the canal, and an in-person meeting by 3pm requires clothes that can do double duty. Salman's approach offers a practical roadmap for exactly that scenario.
Where to Start
If you're looking to refresh your wardrobe with a quieter, more refined direction, Salman recommends starting with one or two anchor pieces — a great blazer or a pair of perfectly fitted trousers — and building outward from there. No need to overhaul everything at once.
For Ottawa men navigating the modern dress code, it turns out that the most stylish move might just be keeping things simple.
Source: Ottawa Business Journal via Google News Ottawa Style
