A simple scroll through Instagram clearly indicates how COVID-19 has impacted the world of fashion. The past few months have significantly changed people’s lives and their fashion choices. In the past, events such as pandemics, recessions, and wars have left a telling impression on how people dress. COVID-19 will also have a substantial effect on the way we dress, particularly while going for work.
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way people live and work, including the way they dress for work. Those who are able to work from home can spend the day in their pajamas, and even Zoom-meeting attire is pretty casual. Your virtual colleagues only see your upper half, so they don’t need to know if you’re wearing yoga pants with that professional-looking blouse. As the world enters a post-pandemic phase, however, it will be time to start thinking again about how you present yourself as a professional.
The Post-Pandemic Dress Code
Although people talk about the return to normal, the pandemic has created a new normal and new rules are going to apply to the workplace. Youthful and casual looks, like these dresses at Filly Flair, will probably become much more widely accepted thanks to the predominance of Millennials in the workplace. As the largest working generation, Millennials are known for breaking rules and defying conventions. The traditional business suit and button-down business casual attire were already on the way out before COVID-19. It’s possible that the old-school symbols of power may never come back to many segments of the business world.
Adding Personal Flair to the Corporate Uniform
The most conservative organizations, like big financial institutions or corporate law firms, will probably hold on to traditional standards for professional attire, and the business suit will remain the corporate uniform. However, fashion experts anticipate more tolerance for personal touches in business fashion. In other sectors, however, the jacket and tie may soon become relics of the past as people return from working at home with new expectations of comfort and personal style.
First Impressions Still Matter
Though formal wear may be on the decline, it’s still important to look your best and make a good first impression. First impressions hold a lot of weight, and they last for a long time. Dressing well for a job interview and for the first week of work can make it easier to relax your personal dress code once you’ve established that you’re someone who knows how to dress appropriately.
3 Tips for Dressing for Success
As you return to work in the post-pandemic world, keep in mind the following tips for dressing for success.
- First of all, choose clothes that fit your body, and if you can’t find a good fit off the rack, buy clothes that fit the largest part of your body and then have the garments altered to fit everywhere else. When clothes fit well, they not only hang properly, but they feel more comfortable.
- Invest in high-quality basics that you can pair with other items. Every woman needs a few good pairs of pants and skirts in solid colors, like black, white, and burgundy. A white blouse and a tailored blazer are two other staple items that are worth spending some money on.
- Choose clothes that express your personality. Traditional rules for formal attire require hiding behind a neutral mask, but in the post-pandemic world, people will be freer to express themselves through fashion, even in the workplace.
As you get ready to return to work, go through your closet and find a few core pieces you can use to build a fresh wardrobe. As you add new clothes to your collection, choose items that will combine well with things you already have. Dressing for success in the post-COVD-19 world means curating a quality wardrobe that shows off who you are and how you want to be seen.
Finally, as we get back to work after one of the worst pandemics ever, it is important to be extremely serious about prevention and mitigation of COVID-19 in workplaces. According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC), wearing a mask is still essential in areas where maintaining six feet of social distance is not possible. Many employers have already implemented the policy of wearing face coverings or masks when in the workplace as part of their reopening plans.
As masks and face coverings become the new normal around the world in the days to come, be prepared to see plenty of fashionably designed masks in workplaces. Luckily enough, just because you are health conscious, there is no reason to wear monotonous grey, black or white masks. There are many colorful designer masks with quotes and memes printed on them to reflect your personality. Many employers are already making use of this opportunity to brand their business using face masks bearing their logo. Therefore, stylish facial masks can be the new focal accessory as you get back to work.
