Well, Gen Zs entered the workforce, and everyone (over the age of 45) seems to be weighing in on one thing: Gen Z isn’t exactly obsessed with traditional office wear. They fully intend to sit at your table and rise through the ranks on the fast track, but the “we’re not doing that” attitude that put Gen Z on the map extends to stuffy workwear. Next gens are buying into comfort in the office, shucking the sartorial conventions of pencil skirts and stilettos.

But don’t take this to mean that Generation Z doesn’t have style. They certainly do, in fact, I’d argue they have a more utilitarian sense of style than their predecessors but their workwear is not relegated to pointless conventions. They view fashion directives through a critical lens. I teach in 95-degree weather, for instance. I don’t choose to wear shorts because I’m an “old school” elder millennial, but I would never begrudge those of my cohort who do. 

Elder millennials like me are now scratching our heads, wondering why we suffered through the early aughts in triple-ply rayon blends and status dressing. Things are fluid: Boomers and Gen Xers are trying to draw a firm line in the sand over the outdated decree of “no shorts in the workplace.” Spoiler alert: the weather is only getting hotter. Your great-grandchildren will wear shorts and performance wear to work.

The bottom line? The pandemic lockdown forever changed how next gens look at workwear. If it’s not really relevant, they aren’t doing it. And what was logical office wear for our predecessors –– skirts you can’t breathe in, heels that are so painful you can’t formulate a thought –– will be replaced by practical options that make ecological sense.