9-5: How Comme Si Founder Jenni Lee Elevates Everyday Details


As people transitioned to working from home in their pajamas and loungewear, Lee found herself reaching for her husband’s boxers. “They’re just comfortable and really spacious, and also a little gross,” she joked. In an unexpected twist, she saw an opportunity to create a more polished version of boxer shorts designed for both men and women—in addition to her wide array of luxe socks. She reached out to a family friend from Toronto, Canada, who owned a tailoring shop. Given that their operations were also impacted by the pandemic, they joined forces to breathe new life into their businesses. “We partnered with them to take some of the beautiful Italian shirting material that’s used in fine suiting and translate it into luxury loungewear.”

Despite the setbacks Lee faced, determination propelled her forward. Just last year, Comme Si opened a popup in Brooklyn, New York. And just this week, she expanded her loungewear repertoire with a line of shirts, proving that these hurdles only fuel her drive.

Photo: Courtesy of Jenni Lee

Gray Scales

I love a monochromatic look and I actually think working with different shades of the same color is a really interesting way to make it not look like one block of color on your body. While gray isn’t exactly neutral, I think mixing materials and shades of gray are what makes this outfit interesting.

Gabriela Hearst

Freddie midi wool-cashmere skirt

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Loewe

Campo Mary Jane ballerina flats

Le Monde Béryl

metallic leather Mary Jane flats

The Hero Coat

I love investing in a statement coat because you can really wear whatever you want underneath. I’m wearing a Hanes sweatshirt and a pair of Lululemon workout leggings, but because the coat is the focal point, no one will ever know and you’re comfortable on the inside.

Alaïa

animal-print belted trench coat

Issey Miyake

Lucent Geo collapsible tote

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Ulla Johnson

Elowyn double-breasted trench coat

Bottega Veneta

printed gabardine trench coat

Dorothee Schumacher

snakeskin-print belted leather coat

Mixing Metals

I am a fan of mixing silver and gold. I always do it, and a lot of my watches are silver, but I always wear gold bracelets with it. I have this initial necklace that I usually never take off. It’s been trendy lately to do this color testing on what colors suit your skin tone best. I’ve never gotten an actual consultation done before, but I’ve always wondered like, am I a gold girl or a silver girl? But I believe I’m both, so I just like to mix them together.

Oscar De La Renta

Crushed Heart gold-tone earrings

Shop more jeans:

The Row

Eglitta straight-leg jeans

Agolde

Amber low-rise straight-leg jeans

Luxe Loungewear

I’m very excited about these loungewear tops that we just launched. This specific one is an Italian cotton flannel in gray herringbone which you typically see in suiting materials or coats. And I actually think that it kind of makes this wearable outside of the home. I wear this to pick up my son from school, I wear it out to dinner, I’d even wear it out to a party—it’s great because the material is so soft and comfortable like a pair of pajamas, but the herringbone pattern and the tailoring of both the shirt and the pant make it feel much more like you could wear it outside.

Chopard

Happy Sport stainless steel, diamond and tsavorite watch

Ben-Amun

Electroplate chain necklace

Shop more loungewear bottoms:

Baserange

Rim recycled cashmere flared pants

Skin

Christine organic pima pajama pants

Go for Bold 

Usually my day to day consists of more neutral colors, but I love this look for going out in the evening and for special occasions. I do like to play up color in a bigger way. I think the reason red works well here is because it’s really soft. It’s a cashmere sweater, and I think red in a fuzzy or thick yarn-like texture is a really nice way to wear it without feeling intimidating by it, especially if it’s with a sweater and a skirt.

J.Crew

cashmere crewneck sweater

Emme Parsons

Danielle croc-effect loafers

Shop more sweaters:

Loro Piana

oversized cashmere turtleneck sweater

Pearls for Everyday

I find that layering a pearl necklace with something gold, like a longer gold or even silver necklace, makes it feel a little bit more casual. I think a solo pearl necklace is a statement in and of itself. It’s super classic. But for a look like this—a daytime look for going to meetings—layering a pearl necklace makes things more laidback. And the pearl necklace was a push present for my husband when I had my son! So it’s very sentimental to me, and I wear it a lot.

Comme Si

La Shirt Classica button-up

Sophie Bille Brahe

Peggy petite pearl necklace

Khaite

Bambi skinny leather belt

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Mizuki

14-karat gold, pearl, and diamond necklace

Mikimoto

18-karat white gold pearl necklace

Surprise Pops of Color

This skirt I’m wearing is floor length, so you actually can’t see my shoes, but I love it because when you’re sitting down and you cross your legs, you might get a peep of color from the sock. Even with pants, I love just having that little glimpse of color that’s not exactly in your face but still noticeable. Whenever I’m in a meeting I think it’s like an occupational hazard. I like to look and see what people are pairing with their shoes or what colors they might be wearing. So again for this outfit, because it’s very classic and neutral, I thought it was fun to just add a pop of color under the skirt where you would only see it if you crossed your legs.

The Row

Dalia leather shoulder bag

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Khaite

Shellar shearling-trimmed leather jacket

The Frankie Shop

Mickey faux leather bomber jacket

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faux leather bomber jacket

Acne Studios

padded faux-leather bomber jacket



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