Dusseldorf Before the pandemic, Iris Heilmann only had one thing on his feet in the office: high shoes. “Meanwhile, I actually only wear trainers,” says the boss of the Cologne communications agency Palmer Hargreaves. And she is not alone.
Certainly, emphasizes Heilmann, agency – it was “always more sneakers than high heels and hoodie instead of shirt”. But ever since the Palmer-Hargreaves employees have been gradually returning to the office, the businesswoman has observed an even greater inclination towards comfort than before, purely in terms of fashion.
“It’s definitely more stretch and the colors are more striking. I think it’s good,” says Heilmann. Large printed T-shirts with a jacket, many accents in yellow, pink, red – this is what it looks like: the return-to-the-office look.
Falling incidences, home office no longer mandatory: After two years of pandemic, millions of office workers are returning to company headquarters these days – and in a new dress. And the fashion demand for the new normal is: Office fashion should be as hybrid as everyday work, please.
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That means jackets with hoods that can be removed without further ado for customer appointments. Yoga pants that are reminiscent of suit pants instead of sportswear. And sandals that not only harmonize well with jeans or linen trousers in the garden, but also in business appointments.
Best Seller on Amazon for office, gym and sofa.
(Photo: Screenshot Amazon.de)
Anyone who thinks that the new office clothes are randomly thrown together old-fashioned clothes is wrong. “An appropriate, well-groomed look is still important within the screen section,” says Verena Walther, head of the “s.Oliver Black Label” women’s business line.
Otherwise, since Corona, the “comfort factor” has definitely become the most important purchase criterion, says the fashion manager – “especially in terms of fit and quality”. The result: classic business suits are being broken up, and a smart blazer can now be combined with comfortable jogging pants. Blouses also continued to sell, just not quite as tightly cut as before.
Hybrid look: Lots of elastane, little suit
“Workleisure” or “hybrid look” is the name of the new phenotype, which is causing many brands to cut back on the production of their classic suits and continue to increase the proportion of stretch and elastane in their clothing. “Almost all of us have worked in jogging pants for at least one day in the last few months,” says Sandra Garvens, type consultant from Bergisch Gladbach. “We no longer want to give up what is comfortable.”
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Garvens has recently observed a mixture of 80s looks and trekking gear for men. “It feels like a white t-shirt or long-sleeved shirt and linen pants are the new standard,” says the image consultant.
If you want to be a bit more daring, you can buy so-called drawstring pants. It looks a bit like a mix of suit pants and jogging pants. “That’s the most noticeable trend for us,” says Thomas Plückhahn, who is responsible for Bugatti pants in Key Accounts.
Is it sweatpants or dress pants?
Jersey is “currently very important” for the men’s clothing manufacturer, says Plückhahn. The fabric stretches well and still stays in shape. “Perfect for the office,” says the manager, stands up and shows in the video call that he’s wearing these pants himself.
Office fashion after Corona: “We can be happy again”
Women also want to be more comfortable than before the pandemic – and more colourful. “Customers go for color a lot,” observes Julia Ickert, fashion designer and founder of the sustainable label “Nina Rein”. The absolute bestseller in her online shop is currently a pink Lyocell blazer, which is satin-finished with sustainable viscose on the inside – pre-order time: six to eight weeks. “It’s been sold out for weeks,” says Ickert.
Corona has hit many on the mind, says image expert Garvens. “With eye-catching colors like purple or pink, we want to show that we can be happy again.” Many people also feel the need to express more clearly who they are with business clothing.
Pink – and sold out.
(Photo: NINA REIN)
Real instead of disguised – studies on so-called return-to-office fashion also indicate this trend. According to a survey by the management consultancy Bearing Point, 62 percent of all office workers want to wear t-shirts and sweatshirts to work in the future. In all, Bearing Point interviewed more than a thousand employees.
“Whereas ties used to be obsolete in top management, they are now also being phased out in middle management,” says Alexander Schmid, head of the study. In fact, according to the survey, just two percent would put on a tie or a scarf before starting work.
Post-pandemic office etiquette: sneakers for bankers – why not?
In a sector comparison, the automotive sector and industry are considered to be particularly conservative when it comes to clothing, followed by bankers and administrative employees.
“We’re not all suddenly running around in shorts. But it has become much more relaxed,” says a manager of a traditional bank in North Rhine-Westphalia. While jeans and a jacket used to be conceivable at most on what is known as Casual Friday, such combinations are now being seen more frequently. Even when meeting customers, chinos, jackets and sneakers are accepted as business attire in many sectors.
At Targobank, employees have recently been given specially branded Adidas sneakers with the company logo on request. “This offer has been very well received by our colleagues,” says Head of Human Resources Alexander Bohrer. The direct bank ING also says that they rely on “personal responsibility” and a “culture without labels” – and not just since the pandemic. “We only have one dress code, and it’s ‘Be yourself!'”, according to the Frankfurt financial institute.
Do managers look so soon?
(Photo: Bugatti)
Effect: Higher fee for pantsuits
The Bearing Point survey also shows that when in doubt, the right clothing boosts business. According to this, 82 percent of all office workers consider a higher daily rate for external consultants to be justified simply because they are formally dressed correctly.
In the creative company of agency boss Iris Heilmann, an important question when choosing clothes is always: How do we approach our customers? “We’re definitely adapting,” says Heilmann. Means: Conservative and discreet for medium-sized companies. Big names and corporations, on the other hand, are now emulating more and more start-ups purely in terms of dress code, notes the entrepreneur. “You almost feel overdressed with a blazer and jeans.”
When it comes to dress codes, bosses should definitely trust their employees more, says style consultant Garvens: “Most employees have a pretty good sense of what is and isn’t acceptable in their industry.”
Dress codes that are too rigid could also scare away new and young talent. In order to bind the best people to you, it can therefore make sense to let the leash looser on certain occasions.
It’s best not to go directly to the interview: “When it comes to the dress code, I think that you should apply the same standards for job interviews from your home office as you would in a personal interview,” said personnel consultant Christoph Trah in the last Corona spring. Especially when it comes to a top position, “it is also a question of respect that you dress appropriately”. So the old suits and blouses are used again after all. Sustainability has long been a trend in fashion.
More: Staying on the boss radar: These five tips will get you promoted in the home office