What should I wear back to the office? It’s okay to be confused in the era of RTO

CEOs might be debating the return to office, but workers everywhere are debating a far more compelling topic: the return of pants. After all, isn’t fashion just a reflection of current events?

A new survey by International Workplace Group (IWG) asked 1,000 hybrid workers about how their sense of style has transformed since the pandemic. Here are the key takeaways.

Hybrid work has transformed office fashion: 79% of people say they dress differently now, with 85% of men saying they’ve changed up their office wear, compared to 77% of women and 62% of nonbinary respondents.
Comfort is king: 53% of hybrid employees want their workwear to be comfortable, with only 21% (who are these people?) saying they dress up more than they did pre-pandemic.
If you’re confused it’s okay, so is everyone else: 31% of people believe it’s okay to be pantsless at the office. (One hopes that means wearing something else, but alas, the survey did not specify.) On the other hand, 69% of people think suits and blazers are acceptable at-home workwear.

For people looking to stay on the safe side, designer Diana Tsui, a partner on the study, recommended quiet luxury, a trend followed by 47% of respondents, which is characterized by high-quality fashion and a “less is more” ethos.

“Perhaps no trend is better for hybrid working than our current social media obsession with quiet luxury,” Tsui stated. “No matter if you identify as Gen Z, millennial, Gen X, or boomer, this is a universally stylish way to approach getting dressed for work.”