National Clothesline

“Business casual” may be the dress code of the time, but many men prefer to out-dress the dress code, according to a survey by the NPD Group, a marketing information company.

Although only 10 percent of the men surveyed reported that their workplace requires tailored business attire, three out of five said they voluntarily choose to wear items considered tailored to work. Nearly half said they wear dress shirts and slacks to work, with one in five adding that they are wearing dress shirts more often this year than last.

The reasons? According to NPD’s Men’s Tailored Clothing and Workplace Attire report, the biggest reason is to “feel more professional”, followed by “special event/important meeting”, “like the image” and “like the style.”

“Men are dressing for success, but in a whole new way,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with The NPD Group. “Men are wearing shirts and ties and even jackets, but they’re mixing them with traditionally less formal khakis. When you look at what’s driving the trends in men’s tailored clothing, it is more about separates rather than the whole suit and ensemble,” said Cohen.

Only 16% of the men surveyed by NPD said they wear business suits or suit separates to work.

Is a growing preference for tailored clothing good news for drycleaners? Maybe, but consider this: 41 percent of the men said not having to dryclean clothes is “very important” in their buying decision. For older men, no drycleaning becomes more important; nearly half of those over age 45 ranking this attribute as “very important.” Thirty-eight percent of men age 55 and older said wrinkle-free fabrics are “very important” to them.

“The apparel market has responded to consumers’ needs by creating hybrid products for men - clothes that are a cross between dress and casual. Men want to look good, but they also want to be comfortable doing it. Manufacturers and retailers will continue to embrace this trend, since men have no intentions of giving up their khakis for a suit,” said Cohen.

The survey was administered to a nationally representative sample of over 700 men aged 18 and over selected from the NPD Online Panel. Those who were unemployed, retired or students were excluded as were panelists who indicated wearing a uniform to work.