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Miriam Lacey Speaks Out on Traditional Work Clothes and Productivity in FORTUNE


As companies call staff back to offices—at least part-time—some employees are fretting over what to wear. After two years of wearing pretty much whatever they want, donning uncomfortable workwear, like a suit, panty hose, or "hard pants," as they are often referred to on Twitter, is the last thing most Americans want to do according to an article in FORTUNE. Loungewear is best for deep thinking but not necessarily decision-making, argues Miriam Lacey, PhD, Pepperdine Graziadio Business School faculty member. “That’s why management retreats have become popular over the last 30 years,” she explains. “The managers all go off to a resort or hotel somewhere, where they’re in a bubble, and they can dress down.” But Lacey still believes that professional clothes are essential at work. “A bit of formality goes a long way because formality provides authority,” she says. “How you appear is connected to how your ideas are received. It affects your credibility.” 

The full article is available at FORTUNE.