#CASUAL BUT PRESENTABLE FULL#
#CASUAL BUT PRESENTABLE PROFESSIONAL#

The smartness level of their clothing can embody your company message and impacts on how others view the culture and values of your business.

#CASUAL BUT PRESENTABLE FULL#

If they are a full suit company, you might not want to copy them entirely (particularly if they’re hiring you to bring some much-needed creativity to the table) but being a bit smarter than usual can go a long way.Įmployees are part of your company’s brand. That way, you can be sure that what you’re wearing won’t be perceived as unprofessional. If you’ve got a client meeting or presentation coming up and you really want to impress, it’s often a good idea to emulate their company dress code. And, while you might wear them at home, you should absolutely never wear tracksuit bottoms in front of clients – at least not the ones who will see you from the waist down.

#CASUAL BUT PRESENTABLE PROFESSIONAL#

While clean trainers and well-fitting jeans are now broadly accepted as stylish and professional options, dirty, creased, and faded clothes can give a negative impression of your brand. While our perception of ‘smart’ has changed in the last few years, this doesn’t mean that anything goes – especially when you’re meeting clients. So what are the top tips for embracing a new workwear culture and still dressing for success?ĭon’t neglect the ‘smart’ in smart casual In the end it came down to what he was talking about and who were the perceived readers.Įven black tie events are now seeing a break from the traditional black suit and bow tie, with some attendees opting for variations that include velvet or corduroy jackets with unmatched trousers and a coloured waistcoat and tie. One 60-something lawyer posing for a photograph to accompany an article wasn’t sure whether he should be seen with or without a tie. Other sectors are adopting similar attitude. We have found that this has a positive impact on how we are perceived as a creative agency, as we can express our creative talents through what we wear.”

These days, there is a bigger question mark around what is appropriate – but there is also more flexibility, and greater opportunity for self-expression. “Only a few years ago, it was accepted in our industry that a suit should always be worn in some circumstances – normally for a client meeting or presentation. Gina Hollands, commercial and PR director at creative marketing agency, PMW, says: “In the creative industries, it’s hard to imagine the office suit ever making a comeback as mandatory workwear. Then came the pandemic and home working which led to millions of employees remaining in (very) casual mode throughout the working week, switching to shirt and tie only for those Zoom and Teams meetings where it was deemed to be more ‘presentable’. The shift to casual wear can be traced back to the influence of Silicon Valley tech companies, whose dress down codes began to change our perception of what success looks like – think Mark Zuckerberg’s famous t-shirt and trousers combo. But can lawyers and accountants also get away with meeting clients in chinos and a polo shirt? Jeans, sweaters and t-shirts, once only familiar in the creative and tech industries, are now becoming the preferred workwear option across many sectors. It also says something about our relationship to a company’s brand and adds new pressures to how we are supposed to dress for the office and those important business meetings. Many brands best known for suits, such as Marks & Spencer, Ted Baker and Moss Bros plan to make more casual collections, but companies and employees can benefit from relaxed dress codes.Īttitudes to workwear are changing, but it is not just about fashion and what makes us feel comfortable. Is this just a trend, or is the office suit set for extinction?

Men’s suits have now fallen out of the official “basket of goods” used to track inflation, though the formal jacket and blazer are back in. So what are we to make of a new survey suggesting the suit and tie is no longer the attire of choice for many office workers, including company bosses?Īccording to market analysts Kantar, sales of suits are down 7% year-on-year, ties are down 6% and blazers down 10%. Suits as statements became a thing in the 1980s when power dressing gave rise to new retailers such as Ted Baker and Tie Rack which populated Margaret Thatcher’s spirit of enterprise and turned the suit into a status symbol. Suit yourself: office workers now prefer smart casual Is the office suit a thing of the past? JULENA DRUMI says the pandemic has redefined workwearįor generations of male workers the suit and tie has been the ubiquitous office uniform, often telling us something about the wearer – from cheap, ill-fitting high street options, worn with functional obligation, to the tailored Italian cuts that spell unbridled ambition and maybe a touch of ruthlessness.

Casual but presentable