Matt Nyong, 34, a style-savvy portfolio manager in London, insists he’s “not your regular finance bro.” His case-closed evidence? “I don’t wear a quarter-zip gym top to work.” 

Like Patagonia vests, stretch chinos and Colgate-white sneakers, the quarter- (or half-) zip top has cemented its status as a moneyman staple in recent years. Nyong says his colleagues pounce on tight, synthetic versions from activewear brands like Lululemon and Vuori as if they were catnip. Many don’t want to think about clothes, he explained, so they default to a comfy uniform. Alex Frusher, 30, who works in investor sales in Manhattan, calls these tops “mundane but practical.” He estimates that over half his male colleagues pull one on daily.