Workplace dress requirements have shifted dramatically as more individuals work from home. Only around 10% of remote working people, according to surveys, dress for work in the morning, knowing they won’t leave their homes, only to later change into more comfortable clothing.
Most males claim their everyday work clothes are comprised of shorts and t-shirts; they frequently wear no shoes and keep a handy Zoom shirt nearby.
When it comes to how the females dress when working from home, women’s sweatpants and a sweater appear to be the standard—and, of course, they have the handy Zoom blouse on hand. With video conferencing becoming a primary means of communication, one piece of apparel that has proven indispensable seems to be the “Zoom shirt.”
The Zoom Shirt
The Urban Dictionary describes this as a shirt that you keep hanging on your work chair or somewhere nearby that you can quickly throw on to seem acceptably dressed during video conferences—regardless of what you’re wearing on your bottom half.
According to a recent LinkedIn study, 42% of home workers who claim to be “camera-ready” own one. It enables you to maintain a professional look in video calls without needing to dress up in full business gear while at your home desk or kitchen table the whole day.
Formal Vs. Informal
Dressing formally makes you appear and even feel more sophisticated. It also shows respect for your environment and those around you. Yet, according to research, employees may be more productive at work when they’re allowed to wear casual clothing.
This is supported by the “Zoom shirt” phenomenon. People’s opinions about what to dress have evolved as a result of the global pandemic, with more focus on comfort and simplicity in wardrobes.
Even as things “return to normal,” many businesses continue to promote remote working environments due to the benefit of decreased overhead expenses and the need to make up financial losses sustained over the past three years. The “outfit for today” culture no longer seems important in this new working normal. Dress codes have been steadily losing importance (and maybe even relevance) for quite some time now.
The most recent benchmark appears to be the changing attitude of financial organizations, which are eliminating uniforms, suits, and ties for the majority of their staff. But how long can this go on? The shops are definitely filling up with customers who have flooded them as they’ve begun opening their doors, so it’s not that people don’t want to buy new clothes.
The Effect Of Coworking Spaces And Commutes
Another issue is the growth of coworking spaces, where businesses share hot desk areas. This also affects workplace attitudes and supports formal workplace attire becoming more relaxed. There’s a potential that our workplace dress code will be changed indefinitely.
Many individuals may choose to continue working from home, making workplaces and dress regulations even more variable than they were before the lockdown. There’s also a new commute routine that is becoming prevalent where individuals are, walking, cycling, scooting, or jogging to work more frequently. The rigors of these types of commutes will also influence how people dress.
An Unknown Future
As we return to our offices, these elements, together with customers’ more extensive knowledge of the environmental implications of the fashion business, may result in the most significant transformation we’ve seen. The epidemic has prompted many customers to reconsider how they live and dress each day. Consumers still demand diversity and enjoyment from their outfits but don’t seem as inclined to want to spend their money on work attire anymore.
