Working half-dressed becomes standard among comfort loving Finns as local retailer responds with telco-friendly collection
This spring working from home has become the new normal. As practically every work-related meeting takes place now in a virtual environment, a more relaxed dress code has become a norm – at least for the parts not exposed to camera during video calls. Finnish retail chain Prisma responded to this emerging trend by creating a special collection combining formal upper parts with less formal bottoms into striking outfits.
According to recent research, more than every fifth Finn has started working from home this spring due to the coronavirus outbreak. A massive change in our everyday lives has also had an unexpected, but natural impact on how we dress for work nowadays. As the originators of the phenomenon ‘kalsarikännit’ - getting drunk at home in your underwear, Finns have taken full advantage of the situation where it is totally acceptable to participate in business meetings wearing hawaii shorts or yoga pants.
Päivi Hole, the Vice President of Sport and Apparel from Prisma, explains: “The change in clothing trends was quickly noticed as sales of homewear started to rocket soon after the Finnish government put restrictions into action. Aim of the campaign was to remind people to stay creative and go a bit goofy once in a while in the midst of these difficult times as well - because that’s the spirit we Finnish people are known for”.
Prisma also wanted to create conversation around the phenomenon so they challenged Finns to share their best remote-working outfits in social media. In addition to social media, the conversation around remote-working has been busy in traditional media too. Short while ago for example Twitter announced that their employees can continue working from home even after the pandemic. The same trend will most likely be seen in Finland too.
“If the predictions about remote-working becoming the new normal are right it will surely have a permanent effect on how people dress for work. Let it be a suit jacket that goes with your college pants or vice versa, we deliver Finns whatever they want to wear - even the oddest combinations. Maybe these goofy outfits will be the new phenomenon Finns are known for around the world”, continues Hole.
