The Weekend Read✨Hybrid Working: Striking The Right Balance Between Suits and Slippers

Hello!

Grab your coffee, get comfortable and let’s talk clothes. Not shopping for them (though we’ll get there), but what we wear for work now that the office is sometimes a Zoom screen, a hot-desk or your kitchen table.

Hybrid working has given us flexibility, freedom and the ability to get more laundry done between meetings than ever before. But it’s also raised some big questions about what we wear and what that says about us. From the pinstripe power suits of the 80s, dress-down Friday and now the hoodie and joggers generation, our work wardrobes tell a story.

So, let’s rewind a little, explore the psychology of relaxed dressing, look at some questionable stats, peek into the wardrobe of the hybrid worker and finish with some seriously stylish solutions.

The Evolution of Workwear: From Power Suits to Pyjama Bottoms

Picture the 1980s: power shoulders sharp enough to poke an eye out, super wide ties and skyscraper heels. This was the era of power dressing. Clothes weren’t just clothes, they were armour. If you wanted to be taken seriously, you wore something structured, strong and a little bit intimidating.

Fast forward to the 1990s and along came dress-down Friday. The idea created in Silicon Valley, was to loosen the tie, literally. Companies thought that maybe people will be more creative if their waistband isn’t cutting off circulation. Out went the stiff suits, in came chinos, polo shirts and those infamous corporate-logo fleeces.

By the 2000s, tech start-ups decided jeans, hoodies and trainers were perfectly acceptable boardroom attire thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and his famous grey t-shirts. Suddenly, dressing like you’d just rolled out of bed wasn’t sloppy, it was innovative, disruptive and very, very rich.

Then came 2020 and the world wide pandemic. The global work wardrobe collapsed into tracksuits and Zoom tops, the nice one you keep on the back of your chair just in case someone insists on cameras-on. Pyjama bottoms became the most worn garment of the year. Workwear had officially entered its most casual era ever.

Now, in 2025, we’ve landed in the messy middle ground of hybrid working. Some days we’re suited and booted, other days we’re in soft knits and trainers. The question is: what does this constant shift do to us?

The Psychology of Hybrid Dressing

Here’s the thing: what you wear affects how you feel, how you behave and how others see you. Psychologists call it enclothed cognition, the way clothing influences our mental processes.

The positive side of relaxed dressing is that you feel comfortable, more yourself, less distracted by stiff waistbands and pinching shoes. Creativity often thrives when we’re not bound by formality. That’s why so many hybrid workers say they’re more productive at home.

The negative side of relaxed dressing means comfort can quickly become complacency. Too many days in joggers and suddenly your brain thinks you’re permanently off-duty.

Fun fact: A 2022 survey found that 61% of people admitted to being less productive when working in loungewear. But surprisingly 74% said they felt more creative. So maybe we’re not slacking, we’re just innovating from the sofa.

There’s also the issue of perception. Clothes send messages whether we like it or not. Wear a sharp jacket on a video call and people assume you’re organised, confident, maybe even ready for promotion. Wear the same T-shirt three days in a row and your colleagues might wonder if you’ve forgotten what day it is. Which leads us to the language of clothes.

The Language of Clothes: What Your Wardrobe Says About You

Every outfit you put on is a conversation starter, whether spoken aloud or not. Clothes whisper or sometimes shout about your personality, mood, values and even your capability.

• A white or cream blouse says: “Trust me, I’ve got this.”
• A hoodie says: “I’m relaxed and approachable… or possibly just cold.”
• A neon pink jacket says: “I’ve entered the room and you will notice me.”

The question is, in hybrid working, are we sending the right messages? Imagine this scenario: You walk into a pitch meeting. The client sees you in joggers and a threadbare t-shirt. Subconsciously, they may think, If this is how they treat themselves, how will they treat my business?

Now, imagine the same meeting, same person, but in well-cut trousers, a vibrant blouse in your best seasonal colour and polished shoes. Suddenly the message is professional, reliable and worth their investment.

It’s not superficial, it’s psychology. Clothes change how others perceive you and crucially, how you perceive yourself. Would you trust a doctor in joggers and battered trainers?

Hybrid Workwear: The Pros and Cons

Hybrid working is here to stay. But how do we dress for a life that’s half in the office, half at home and sometimes on the school run in between?

Pros:

Flexibility: You can be polished for meetings and comfy for emails.

Self-expression: No rigid dress codes means more freedom to show your personality.

Cost-saving: Fewer dry-clean-only suits, more machine-washable clothes

Cons:

Confusion: What do I wear today? takes brain power you could spend on work.

Inconsistency: Colleagues never quite know which version of you will show up.

Slippage: Dressing too casually too often can blur the line between work mode and TV mode.

So what’s the solution? Well House of Colour is a great place to start.

Colour and Clothing Personalities: Your Hybrid Wardrobe Superpower

Here’s where it gets fun. At House of Colour, we know that wearing the right colours and shapes isn’t just about looking good, it’s about being seen the way you want to be seen. In a hybrid world, that’s priceless.

Seasonal Colour Solutions

• Spring: Bright, clear, warm colours like coral, turquoise and leaf green. These are perfect for Zoom calls if you want to look lively and approachable.
• Summer: Soft, cool and muted shades like dusty pink, lavender and French navy. These colours can be good for days when you want to feel calm, collected and quietly authoritative.
• Autumn: Rich, warm and earthy tones like rust, olive and mustard. These deeper tones in your palette can be great for home days when you still want to project grounded confidence.
• Winter: Vibrant, cool and high-contrast colours like fuchsia, emerald and electric blue. Your brighter shades will be perfect for making an impact in pitches and presentations.

Even if your bottom half is leggings, a well-chosen top in your seasonal colour can transform how others see you on screen.

Clothing Personalities

• Dramatics: Statement pieces, bold cuts with a modern edge can be perfect for days when you need to wow a client.
• Classics: Tailored, timeless and elegant pieces are essential for boardroom days, even if that boardroom is your spare room.
• Naturals: Relaxed, comfortable and effortlessly chic are your go-to for blending comfort with polish.
• Gamines: Quirky, playful and youthful clothes are great for sparking creativity and showing innovation.
• Ingenues: Detailed, delicate and feminine looks create a softer approach that still radiates professionalism.
• Romantics: Luxe fabrics, curved lines and a touch of glamour are ideal for making hybrid dressing feel indulgent and special.

The secret? Don’t abandon your personality just because you’re hybrid working. Instead, lean into it. Build a wardrobe that works with you.

The Changing Face of Uniforms

Now, let’s take a detour. What about jobs with uniforms?

Once upon a time, uniforms were rigid. Nurses wore stiff white aprons, flight attendants dressed in tightly tailored suits and police officers had to cope with heavy wool. Today, most have shifted towards function and comfort. Scrubs are softer, airline uniforms are more diverse and even delivery drivers often have performance fabrics that breathe and stretch.

The lesson? Even the most traditional professions are recognising that what we wear affects how we feel and perform. Hybrid workers can learn from this, that comfort and professionalism don’t have to be enemies.

Dressing for Success: Could Your Wardrobe Get You Promoted?

The short answer is yes.

Studies show that people dressed in more formal clothing are perceived as more competent and authoritative. One experiment found that negotiators wearing suits secured 9% more profitable deals than those in casual wear. That’s the difference between winning and losing a pitch.

So, when you next reach for joggers, ask yourself this: Is this outfit helping or hindering my goals?

A Task for the Week Ahead

Time to put the theory into action. Here's our Hybrid Wardrobe Challenge for you:

1. For the next week, plan your outfits the night before.
2. Choose tops in your seasonal colours, styled to match your clothing personality.
3. Notice how you feel. More confident? More productive?
4. Watch how others react. Do you get more compliments, more engagement and more respect?

By Friday, jot down your reflections. Did your clothes change your mindset? Did your hybrid work feel easier, more energised and more successful?

Final Thoughts: Your Hybrid Wardrobe Speaks Volumes

Hybrid working has blurred the lines between home and office, but your wardrobe can sharpen them again. Clothes are not frivolous, they’re powerful tools that affect how we think, feel and are perceived.

Whether you’re a jacket wearing Winter Classic, a cosy Autumn Natural, or a playful Spring Gamine, dressing with purpose is your secret weapon. So on Monday morning, when you reach for something to wear ask yourself what message do I want to send today? Because hybrid working might be flexible, but your style should still speak volumes.

Enjoy your weekend! In next week's The Weekend Read, we'll be talking about the colour black and it's transformation from mourning to mainstream and unravelling some of the myths about wearing black.

Best wishes,

Jenny & Judi xx

Click Here For Your Hybrid Working Wardrobe

Jenny Goldsmith

Celebrator of Individuality

Curator of Confidence

Tel: 07986 062460

e: jenny.goldsmith@houseofcolour.co.uk

w: www.houseofcolour.co.uk/jennygoldsmith

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