Clothes and Cars: Why Dress the Part?

A Mercedes-Benz S-Class press launch in Stuttgart once came with an etiquette test: Jürgen Hubbert, then head of passenger cars, reportedly walked up and asked, “Ver is your tie?”—a reminder that auto executives were expected to show up in coats and ties. The author says that style shift is now visible at launches, where hoodies, sweatpants and trucker caps have become standard for much of automotive media, especially influencer and vlogger crews. While casual wear has its place, the article argues today’s hyper-casual look can blur the line between high-end outlets and discount retailers, with price differences doing most of the separating.