Men’s suits have been officially banished from the basket of goods and services in the country that invented them.
The U.K. Office for National Statistics said on Monday that men’s suits are being removed from the calculation of its consumer inflation gauges, along with doughnuts and coal.
Products that are being added include meat-free sausages, canned pulses, sports bras, pet collars and antibacterial surface wipes.
COVID-19 and the work-from-home revolution ended up being the final nail in the coffin for what’s been a slow decline for men’s suits, as casual wear had begun to permeate the office environment even before the pandemic.
“The rise in homeworking has seen the demise of the suit from the consumer basket,” said a statement from the statistician.
Men’s suits were reportedly the outgrowth of the period after the Black Death, on the preferences that King Charles II had for his courtiers. London’s Savile Row to this day houses elite makers of suits.
The work-from-home experience also hit doughnut sales. The growth in vegetarianism and veganism led to the entry for canned beans, chickpeas, lentils and meat-free sausages.
Changes to the items and their associated item weights are introduced in the February index each year.