By Grant Bailey // SWNS
Only one in five US workplaces now enforce a smart dress code.
A study has found that half of workers follow a casual or smart casual dress code at work, allowing for jeans and other dress-down items in the office.
And 23 percent consider the rules at their place of work to be ‘mostly smart’, making allowance for casual touches.
As a result, 81 percent believe workplace attire has become more casual across the board in the last decade.
Twenty percent of those surveyed said their workplace is insistent on a smart dress code, and five percent said they are required to wear a specific uniform.
The findings were uncovered as part of a larger study into the prominence of denim across the globe, both at home and in the workplace.
A spokesperson for global fashion search platform Lyst, which commissioned the study to support their comprehensive assessment of denim in 2019 – ‘The Denim Report’ – said: “As work hours have increased and the ‘always on’ culture has come to prominence thanks to developments in tech and connectivity, the lines between our work lives and our home lives have blurred.
“This meeting of worlds is reflected in our expected work dress codes.
“Work is no longer siloed off from the rest of our lives, and therefore it is right that the rules around dress codes in the workplace have become more relaxed.
“Jeans are synonymous with style, practicality and comfort, and have successfully bridged this gap between casual wear and workwear.”
Eighty four percent of the 2,000 adults surveyed believe their jeans are a key component of their style, owning nine pairs on average – four of which they regularly wear.
And one in 12 live in their denim every day.
Such a popular item of clothing requires regular washing, with the average ‘favorite’ pair of jeans seeing the wash 20 times a year, or once every 18 days.
But one in nine adults admit their go-to jeans will only see the wash once a year.
Despite their position as an indispensable item of clothing, only seven in 10 of those surveyed believe they have ever owned a pair of jeans which was ‘perfect’ for them with regards to fit, style and wash.
The ‘perfect’ jeans have a straight leg, a light wash finish, and cost $79, according to denim-clad Americans. The most popular fit for jeans is the straight leg look, with over a third opting for the classic style.
Over a third prefer a slim leg profile in their jeans, and one in four take the silhouette even closer with skinny-fit jeans.
Other popular fits include the bootcut look, which resonated with 27 percent of Americans, and high-rise jeans, which were the preferred style for one in seven shoppers.
The research, conducted by OnePoll.com, also explored the extent to which denim has infiltrated our wardrobes beyond jeans ownership.
The most popular denim product after jeans is the denim jacket, which hangs in half of all wardrobes across the country. Two in five Americans own a denim shirt, and one in four have a denim skirt in their clothes drawer.
A spokesperson for global fashion search platform Lyst, which commissioned the study to support their comprehensive assessment of denim in 2019 – ‘the Denim Report’ – added: “Jeans have become so indispensable an item that millions of Americans are wearing a pair every day of the week, at work and at home.
“That’s why we thought it would be fascinating to take a deep look into denim trends, culture and significance in 2019, using global fashion search data and consumer opinion to build a comprehensive assessment of denim today.”
Read ‘The Denim Report’ here: www.lyst.com/denim-report
TOP 10 MOST ICONIC DENIM MOMENTS
1. Daisy Duke in her 'Daisy Dukes' - ‘The Dukes of Hazard’
2. James Dean - Levi blue jeans
3. Jennifer Lopez - Denim boots
4. Elvis - Denim style
5. Brooke Shields - Calvin Klein ad
6. Princess Diana - Denim overalls
7. Britney & Justin - Denim Date at 2001 American Music Awards
8. Bruce Springsteen - ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ album cover
9. Cindy Crawford - Denim shorts
10. Pamela Anderson - Double denim
