By Olivia Fletcher for Belfast Telegraph (redacted for TheFWords.com)
Going back to the office with nothing smart to wear? Or worse, you got so used to wearing joggers at home that you don't want to go back to stretch-free formal wear? There's no need to panic.
When it comes to returning to the workplace, Northern Irish style guru Cathy Martin, who has been director of Belfast Fashion Week for 15 years, says traditional workwear is out, and smart casual is in. And it's all because of the pandemic.
“I think there was already a trend towards relaxing workwear rules, but also thankfully in how clothes are actually tailored, designed and made and tailoring isn't just so formal or restrictive anymore,” she says.
Martin points out that “and while there was already a leaning towards more casual clothes and athleisure, I don't think anyone had planned for the speed and velocity with which it changed - accelerated of course, by the pandemic and the rapid rise in work from home.”
And she adds: “Now that so many people have welcomed the flexibility of working from home, a lot of people were refusing to come back and sit in stuffy suits, both males and females.”
Nobody knows this better than Chris Suitor, tailor at Suitor Brothers on Belfast's Upper Arthur Street.
“Some guys were mail ordering jackets from us purely for their Zoom calls,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.
“We have definitely seen a decline in the number of business suits that we are selling,” he says, before adding that “since things have opened back up again, we have seen a little lift in it, but certainly it's nothing like pre-Covid”.
Men returning to the office — particularly younger men, Suitor says — want styles that are easier to wear but, of course, still sartorial.
Being dressed in a good “suit of armour” is key to feeling confident — and while styles may be changing, this never will.
Suitor, who has been in the bespoke tailoring business for 30 years, says, “We have definitely seen an uplift in our smart casual end which is more our chinos and jackets.”
But, echoing Martin, he adds: “That was happening before the pandemic. I think the pandemic has just accelerated it.”
For women, Martin recommends a stylish yet breathable jumpsuit. “Even blazers and jeans are a bit more of a thing now right across lots of industries, plus cool trainers and brightly coloured hair and accessories have appeared beyond the traditionally cool media, design, IT and other creative industries.” she says.
There's definitely an acceptance of individuality in the workplace. So, I think if someone chooses to have pink or purple hair we are culturally much more accepting of that today, whereas before, there might have been stricter rules.
The pandemic has even given the office a splash of colour. “I also see that a lot of high street stores and even designer brands are really embracing bright colour this season, and I think that's a nice antidote to what we've just been through — the restrictions of the pandemic and the bleakness of being locked down.”
She adds: “MaxMara has the most beautiful orange wool coat this season which I’d buy if I could. And on the High Street, River Island, for example, has really nice, bright pink suits and trouser suits, gorgeous bright yellow coats.”
And the most significant change according to Suitor? He answers in one word: ties. “That's probably the biggest part of our business that has declined completely,” he says. “Even the guys going to work in the suits are now generally open neck.” He adds: “We used to sell hundreds upon hundreds of ties every year and it's definitely taken a huge dip.”
But when asked if he thinks the trend away from business suits will stay for good, he says: “We are confident it's going to change. It's going to start coming back our way.”
“At the minute it's definitely still more chino, jacket and casual shirt than the business suit,” he says. “I think the business suit is still there but has certainly had the pause button pressed. I hope that we'll go back to it.”
“If you're doing an executive job, I would prefer the guys wearing suits and being sharp rather than dressed down in a pair of chinos, an open-neck shirt and a jacket,” he says.
“That's just me and my traditional outlook on things, but I totally understand why guys want to be more comfortable in what they're wearing — I totally understand, and I'm quite happy to facilitate that.”
Martin has other ideas though.
“Although I enjoy an LBD (little black dress) for a work event every now and again”, she says, “I also do agree that people were crying out for a lot more comfort.” So, has office style changed for good? “100%,” she says. “And I don't think we're going back in time any time soon.”
And it may even be for a good reason: sustainability.
“Myself and probably hundreds of thousands of others ended up doing wardrobe clearouts when we were locked down,” Martin says. “I think a lot of people realised how much stuff they had in their wardrobes that they didn't actually wear, and the statistics showed a massive increase in the number of donations when charity shops opened again. Now is definitely a great time to shop preloved, there are so many great pieces out there - online, in preloved stores and even in charity shops.
“I think the pandemic and all the lockdowns also made people realise how many pieces of clothing we all have and how many we actually need — and the answer is: a lot less.”
