Casual Fridays And Dress Down Days
In order to compete in the employment marketplace, employers in the 90s searched for creative options to attract new employees and retain present ones. Here is where embroidered corporate apparel comes in:
So, what happened?
- Wearables shot to the #1 category in Promotional Products
- Up 3 points from 24% to 27% in one year
Why did this happen?
- 90% of all US companies have casual day of some kind
- 1/3 of all companies allow casual clothing every day
- More than 40% of all companies have expanded their casual dress options in the last three years
Casualwear Businesswear Human Resources Survey
- 87% – improves morale
- 81% – perceived by employees as a benefit
- 51% – employees save money because of casual dress
- 47% – improves productivity
- Given the chance, 96% of employees take advantage
What employees said
- 81% – Improves morale
- 57% – I’m judged now more on my performance than appearance
- 57% – Better camaraderie with managers & co-workers
- 51% – Do best work when casually dressed
- 43% – Boss is more approachable
46% reported that if they were offered two equal positions, the employer which offered casual days every day would get preference.
Corporate Casual Levels
The 4 basic classifications of Corporate Casual at work today are:
Boardroom Casual- Apparel that’s different than the traditional business suit, but still appropriate for the boardroom. Blazers, oxfords, vests, ties and scarves are the operative words here.
Business Casual- Professional dressing that’s perfectly suited to attend a meeting, conduct a seminar or to meet a client. Banded collar shirts, oxfords, denims, vests, sweaters and turtlenecks are your main menu here.
Relaxed Casual- Office-appropriate attire that’s professional enough to face customers, but comfortable enough to sit in front of the computer. Golf shirts reign supreme in this area, as well as denims, chambray shirts, fashion fleece, sweaters and turtlenecks.
Dress Down Casual- Casual apparel for a labor-intensive day such as cleaning out files or organizing your area. Embroidered T-Shirts, sweats and denim are your directions on this one.
