Time to Ditch the Office T-Shirt
Let’s address the small elephant in the room when it comes to the hybrid workplace.
Here are the reasons why I love the casual tie and jeans look. And as we all coming out of the post lockdown world we should revive the lost art of dressing to impress.
We Can’t Be Young Forever
Youth is overrated! Back in February I turned 40 and took me that long to figure it out. Think about the average Nobel prize winner is aged 45, the average CEO is 53 and the average age for an inaugurated US president is 55.
I had an epiphany, time to stop dressing up like an overgrown teenager and start dressing up like a boss. In a way this is my rebellion, I am rebelling against the norm that somehow t-shirts and hoodies are acceptable to work attire, especially for digital marketers. The truth is, we can all do so much more and dress the part.
Here is my disclaimer. For starters, I am no style guru. However, I do have issues with what we are currently wearing at offices and, in particular co-working spaces. As we are moving into a new world perhaps it is time to experiment with the business casual dress style?
I have embraced the creator archetype, as my personal branding style. Here you can bend or break some rules, to do your own thing. Ultimately it comes down to making a statement that represents your true self. Just bear in mind I work in the media and communication industry, and therefore have some flexibility when it comes to office attire.
Traditional Men’s Office Clothing is Depressing.
On the hard right, we have business formal. White shirt with black trousers and black shoes. I used to work in hospitality back in my 20s and this is the norm. The problem is it does not hide the weight, especially when we are getting older, and it looks too depressing. Best to leave this look to conservative industries like politics or law. Even then with tailored clothing, there is no reason why we shouldn’t experiment with colours and fabrics.
Leave the T-Shirts at Home.
On the hard left, we have the t-shirt and jeans look, and I was guilty of this look in my 30s. Working in a co-working space in the Perth CBD, a lot of my co-workers/co-tenants still sport this look. Unless you run a tech unicorn, like Mark Zuckerberg you shouldn’t really be donning this look. In fact, this should be left a time relic of the 2010s along with the office ping pong table.
The look is too informal and there needs to be a psychological barrier from work life to home life starting with what you are wearing. This is why I have abandoned this look, even for the podcasting studio.
Aim for the happy medium and experiment.
Now in business casual, you can get away with dark jeans and even white sneakers and dress them up. You can wear a nice long sleeve shirt, with an optional tie and dress it down. It looks professional and authoritative, yet casual at the same time. With the southern hemisphere winter just around the corner, we can add v-neck jumpers, navy blue blazers and waistcoats as accessories.
Since I have adopted the look, I felt more confident in my skin to the point where I am making it a part of my personal brand. So go out there, be bold and experiment with a new look yourself. We are entering into a new era, time to rewrite the rules.