Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day."I was a clothes addict, "he jokes." I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled." Today David wears casual clothes – khaki pants and sports shirt – to the office.He hardly ever wears a necktie."I'm working harder than ever," David says, "and I need to feel comfortable."
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work.In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual.In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday.This became known as "dress-down Friday" or "casual Friday." "What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing." said business consultant Maisly Jones.