Silicon Valley Culture is Killing Formal Business Attire

The Silicon Valley trend for casual business attire has crossed over into mainstream British business culture, according to new research by web hosting provider 34SP.com. Compared to non-digital professionals, those working in technology or digital sectors are nine times more likely to wear casual clothing to a meeting, the research found. An astounding 75 percent would even consider wearing flip flops, jeans, trainers or a hoodie to a business function.

The study, conducted by hosting company 34SP.com, explored the office attire habits of over 1,000 business professionals to discover the differences between digital and non-digital workers. Tech savvy employees are paving the way for informal office-wear, with 84 per cent able to wear jeans in their workplace. Well over half (61%) of the non-digital people surveyed said they have had the opportunity to wear jeans to the office over the past three years, which nearly a quarter (23%) said wasn’t possible five years ago. More formal industries are now following suit.

While turning up to an important business meeting in a Metallica shirt is extremely unlikely, the majority (94%) are willing to soften their stance on formal business wear by dropping the tie, with 83 per cent of offices now taking up casual Friday.

Daniel Foster, technical director at 34SP.com, said: ”There is a stereotype about people working in technology or digital wearing informal clothing to work and business meetings, which our research has evidenced. However it is interesting that our research has discovered more formal industries are also taking a leaf out of the digital book and dressing down in the office, generally on Fridays. Clearly Silicon Valley culture is setting a precedent here. I believe creating a comfortable environment in an office encourages creativity, which is crucial in digital. Whether that be wearing jeans to work or having the radio playing in the background, in my experience employees tend to work more efficiently in relaxed surroundings.”

To find out more about 34SP.com and the survey data please visit: www.34sp.com/wordpress-website.

About 34SP.com
34SP.com is a top 20 hosting company that offers professional website hosting services for cost conscious web developers, online businesses and designers. The 34SP.com team of technical experts offers industry leading support and service coupled with a money back guarantee to ensure client satisfaction. Web hosting services offered include domain names, and UK Business hosting. The company is headquartered in central Manchester, England.