Goodbye to tailor-made suits or high heels. Working from home has influenced the fashion code for work clothes<

On Wednesday, Brooks Brothers, which sold men's clothing and had been in business for 202 years, applied for legal protection from creditors. During that time, she dressed 40 American presidents and was synonymous with the classic look of a Wall Street banker. The reason for the company's bankruptcy was a drop in demand for suits during the pandemic.

Ascena Retail Group, which owns the clothing chains Ann Taylor and Lane Bryant, is considering all ways to stay afloat when its business has been hit hard by a slump in clothing purchases, including office clothing. Ascena plans to close at least 1,200 stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico at 2,800 locations.

Men's Wearhouse also hit hard times. With more than ten million people lost in the United States in recent months and millions more working from home, buying a suit is not a priority today. Tailored Brands, which owns the Men's Wearhouse, could be another candidate for bankruptcy.

As more and more business calls and meetings take place from the comfort of your home, clothing is much more relaxed. However, a gradual departure from formal wear has been going on for years. Employers in some "tight" sectors, such as financial services, compete for talent with technology companies that have their own, more relaxed corporate culture.

Even before the pandemic, there was a growing interest in less formal clothing

But a pandemic could end formalities forever. "The Brooks Brothers bankruptcy is truly incredible," says New York stylist Jessica Cadmus, whose clients work mostly in the financial sector. Cadmus worked at the Brooks Brothers early in her career.

"The fact is that trends in work clothes have been changing for some time and the pandemic was unfortunately the last nail in the coffin," he added. According to Cadmus, even before the pandemic, her clients increasingly preferred to wear a more relaxed look for work, and there was a growing interest in less formal clothing, referred to as casual.

Goldman Sachs announced last year that its employees could start dressing in the office more casually. This Wall Street company has always preferred collar shirts and suits.

"When the covid-19 broke out and people were forced to stay at home, the purchase of formal clothing for work stopped completely," Cadmus continues. A large proportion of her clients now focus on tasteful casual home clothes, which are the main comfort. Male clients want new shirts, but not pants, suits or shoes. Instead of dresses and costumes, women want necklaces, earrings and brooches to look good in video calls.

Some people don't even change out of their pajamas. In a June NPD survey, 47 percent of respondents said they wore the same clothes at home for most of the day during a pandemic, and nearly a quarter said they preferred sportswear, casual wear, or sleepwear during the day. "People obviously don't want to change during the day, especially in these circumstances," said NPD clothing industry analyst Maria Rugolová.

Stylist Nicola Harrison, whose clients include people from the financial sector and other industries, also admits that work clothes are now less elegant. But she is against it. According to her, the suit and elegant casual jacket give men a perfect professional look, and at the same time hide many shortcomings. For her, casual style is acceptable to some extent. Dark jeans, a shirt and a jacket are acceptable. But a decisive "no" says bad-fitting polo shirts or college clothes.

"It's important for you to look good, even when you're looking through Zoom," says Harrison. "One thing you can control under all the craziness that's going on in the world right now is your appearance. So why should you give it up? ”