A recent look at the trends of dress codes in business has showed a huge reduction in strictness, many bosses looking toward smart casual as the benchmark for appropriate work wear.

A receptionist in the UK was sent home recently for not wearing high heels to work, which reignited the often visited topic of dress codes and how they differ for men and women. An online petition has now reached over 100,000 to make it illegal for women to be forced to wear high heels in the UK, showing just how much people agree with the receptionist when she says the dress code is discriminatory and unnecessary.

Particularly in retail work in Australia, it seems dress codes are becoming more and more relaxed. The head designer of iconic Australian label Cue says she’s noticed less women looking for heels to wear to work, prioritising comfort yet still trying to maintain a level of smartness in their dress. This seems to reflect the movement of society and influx of younger people in the workplace.

Other than high end law firms and finance firms, which don’t seem to be keeping up with the changing style of work wear, it seems overall people are much more chilled on what they wear to work – not so focused on looking smart as feeling as comfortable as possible to get the best work done.