THEN AND NOW: The progression of work fashion from the 1950s to today
Shayanne Gal/Business Insider
- Work clothes have changed a lot over the years.
- Style in general has become less formal since the 1950s.
- Take a look below at how office workers have dressed across the decades.
Why don't people dress up for work anymore?
It's a question that's no doubt popped into the minds of many a workplace fashionista — not to mention anyone French cuffs-deep into a Mad Men binge.
The short answer is... it's complicated. Even today, degrees of sartorial formality tend to vary between industries, companies, and roles. And workplace styles can change day-to-day on an individual basis, too. Even if you usually don a business casual outfit, chances are, you'll probably dress up for your career-making pitch to the boardroom.
Basically, fashion's an ever-evolving, context-specific, and highly-personal thing.
But what accounts for the fact that many industries and companies have been slouching toward casualness since the 1970s?
To find out how — and why — workplace dress has transformed in this century, let's take a look back through time.
In the middle of the 20th century, many offices expected their employees to adhere to what modern workers would consider a formal look.
George Marks / Stringer / Getty Images
Source: The Atlantic, Psychology Today
Companies back then were more "process-oriented" than the "results-oriented" organizations of today, according to The Atlantic.
Three Lions / Stringer / Getty Images
Source: The Atlantic, Psychology Today
Results-oriented organizations care about... well, results. According to Psychology Today, process-oriented companies are "concerned with how that success occurs."
George Marks / Retrofile / Getty Images
Source: The Atlantic, Psychology Today
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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