Voluntary dress adoption raised clothing’s value as a status signal

Evidence

While retailers had long anchored their businesses around women’s seemingly insatiable interest in fashion, the early 2010s saw a surprising surge in menswear sales, even without a formal return to uniforms or dress codes. Dressing up remained voluntary, which gave clothing new significance as a marker of sophistication. … This shift came after the collapse of spending on physical media. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 398