Acceptable work attire has evolved and changed over the centuries, and as the world eases its way through the pandemic, more evolution has happened. As people work from home more or split their time between home and the office, work attire has, in many cases, become more casual. Yet, here at WorkFunky, our burning question is: can we wear our awesome T-shirts at work?
The answer, of course, is a bit complicated. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Let’s see what’s going on.
A brief history of business attire in the US
To figure out where we are, we first need to understand where we’ve been. The earliest conventions for business attire in the mid-1800s were very formal dresses (never pants!) for women and full suits for men. Hot or cold, suits and ties stayed on and in place. For women, dresses had high necks and provided full coverage of full skirts, and long sleeves.
It wasn’t until the 1920s that things started to loosen up for everyone. For women, in particular, this was a game-changing decade. Hairstyles and hemlines got shorter as more and more women entered the workforce first to fill in for men who went off to fight World War I and stayed on afterward. Men enjoyed somewhat looser suits and the ability to take off their jackets and work in the office.
It was another fifty years before things truly loosened up, literally and figuratively, for men and women. With the advent of the pantsuit (today known as a suit) in the 1970s, trousers became acceptable professional wear for women. For men, suits remained the norm, but gradually became more relaxed and casual - worn with t-shirts (yes!), for example - and the first appearances of a suit jacket with a t-shirt and jeans occurred.
Business casual emerged in the 1990s for men with the black turtleneck and khakis and similar outfits for women. Over time, it became more acceptable with those in the tech industry leading the way with workplaces like Google and Microsoft that emphasized comfort and quality of work over appearance. Shoes, for example, became optional and T-shirts and jeans very much the norm.
While formal business attire for men and women remains firmly in place, business casual has come into a place of its own. While some organizational cultures make room for everything from t-shirts and shorts with bare feet to tailored suits in bold colors, what’s fun is that almost anything is acceptable depending on where you work. Employees are able to express themselves, be comfortable, and still get their work done.
Different types of business attire
It’s also helpful to think about the different types of business attire and what clothing fits into which category.
Casual - This is generally taken to mean informal clothing including but not limited to t-shirts, jeans, capris, sneakers, and sports sandals. (Our T-shirts would be spectacular here!)
Smart Casual - This category is still informal and casual but with a lean toward trendy styles and cuts such as blouses, button-down shirts, clean sneakers, blazers, heels, and the occasional tie. (You could totally get one of our Signature Logo T-shirts in here, too!)
Business Casual -This category remains informal but has a much stronger emphasis on dress shirts without jackets or ties, khakis, or other professional-wear trousers with belts, usually low heels, and often nice loafers.
Business Professional - Formal suits typical of conservative or traditional office cultures where suits for men and women are the norm usually in dark or muted colors.
Business Formal - Similar to black-tie event wear, business formal is more muted in cut and color and suitable for award ceremonies or office shindigs.
Gender Neutral Professional Dress - There are several options for non-binary business attire including but not limited to casual jeans sweaters and shirts and trousers or chinos with a nice shirt for business casual. Suits with a matching jacket and pants are great choices for more formal events.
Organizational culture and business attire
The thing that determines what you wear at the office is the culture of the organization you are joining or are already a part of. Look closely at what others are wearing and see what seems to be the dominant trend. If everyone is in jeans and T-shirts, then you’ve got a casual environment. If everyone is in suits and ties, then you’ve got a professional business attire environment.
If you are still feeling unsure, this is also a terrific question to clarify with the Human Resources (HR) Department. They are the people with their finger on the pulse of the place where you work. They will let you know what the rules are and how much leeway you have to go more casual. However, when in doubt, dress up. It is much better to come to work slightly overdressed than arrive underdressed.
Some offices may tend to be more formal overall but have a special exception for Fridays or other days of the week. Casual Friday, a trend that started in Hawaii in the 1960s to encourage the wearing of Hawaiian shirts, means that office staff can wear anything ranging from Casual to Business Casual. Again, it’s a good idea to check with others as well as Human Resources to find out what Casual Friday actually means for your organization.
However, even if your office is fine with casual attire in general, there are a few notable exceptions: outside client meetings; board meetings; visits from officials or other outsiders. Normally, you’ll get some notice of these events, but our advice is to keep a nice change of clothes and shoes somewhere near at hand.
Zoom Meeting Attire
One of the things that have happened, as we mentioned at the beginning of this article, is that the pandemic has changed how many people do business. Some of us no longer commute into offices every day, and many meetings and events don’t happen in person as much, either. One excellent side effect of this has been a relaxation in dress code. Someone interviewing for a job is as likely to meet with someone tuning in from their kitchen wearing a t-shirt and jeans as someone from their office in a suit and tie.
It’s also just as likely that interviewees and attendees, too, will be more casual at least in part. They might wear a nice top and have their hair done up just so, but off-screen, it’s comfortable shorts or sweatpants.
So, T-shirts or no T-shirts?
Well, as we said at the beginning, it all depends on your organization and how they define casual. T-shirts can be acceptable, but it’s best to check and ask around. If your organization doesn’t have a Casual Friday, then you could suggest one. If your organization is happy with casual wear, then visit our website to find your new favorite work T-shirt!
WorkFunky Clothing has a variety of awesome T-shirt collections that can be utilized at work. Please visit our web shop and enjoy picking your favorites!
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Author Profile
RICH BAILEY - Product Copywriter at WorkFunky Clothing
Originally from Ohio, USA, Bailey is an experienced freelance writer and editor, especially for technical and scientific content. With an MA in English and a background in science, he also has more than 20 years of experience in teaching English around the world.
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