From Bogotá boardrooms to Guadalajara living-rooms, a new dress code is emerging—rooted in comfort, craft and cultural authenticity.
1 · Hybrid Work Has Gone Mainstream—Now Culture Is Catching Up
According to Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index, 56 % of Latin-American millennials now work at least three days a week away from a traditional office. The shift has vaporized yesterday’s rigid “business casual” formulas and sparked a search for garments that transition—physically and socially—between video calls, coworking desks, street markets and family dinners.
2 · Soft-Tailoring & Social Signifiers
Trend forecaster WGSN labels 2025 the year of soft tailoring— unstructured jackets, draw-string waists, gender-neutral silhouettes. Yet the movement is about more than silhouettes; it is a social cue: “comfort without compromise” telegraphs confidence, ecological awareness and regional pride. Surveys from McKinsey’s State of Fashion 2025 report show that 67 % of Latin-American Gen Z consumers rank ‘cultural authenticity’ above logo prestige when choosing workwear.
3 · Craft over Commodity: Why Heritage Matters in a Zoom World
When meetings migrate online, clothing loses tactile context; viewers see texture and story instead of brand labels. Artisanal details— hand-loomed cotton, natural dye gradients, open-weave leather—become conversation starters. They also satisfy a growing appetite for traceability: a recent Nature study notes that 72 % of LATAM shoppers associate “hand-made” with environmental responsibility.
4 · Footwear at the Center of the Shift
Walkable cities such as Mexico City, Medellín and Buenos Aires mean hybrid workers often cover 8 000–10 000 steps between cafés, metro stations and client sites. Closed leather loafers trap heat; sneakers clash with linen suiting. Enter the huarache: open-weave construction for breathability, vegetable-tanned leather for polish, and flexible recycled-rubber soles for cobblestones or terrazzo floors.
5 · Beyond Fashion: A Social Statement
- Gender-fluid appeal » The huarache’s neutral profile sidesteps gendered dress norms, aligning with corporate DEI commitments.
- Sustainability » Wine cork soles and chrome-free tanning answer employee demand for verifiable eco action, not just slogans.
- Local economy » Each pair sustains craft clusters in Sahuayo Michoacán , keeping cultural capital inside the region.
6 · The Espíritu Take
At ESPÍRITU we see Nomad Workwear as more than a trend—it is a rebalancing of work and life through cultural roots. Our Huaraches are hand-woven in small batches, finished with adaptable footbeds and breathable cuts that feel board-room ready on camera, yet slide off easily when your office becomes a terrace at sunset. In other words they embody what hybrid fashion should be: light on the planet, respectful of craft, and effortless between contexts.
Resources & Further Reading
• Microsoft Work Trend Index 2025
• WGSN Soft Tailoring Forecast S/S 25
• McKinsey × BoF State of Fashion 2025
• Nature Sustainability: Consumer Behaviour in Fashion 2024
