How do we dress for the office now?

This Globe and Mail article by Sarah Laing brings out several themes I’ve been working through with clients as we navigate the return to the office

After two years of working from home in sweats and loungewear what do we now wear to the office?

People have changed, their bodies have changed and how they want to show up, has also changed

As Dr. Soo Min Toh points out, like it or not, what we wear to work still matters,

“Appearance is the first thing we notice about people,” Dr. Toh says. “From there, we draw all sorts of cues, like whether they are competent or conscientious.”

First impressions matter. People make decisions about us in the first 7 seconds of meeting us, and 55% of communication is nonverbal. Our image plays a big role in what we communicate and what people “get” from us.

Figuring out what to wear to work can be a stressful undertaking. If anything still fits, do you even still want to wear those clothes. Are they still in style? People have changed over these two years.

Also with the massive reshuffling happening in Corporate, many employees have changed jobs or positions. So what is now appropriate in this new role? What are the company expectations on dress code now? Have they relaxed?

So how can employers support their employees?

Dr. Sarah Saska suggests putting actual guidelines in place, a code of conduct as opposed to a rule book, and including feedback from employees.

“If companies don’t design these policies in a really deliberate and intentional way, often unofficial cultural rules emerge from [employees], and the chances of them [forming] along sexist, classist, ableist or racist lines are very likely.”

If you’re looking for a starting point with your return to office attire, my recent blog post shares some of the key pieces to have in your wardrobe now. If you’re in a hybrid role, see some suggestions here.