Shifting climate conditions drive changes in workplace dress codes and garment regulations

Rising global temperatures and sustainability goals continue to reshape workplace norms and regulatory approaches to apparel.

In Japan, persistent high temperatures in urban centres like Tokyo have led employers to ease strict corporate dress codes, urging staff to abandon traditional business suits and leather footwear in favour of lighter, heat-appropriate attire to prevent heat-related illness.

Concurrently, European regulatory initiatives addressing textile waste encounter structural limitations. In the Netherlands, extended producer responsibility legislation intended to force clothing manufacturers toward circularity has struggled to reduce fast-fashion volumes. Critics highlight that low statutory fees—amounting to only a few cents per garment—permit producers to meet compliance requirements without meaningfully overhauling production models or improving overall sustainability.

Sources: NOS (Nederlandse Omroep Stichting), NRC