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What’s This About
Everyday dress has become more casual as more entertainment and work happen at home, and comfortable clothes have become the practical default for many men.
This article looks at the shift and what to wear, such as:
Why screen-based entertainment changed what counts as dressed up
Streaming, remote work and sportswear figures, with dates
Matching knitted sets and relaxed track trousers
Soft tailored trousers with stretch
Low-profile retro trainers
and many more!
The figures describe the US and show a trend, not a rule, so dress for the occasion in front of you.
Key Points
01Streaming made up 44.8% of US TV viewing in May 2025, according to Nielsen.
02In 2023, 35% of US employed people did some or all of their work at home on days they worked (BLS).
03McKinsey projects sportswear growth of about 6% a year from 2024 to 2029.
04Comfortable clothes look put together when they fit well and stay plain in colour.
Entertainment has always shaped what people wear, and in recent years more of it has moved into the home, onto phones, laptops and televisions.
Many men now move from a video call to a streaming session to a quick trip to the shops without changing clothes, and the line between “home” and “out” clothes has blurred.
Comfort-first dressing is a practical response to how people now live, work and watch, rather than a passing fad.
For the bigger picture of how menswear changes over time, see our explainer on the 7 Rs of fashion.
This article looks at the figures behind the shift and suggests a few comfortable clothes that still look put together.
How screen-based entertainment set the tone for comfort
A night out at the cinema, a club or a casino once came with a dress code, and dressing up belonged to the ritual.
Today a great deal of entertainment, from streaming series to video games, happens on a screen at home, where nobody checks what you are wearing.
Streamers and online creators often appear in hoodies, T-shirts and track trousers, and their audiences see that relaxed look as normal for an evening’s entertainment.
None of this proves that screens alone made clothes more casual, but it is one likely reason the everyday baseline has moved a notch towards comfort.
Special-occasion dressing still exists; the difference is that it is now saved for the occasions that ask for it.
The data behind the casual shift: work, screens and sportswear
A few clear changes in daily life help explain why comfortable clothes make sense to so many people.
In May 2025, streaming accounted for 44.8% of US television viewing, according to Nielsen, more than broadcast and cable combined for the first time.
Work has changed too.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in 2023, 35% of employed people did some or all of their work at home on the days they worked.
Among US employees whose jobs can be done remotely, Gallup reported in May 2026 that 52% work in a hybrid arrangement, 26% work fully remotely and 22% work on-site.
Sportswear has grown alongside these habits, and big sporting events such as the Australian Open keep sports clothing in view.
Social media also has fun with how sport and its clothes differ from one country to another, as in this reel:
Looking ahead, McKinsey projects that the sportswear market will grow by about 6% a year from 2024 to 2029, which fits the idea that wardrobes are becoming more comfort-first.
Snapshot of the shift
Scroll horizontally to see all columns →
| Indicator | Latest reading | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming share of US TV viewing (Nielsen, May 2025) | 44.8% | More entertainment happens at home, where relaxed clothes are the norm. |
| Remote-capable US employees (Gallup, May 2026) | 52% hybrid, 26% fully remote, 22% on-site | Days split between home and office make comfortable clothes more useful. |
| Employed people working at home on days worked (BLS, US, 2023) | 35% | A large share of workers already mix home and office routines. |
| Sportswear market growth outlook (McKinsey, 2024 to 2029) | About 6% a year | Brands keep investing in comfortable categories. |
These trends reinforce each other: more hours at home mean more hours in soft layers, and shops respond with better-looking casual clothes.
Casual clothes to add to your wardrobe
The aim is clothes that feel easy at home but still look tidy when you leave the house.
1. Matching knitted sets
Soft joggers with a matching sweatshirt or zip-up top work on the sofa, at the shops or on a flight.
Choose a plain, mid-weight cotton jersey or loopback fabric in navy, grey or olive, and make sure the joggers are tapered or straight rather than baggy at the ankle.
2. Relaxed track trousers
Straight or wide-leg track trousers feel as easy as pyjamas but look intentional with a fitted knit or an overshirt.
Wear: grey wide-leg track trousers, a navy merino crew-neck jumper and white leather trainers.
3. Soft tailored trousers with stretch
Trousers with an elastic or drawcord waist and a little stretch keep a clean line for a video meeting and stay comfortable through a day at a desk.
Wear: charcoal drawcord wool-blend trousers, a white Oxford shirt and brown suede loafers.
4. Low-profile retro trainers
Slim trainers such as the Adidas Samba suit jeans, chinos and relaxed trousers, keeping an outfit casual but put together.
Wear: dark straight-leg jeans, a grey sweatshirt and black and white low-profile trainers.
Sources
Nielsen, streaming reaches historic TV milestone (17 June 2025).
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey, 2023 results (27 June 2024).
Gallup, hybrid work indicator (figures as of May 2026, remote-capable employees only; accessed 7 October 2026).
McKinsey and Company, sportswear slowdown (8 April 2025).
Mandy Meyer’s focus at The VOU is men’s body-shape styling, garment fit and outfit proportions. Her coverage addresses the practical questions behind a wardrobe choice: how a jacket sits across the shoulders, how trousers fall and how different cuts change the silhouette a wearer wants to create.
Her subject areas include the triangle, inverted triangle, rectangle, oval, trapezoid, hourglass and diamond labels used in body-shape styling. These provide starting references for comparing visible proportions; they do not capture every body or prescribe one correct way to dress. The focus connects those observations with garment shape, construction, length and the relationship between the upper and lower parts of an outfit.
Mandy’s editorial coverage combines visual comparisons with fit checks for comfort and movement. Readers can consider whether a cut gives them the room they need, where clothing pulls or gathers and which changes might support their preferred look. The aim is to make menswear choices more understandable while keeping personal preferences and the wearer’s own styling goals central.