Work Wear for the “New Normal”

After almost 2 years of working from home, there is an ease in the environment. Surprisingly people are looking forward to going back to offices. A lot of my clients who are working professionals have reached out to me and wondering what is the Work Wear for the “New Normal”

Are you also wondering? Or are you wondering why this question, why not go back to wearing what we wore before the pandemic hit us? 

Well in the pre-pandemic world, offices were going casual. If your role is not client-facing, the companies did not expect you in a formal structured outfit. So there was clear segregation of structured and unstructured looks. But 2020 was a whole new wave. With the whole managing house, managing work, plus no respite of going out for a simple meal meant that all of us stayed in our comfortable pyjamas, track pants, loungewear, kaftans, the whole day long. I have done training in the last year where I have explained why they should not work in their night dresses. 

Yes, 2020 was a game-changer. I would like to term it as casuallising of casual office wear. ( I know casuallising is not a word, it is coined by me 🙂

So what does this Post Pandemic workwear look like? What is the Work Wear for the “New Normal”? 

• Comfortable clothes & shoes – Who wants to wear fitted skirts, narrow fit polyester pants, skin fit denim? I for sure don’t want to. The comfort of loungewear is going to be replicated with slouchy denim, loose pants, A-line skirts and dresses. I would say, it’s a great time to add cotton linen kurtas & sarees in workwear rotation. The fabrics and the ease of styles won’t make you feel stuffy. The same rule applies to heels. I still wonder how I spent 8 hours in heels and killed my feet at the end of the day. Embrace Kolhapuris, flat ballerinas, sneakers and take on the day. 

• Fit is the key – Another great lesson that this past year has taught is the value of great fit over ill fit clothes. Being in pyjamas all day can also be a game-changer for the mind. The rare opportunities to dress up for groceries, or the tiny window of outing, everyone wants to be dressed in clothes that fit well and looks good.  

 

• Transitional wardrobes – Being cooped up in the house for over a year, with no parties, events or extracurricular activities, people have started looking at their wardrobes with fresh eyes. Clothes that are specially designed for workwear, are in the wardrobes untouched for over year and half. Hence having transitional wardrobes will be the key. Investing in key pieces that can be dressed up or down, For example – Solid blousons instead of shirts, Loose semi-structured pants instead of narrow fit pants. The transitional pieces will make sure that you are able to utilize your wardrobe to the fullest.  

Let me know your views on this. Are you going back to work? And how liberal is your workplace to casual dressing for the new normal.

You can also download the three images below for easy reference or you can share with your friends.

 

 

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