What Should I Wear to Work?
In the land of corporate culture today, many companies are opting for a more relaxed, casual dress code for their employees. The days of required suits are becoming less and less common—and for many companies, a casual dress code is often a staple of a company’s culture. What are some of the pros and cons of having a business casual office versus a business professional office?
In March 2019, Goldman Sachs put a poll on its Twitter account asking what their employees should wear to work now that the investment bank has relaxed its dress code. At 38%, the overwhelming choice was “hoodie & sneakers,” a surprise that may seem confusing—and out of place, considering the long history of the firm. A “suit” came in second place at 28%.
The poll begs the question of what it means for workplaces to embrace a business casual uniform. In March, Goldman Sachs sent an internal memo urging their employees “to move to firmwide flexible dress code.”
The history of business casual
According to Robert Burke, CEO of Robert Burke Associates, a retail and fashion consulting firm, business casual workplaces became popular in the 1990s when “casual Fridays” were introduced for the first time.
Since then, many companies worldwide have embraced business casual vibes and allow their employees to express themselves as they feel comfortable. For many tech companies such as Apple and Facebook, young entrepreneurs embraced this business casual aesthetic—much so that the fashion expectations for these companies also connected to their branding and messaging. Take, for example, the uniform of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s daily outfit, a gray t-shirt and jeans, or Steve Jobs’s classic black turtleneck.
Navigating workplace dress codes
As the landscape of workplace dress code evolves to be more relaxed and flexible, it may become increasingly challenging for employees to choose how best to present themselves amidst a company that doesn’t have any clear expectations for what’s required of their employees.
For financial firms like Goldman Sachs or J.P. Morgan Chase, strictly formal dress codes may have been the standard expectation for several years. Now, with a relaxing of flexible dress codes and an embrace of the business casual, employees face a slew of additional options.
The changing workplace culture
Throughout the past few years, the concept of going to the office has fundamentally changed. As more and more employees work remotely, as freelancers, or have flexible schedules, the standard 9–5 at one desk is no longer as commonplace.
Cultural and workplace change can start anywhere. According to an article published in The Atlantic, Silicon Valley proved instrumental in the cultural shift towards the business casual aesthetic. The embrace of the 80-hour workweek began—and the need for clothing to demonstrate this illustrated.
As office standards continue to evolve, it’s perhaps not surprising that expectations for attire mirror the cultural shift. Clothing has, of course, always been somewhat personal. But with the embrace of more business casual fashion, it allows more and more employees to truly embrace their authentic style—and show it off at work.
