Soft suits and even tracksuits! Style experts want end to boring office dress code

Australian style stars are ditching traditional work wardrobes for racy new trends, that even include tracksuits and statement colours.

The days of the stiff, stuffy office dress code are over.

Style experts are calling for an end to the traditional corporate wardrobe, urging workers to push the fashion boundaries at their jobs.

Soft suiting, dressy tracksuits styled with heels, and pops of colour are replacing standard suits, ties and pencil skirts in previously traditional offices.

Celebrity stylist Fleur Egan – who was behind Delta Goodrem’s outfits on The Voice and also styles The Veronicas – said there had been a “shift in the boundaries between what’s acceptable and what’s not”.

“We’ve all been at home more, there’s been more time to look at what our personal style is and what we are wearing,” Ms Egan, an ambassador for Klarna, said.

Outfits only Hailey and Justin Bieber could pull off. Picture: Pierre Suu/GC Images

What dress code? Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber wore these outfits to a formal meeting in Paris, France. Picture: Pierre Suu/GC Images

The new office look! Michaela Lundberg wearing a Country Road blazer, knit and trousers to work. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

It came as a new study revealed 66 per cent of corporate workers want more freedom to express their personal style.

Eighty-five per cent said they are “more productive” when they are dressed comfortably, and nearly half said being able to express themselves at work would make them feel “more valued”.

The study was commissioned by Swedish fintech company Klarna – a shop now, pay later service.

It found 80 per cent of office staff buy and wear different clothes for work than they would wear outside the office – and they’re spending a lot of cash on their work wardrobes. More than 60 per cent said they spent $919 on office clothes per year, while 25 per cent said they spent more than $1000 and 6 per cent spent $3000 or more on workwear.

Women are the big spenders in the corporate fashion category, forking out an average of $984 per year on office clothes. Men spent $853 per year by comparison.

Millennials are the biggest spenders on corporate wardrobes, outlaying $1025 per year, while Generation X spent $813.

A key trend for the new corporate wardrobe was loose-fitting blazers and trousers in non-traditional fabrics, as seen on Hailey Bieber and Sofia Richie.

Klarna employee Michaela Lundberg at work in Sydney. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“It’s suiting with fabrics that are a lot lighter, like silk,” Ms Egan said.

This week, Bieber ignored the dress code and wore a revealing Laquan Smith dress to meet the French President. Her husband Justin Bieber also defied custom and wore a suit teamed with Air Jordan sneakers.

Bec & Bridge co-founder Bridget Yorston said there had been a spike demand for suits in “relaxed fabrics” for the Sydney-based label.

“You can dress them up with a boot or down with a sneaker. This season we’re opting for the sneaker,” Bec & Bridge co-founder Becky Cooper said.

A model wearing the new work uniform – a relaxed-fitting Bec & Bridge 'Skylar' jacket and trousers, teamed with sneakers. Picture: Bec & Bridge

Green with envy! A matching jacket and trousers from Bec & Bridge. Picture: Getty Images

A pop of colour on her shoes! Hailey Bieber is know for her boundary-pushing style. Picture: Rachpoot/ASTRO/MEGA/GC Images

‘Make a statement on top.’ Sofia Richie in a blazer. Picture: Getty Images

Relaxed suiting is also a trend for Aje – one of the brands available on Klarna. Aje creative director Edwina Forest describing it as a “major” look this season.

“A long-lined blazer with a structured shoulder, well-tailored suit and an oversized white shirt … can be adapted to suit any occasion,” Ms Forest said.

“We’re seeing this transpire through tonal suiting in soft and neutral hues, and added twists where an unconventional silhouette can breathe new life into an adored wardrobe staple.”

Aje creative director Adrian Norris said the brand was “continuing to grow the category” of laid-back blazers and trousers that could be dressed up or down.

A new season take on the traditional suit by Aje. Soft suiting is the new big trend in office attire after the death of the traditional workplace dress code. Picture: Aje

“Klarna is encouraging customers to shake it up post-pandemic and reconsider our style and the way we dress,” Mr Norris said.

And if a suit doesn’t suit your style, Ms Egan said tracksuit pants – yes, really – could also be worn in the post-corporate workplace.

“You’re seeing people wearing track pants with a blazer and kitten heel. It’s more done on the bottom half,” Ms Egan said.

“You might see pieces being cut in track-fabric that haven’t been before – like a blazer, it’s how we’re seeing the athleisure trend making its way into a corporate setting.”

HOW TO DRESS AT WORK

Style up your work wardrobe with these five tips:

* Buy investment pieces. “I am all about wearing things more than once,” Ms Egan said. “Invest in a blazer, designer trousers, something that you can mix up in lots of different ways.”

* Don’t be led by trends. “It’s about what you feel comfortable in,” she advised.

* Flatter yourself. “I know I look better in high-waisted, so I gravitate towards that sort of shape.”

* Make a statement on top or with your shoes. “You can team a top with something that’s a bit more classic on the bottom, whether it’s a pair of jeans or black trousers. When I style people, I start with a blouse and I team it with something that they feel more comfortable in.”

* Ask yourself this question. “Do I feel good in this? That’s how I lead with getting dressed every single day,” Ms Egan said.

Originally published as Soft suits and even tracksuits! Style experts want end to boring office dress code