The Evolution of Business Casual Attire
Once upon a time, you knew what to wear to work. Then came business casual.
"Business casual," "Casual Fridays," and other manifestations of the trend towards more casual business attire began in the early 90's. In 1992, a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey showed that only 17 percent of human resource professionals said their organizations allowed casual Fridays and just 7 percent offered a casual dress policy for every day of the week. That same year, the Levi Strauss Company, in an effort to target anti-suit professionals in Silicon Valley and the Pacific Northwest, developed its "Guide to Casual Business Attire." This publication, designed to help companies implement casual business wear policies, was mailed out to 3,000 human resource professionals. The trend immediately took off in the more relaxed business atmosphere of Silicon Valley and the Pacific Northwest, and other regions soon followed. The definition of acceptable business wear changed almost overnight. By 1999, a study by the Bureau of National Affairs reported that more than 80 percent of companies surveyed offered some kind of casual-dress policy, and that 49 percent offered it on a regular basis.
The trend sparked considerable confusion and controversy. First of all, there was a lot of uncertainty over what exactly constituted "business casual." Originally, it was generally defined as nice slacks and a button-down shirt with no tie for men, and a skirt or slacks and blouse or shirt for women. Many employees and even some companies, however, took the trend even further. People began showing up for work in jeans and t-shirts or other inappropriate attire. This upset some managers, who felt that it reflected poorly on the professional image of the company. Some even argued that casual dress resulted in an excessively informal, and even unprofessional, atmosphere in the workplace and contributed towards relaxed productivity and increased absenteeism. In many companies, the desire of employees for comfort and individuality put them at odds with the managers' desire for a professional atmosphere and image.
Deciding what to wear to work became a major decision. Some professionals and companies went so far as to hire image consultants and other professionals to help define the new standards. Ironically, a trend intended to help people be more comfortable and relaxed has often succeeded in making their lives more complicated. A golf shirt and khaki pants might be fine for one casual Friday, but on another, a meeting with an important client might require good slacks and a button-down shirt, or even a return to the old mainstay of a suit, tie, and crisp white shirt. For women, who often have a wider array of fashions to choose from in the first place, the choice might be even more complex. As a result, there has been a backlash against the trend towards business casual in some circles, and the percentage of companies that allow it has dropped slightly since the late 1990's.
The majority of experts, however, agree that "business casual" is likely to stick around. As the trend develops, many companies have become more effective in communicating guidelines and standards for acceptable casual dress, and the confusion is beginning to clear. Many companies are finding a "happy medium" in which to work: a dress code that combines the comfort and diversity of business casual with the professionalism of traditional business attire.
