OFFICE CHIC: LOVE OR LOATHE?

Wardrobe | Chat

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Wire-framed reading glasses at the ready...

Over the last few weeks, the internet, and fashion world, has seen the rise of the Office Core aesthetic.

I would argue that this isn't as new as it may seem. Blazers and tailored skirts have been popular, on and off, for a while. However, the direct focus on a corporate-appropriate style, and how to make it sexy and fashionable, is something that strikes me as distinctly unique for the beginning of 2024.

One huge factor for this shift seems to be iconography from films such as The Devil Wears Prada, which sees Gisele Bundchen's character 'Serena' sporting a catalogue of office-chic styles. Perhaps the inevitable turn to the past, that we see in every generation, helps to promote this office chic look. We frequently see fashion reference styles of the past. We had the 90s, then the early 2000s. Whilst the Devil Wears Prada still sits in the early 2000s time range, it's a more sophisticated take on the glitter pink and low waist jeans of the noughties.

However, I would argue that perhaps this office-chic trend popping up all over my social media is showing my age. Whilst I'm no where close to my thirties, my taste in fashion is entirely different now to that of my 18-year-old self. The influencers I follow are now older, and the media that I consume has grown with me. Even if I still follow the same influencers and watch the same vloggers now, as I did at 18, these influencers have also aged. This promotes an aging of fashion aesthetics, and aesthetics in general, that I will consume, as the people I look to for inspiration have aged and grown in much the same way that I have. Of course, across the board, office-chic styles seem to have taken over. However. I highly doubt that 18-year-olds today are rushing out to buy grey tailored skirts and blazers to wear to college. Although, those of us enjoying our early twenties, with the disposable income to afford more tailored clothing from slightly pricier stores, or even affording high-end luxury clothing from brands such as Miu Miu, are likely to see a rise of the office-chic fashion. People my age are also looking to enter into the world of work, and so what do we want? We want inspo for making our work outfits more fashionable. Hence the emergence of , and the turn to, 'office-chic'.

My top-'Office-Chic'-picks:

O Tailored trousers

O Thin glasses

O Court shoes

O Miu Miu SS24 collection

O Low waist skirts - particularly with a fitted top (not cropped)

O Belts

O Briefcases, Tote bags, Agendas, Planners, Laptop cases

O Outfits consisting of Greys and Brown tones

O Blazers

O Mini mal make up but full lips with a subtle gloss

O Slick back hair

My hot take:

I love 'office chic', honestly. I always appreciate a versatile trend as well, and this one has a few strands of possibilities. I could incorporate the style into a more chic-take on my work clothes, or I could utilise the aesthetic to make a more sophisticated wardrobe for myself. There are many examples of people taking the 'office-chic' aesthetic and running with it, truly making it individual to them. You don't need to reserve 'office chic' for the office, and so it can blend the lines between work and life. I also think that it creates a nice escapism for our standard 9 to 5's. Many of us use our clothing as a way to express ourselves, but when it comes to a workplace, fashion can provide a small sense of fun to the day, through picking which outfit you will wear today. However, many workplaces have strict dress codes, and so office-core provides a slightly more fashionable take on some of these stricter dress codes. Whilst those with a strict dress code probably won't be wearing mini skirts and mini crop tops to work anytime soon, they may be able to put a spin on the style. They could wear a tailored grey skirt with a pair of kitten heels, a satin blouse tucked into the skirt to take it in at the waist, and jazz up the outfit with accessories. It makes a classic office outfit into something a lot more high fashion, with just some simple tweaking.