The surprising reason Steve Jobs is inspiring Gen Z  to wear uniforms at work

For many people, wearing a uniform could seem like the death of one’s soul, but for others, it’s a way to stay sane. After all, it worked for Steve Jobs. Gen Z is turning to the Apple entrepreneur for inspiration as they dress for the workplace, adopting a “uniform” of sorts not just to avoid decision fatigue, but to keep their jobs.

According to Fortune and MSN, “six in 10 employers admitted to firing Gen Z workers just months after hiring them. The bosses in question cited young workers’ inappropriate fashion choices as one of the key reasons for their sacking.” Other reasons included regular lateness and office-inappropriate language, Fortuneshares.

Why did Steve Jobs wear the same outfit every day?

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Where many millennials came of age with internships that taught them the ins-and-outs of office appropriateness, clothing included, many Gen Z individuals never had the opportunity–for some, their “internship years,” so to speak, were swallowed by the pandemic, wherein they not only worked from home but could wear whatever they wanted. Some also began following fashion trends espoused by TikTok but not necessarily by HR, like the “office siren,” which blends traditional office-wear with a sexier nightclub aesthetic, or “corpcore” which stylizes traditional corporate workwear with high-fashion details (oversize, slits), both of which aren’t always office-friendly.

The result has been, as some Gen Zs maneuver the workforce now, what feels to employers like a certain lack of experience that leads to that aforementioned 60% firing rate. This could spread to future generations, too. “After experiencing a raft of problems with young new hires, one in six bosses say they’re hesitant to hire recent college grads again,” Fortune shared in another story. “Meanwhile, one in seven bosses have admitted that they may avoid hiring them altogether next year.”

What does Gen Z wear to the office?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Gen Z’s relationship with work has led to a debate in recent years over office attire. The appropriateness of crop tops at the office, for example, became an entire article in The New York Times. But this exists as part of a larger conversation about office attire’s role in the lives of young people alongside low hiring rates, inflation, clothing sustainability, remote work, and work-life balance. If a person isn’t making a lot of money, clothing is expensive and doesn't last, and if that person is only working in an office three days a week, should they be expected to invest in an entirely new wardrobe? Some say yes, others say no, some say it depends on the nature of the job, and others choose to avoid the conversation entirely with an office uniform.

In the current economic climate, being without a job is hardly an option, so many Gen Z workers are choosing to avoid confrontation over office dress codes and are simply leaning into the simplicity of a regular ensemble in simple cuts and colors. So for some, yes, that might be Steve Jobs’ black turtleneck—and for some it is—and for others it’s slacks and a dress shirt.

“With layoff fears and economic uncertainty looming, it’s not uncommon for individuals to gravitate toward structure and routine for comfort,” career coach Amanda Augustine toldFortune, as MSN shares. “By developing a consistent morning routine—including a standard ‘work uniform’—young professionals are finding ways to feel more in control of their careers, even when other elements may feel uncertain.”

Steve Jobs in his traditional work ensemble.commons.wikimedia.org