06

Feb 2017

Benefits of a Casual Workplace


Casual dress in the workplace is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s corporate workforce. Companies are ditching the suit and tie, dresses and skirts and replacing them with the jeans and button-up or blouse combination. If you’re wondering why this change is happening in the corporate world, here are three reasons why business casual is becoming so popular:

  1. Business casual is the easiest to afford.

When you have the ability to dress casually for work, it means only having to buy for one closet. What I mean by this, is when you have to dress business professional for work everyday, you’re buying clothes for the work week and then separate clothes for the weekend or what I would call “fun” clothes. Sure, some pieces can be used for both work and play, but I would say a majority of people wouldn’t wear a business suit on the weekends or a pant suit/skirt to a birthday party. For the people that do, more power to you.

  1. Business casual can make mornings easier for employees.

Not having a business professional dress code can make the early morning routine a little easier. Having to maintain a professional dress means having to maintain the effort to make sure your clothes are presentable. Professional dress requires ironing, and sometimes even dry-cleaning, tying ties and hoping your pantyhose doesn’t have a run in them. But casual dress is easier to maintain. Jeans are usually wrinkle-free and can be freshened up in the dryer. If a shirt does need to be iron, it’s pretty simple and can be done in less than ten minutes. It’s not hard to find shoes to pair with jeans and overall you’re not stressed on what to wear.

  1. Business casual is comfortable

Although some people may associate comfortability with being less motivated. I would disagree. When I’m comfortable I feel motivated to take on my day and confident not only with myself, but in my role within a company. Some people may not feel comfortable wearing business professional clothes every day, especially if they are not meeting with clients or conducting interviews. Business casual allows all types of positions to dress appropriately; comfortable enough to work a desk job and professional enough to conduct an interview or meet with clients.

If you’re considering having your office go casual for work, I highly encourage being clear with your employees on what is acceptable and what is not acceptable for casual dress at work. After all, having clear guidelines in what you expect will make employees even more confident in their clothing choice for work.