Image: AMC
Being permitted to dress casually for the office, even if it’s just for one day, is a bit of a treat.
Subbing out your slacks for your favourite jeans, or switching your structured blazer for a more relaxed-fit jacket, acts like a subtle precursor to the weekend: those 48 glorious hours of the week where you can wear whatever you want. Hot pants, track pants, no pants… it’s all good.
RELATED: What you do in the office during the day can determine whether you sleep well at night.
Obvious comfort benefits aside, Casual Friday (or casual whatever-day-of-the-week) might actually be doing you a disservice — at least, when it comes to how you approach your work.
New research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science has investigated the cognitive effects of wearing formal clothing — that is, the kind you’d usually wear to an interview or to an office job.
It’s no surprise that what we wear influences how we perceive ourselves; previous research has established this. When you dress real fancy, you feel real fancy. (Post continues after gallery.)
Characters who nail officewear
When you get home from work and pull on your favourite jumper and tights, there’s a good chance you feel immediately more relaxed. Maybe it’s just because you know it’s not a big deal if you spill spaghetti sauce on that particular ensemble.