Despite being homebound, Robert Khederian, a real estate salesperson at
His boyfriend John Maher, a specialist at the art auction house Sotheby’s, took a different approach. “Right now, I’m wearing blue chinos and a very casual T-shirt and slippers,” he said. “We started working remotely on Monday of this week, and there hasn’t been a single day I’ve put on a collared shirt.”
And so the
Complicating matters is videoconferencing software such as Zoom’s, which has allowed face-to-face meetings to move into
Strange questions, sure, but we live in strange times.
Some savvy brands are leveraging these uncharted waters to push a new type of hybridized clothing that straddles the line between work and home, formal and casual, suits and sweats. They promise the comfort of loungewear under the auspices of work-appropriate attire, and they feel especially attuned to our times.
Take, for example, the brand
“While working from home, we’re seeing that our customers feel the need to look presentable while on their work video calls,” said Nicestuff clothing adviser Tom Ott. “During tough times in the past, people have reverted to a more traditional way of dress with regard to business attire, but it doesn’t need to be uncomfortable. While appearing professional, we hope our products will keep our customers feeling more comfortable than they look."
Ott said Nicestuff experienced increased web traffic and higher conversions (i.e., sales) starting late in the week of March 9 as the Covid-19 coronavirus threat began escalating in the U.S., and quarantine measures were enacted in larger cities such as New York and San Francisco. Those two cities, Ott noted, are where Nicestuff’s sales have been concentrated.
Meanwhile Charles Tyrwhitt, the British clothier, used the quarantine to start promoting its
London-based
Comfy-corporate items aren’t limited to faux suiting. California based brand Vince offers a button-up shirt made from a lightweight, velvety wool-cashmere blend, while Italy’s Brunello Cucinelli has a pair of pleated wool chalk-stripe trousers that may look boardroom ready but carry a living room-appropriate drawstring waistband.
The brand Alex Mill is selling what they call a “SUB” (short for
Just remember that even though these items may feel relaxed,
And if you’re really at a crossroads—is what’s appropriate for your co-worker videoconference appropriate for one with a client?—don’t be shy about asking a manager for guidance.
“We’re in uncharted waters, and there’s nothing wrong with making sure that everyone is comfortable and on the same page,” says Greg Payne, director of corporate communications at an industrial software company. “We’ve all got to have each other's backs right now.” For his first week at home — and
At the end of the day, getting your work-from-home uniform down is about
“I think I’d feel comfortable wearing a T-shirt,” Maher says of interfacing with colleagues via video chat. After a pause, however, he restates. “I say that now, but in the moment, I’d probably put on an Oxford. It might be a casual Oxford, but I probably wouldn’t just wear a T-shirt, truth be told.”