It’s been so long, it’s almost hard to remember the days when suits, ties, high heels and pantyhose dominated workplace fashion. From the iconic suits of the Mad Men era to shoulder pads and powersuits to the no frills tech CEO uniform (like Steve Jobs’ infamous black turtleneck and Mark Zuckerberg’s gray T-shirt and hoodie combo), what we wear to work is anything but constant. Indeed, it’s ever evolving in tandem with the fashion and culture of the times. When this writer started her career in the early 90s, depictions of powerful businesswomen in media helped make skirtsuits the pinnacle of professional attire (think Heather Locklear as Amanda Woodward in Melrose Place).
It’s a fair assessment to say that in 2024, office style looks a lot more casual than it did in decades past and even just a few years ago. After all, Vogue editors now wear jeans to work, and a Gallup survey found that most workers have traded in suits for shirts, slacks and even jeans and sneakers. The shift toward casual business attire has been gradual; nearly a decade ago, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s laid back style inspired the closets of many future Silicon Valley CEOs.
Then, almost five years ago, the Covid-19 pandemic upended even the most established of office traditions, as working from home became the new norm, the boundaries of work attire were pushed even further. When around 27.6 million Americans worked remotely during the pandemic, it wasn’t unusual to wear comfortable clothing during business hours. According to research from YouGov and Otter.ai, 30% of remote workers during the pandemic wore pajamas for remote work meetings. A viral LinkedIn News poll also found that 42% of workers had a pandemic “Zoom shirt”—a blouse, sweater or other professional shirt just for video calls.
Now, as many workers return to the office, what counts as business professional or business casual is less clear than ever. Tyreshia Morgan went viral this summer after posting a TikTok video about a recruiter asking her to go home and change out of shorts for a job interview. This sparked an internet debate over whether someone could wear shorts to the office at all, let alone while being interviewed for a job. Fashion icons weighed in, including famed former Project Runway co-host Tim Gunn, who said shorts in the office are an absolute no-go. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Gunn proclaimed that shorts at work are unacceptable “unless you’re a lifeguard.” Meanwhile, Vogue has been advocating for shorts at work since 2016.
With everyone from middle management to fashion experts at odds, it’s clear there is widespread uncertainty over what’s appropriate to wear to work. According to a recent Harris Poll survey (conducted on behalf of Express Employment Professionals), 70% of managers reported that workplace etiquette that was unacceptable just a few years ago is now considered acceptable, and over half of hiring managers say the rapid changes are leaving employees confused about proper workplace etiquette. Meanwhile, in a survey by Creative Access, 82% of workers said they would benefit from a clear dress code; despite this, 43% reported that they had received no guidance at all, and 48% from lower socioeconomic backgrounds say they struggle to navigate what to wear in professional settings.
This ambiguity can also be particularly challenging for women, who are often faced with exhaustive clothing choices, harsher scrutiny, and unclear and inconsistent expectations (just consider the conflicting views about whether and how women should wear makeup at work). In an exclusive report on workplace dress, professional styling company Style Space found that 91% of working women find it difficult to choose outfits for work events, client meetings and in-person interactions.
This isn’t merely a matter of appearances either. Research shows how we dress affects our mood and quality of work. According to the Style Space report, which surveyed over 700 women in the U.S. aged 18 to 75 across mid to large sized companies, 96% of respondents feel more confident in their abilities when they’re also confident in their style. Moreover, 96% of those surveyed believe style is important for productivity, professionalism and leadership advancement. Despite this, the survey found that only 15% of women feel their current style aligns with their leadership aspirations.
Confusion over what is and isn’t appropriate to wear to the office may even impact business outcomes. That’s because how employees feel about their professional style can either improve or hinder productivity. Research from Temple University found that when workers wear clothes they feel good about, they perform better. More specifically, different aspects of worker fashion choices, including aesthetics, conformity and uniqueness, and the symbolic meaning they hold, impact self-esteem as well as task-oriented behaviors like goal progress and interpersonal behaviors like collaboration and social avoidance. It’s not surprising that how we dress impacts how others see us, but it’s noteworthy that it also affects how we see ourselves and consequently, how we perform at work.
A report published in the journal Academy of Management Discoveries found that clothing choices impact both in-office and remote workers, with the key to higher productivity being not traditionally professional attire, but authentic attire. Researchers Adam Galinsky, C. Blaine Horton and Erica Bailey found that “clothing choices, even for remote workers, are psychologically and organizationally impactful.” Notably, they observed benefits from what they termed “enclothed harmony,” which describes whether clothing choices are consistent with the context in which they’re worn. That is, employees are more productive when wearing office attire at the office and more casual home attire when working from home. Discussing the importance of context and authenticity in an article for Fast Company, the researchers said their findings “reinforce the need to think carefully about clothes,” concluding that when employees feel dressed like themselves, they’re more productive and engaged.
Similarly, Style Space CEO and Founder Jenny Eversole notes, “A well-defined dress code that balances professionalism with individual expression fosters confidence, strengthens the company’s image, and creates a positive and productive work environment.”
Despite the purported benefits of authenticity, many employees report feeling like they can’t dress like themselves at work. In the Creative Access study, 59% of Black respondents expressed fears that dressing authentically or wearing their hair naturally would have negative repercussions for their careers. Moreover, workers from a variety of backgrounds said they felt pressure to change their appearance at work.
The research makes clear that what we wear to work does matter; putting thought and effort into it may even help set you up for success. But a return to the office dress code of the past isn’t the answer. What’s considered professional attire should move beyond the limited confines of suits, slacks and blazers. Incorporating and embracing authentic personal style is in the best interest of workers and businesses alike.
While individuality and daring sartorial choices were traditionally deemed a distraction, research is proving otherwise. So whether you feel your best in a no-nonsense uniform, tapping into your inner Elle Woods, or going full corporate goth, why not embrace it? Fashion sense and business sense aren’t mutually exclusive, and business leaders can set their employees and their businesses up for greater success by creating clear, thoughtful guidelines that make room for and encourage authenticity.