Is leisure at work a new or renewed opportunity? – RetailWire

05 Aug 2021

The casualness of office attire has shifted from “casual Fridays” to “business casual” and now to “leisure at work”.

Workleisure brings athleisure, often described as workout clothes that are stylish enough to be worn at the cafe or other low-key social occasions, to the workplace. The term is cited as an emerging trend as people trapped at home during the pandemic have grown accustomed to the comfort.

Nordstrom posted a investigation in early July, showing that 41% of respondents plan to dress comfortably for the rest of their lives. At the time, the high-end retailer said it saw a 165% increase in online searches for workwear on nordstrom.com as companies planned to return to their offices.

“Many brands are reducing their production of suits, adding more stretch to their pants and using new phrases such as “work and play,” a recent said. the Wall Street newspaper article. “They make yoga pants that look like dress pants, t-shirts you can wear to work, and a dressier version of cork-lined sandals dubbed ‘Work Birk.’

As with other attempts to bring a more casual style to the workplace, a debate has ensued over what is appropriate to wear to work as part of the leisure-to-work trend.

“For me, leisure at work begins with the basics of the rest wardrobe (T-shirts, sweaters, sweatpants) translated into the materials and details of the office,” wrote Vanessa Friedman, fashion critic in chief for The New York Times. “This means that elastic belts are okay, but only if they are attached to the type of fabric – silk, linen, wool, stripes – that suggests a different type of exertion. That, when you catch them out of the corner of your eye , suggests that you sit a little more upright.

In his spring trend guide, Nordstrom described Work Leisure Essentials as “an evolution of the work-at-home wardrobe focused on comfort and versatility. Leisure-inspired pieces and everyday essentials boosted in calming neutrals keep this trendy sophisticated and refined.

Ben Checketts, co-founder of sportswear brand DTC Rhône, summed up leisure at work until Shiny: “You fell in love with sweatpants during the pandemic, so you buy dress pants that are as close to sweatpants as possible.”