While “business casual” was the big workplace fashion trend in the 1990s, now the pendulum is swinging back to more conservative attire, according to employment analysts interviewed by the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA).

An increasing number of firms nationwide are instigating more stringent dress codes. Retail giant Target Corp. last September informed it employees that it will end its “business casual” dress code for its 5,000 corporate office workers.

Another reason for stricter dress codes: employees simply need the guidance. Managers have discovered that leaving dress decisions open to interpretation is too risky, and so are now implementing tougher dress codes.

According to a new survey by OfficeTeam, over 80 percent of 972 surveyed professionals said a person's work attire affects his/her professional image.

Another survey found that 69 percent of surveyed employees said they would react favorably if their companies required more professional work-place attire.

The survey also reported that 70 percent of executives said that workplace dress affects an employee's productivity, while 63 percent said that wearing more professional clothing makes employees advance faster in their careers.