More men these days are moving away from the dress-down look to more traditional work attire at the office, analysts and retailers say.

Driving the changes are the tight job market, a backlash over too-casual Fridays and Hollywood trendsetters. Sales of suits, ties and dress shirts are on the rise at men's clothing stores nationwide, good news after years of ho-hum sales and industry upheaval that forced some smaller shops out of business.

Men's Wearhouse Inc., the largest publicly traded U.S. specialty men's retailer, saw its April sales jump 13 percent, to $123.4 million compared with a year ago. The Houston-based chain cited the rebound in sales of business attire as part of its increased profits.

"Our clients are happy that people are dressing up again," said Stuart Silbert, general manager at the Custom Shop Clothiers in Birmingham, Mich., whose business caters mainly to executives. "I think they are a little more serious about their jobs. When you dress up, your performance level increases."

The more formal approach to men's clothing is spurred in part by a poor economy, said Marshall Cohen, an analyst with NPD Group, a market research firm in Port Washington, N.Y.

Job seekers are snapping up expensive suits to give themselves an edge over competitors and employees are bringing their wardrobes up a notch to ward against job cuts.

Andrew Schweibold of West Bloomfield, Mich., is counting on a conservative business ward-robe to impress bosses and clients at his summer internship at a New York investment banking firm. He spent $3,000 on six suits and nine custom shirts.

"You're in front of clients and you have to look sharp every day," said Schweibold as he shopped for a half-dozen ties at Brooks Brothers in Troy, Mich. "You get a different feeling when you walk in wearing a suit and tie versus waking up and throwing on the first slacks and shirt you can find."

Part of the shift from casual to dressy attire also may be due to a societal change, said Ellen Tolley, a spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation in Washington, D.C.

"We don't see a lot of grunge on TV anymore," Tolley said. "We see actors dressed up. It's cool to look dressed up compared to a few years ago when it was cool to have holes in your jeans."

National retailers have picked up on the trend. Gap Inc., the largest U.S. clothing retailer, and Hong Kong-based Tommy Hilfiger Corp. are expanding and updating men's suits and career wear. Even discounter Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, is including suits in its clothing line.

In Birmingham, Mich., retail analyst Ed Nakfoor is glad to see what he hopes is the demise of corporate casual.

"In theory it was a good idea, but I think the workers of America were given so much rope they hung themselves," said Nakfoor, referring to the faded T-shirts, dirty gym shoes, low-cut tops, stretch pants and faded jeans spotted at some workplaces.

But don't count business casual out.