Ralph Lauren triunfa con la moda de regreso a la oficina

The surge in remote work is reviving elegant fashion in the United States, benefiting brands like Ralph Lauren and Coach amid the decline of casual and fast fashion. Americans are returning to dressing elegantly just in time to revive classic American brands. Ralph Lauren and Tapestry have become the winners of the trend of returning to the office, as the rebound in formal wear in the United States arrives at the right moment for their recovery.

Last week, Ralph Lauren reported a 13% increase in revenue in its most recent quarter, thanks to strong growth in luxury product sales. Meanwhile, Coach, which makes up the majority of Tapestry's business, reported a 15% growth in sales on Thursday. A key factor in the recent success of these brands was the accelerated return to in-person work, according to Laurent Vasilescu, an analyst at BNP Paribas.

One more day in the office translates to a 20% change in wardrobe, where athletic pants are usually not worn, he said. In 2025, U.S. companies such as Amazon and JPMorgan announced mandatory returns to the office, raising the national average attendance to 9% between August 2024 and August 2025, according to the Flex Index. Ralph Lauren and Coach outperformed their competitors to capitalize on the boom in workwear: J Crew has struggled to implement a coherent strategy under private equity management, and comparable sales fell 8% last year.

Gap's stock has fallen 18% this year, partly due to a drop in Old Navy's dress sales. Before the pandemic, Ralph Lauren and Coach's sales growth had stalled for years. Ralph Lauren launched a strategic plan in 2018, drastically reducing discounts. By 2022, the brand had cut its discount apparel sales and exited hundreds of underperforming large stores.

Tapestry also began reducing discount inventory in 2020. Both brands doubled their marketing spend during the recovery period: Ralph Lauren went from close to 4% of revenue in 2018 to nearly 8% this year, and Tapestry to 10% of net sales between 2020 and 2025. The efforts took time to bear fruit. Sales growth was slow for both brands between 2020 and 2023, as Americans opted for informal work-from-home attire.

Athleisure and athletic apparel sales grew by more than 40% between 2020 and 2023, according to research firm Euromonitor. Formal clothing categories, such as suits, shirts, or evening gowns, have undoubtedly been affected, said Jeffrey Gennette, former Macy's CEO, in 2020. Five years later, Macy's announced a new message entirely different: We are starting a cycle of elegant clothing, CEO Tony Spring told investors in December, citing strong sales of custom-made clothing, dress shoes, and handbags.

In the first half of 2025, men's shoe sales in major U.S. and U.K. chains increased by 26%, while athletic shoe sales fell by 8%, according to research firm Edited. Survey data from GlobalData shows that 59% of Americans say they dress elegantly, up from 49% in 2022. Meanwhile, athletic apparel growth has slowed sharply to 7% between 2023 and 2025, according to Euromonitor.

Ralph Lauren and Coach's bets are paying off, as the trend of more elegant fashion is urging Americans to buy clothing still within reach of a public that cannot afford designer brands. According to Jessica Ramirez, a retail consultancy, both brands have found the formula for success: more affordable prices than designer brands and better quality than fast fashion.

Both brands say their biggest growth is among Generation Z. In addition to the return to the office, Americans are also dressing better by choice, influenced by inflation and a difficult labor market, Ramirez said. As the labor and economic situation becomes more complicated, people tend to dress better, she explained. With the job situation and economy getting worse, people take more care in how they present themselves at work or at an event.

This trend has extended to Americans' free time, where they wear less athletic apparel. Angel Valladares, 38, has been a fan of Coach for over a decade and is enthusiastic about seeing his peers wearing the brand more often. Nowadays, men strive to have good taste in fashion, Valladares commented. To Valladares, Coach is affordable yet retains quality, which is why many of his peers like it as well.

In a September investor conference, David Lauren, Ralph Lauren's executive son of the founder, described the brand as an inclusive luxury proposition present in its stores, restaurants, and cafes. People dress elegantly to become part of this world, he said. Indeed, Ralph Lauren has been fortunate enough to launch its restructuring plan just as consumers decided to dress well, noted Neil Saunders, GlobalData Retail's managing director.

The brand's efforts, dating back years, have paid off at a time when people are seeking their own style, just like Coach's, Saunders added. In a way, it's a happy coincidence.