Tailor made for casual wear
The suit is dead. Long live the suit. For decades boardrooms have been the domain of men in suits, but now comes the advent of geek chic.
The recent wave of brokerage and law firms moving from business attire to business casual has prompted may to stand in confused silence in front of their mirrors as they contemplate their wardrobe. What began as Casual Friday has spread through the week, leaving many feeling naked as they can no longer hide behind a suit and tie.
The reason behind the upward spiral of polo shirts and chinos? Dot-com pioneers. Silicon Valley. Role models Bill Gates and Richard Branson don't seem to own a tie between them.
The same week that high-street tailors Austin Reed announced a drop in turnover, which it blamed on the "downturn in demand for tailored clothing", Arthur Anderson, the accounting firm, put another nail in the suit's coffin by declaring the company's 7,000 staff need no longer wear suits to work.
Suits are seen as old-fashioned and boring at a time when business is reinventing itself as the new rock 'n' roll.
The front page of newspapers around the world showed the business men involved in the America Online takeover of Time Warner Inc. in casual dressed down outfits.
So designers are trying to adapt as the managerial classes go casual. Jaeger, which also built its reputation on smart tailoring, admitted it too had had to expand its casual range and had developed the "relaxed lifestyle" look.
College students also want to dress down when they go to work. An online survey conducted by KPMG found that 76 percent of students were more likely to accept a job offer from an employer with a casual dress policy. Twenty-three percent said casual dress would not make them more likely to accept a job
British retailer, Marks & Spencer chief executive Peter Salsbury introduced Luc Vandevelde, the new chairman, wearing an open necked shirt. For Marks & Spencer, Britain's largest suit seller, this should have caused a mini-riot. But it went virtually unnoticed.
But there is dressing down and dressing down. While the accountants at Arthur Andersen can turn up in the ubiquitous chinos and polo shirts, the investment bankers have to make more of an effort.
Morgan Stanley has issued employees with a memo in March describing "business casual " and warning that if they have a meeting outside the office, a tie is still required.
So, khakis are in, jeans are out. Morgan Stanley have "corrective actions" for dress-code violations - such as Spandex or mini-skirts - one disciplinary procedure includes "termination."
A City banker said: "It's fairly obvious stuff - no denims or trainers and long sleeves in the winter, although you can wear short in the summer as long as it's not T-shirts."
Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and JP Morgan have all adopted new policies towards casual business attire.
Paul Clarke, a spokesman for Arthur Andersen, said that around half the employees had adopted the casual look.
"We did not issue guidelines but told people to trust their common sense. Some older people still prefer to wear a tie but others are turning up in brighter colours and are not wearing suits unless they have a meeting."
After World War II, suit sales boomed ready-to-wear suits were made and sold. The suit started into a period of decline in the 1950s when teenagers decided they wanted to look different from their parents. With their own money and their own ideas as to what was hip, the suit was out.
With occasional revivals in fashionability - the late 1980s on Wall Street for example - the suit has remained the bastion of the workplace. But now that too has cracked.
Even in traditional sectors times are changing. Customer loyalty is history and businesses talk about becoming "customer-centric&qu ot; and "consumer-friendly&q uot; to keep clients on board.
Dressing as non-threateningly as possible
Bank managers now want to be friendly and approachable - what better way than dressing as non-threateningly as possible? The very word has become an insult as though the suit itself marks out a businessman as fuddy and uncaring.
People are becoming increasingly casual in the way they live their lives. People don't expect to dress for the dinner or theatre or dinner, and this mood is spreading to work.
But not everyone has found it easy to adapt. Personal shoppers have said they have been besieged by men wanting advice on what to wear now the safe option of a suit and tie had been removed.
And this era of casualness is not welcomed by everyone Retailers and the textile industry are disenchanted. Suits are high-priced items and declining sales are causing problems. Not only is Austin Reed experiencing a downturn, but Moss Bros. and Arcadia are also blaming the casual mood for their woes.
Have no fear. Chinos and polo shirts could soon be on their way out. If people still enjoy dressing up, then during the week they will wear casual clothing and then put on their tailored suits and ties to go out on the town at weekends. Casual wear will become the new formal wear, and formal wear will become the new casual wear.
One other thing that could save the suit is the teenager. Just as the teen may have started the decline of the suit as a symbol of rebellion against their suit-wearing fathers. When dads start wearing the baggy chinos to work and combat pants at the weekend, then maybe the suit will make a comeback.
And of course, the push to encourage men to dress casually comes just as women's fashion designers are dictating a return to smart tailored clothing.
The suit is not dead; it is now worn by women.
By: Lindsey Wood
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Humanity-Nickelodeon/Viacom to create luxury fashion t-shirts
| Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) and Humanity, a cause-driven clothing line, are partnering to create a series of five environmentally themed t-shirts inspired by the network's top animated phenomenon SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob will be a featured part of The Big Green Help's water conservation campaign, "SpongeBob and You Save the Big Blue." Kicking off just in time for its 10th Anniversary, the first t-shirt will make its debut in Park City, Utah, during the 2009 Film Festival. Marking the first retail presence for Nickelodeon's ongoing The Big Green Help campaign, the new line of t-shirts will be available in men's, women's, boys', and girls' sizes. Each tee is proudly made in the U.S. from 100% organic cotton, encrusted with crystals and features schools of fish, jelly fish, turtles and other marine life. Sponge Bob holds the prime spot on the front of the shirt, standing next to a garbage can which reads "Save the Big Blue," and the inside of the shirt tells the story of Nickelodeon's Big Green Help campaign. "As Nickelodeon celebrates SpongeBob's 10th Anniversary, we are enthused to partner with Humanity, a company who shares our mission to increase visibility of environmental concerns," said Hal Snik, Senior Vice President of Domestic Licensing, NVCP. "This line of products will appeal not only to die-hard SpongeBob fans, but to trendsetters and eco-connoisseurs alike." "We are honored to work with Nickelodeon in continuing our philanthropic efforts," said Helena Cho, fashion designer and Co-Founder of Humanity. "We hope that just as SpongeBob always conveys an environmentally conscious message to his audience, this t-shirt will do the same to children and adults alike." Nickelodeon's pro-social campaign, The Big Green Help, will help raise awareness about the oceans and water conservation in 2009 with "SpongeBob and You Save the Big Blue," in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). "Save the Big Blue" public service announcements will air on Nickelodeon throughout the year, and both organizations will support educational activities and programs at aquariums and zoos throughout July. Additionally, NRDC and NWF will help raise awareness with their members and incorporate "Save the Big Blue" messaging into their grassroots activities. Yellow is the new black this year, which means that it's the perfect time to get 'Happy Squared' in honor of the landmark tenth anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants. With that in mind, Humanity jumped at the chance to collaborate with one of the most popular characters and continue on their mission to inspire and motivate people all over the world. Kicking off with the first-ever SpongeBob live cast reading during the 2009 Film Festival in Park City, Nickelodeon will celebrate the pop culture icon throughout the year with TV specials, original online content, and new lines of apparel , toys, and games. Founded in 2008 by Helena Cho and Tammy Hotsenpiller, Humanity is a tapestry of art and written text that unfolds the story of individuals, social justice, and the environment. The company was created as a dynamic, branded, lifestyle approach to humanitarianism. Between the executive life coach experience of Tammy Hotsenpiller and Helena Cho's fashion design background, Humanity is the perfect mix of cause and couture. | ||
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