As a result of the epidemic, more and more people throughout the globe have been compelled to remain inside in recent weeks.
As a consequence, we've been spending a lot more time at home, and our social life has come to a grinding stop.
Consequently, our daily routines have shifted, which is quite natural; we moved from traveling to the workplace every day to working from the comfort of our own homes. We used to go out to eat at restaurants a couple of times a week, but now we can't since there isn't anywhere open.
As a direct result of these lifestyle changes, our wearing patterns will have changed, maybe without us even realizing it.
For most of us, smart casual or business casual would have been our go-to dress code for the workplace daily. But even if you are working from the comfort of your own home, you will need to wake up in the morning and dress for the typical professional day.
Perhaps at first, but if you're anything like me, after a few weeks of working from home, the novelty wears off and it becomes a lot more casual environment.
The star of the lockdown ensemble.
Since working from home, our outfit has naturally shifted from formal to more informal, and cropped sweatpants have emerged as a particular standout star of the lockdown wardrobe. (See the previous post for more on cropped sweatpants.)
YES, cropped sweatpants, formerly a weekend-only item that you would only wear to the grocery store on Sunday mornings, have now become a staple of your everyday wardrobe. But why has this occurred, and why have cropped sweatpants become so popular? In a nutshell, the reasons are as follows:
- Comfortable
- Convenient
- Multi-functional
- Simple to put on and take off
All of these characteristics are nothing new to us, let's be honest, they are the very reason we purchase cropped sweatpants in the first place.
But I'm willing to wager that no one could have predicted that these would become the worldwide work uniform for all of us at the start of the epidemic.
But, when you stop and think about it, it makes sense. After all, why would we get out of bed every morning and put on a suit or something similar to sit in front of a computer? Although there is the caveat that certain meetings and other events held through video conference would need a more professional wardrobe, it is quite improbable that any of us will spend our whole day in front of a video camera.
Consequently, it makes perfect sense to carry out our daily job tasks in an environment that we are comfortable in since this has been shown to enhance productivity in the past.
Is there a negative aspect to this?
Are there any negative consequences to working from home in less formal attire? We may believe this because it helps us feel more comfortable and enables us to concentrate better on our tasks.
However, there is a counter-argument that being overly comfy might interfere with our ability to concentrate and be more productive.
Let's be honest, how many of us began working from home by sitting at a desk as if we were in the office, only to find ourselves completing the same chores from the comfort of our couches or even our beds a week or two later?
Some people feel that this is directly related to our favorite cropped sweatpants, which are now trending. So our much-loved everyday apparel may be harming our job productivity.
One school of thought is that being overly comfortable may lead to us adopting more comfortable and laid-back working postures, which can reduce the amount of work we do.
Tip: If you want something a bit more up market that does not say "Given up" then take a look at Alex Mill
Is it possible that sweatpants are to blame?
Untrue, we cannot attribute a change in behavior to a change in clothing; if this were true, we would desire to play baseball every time we put on a hat.
Nonetheless, there is some validity in the statement that a change in environment may create a behavior change, and being compelled to remain away from the workplace would force us to adapt to our home environment, where we would naturally feel more comfortable since, after all, it is our home.
Summary
To summarise this whole argument, we cannot blame cropped sweatpants for taking a different approach to our working day; rather, we should express gratitude to them for providing a consistent source of comfort throughout this difficult period. They have been with us daily through these challenging times.
On the contrary, we should stock up on cropped sweatpants now since we never know what the future will bring for us and the world of work, and we never know when we will be forced to adjust to a new daily routine for the first time.