Today, when men are assessing what to wear, the issue concerns the obligation to impose oneself to wear tight clothes or shoes to work. Life is changing fast, but the eternal matter to “look good” is becoming a more and a more acute question. In the past, the standards of men clothes were easy to decipher. From school to retirement, men were just wearing uniforms. So, what about life in 2023 ? Are the norms changing or, on the contrary, after a short relapse, does it make sense to expect a big comeback of formal clothes for life whatever the job ? We are enjoying daily the use of technology with a degree of performance and comfort never experienced before us.
Still, many people are fighting a high level of stress due to several difficulties to balance demanding working hours with time to relax. This transpires in the way we are wearing clothes. For example, according to the contexts of everyday life, a pair of Nike Air Max 90 Surplus sneakers can be perceived as “cool” or just functional. Still, in many companies, nobody would be upset by a lack of formality if someone is wearing sneakers at work.
How our idea of what to wear has evolved
If we consider the importance of what to wear regarding men not so long ago, we notice a strong tendency of separating the use from the time to show off. The apparition of dandyism in the 19th century allowed men to think about clothing as a pleasure and an opportunity to look better. Of course, it was not a movement followed by all men. Firstly because of the costs. Good looks came with a hefty investment in the attire. Especially in England, where the tailors became worldwide famous for the quality and elegance of their clothes. This is true still today, and it is only rivalled by Italians and French. Consequently, the choice is making it more difficult to know precisely what to wear.
The clothes are no longer associated with power. In the news, we can see leaders wearing a T-shirt. This kind of downsizing is a lure. In fact, a casual look might cost a lot more than a formal look. Why ? Because time is changing, especially due to technology. Today, the limelights are on the superstar of the high-tech. In general, they are young people, who are hard-working and spending hours in front of a computer. This is the picture we have of them. In reality, they are meeting and managing a lot of people. Before this rise of technology, men were expected to wear the nicest clothes when they were in the limelights. It was out of question not to wear a tie for a business meeting or when meeting a banker. Men were judged and assessed very rapidly, as are women according to their appearance. It is complex to give a full map of what is really happening at the same time you are describing changes, but it is accepted to say that a more casual look is more tolerated today. Still, the change does not seem to emerge for certain professions.