Culpwrit

 

By Alicia Webb

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Chicago offices of Amazon and Salesforce. The offices of these two tech giants were everything you would expect—amazing city views, the very best technology, a lot of free (fancy) coffee and snacks among many other employee perks. I understood why they want employees to return to the office.

There was one thing that really grabbed my attention and that was the way most of the employees were dressed. A large portion of the people I saw or interacted with were wearing some form of sweatpants or leggings. Many also were wearing jeans and hoodies. I was truly shocked to see a few crop tops—yes employees with exposed midriffs! I can understand jeans, but something about sweatpants and crop tops doesn’t say professional. Both offices looked more like Whole Foods on a Saturday afternoon than an office on Wednesday or Thursday morning.

I know Amazon and Salesforce aren’t law firms—but at what point does business casual become too casual and reach the point of being sloppy? I always thought you should be able to tell the difference between your work and weekend attire. Right now, it is all starting to blend. I understand business casual has taken over most workplaces, but I was stunned by how casual things have become at these well-known brands. Although, this issue isn’t exclusive to Amazon and Salesforce.

I am sure my age is showing, but I don’t ever recall a time in my life or career where you could show up in sweatpants and it was appropriate. Call me old school but I was always told sweatpants were meant to be worn at home or in the gym.

Generational Perspectives on Dress Codes

I realize my experience visiting Amazon and Salesforce is likely anecdotal but according to recent reporting from Newsweek the clothing choices Gen Z is making is getting many of them the wrong type of attention. Newsweek has been around since 1933 and is an amazing source for news and other pop culture topics. It is a publication I enjoy reading on a regular basis.

Because we live in a social media obsessed culture, a lot of younger employees are following the direction of social media influencers and content creators for how to dress for work. Many of these creators don’t have experience working in a professional or office setting. As younger generations enter the workforce, I can’t help but wonder if they are being given bad information about getting dressed for work. Have we (older generations) done them a disservice? Individuality is important but you are being judged based on what you wear—whether you like it or not. The wrong attire can cost you a new job or promotion.

I don’t mean to pick on Gen Z, but as the generation with the longest runway in their careers, I am fascinated by their approach to work and work attire. According to Newsweek, by 2025, Gen Z will likely make up more than a quarter of the global workforce, but clothing choices aren’t a priority for this group. All generations have played a role in how work style has evolved. I am a Millennial, many in my generation pushed for more relaxed work dress codes, but it appears that the pendulum may have swung a little too far.

I grew up at a time when men and women wore suits to the office almost every day. I was well into my teenage years before my mom (a Baby Boomer) would even think of wearing pants to the office, she wore dresses pretty much every day. I am old enough to remember a time when jeans weren’t allowed in the workplace even on Friday—now jeans are welcomed pretty much every day. Apparently, sweatpants are acceptable too. I imagine with companies like Amazon mandating employees return to the office five days a week, leaders are feeling pressure to ensure everyone is comfortable when they come into the office. After my experience visiting these two companies, I couldn’t help but wonder if the casualization of the workplace leads to a casual approach to work. The 2024 job market is challenging, employers might be hoping to hold on to good employees by allowing the dress code to remain very lax.

Newsweek spoke to human resources leaders and they noted that companies should encourage employees to be themselves—with taste. Now that the toothpaste is out of the tube, is it going to be too hard to ask employees to start getting dressed up once again? And more importantly, how can leaders possibly enforce a stricter dress code? We all know it is hard to change people. Asking people to return to the office has turned into a pretty big fight.

Pandemic Fallout, Defining Business Casual

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we were left with no choice but to dress casually. Sweatpants became the norm, which was completely understandable. We were living in a very uncertain time and barely leaving our homes. There was no point in spending a lot of money on attire only to be couped up at home. For about two years dress codes went completely out the window. But as things started to normalize and we returned to working outside the home, it seems as though very casual clothing is being embraced. Even in places like the airport, the last flight I was on there were several passengers wearing slippers. (When did that become a social norm?) We are now very casual in many aspects of our lives. I just hope that we aren’t adopting a casual approach to everything else we do.

For young people who were completing their education during the pandemic, identifying business casual and creating a personal style might be challenging. There is no question it is hard to go from wearing sweatpants at home every day to showing up in an office without a clearly defined policy on what is or isn’t appropriate. (Although it should go without saying that wearing a cropped top isn’t appropriate in any office setting.) According to recent reporting from the USA Today and a YouGov poll the pandemic accelerated the move to casual dress. Suits appear to be antiquated and out of place in the minds many. The YouGov survey noted the following:

• 44% of Americans never wear a suit
• 17% of Americans hate wearing suits
• 17% dislike wearing suits
• 34% feel neutral about wearing suits

As many opt not to wear suits, recent data from Gallup shows employees are embracing more casual styles in very high numbers:

• 51% of women say they wear business casual clothing such as blouses, dress pants, dressy jeans or skirts most days
• 30% of women wear casual street clothing such as casual jeans, T-shirts or leggings
• Only 3% of men say they wear a suit to work regularly

But business casual can be challenging to define. Business casual in some offices can mean jeans, however in industries like finance or the law jeans are likely not going to be appropriate. Many companies and industries have tried to outline what business casual looks like in their specific setting.

Tech companies have embraced a very casual dress code in the hopes of being able to recruit the best and brightest talent. As companies work to embrace being inclusive, some leaders may have a difficult time talking to employees about their attire. It can be a very sensitive subject that can easily lead to unpleasant conversations. Without some of these discussions, we end up with employees wearing leggings and oversized sweatshirts in front of clients and other important meetings. How long can companies ignore this issue?

While I don’t typically wear suits, I am also someone who would never wear sweatpants beyond my home or the gym. I can understand the struggle many may feel when getting dressed for work. Previous generations didn’t have choices, suits were the only option for a very long time. Early in my career, I wore a blazer pretty much every day. I was probably overly formal hoping my manager and peers would take me seriously. Now that we have choices about what to wear, many don’t know where to turn and opt for the simple, very casual choice. Like anything else, developing a style takes time and energy.

Regardless of job title and age, we should all put our best foot forward and represent ourselves in the best possible way. While sweatpants might be comfortable, are we really the best version of ourselves in oversized workout clothes? A tuxedo and ball gown may not be necessary, but it is likely we can do better. Maybe it is time to start prioritizing our professional image the same way we do every other aspect of our work lives.

Alicia Webb is an award-winning public relations and strategic communications consultant with experience in a wide variety of industries including healthcare, manufacturing, and politics. She is passionate about storytelling and helping her clients raise their brand profile. Alicia is also a certified life coach. She is enrolled in the 2024-25 cohort of DePaul’s Professional Communication MA program.