Almost every visit with my baby boomer mom—bless her heart—begins with a once-over of my outfit, followed by an offer to take me to the Gap. Yet, like my peers, I’m always conscious about what I wear in a business setting. In fact, a LinkedIn survey showed that people under 35 were more likely than their older co-workers to dress up for work. So why does it seem that offices are more casual? Likely, it’s because you no longer need a drab grey suit to convey professionalism.
“Businesses are diversifying from traditional corporate models, and spontaneity is becoming more valued,” says Estelle Tang, a culture editor at Elle, where (no surprise) people tend to notice one another’s clothes. “I can wear a onesie to work if it’s nice, clean and has no holes in it. It’s definitely not a bad thing, because I hate suits.”
MORE ABOUT MILLENNIALS:
- Five ways small businesses can compete with big companies for top talent
- Hey Millennial! How much praise do you really need?
- 77% of Canadians would switch jobs for better retirement benefits
- What’s worrying Canadian CEOs now (and what should worry them more)
- Millennials can make great salespeople—if you forget the phone
- Hey Millennial! Do better perks really trump salary?
- Surprise: Millennials hate online job applications
- How Leon’s Furniture is reinventing itself for generation Instagram
