There are few conclusive statistics on how workplace dress codes affect employee performance. A quick Google search shows mixed results—articles debating the merits of both sides and ultimately coming to no real conclusion. This statistic, from the July 2010 Ipsos Global Advisory, is perhaps the most telling: 45 percent of workers think casual dress leads to increased productivity, while 55 percent believe business attire is more effective. That’s a pretty even split.
Our proposition? Forget the stats. If you focus on providing the best possible office apparel—casual, business or business casual—everybody wins. Employees will be comfortable, employers will be happy, and you’ll be swimming in sales. Read on for a peek at the office apparel trends to watch for in 2015.
Style Trends
We’re not here to tell you that a freshly pressed-and-starched shirt doesn’t look sharp. But as much as we’d like to dress like Don Draper every day, it’s not exactly realistic. For one, more and more workplaces are moving toward relaxed dress codes. And for another, getting gussied up every day can be uncomfortable if you don’t have a top-of-the-line suit.
Lately, the focus in office apparel has been more on performance. “We continue to see demand for technology and performance in fabrics and apparel,” said Andrea L. Routzahn, vice president of portfolio and supplier management for alphabroder, Trevose, Pa. “Performance is a catch-all category that means different things to different people. What we see is continued demand for apparel that looks great, fits well, wears well and is durable/long-lasting, easy to launder and care for, and comfortable.”
That’s not to say appearance is an afterthought, though. If anything, new developments in fabrics and technology have made it possible to stay stylish without sacrificing comfort. “The key to today’s apparel is to look fresh and clean all day long—easy-care, stain-resistant, wash-and-wear, crease-resistant,” explained Eric J. Rubin, president of Blue Generation, Long Island City, N.Y. “This is all possible with advanced technology in textiles. Consumer preferences have moved towards poly/cotton blends and polyester moisture-wicking fabrics that are comfortable to wear.”
Routzahn noted that much of the shift toward modern, performance-inspired apparel is driven by the emergence of a younger workforce. “While office business classics with a golf/country club design inspiration will continue to be popular in the corporate segment, we are seeing a new complementary design aesthetic emerging—styles that appeal to a younger, more active end-user, who is looking for professional-looking corporate apparel that mirrors their active, outdoor lifestyle and individual personality,” she said.
“We see the ability to incorporate active performance styles that embrace this design perspective into a complete corporate outfitting assortment that integrates with office business classics and are all tied together by color,” she added. “This move towards corporate outfitting (personal style merged with and complementing corporate identity) versus corporate uniforming (everyone wears the same thing) is a big trend emerging and one that speaks to the Gen X-ers and Millennials who are moving up the corporate ladder.”
This emphasis on outfitting is good news for the promo industry. A decline in corporate uniform programs would mean fewer sales opportunities for distributors, but a move toward outfitting—essentially a twist on the traditional uniform program—leaves the door wide open. Still, it’s up to distributors to stay proactive. “You can service an order for your customer or you can become a solution for your customer,” said Routzahn. “Asking questions is probably the single biggest way to gain advantage. Find out what your customer’s events or programs are, what they could be, and do the assortment planning for them.”
Aesthetics
As Routzahn alluded to above, color plays a major role in the office apparel space. And with color trends prone to dramatic shifts year-to-year, it’s smart to keep up with the fashion world for updates.
This year’s big change? Bye bye, brights. “With the recent big news regarding Pantone’s color of the year, [PMS 18-1438] Marsala, we see a trend that is moving away from the clear brights of the past few years,” said Routzahn. “Our design team saw this move away from the bright colors in Europe earlier this year. Trending colors will be in the same color intensity as Marsala—we saw navy, stone, dark oakmoss, maroon, rust and other more natural-driven, almost earthy, colors in prominence.”
As for decoration, one method remains as popular as ever, while another is on the rise.
“Embroidery continues to be the decoration of choice on the corporate level,” said Rubin. “It is the perfect means to make a shirt and company logo look classy. Screen-printing tends to be more appropriate on T-shirts and athletic looks.”
“We see heat seal technology continue to gain ground,” added Routzahn. “It’s a clean look that is well-suited to performance knits, wovens and outerwear. Heat seal or heat transfer technology is continuing to develop and we are seeing amazing applications that mirror direct-to-garment printing.”
