The men's dress code in offices is changing after the pandemic. Smart casual replaces suits
As employees return to offices, they bring the convenience of remote work straight to the workplace. The days of ironed suits and ties are a thing of the past – the new office uniform may be sweatpants paired with a second-hand jacket.
“Most companies in the United States have either abandoned dress codes or implemented very relaxed dress codes,” says Braylon Hanson, a real estate agent in Scottsdale, Arizona, and fashion content creator on TikTok with nearly 270,000 followers. — Most people no longer have to dress formally for work.
This is how men's office fashion has adapted to the new need for comfort in the era of returning to offices.
Read also: Give up on New Year's resolutions. Choose to rest. This is what experts recommend
The old standards of overly elegant suits are becoming a thing of the past The somewhat stiff suits that were once a staple of the office wardrobe are no longer men's work uniforms.
|
H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images/Getty Images
Old photos of businessmen and episodes of “Mad Men” show what used to be considered standard office attire: stiff, tailored suits, usually made of wool and tweed.
Although the style of these clothes might fit today's times – with their clean lines and elegant character – their care, i.e. scraping, dry cleaning, ironing, does not really fit into the rush of modern life, Hanson notes.
– They look great. They're very elegant,” Hanson told Business Insider. — But doing it every day today seems crazy.
These traditional styles can be uncomfortable and difficult to maintain, he adds.
Read also: A timeless lesson from Abraham Lincoln. These words inspire to this day
Instead, in the post-pandemic era, comfort in an elegant version has become the most important Orders to return to offices resulted in a wave of loosening of dress codes in American corporations.
|
Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images/Getty Images
As many companies transitioned to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, office style focused heavily on comfortable loungewear.
Now, when some companies require a return to offices, employees do not want to give up comfort.
More and more men are opting for lightweight, flexible materials in their office wardrobe, like Lululemon's ABC pants, instead of classic dress pants, says Kyle Pretzlaff, a marketing manager and creator of plus-size fashion content on TikTok, where he advises men on style.
Read also: The iconic clothing brand enters the Polish market. “Constant growth in demand”
“Smart casual” — loosely defined — has become the new office dress code The new men's office fashion uniform is much more casual than the old three-piece suits.
|
Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images/Getty Images
According to Winston Jones, a New York fashion influencer, “smart casual” can look like a pair of pleat pants, a loosely knit polo shirt and comfortable, unpadded loafers.
– It's still a classic men's office fashion, but with a bit more panache, casualness and character – says Jones, who has over 220,000 followers on TikTok, as quoted by Business Insider.
For Hanson, smart casual also means a nice white T-shirt tucked into wide pants and paired with Adidas sneakers or comfortable loafers.
“Casual Friday has become the new norm,” he sums up.
Read also: You go to the gym but there are no results? The doctor reveals her trick
When it comes to suits, fit is key Men are increasingly willing to use the services of tailors to obtain a perfectly fitting, comfortable suit.
|
Moritz Scholz/Getty Images/Getty Images
Suits still have their place in business styling. However, the search for comfort has brought tailoring to the fore and allows men to build a wardrobe of items that not only look good, but also feel great, says Jones.
– Tailoring gives a sense of comfort and repetition, especially when we have so much freedom that may discourage us from making decisions – he argues.
– It's worth investing in one good suit – then you can wear it in many different ways, making small changes every day, which helps you avoid dilemmas – adds Jones.
New, looser silhouettes are also coming to offices Wide trousers are gaining popularity as Generation Z moves away from the skinny jeans that were fashionable among millennials.
|
Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images/Getty Images
Inspired by tracksuits and work-from-home pajamas, wide trousers are now fashionable among men.
“Loosier pants are a big thing,” Hanson says. — Not completely baggy Abercrombie pants, but ones that are easy to move in and that move with you.
This trend goes hand in hand with the popularity of wide trousers in women's fashion: the young generation entering the labor market is moving away from the skinny jeans typical of millennials.
“What girls do will soon be fashionable among guys,” Jones laughs. — I think men are a year or two behind.
Shorts – until recently unacceptable – also appear in office fashion considerations Elegant shorts may be an increasingly common sight in office spaces.
|
Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images/Getty Images
On hot days, men are beginning to consider what was once unthinkable: wearing shorts at work.
But the style must be specific – shorts with very short legs are out of the question.
“People are having fun with smart shorts,” says Pretzlaff, pointing to Doechia's 2025 Met Gala look as inspiration for summer work looks.
Jones adds: – If you take care of the right length and combine them well with the rest of your wardrobe, shorts can become part of the office canon.
Some people draw inspiration from pop culture The popularity of the series “The Bear” contributed to the popularization of exclusive white T-shirts among men.
|
Chuck Hodes/FX
“What happens in pop culture tends to spill over into the office,” notes Hanson.
Thanks to fashion icons such as Pedro Pascal or Jeremy Allen White and his distinctive style in the FX series “The Bear”, classic white T-shirts are becoming the hit of the season.
— They showed many men that it is worth investing in a good-quality T-shirt – I am grateful to them for that, especially in offices, because there is always a place for a neat, decent T-shirt (although it probably costs a lot), Pretzlaff admits. — I love this T-shirt tucked into my pants, plus nice shoes and a belt.
Some men give up the tie, but other accessories are gaining popularity Scarves, belts and glasses become new ways to express yourself.
|
Edward Berthelot/Getty Images/Getty Images
Part of comfort at work is self-confidence and the ability to show your own style, says Pretzlaff.
With the loosening of dress codes, more and more men want to transfer their everyday style to office styling with accessories: scarves, belts or glasses.
Men, Jones says, are “beginning to experiment with accessories cautiously.”
— Glasses in the office, different colors, unusual shapes – this will be more and more welcomed, because it is a people-oriented environment. It's easier to break the ice with an interesting styling or an original accessory, he explains.
With the return to offices and the emergence of Generation Z in the labor market, the trend of experimenting with fashion may intensify Alternative office shoes for men may be becoming more and more bold.
|
Edward Berthelot/Getty Images/Getty Images
Although the fashion for a conservative approach has been making a comeback in recent years, men's office fashion is unlikely to return to three-piece suits.
“If it came back, it would be crazy,” Hanson says. — I think everyone has felt before that they don't want to dress up and be so embarrassed at work.
Even as the trend towards smarter office attire grows, Jones notes that men still like accessories that reveal their personality.
— The desire to dress up does not always result from the need to impress others, but from the desire to tell about ourselves through the way we dress, he adds.
The article is a translation from the American edition of Business Insider.
