America's Return to the Office: 'Power Casual' Reigns
Sweat pants and oversized sweatshirts of the working-from-home routine probably won't cut it any more. What about light-wash jeans or high quality sweat shirts? The new rules of office wear has become one big guessing game. Do we need to wear dresses and slacks, or can we get away with jeans and t-shirts?
Many are migrating back to the office after more than a year of working from home to find norms have changed. Some companies -- even more traditional ones such as banks and law firms --are relaxing dress codes while others are moving to hybrid work arrangements, blurring the lines between work attire and leisure wear.
This has left retailers updating their racks with more comfortable and versatile clothing. Pants are stretchier, dresses more flowy. And elastic waistbands are making their way onto pencil skirts and tailored slacks.
Now, as the country reopens, demand for office wear is returning -- in new ways. Brooks Brothers, the bastion of buttoned-up business wear, is investing in more casual pieces in bright colors and bold patterns. And Banana Republic is reconfiguring dresses to make them more comfortable, with removable belts and adjustable straps.
As people return to their office, the lines between what employers deem appropriate and what individuals want to wear are going to begin rubbing together. This will most likely redefine what people wear to work.
But while the erosion of traditional dress codes offers more choice and flexibility, it can also be confusing. There is general agreement that certain items -- such as cargo shorts, hoodies and flip-flops remain off-limits in the office.
Companies are gravitating toward more natural fibers such as silk and cotton, instead of the synthetics once favored for their resistance to wrinkles and being travel-friendly. Others are creating button-downs in knit fabrics and adding more quick-drying, moisture-wicking material to reflect consumers' growing preference for walking or biking to work instead of using public transportation or driving. Things just aren't as tight or tucked-in as they used to be.
