Western wear taking over ethnics as women corporate dressing

Formal dressing format are not ruling corporate world, it’s the era of power dressing and casual Fridays. With companies shifting gears towards open culture no attendance and informal attires, the focus is now on asserting one’s personal style than being a strict conformist. The non-casual or work wear segment, (attire that excludes ethnic wear and casual wear like jeans and t-shirt) is moving the fastest within the women fashion segment. E-commerce fashion startups such as Kaaryah, Limeroad and Fabel Steet are witnessing strong growth in the non-casual wear segment, as women take to personalised professional looks at the workplace.

Shifting gears in corporate dressing

In today’s workplace, it is style and comfort that is guiding wardrobe decisions for women. According to a Technopak study, appearance in the workplace matters and is considered a reflection of one’s personality and position. Stylish and better dressed employees are known to be taken more seriously as compared to badly dressed ones.

With increasing number of women in workforce, and growing economic independence, women’s westernwear is gaining traction within the fashion market. Experts say this trend is expected to continue as more women enter the workforce or aspire to follow the lifestyle of working women. Within working women, there is a clear trend indicating the growing acceptance of women’s dresses and western formalwear.

Unlike earlier, women are experimenting with their corporate looks. They are not opting for just ethnics as casual dressing is in board rooms too. According to behavioural scientists, while men have traditionally been accustomed to wearing casual outfits to work, owing to their inherent rebellious nature, women take to a more formal approach.

Personalisation at its best

Taking advantage of the unique taste of Indian women, Fable Street and Kaaryah offer clothes that are personalised to fit each customer’s choice including sleeve length. Today, personal branding at work is an aspect that women are looking at seriously. How one carries themselves play a big role at work. Tier II and III buyers constitute 45 per cent of total sales for Kaaryah. At LimeRoad, workwear looks have been one of the most favoured. Upto 50 per cent sellers on Limeroad are exclusive to the startup and have seen substantial response. When Queens, an exclusive western wear label launched their latest Autumn/Winter collection on LimeRoad in brighter hues as opposed to the conventional dark hues, it was a major success.

Fable Street, operates in the premium work wear segment for women, tailors shirts, tops and to suit the Indian woman’s physique. The price range being Rs 1,800 to Rs 3,500, the startup has clients from consultants, lawyers, B-school graduates and women from the banking industry in its kitty. According to the founders, there has been a shift from ethnic to Western in women’s corporate dressing. Even as the workplace culture is taking a casual drift, there are organisations which call for a more formal tone and this leads to the demand. MNCs and B-schools are engaging with the company to sensitise their employees and students on corporate work wear.