The idea of dress down Fridays is that office workers can come into work in jeans, trainers and other comfortable attire.
But in shared and serviced offices up and down the country dress down Friday represents a different challenge for many people.
Instead of thinking less about their choice of outfit at the end of the week when the rules are relaxed, office workers spend an extra 15 minutes choosing what to wear.
Fearne Cotton, a brand ambassador for Very.co.uk, said: “We’ve all been there, rummaging through drawers and trying to find the outfit that makes you look fabulous without looking like you’ve tried too hard.”
This is according to the findings of a survey carried out by Very.co.uk, with 50 per cent of respondents saying they spend extra money on their Friday outfits.
Other features of Fridays in the office have begun to include four-inch heels, miniskirts and party dresses as workers gear up for the weekend and start celebrating straight from the office.
The trend is not necessarily a good career move however, as 15 per cent of men reported having to pull a colleague aside to ask them to modify their Friday working outfits.
Further to this, one in five women said that they have talked about colleagues behind their backs due to their end of the week attire.
Julie Donnelly, head of womenswear buying at Very.co.uk said: “The pressure to look good in the office has never been more intense, and with 51 per cent of people claiming to go straight out from work on a Friday, day-to-night fashion like our latest range of party dresses, is proving increasingly popular.”
Ms Cotton went on to say that office workers can get around the problem by constructing a mix and match wardrobe containing items which can easily transform an outfit from a daytime look to an evening one.
Workers are reminded that although dress down Friday is designed to help them relax, the weekend does not start until 5pm and until then they should remain professional.
