Outfit ideas: office wear

Towards the end of 2024, major companies such as Amazon and Dell were making headlines — but not for the reasons you might think. They announced that employees would return to the office for five-days a week in the new year, and the move has workers everywhere clutching their houseshoes, kissing their elastic-wasit pants goodbye, and asking “Are we next?”.

Whether your employer is lassoing you back to the cushion of that Herman Miller desk chair for five or two days a week, or you made the New Year’s resolution to return on your own accord, the age-old fashion predicament remains the same: how does one dress to go to the office in ways that are exciting, thrilling, or at least personally on-brand?

You might’ve had your office outfits aced and logged into a spreadsheet in the 2010s, but that was an era so far gone that fashion is already nostalgically referencing it (feel old?). It’s 2025 now, and we’ve become so accustomed to trackpants that we forgot what the word ‘break’ means when discussing trousers and not meditation. Be sure to crunch the numbers on any company guidelines before attempting, but we hope these outfit ideas serve as a cheat sheet to help make your office return both smoother and more stylish.

Monday: Business looks cosy

A person with shoulder-length dark hair is holding a coffee cup and a brown bag, standing next to an office chair and a clock on a plain wall.

Okay let’s be realistic, it’s Monday and unless you’ve got an important meeting or a big presentation in your G-cal, then you’re keeping that power suit on standby. Remember, we’ve got four more days to go and the work week is a marathon, not a sprint. This look is what we call ‘le new business casual’ and it’s perfect for easing into the week with just the right balance of businesswear, cosiness and caffeine to keep you fresh and comfortable. It’s quite possibly the greatest example of our current fashion landscape, where streetwear and tailoring coexist together in harmony.

Shop the business casual edit

Tuesday: Bike to boardroom

A person standing in a black jacket and blue shirt is holding a white water bottle and a helmet, while papers are strewn across a grey carpet. A clock can be seen on the wall.

It goes without saying that what you wear to the office corresponds with how you arrive at the office, and for a large portion of workers out there, the bicycle is their chariot. If that’s you, then we once again recommend preserving the power suit look unless duty calls for it. While nothing looks cooler than a suit on a bicycle, it’s just not practical unless you’re blessedly resistant to perspiration, the suit was designed with athletics in mind, or you’re JFK Junior (bae).

Thankfully, there’s no shortage of stylish garments that support both the bicycle and the office chair. Firstly, opt for a weatherproof jacket in case of unfavourable weather conditions. After that, we suggest keeping things lightweight and breathable where possible — a button up shirt will do fine and try for fabrics with touch more stretch or give, infused with polyester or nylons.

Shop the bike to boardroom edit

Wednesday: Boss (à la) mode

A woman in a black suit stands in an office space, holding a black handbag. A clock is hanging on the wall, and the floor is covered with grey carpet.

Doesn’t fashion have a funny way of working? Not long after the need for offices died down, we saw a revival in classic officewear styles and suiting in general, notably through the trend known as Corpcore, but also led by superstar brands like Saint Laurent. While officewear’s trending status in fashion is done with the irony that these vintage modes of dress are imployed outside of the office, that’s not to say they can’t be a power move inside of company headquarters.

Whether it’s giving an important presentation or killing time by making your fifth coffee of the day — it doesn’t matter what you’re doing, it’ll always look more serious in a blazer. So button up and stand up straight when presenting those KPIs — it’s power suit time.

Shop the boss (à la) mode edit

Thursday: dress for the aperitivo you want, not the lunch you have

A young woman in a beige trench coat stands next to a water cooler, holding a folder and a handbag. A clock can be seen on the wall.

Off the back of the popularity of ’90s office aesthetics emerged the office siren, made famous by it-girl Bella Hadid, coined on TikTok by user Asia Bieuville (@asias.jpg) and hitting the runway thanks to Miu Miu. At its most explicit the look is NSFW, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still have a place in the office and outside of it once you’ve clocked off.

V-necks, sweaters and basically anything a librarian would wear in a cheesy 2000s movie will suffice. Taking the jumper off and wearing it over your shoulders is a nice trick, but pulling off a moody perfume and styling reading glasses you don’t need are the real challenge.

Shop the thirsty Thursday edit

Friday: ’Fits!

A woman in a striped blue shirt and black boots walks confidently in an office setting, with sticky notes and a clock on the wall.

Known by various monikers such as ‘Casual Friday’, ‘Dress-down Friday’ and ‘Casual Day’, since the ’90s Friday has been a day where workers may swap their suits, ties and businesswear for jeans, chinos and Hawaiian shirts. Although your workplace may no longer abide by strict dress codes and hoodies have become de rigeur, we still think this tradition should live on.

If not by Hawaiian shirts and jeans, then at least by loosening up and having even more fun with your outfit than you were throughout the first four days of the week. Don’t worry about screwing it up; it’s Friday after all, so who cares?