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Wall Street Casual

Has one of the last bastions of “suit and tie culture” fallen? Byproducts of COVID – a year of working from home in sweats and the return to a minimally-staffed office – show a casual workforce rolling in to Wall Street this summer. Only time and cooler temps will reveal the magnitude of this dress code shift.

Beware cube dwellers, just because there are few coworkers in your office doesn’t mean nobody notices what you’re wearing. Don’t confuse the concept of relaxed rules with no rules and in many ways a relaxed dress code is harder to interpret than a formal one. Remember, any day in the office is a potential job interview!

Sadly, rather than using this opportunity to express imagination and creativity through dress, this story shows a male workforce especially that has simply exchanged one boring uniform for another. Polo shirts and chinos – really?

I hope that if you are returning to a more casual workplace than the one you left a year and a half ago, you will take this opportunity to express your individuality and your talents through your work wardrobe rather than just resigning to a sloppier version of a dull uniform.

A Wall Street Dressing Down: Always. Be. Casual. As workers return to the financial district, longstanding dress codes have been relaxed. Right now, almost anything goes. Even jeans.

Inauguration Day Takeaway: Color and Structure

As I watched last week’s Inaugural festivities unfold, my sartorial soul was lifted to see two of my style favorites on bold display – color and structure! Gray sweat pant wearers take note of the vibrant, saturated hues and sumptuous fabrics creating tailored figures. Does this splendid visual event herald the return of adult clothes? I certainly hope so.
www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/g35275346/inauguration-fashion/

All the best fashion moments from the inauguration From Kamala Harris in Christopher John Rogers, to Jennifer Lopez in Chanel and Amanda Gorman in Prada

Where do we go from here? And what will we wear? Check-out this fascinating, in-depth story:

Sweatpants Forever: How the Fashion Industry Collapsed Even before the pandemic, it had started to unravel. What happens now that no one has a reason to dress up?