Baton Rouge clothing stores sell more casual clothing as work dress codes loosen

Through Caitie Burkes
July 20, 2021

Baton Rouge clothing stores have seen increased sales since the restrictions were lifted, and part of the reason may be due to pandemic lifestyles that cause customers to gain or lose weight and offices to relax dress codes.

It’s part of a larger national trend, Axes reports. The pandemic has changed many trends in retail and apparel, and we’re only beginning to understand what this means for businesses.

Post-pandemic, Bobby Berthelot, Managing Director of Perlis, says he and his team expected to serve more customers who had gained weight during the pandemic. However, they found that clients were evenly split between those who gained and lost weight. Either way, he said, both groups needed to restock their closets.

Higher sales of business casual wear are also noticeable as some employees continue to work from home and offices relax dress codes.

Sales of golf shirts and casual pants have been strong, Berthelot says, and he’s also seen a sharp decline in the number of customers buying ties. But while the trend is real, he says, customers haven’t completely given up on their sports suits and coats.

Blu Spero, which sells casual wear for women, saw the same, said Kyleigh Jackson of the store, who noticed more customers were coming to buy informal work clothes.

There has been a big call for a more casual style, says Will Aguirre, CEO of Fine Drapier Coaches. However, with more and more events such as weddings, he noticed that bespoke clothing came back in demand.

As the sales surge continues, clothing stores could run into a problem, like other industries, with shortages in the supply chain.

Perlis must have made too many promises to deliver too much, Berthelot says, and 50% of the time the product he’s trying to request is out of stock.

“We were fortunate enough to keep the store well stocked,” he says. “We had other options, but it’s a challenge. “

This story originally appeared in the July 16 edition of Daily report. To follow the affairs and politics of Baton Rouge, subscribe for free Daily report e-newsletter here.