Herders_Gulch
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BOF and McKinsey annual report on fashion/apparel is out. Big section on metaverse stuff. Still, very skeptical on that front personally. Some other interesting thoughts too...
Available here:
Scanned through this report from McKinsey, and noted the following about the trend toward casualisation (on page 49):
In contrast to the reinvigorated demand for occasion dressing, workplace wardrobes will witness increased casualisation in some markets, such as the US and UK, as people adjust to new ways of working, including hybrid office-home patterns. “Work looks and feels different now,” said US-based retail consultant Kathy Gersch “Virtual work and flexible hours aren’t going to go away. Brands that believe old patterns will revive will fall by the wayside.”
In another sign of creeping casualisation, workplace returnees in many regions have been shopping for casual blazers rather than suits: global search volumes for blazers were more than 100 percent higher in August 2021 than in August 2019. In some markets like Germany, searches for suits were down. Even some traditional and corporate offices will adopt hybrid styles, replacing suits and heels with business-casual styles and sneakers. Of course, there are nuanced differences between markets, where dress codes in some regions and professions will necessitate a return to formality. This said, brands will still find opportunities to tap into the casualisation shift by developing products with new fabric options or hybrid styles. For example, athletic brands Lululemon and Athleta have expanded into workwear, while Hugo Boss collaborated with Russell Athletic to produce suits in jersey fabric, some of which have shorts in place of trousers.