In tune with the global trend of dressing down to work, the casual dress code seems to be working its way into Moscow businesses. Formal attire is increasingly reserved for employees with direct client contact.

Over a year ago, employees at the Moscow office of Unilever, an English and Dutch consumer-goods giant, were informed they could dress down: Business casual was in, to be followed by even more relaxed casual Fridays, a custom that had been a part of company policy for years.

For Unilever, it was an easy step to make, “We are not a bank, so things are easier for us this way, ” said Dina Isayeva of the human resources department at Unilever.

Few professions today sport the traditional business suit. Even in accounting, law and investment-banking firms — the last strongholds of crisp shirts and sharp dark suits — employees are in charge of their corporate image. Now they have the freedom to decide when it is appropriate to wear a business suit and when to go for a more relaxed look that might be more suitable if they are not meeting with an important client that day.

Why did this happen? An employee of a large Russian investment bank, asking not to be identified, said that seven years ago dress-code rules in the banking sector were much stricter, but there is greater flexibility now. “It’s a global tendency. People are becoming more cosmopolitan. They travel a lot to Europe and America, and when they return they share their observations: Nobody keeps to rigid dress standards any more.”

She said that in her company future employees are briefed on corporate dress standards, which include dark business suits for men and conservative elegant suits or a knee-length skirt and a blouse for women. In the summer, all female employees received an internal e-mail asking them not to ignore underwear and avoid see-through clothing. In the winter, everyone is requested to change shoes. Friday is a casual day, when jeans, T-shirts, jumpers and runners may be worn in the office. “A relaxed dress code doesn’t affect productivity but what you wear influences the opinions of other people about you,” she concludes.

It is less surprising to find a relaxed dress code in a computer company. According to Galina Karlina, a marketing coordinator at the Moscow office of InterSystems, an American software-development and database-management company, dress code doesn’t play a very significant role in her company. “Our office here is rather small, so it’s easier. When there are no visitors in the office, our engineers wear slacks and a shirt without a tie,” she said. “Women can wear trousers, a blouse, or a nice sweater. The basic rule is: our employees should look elegant, and their clothes must be clean and ironed. Our developers don’t dress up when they have visitors from other companies, but sales engineers keep an extra shirt and a business suit in the office in case of an unexpected business meeting. We are flexible.”

The same principle of flexibility holds true for PRP Group, a worldwide affiliate of British public-relations company Weber Shandwick. A public-relations manager often has to fit a formal meeting with a client in the morning, a press event in the afternoon and go carting with journalists in the same day. “Without question, our standards take into account that a PR manager has to work with different audiences and hold client meetings in venues ranging from banks to bowling alleys, cafes and so on, so every time the style of the manager has to correspond with the situation,” said Olga Akulova, an account director at the agency. “According to new corporate standards though, throughout the week, except Friday, which is casual, all PR managers at the company are required to wear business clothes.”

The Timberland clothing company encourages its employees to dress casually — and preferably using the company’s products. “Those employees who wear clothing produced by our company have more confidence, and they are more enthusiastic as sales people. For Timberland, it’s a part of teambuilding: Wearing the same clothing makes people feel a part of an international brand,” said Natasha Darnell, executive director of Timberland in Russia. Company employees dress casually for meetings with clients, partners and wholesalers, but a suit and a tie are a must for official meetings with banks or landlords.

One might expect that similar policies could be found in Japanese companies operating in Moscow. Many Japanese corporations supply their employees with uniforms, often sporting corporate logos — suits for men and a skirt and a suit jacket for women. “It’s a long-standing tradition in Japan, a tribute to [the corporate] family and spirit of their company,” said a Moscow-based Russian employee of Nissho Iwai, a leading Japanese trading corporation. “But it’s different in Moscow. You can wear your own clothes. In our company, for example, classic business wardrobe is preferred on Monday through Thursday, and everyone is free to wear casual clothes on Friday.”

Svetlana Kirichenko, executive-meeting manager at the Marriott-Tverskaya Hotel, is a supporter of traditional smart dress in the workplace — saying that business clothes help employees perform better: “When a person is dressed in a business suit, he shows respect for the client. As a result, it makes the client feel special. Business suits help you pull yourself together and get into a work mindset. When we are dressed in jeans and a jumper, we behave, walk and speak differently. Since we work with people, nice clothing is important.”