The Hindu Business Line : Smart casual at work

Today’s clothes double as office wear and evening wear — with the addition or removal
of an accessory. A ‘blingy’ shrug can transform sober office-wear into an outfit fit for the pub.

Sravanthi Challapalli

Aradhana, a marketing professional who recently turned 40, has been trying to “smart herself up”, especially as she has begun to travel frequently and wants to be more like her younger colleagues who only ever wear shirts and trousers. However, “a lifetime of wearing only Indian clothes” has left her hesitant about jumping into Western ones overnight, so she has made a beginning with Indo-Westerns — the kurtas are shorter bu t long enough for mental comfort, scarves and stoles replace the dupattas, and there is the occasional pair of trousers or a skirt. She is yet to adopt formal Western wear as everyday office-wear but is happy with the transition she has made.

Points out Neeti Chopra, Head (Marketing) of Trent Ltd, which owns and runs the Westside chain of stores: “The younger people getting into work now prefer Western-wear but this phenomenon is seen only in the metros. Office wear is largely Indian wear and in the South, saris are still the choice of apparel.” However, Indian wear itself has metamorphosed into something that’s a lot more innovative and experimental — the cuts are different, the colours are brighter and there are lycra churidars even, she says. “There are different ways in which people are personalising their wardrobe. The whole focus is on the look one puts forward, and this is not limited to women.”

Newfound masculinity

The much-celebrated metrosexuality has had its effects, but Supratim Choudhary, Head of Design, Indian Terrain, surprises one by saying the main lifestyle change this season is a “newfound masculinity” which tends to the classic and heritage-inspired, to the simple and proven things in menswear — Bengal-striped shirts, khakhi trousers, pinstripes, no prints.

“Men got a little tired of trying to imitate women — they are still groomed, the stubble and beard are not there, they’re not going to get untidy and bloke-ish — but the classic blues and whites are back in favour, as opposed to the purples,” he says, making the point, however, that metrosexuality got men to take care of themselves. Lisa Pinto, Brand Head of Bossini, a Hong Kong-based brand marketed in India by the Landmark group, agrees: “Pinks and purples are easing out very fast. Neutrals and solids such as whites, blacks, greys and shades of blue are in. The trend now is towards a very smart casual look.” Others, however, don’t believe that shades of peach and lilac are out. Zahid Sheikh, Chief of Marketing, Pantaloons, says, “It’s not just about metrosexual attitudes, it’s about the season — light colours are ideal for summer, for a hot country like ours.”

Says Shankar Suryanarayan, Vice-President (Marketing), Lifestyle, “Manufacturers and designers are incorporating more casual and comfort factors into normal office-wear. The collections are more stylised than usual. As Indian suppliers also supply marketers the world over, they are in touch with the latest. Most of the time, innovation in style/fabrics is done here.”

Choice of office-wear

According to him, people spend more than 80 per cent of their budget for clothes on office wear as it involves the entire spectrum of strict formals, semi-formals, casuals, evening casuals for official get-togethers and weekend dressing.

Office wear tends to be of two kinds — the strictly formal variety in sectors such as banking, law and hospitality; and the semi-formal or largely casual style in recent and emerging industries such as BPO, IT and advertising. Most retail stores that sell a range of apparel say they have something to suit all occasions and needs — casuals, formals, Indo-Western, mix and match, Indian wear for the mature woman, a range of denims, and accessories.

Manish Kelshikar, Design Head, Shoppers Stop, says even the “typical corporate guys” are ready for experimentation. The quality of fabric has assumed importance, with dobby and jacquards in small patterns being the preferred choices. The fundamental change is the insistence on slimmer fits among the 25-35-year-olds. “The lean look is very important; fitness has become very important,” he says. In the summer, linen and white shirts are the fabric and colour of choice. Unlike earlier, when trousers in dark colours such as black and dark brown were favoured, now a pair of mid-colour trousers is also being teamed with light-coloured shirts. “In the new-generation offices, denims are very popular, and many pair denims with casual shirts,” says Pantaloons’ Sheikh.

As for women’s office-wear, Shoppers’ Kelshikar says, it is borrowing from menswear to a large extent — the crispness and aggressiveness of menswear are combined with some typically feminine aspects. Ethnic work-wear for women is a significant category for Shoppers Stop. The colours are natural tones in browns, blues and the fabrics are from the formal-wear segment, he adds.

Malika Baruah, Head (Creative), Indus League, says women’s Western-wear in particular sees foil-printed voiles that add a little glamour to daywear. The silhouettes are off-the-ramp and A-line cuts in various lengths, paired with slim trousers in cotton and denim. Indus League also makes cotton vests, voile jackets and halter dresses for mix-and-match options.

Both Neeti of Westside and Lisa of Bossini make the point that today’s clothes double as office wear and evening wear — with the addition or removal of an accessory. A ‘blingy’ shrug can transform sober office-wear into an outfit fit for the pub. And even everyday wear has a lot of embroidery, gold and silver detail and metallic hues in it. Neeti says, “Staying with the trend is important. Even if it seems like bling, as it massifies, it creeps into the everyday routine. And people, while not wanting to stick out, want to stand out.”

Accessories such as jewellery, watches, shoes, belts, mobile phones and laptop cases also come under the scanner when one decides on their look. Tanishq has launched a collection of diamond jewellery called Everydays, where prices start at Rs 3,500. It’s also launching a collection of gold jewellery that can be worn on both Indian and Western clothes. “The trend is for smaller danglers. There’s more interest in white gold, rhodium plating, coloured gold, and a lot of solitaire buying, especially among the affluent women,” says Alpana Parida, Head (Marketing & Merchandising), Tanishq.

Malika Baruah of Indus League says matching accessories in terms of casual belts and bags are a big trend lately. Relaxed Fridays also sees a lot more sandals instead of shoes, especially during the summer months.

What’s the dress code?

With casual being here to stay, in most segments, what do the corporates themselves have to say about their dress codes? Uday Zokarkar, Chief Business Officer of Click Jobs, says all the employees need to do is dress decently. At his workplace, Mondays to Thursdays it’s semi-formal and Friday and Saturday, it’s smart casual. T-shirts and jeans are permitted if the employees are those who need not meet clients and customers. There are no strict definitions and no written dress codes except that the HR policy mentions that no shorts or “chappals” are to be worn to work, and no distinctions are made in the policy between men and women.

A spokesperson for the HR department of DQ Entertainment, a Hyderabad-based gaming art, animation and VFX company, says the company does not like to impose too many restrictions as it has a “very young and creative workforce.” Neat/smart casual dressing is encouraged. DQ itself gives out bright T-shirts for its employees to wear, “in keeping with the colourful cartoony world at DQ”. Speaking for the Bangalore-based solutions developer Aditi Technologies, Chetan L.S., Vice-President (People Department), says: “We allow employees to express their freedom in terms of attire as well as their office workspace. Our people work in shorts, T-shirts, and other casual attire.” Even the brainstorming sessions tend to be meetings conducted with people where they are most comfortable — sitting on the floor, perched on desks. Employees follow a formal dress code only when called for.

“At Aditi, we do a lot of R&D work and focus on high-end product engineering. Such work demands that people be at their creative and innovative best. When you get people on the right edge of the talent curve to work for you, they need to be given an environment that fosters similar traits. Being dressed comfortably and as per an individual’s choice is just a small step towards this,” he explains.

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