In 1986, Levi Strauss & Co. launched Dockers khakis, which revolutionized business attire. Young professionals adopted khakis as their pant of choice, leading the charge in making casual wear appropriate attire for the workplace. This event marked a significant shift in workplace dress codes and reflected the broader trend toward casualization in American culture.

The rise of Dockers and casual office attire coincided with the emergence of 'Generation X' literature and poetry, which often explored the alienation and disillusionment of corporate life. The khaki pant became a symbol of the white-collar worker, a figure that poets like David Wojahn and Mark Doty have examined in their work. The casualization of the workplace also reflected broader cultural shifts that poets have chronicled in their critiques of consumerism and conformity.