Corporate Apparel and How the Concept Evolved
As we hear the term corporate apparel, the picture that comes to our minds is of traditional business suits and ties. Well we also conjure images of formal blouses and conservative skirts along with formal-looking accessories. That was the traditional picture of office wear and the picture is changing quite fast. Today business wear is no longer dull or boring. In fact, it is more fashionable and a lot more comfortable. People are emphasizing not only on the designs but also on the comfort factor. The manner in which corporate apparel evolved is exciting. The story of how different trends started appearing in different parts of the world is interesting.
The accepted traditional corporate clothing comprised a nice button down shirt and formal trousers or skirt for women. Even for men the accepted dress code was button-down shirts and formal trousers. Business suits for women and men and women are acceptable and for men the use of a tie is included. As a general norm, dark shades are acceptable in case of formal suits and skirts. When it comes to formal shirts, simple shirts in light shades and checks and stripes are chosen.
The Casual Fridays concept emerged some time in the late 1950’s, in the US and Canada. On Fridays, many office goers started wearing casual clothes as opposed to traditional work wear. Over time, many modifications were introduced to the concept. Different companies started assigning different days when the employees could sport casual clothes to office. In the 1970’s, a new idea of business casuals appeared. In the 1990’s, this concept became very popular. With business casuals you can choose not to be highly formal, at feel comfortable at the same time. This look for business casual varies from company to another. It is not as formal as the traditional corporate wear composed of suit, tie, and business shirt.
