For those returning to work in 2023, going to an office that may be only half full has redefined what dressing for success looks like

Trying to get dressed for work in a post-pandemic, hybrid world is tricky — even the U.S. Senate is confused.

It dropped its formal dress code on Sept. 18, only to reinstate it nine days later. Eliminating the requirement of a suit and tie for male lawmakers on the floor caused an uproar in the upper chamber that Senate Republicans said “disrespects the institution.”

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman's hallway shorts and hoodies in the U.S. Capitol apparently pushed the boundaries of business casual a bit too far for the hallowed institution.

Sweatpants and Athleisure Wear

Fetterman has fully embraced a relaxed style many companies have been forced to tolerate to win reluctant remote workers back to the office. The COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to a new kind of office casual that embraced sweatpants, athleisure wear and flip flops. Comfort clothes for office workers who spent years in uncomfortable suits, ties, high heels and hard shoes.

For those returning to work in 2023 in a post-pandemic world with hybrid work schedules, dressing for an office that may be only half full (where your boss may be working from his or her lake/mountain/beach home) has redefined what dressing for success looks like.

“When people moved toward working from home early in the pandemic, they also had to figure out what work attire looked like when they didn’t have to leave their house,” James Neave, head of data science at online job board Adzuna, told The Messenger in an email. “Many employees were creating their own work-from-home looks when it came to Zoom meetings — business on top and sweatpants on the bottom.”

Crocs and Flip Flops

The transition back to the office has been just as awkward, with unusual pieces making their way into the workplace. One-fifth of office workers said that they were seeing Crocs, flip-flops or sandals in the workplace, according to a 2021 Captivate survey. Other traditionally casual pieces, including jeans, t-shirts and sweatpants also crept into people's office wardrobes — even among senior executives, Captivate found.

Across the board, office employees generally reported seeing more relaxed office attire. This has left people puzzling over how casual is too casual: "The operative word is confusion," Ken Giddon, owner of Manhattan menswear store Rothman's, told NPR last year.

"Do you wear dress slacks to work? Do you wear khakis? Can you wear jeans?" he said. "Nobody really has drawn the line, and nobody really knows what the right answer is."

Dormant Dresses, Skirts and Slacks

Traditional business-wear has long been confined to dresses, skirts, slacks, blouses, suits and ties. These staple pieces sat dormant in people's closets during the work-from-home era, or never even made their way into the Gen Z wardrobes as they make their way into the office for the first time in a post-pandemic world.

Job listing search engine Adzuna said 70% of employers in September mentioned casual dress codes in their listings, while only 30% mentioned business casual attire. Just 0.2% — of job ads this year called for “smart dress,” which lies between dressy and business casual.

John Tighe, president of Tailored Brands, which owns men’s apparel retailers including Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A Bank, told The Messenger that customers have been trading out suits and tailored pants for other more casual combinations, like sport coats and slacks, or polo shirts and chinos.

Businesswear Sales Fall

This shift is being reflected in revenues of retailers specializing in business wear. Banana Republic and Ralph Lauren both saw sales drop in the last quarter. Banana Republic’s second-quarter net sales dropped 11% from a year earlier to $480 million, and comparable sales were down 8%. Ralph Lauren saw a 10% dip in North American revenue in its fiscal first quarter, $632 million in total revenue.

"We've certainly seen a shift in attitudes toward workwear — what to wear today can be challenging to navigate,” Tinghe said in an email. “People are still dressing up and wearing suits for a range of important moments, but there is a lot more flexibility with everyday wear.”

And this flexibility goes beyond an elastic waistband, shedding broader light on shifting attitudes towards work and workplace habits.

“Many employees are also seeing casual attire as something that falls under the umbrella of having greater flexibility within their job, in addition to changes in company culture and an increased emphasis on work-life balance,” Neave said.

Remote Flexibility

In fact, even as U.S. employees are returning to their workplaces, they have more remote flexibility than ever, a new study by WFH Research found. Nearly 29% of full-time employees have a hybrid work arrangement while 12% work entirely remotely, according to its survey published in September.

In 2019, almost one-third of remote-capable employees worked in a hybrid arrangement, compared with more than half of workers as of last May, according to a Gallup survey.

As flexibility becomes more entrenched into work vocabulary, firms looking ahead at work arrangements are putting hybrid work at the forefront. About 70% of firms of all sizes plan to implement some form of hybrid work, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research found.

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Work Dress Codes Have Changed: Crocs and Flip Flops Still Aren’t In, But Suits Are Definitely Out