Casual, comfortable work clothes to take over post-pandemic, when ‘the man wearing a suit will be the new rebel’
- The pandemic is accelerating the trend towards more relaxed work clothes, a shift already visible among fashion brands
- It could even reach the point where those who want to dress up and look more formal are the ones being disruptive
Suits and tailored shirts are out, sweatpants and pyjamas are in: remote working is changing work clothes habits, and while vaccines may bring back some formality, old-school office attire should emerge from the pandemic far less starched and strict.
“For the last year, everybody has just been dressed from the waist up, wearing a nice shirt for Zoom calls,” quipped stylist Sascha Lilic.
Many workers who have already returned to offices notice a new relaxed vibe.
“I saw someone wearing just their socks when they walked through to get something from another department,” recalled Deanna Narveson, a journalist in Baton Rouge, in the US state of Louisiana.
“I think I’ve been dressing slightly more casual myself,” added Narveson, who nevertheless makes sure she puts on “real clothes” when working from home.
According to employees at several companies, the casualness has happened by itself without management or HR teams intervening.