Before the pandemic, those with traditional office jobs usually based their sartorial choices on the corporate dress code, opting for smart, work-appropriate outfit combinations as their workday uniforms. But ever since the onset of the coronavirus, the line between formal and casualwear started to get blurry. With nowhere to go and practically no one to impress, many of us started relying on loungewear consisting of pajamas, slippers, and sweatpants as we attended Zoom meetings in our workstations, which mostly consisted of our kitchen tables and beds.
But now that the vaccines are becoming more widely available, many of us may feel the pressure to make the transition from their casual wear to something more formal. The question is: is that really necessary? There’s been a noticeable shift in what’s considered work-appropriate, and it doesn’t necessarily involve suits and ties. In fact, dressing down has become quite the norm these days, and that might just change the way we view work attire forever. In this article, we’ll be looking at the different ways the pandemic has affected corporate dress code and how that will reflect in the fashion of the post-pandemic world.
Comfort is king
Prior to the onslaught of the virus, selecting a fresh, new work outfit was a part of our usual morning routine. Some of us wore heels and suits, while others wore flats, blazers, and dress pants that made them look polished and put together.
Nowadays, however, people are choosing comfort over appearance. They’re becoming more accepting of casual apparel and relaxed garments, which have become the hallmarks of quarantine style, and they’re shifting further away from scratchy clothes that make them feel uncomfortable. They realized that what they wear won’t necessarily affect their quality of work – as long as they’re meeting deadlines, that is. Plus, with no one who can see them but their cats, there’s basically no point in dressing up formally.
The rise of “the Zoom Shirt”
Working from home had many Americans figuring out ways to retain a professional image sans sitting in their office attire all day long. Enter ’the Zoom shirt’, a practical solution for remote workers to look Zoom call-appropriate whenever there’s a video conference they need to attend.
What’s interesting is that this method turned out to be quite effective. According to a study, workers who were permitted to wear more casual attire have seen a rise in productivity. This just goes to show that dressing smart doesn’t necessarily translate to optimized work performance, and you can carry out your job just as efficiently while wearing your pajamas and a “Zoom shirt”.
The shift to multitasking workwear
The pandemic has certainly reduced our need to shop for corporate attire and blurred the lines between formal and casualwear. Still, there’s this gap that we need to fill with versatile, multitasking pieces that can easily work for more casual and formal occasions – things such as simple dresses, blouses, and pants.
And while most American women can browse their favorite malls freely these days, those looking for womens workwear in Australia will need to resort to online shopping as certain parts of Australia are currently in lockdown. By shopping for clothes online, they’ll be able to meet the video call dress code while staying loyal to their favorite brands as well as tried-and-true outfits. On the plus side, by reaching for more versatile pieces, they’ll be able to build a work wardrobe full of office-appropriate staples that can easily be worn off-duty.
Embracing a more casual back-to-work style
Given how the notion of work outfits has changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the question arises: What will our post-pandemic, back-to-work style look like? While formalwear certainly does have its advantages – such as dressing for the job you want or simply uplifting your mood – for the most part, people aren’t exactly too excited about putting on formal work attire like they did pre-pandemic.
Instead, there’s a noticeable shift towards a more casual back-to-work style, and clothing companies are taking notes. Fashion forecasters are expecting looser clothes to make a comeback as many of us start to return to our offices, with casual Fridays being a thing of the past, and more casual, comfortable attire being perfectly work-appropriate. They’re also advising individuals to invest in more classic pieces that they can wear outside of the office instead of splurging on highly formal pieces they won’t be wearing nearly as often.
Wrapping up
The onset of COVID-19 has certainly changed the way we approach dressing for work. And while certain quarantine fashion trends may be too casual for the workplace, we can certainly see companies embracing more flexible dress codes in the post-pandemic world.