Many of my friends in Asia, especially those in Singapore, are mainly still working from home — and most have fallen into a very casual routine. They are wearing jeans and T-shirts daily, occasionally jogging tracks, and sometimes even sporting days of stubble.
But one area of at-home-casual that has not been mentioned as much is the opportunity to get a little funky with your style.
Take this young banker friend of mine, who recently went to her hairdresser to have her hair dyed purple.
The subtle shade looks lovely against her otherwise dark hair, but my friend admitted she never could have pulled off the colour in her corporate job had she not been sequestered at home.
Another young lady I know told me a similar story. She works as a capital markets banker and had always wanted pink hair. Even her hairdresser told her no, informing her that she was too professional for such a loud colour. But in the pandemic world, anything goes, and she made the leap.
Same goes for a gentleman I know, who recently went in for a dye job. Granted, the colour he chose is much more natural, but I can see why he waited until the pandemic to try it out before going public.
Now, I don’t plan on changing up my silver fox look any time soon, but I do wonder if the post-pandemic world will unleash a whole new vibe into the corporate world.
Perhaps the next generation of bankers will be marketing deals with coloured hair, T-shirts and a hoodie, and going in for fist bumps instead of a firm handshake. All the makings for a traditional banking world that could transition into a fintech style environment.