Forgotten office fashion trend is back — and this time it’s ‘sexy’

It’s known for being daggy, but young workers have made an old trend “sexy” – but be warned, there’s a fine line before it’s “inappropriate”.

Pencil skirts, stiletto pumps and collared blouses were once reserved for librarians, but the forgotten office outfit staple is having a resurgence, and this time its “sexy”.

Dubbed the “office siren,” the aesthetic is defined by neutral-coloured pieces — made visually interesting with structured, form-fitting silhouettes or texture — paired with bold yet simple jewellery and pops of red with a handbag or long, painted-on coffin nails, the New York Post reports.

“She’s ’90s and 2000s Calvin Klein archive, Dolce & Gabbana, and Ralph Lauren,” fashion student, Asia Bieuville, said in a TikTok describing the trend.

“Everything she has is basic, but nothing she does is basic. She’ll wear a high neck, but she’ll put her hair inside the collar.”

Pencil skirts, stiletto pumps and collared blouses were once reserved for librarians, but the look is now deemed ‘sexier’ than ever. Picture: TikTok/@asias.jpg

In this rendition of the workplace wardrobe, the previously daggy office uniform is swapped for sex appeal: A pencil skirt with a slit, an off-the-shoulder sweater, a sheer blouse.

The “office siren” might even wear ugly-yet-cool glasses, which have been brought back from the noughties grave and rebranded as “geek chic” or “librariancore”.

The nerdy specs, which dull the non-negotiable hotness of the wearer, have gone viral on TikTok and, subsequently, caused searches for the dated lenses to soar on popular resale site Depop, per British Vogue.

Modern fans of the look include Bella Hadid and Julia Fox who have both been spotted dressed head-to-toe in “office siren”.

Dubbed the ‘office vixen’ trend, Julia Fox is already a fan. Picture: Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Bella Hadid is seen rocking a staple of the popular noughties look, ‘sexy specs’ Picture: Backgrid

Paired with a bold, dark lip — hello, ’90s — the “sexy” style is both timelessly chic and mystically sultry.

“We’ve often been told that women have to adapt to masculine codes to be respected and admired in the corporate world, but I think there’s another, more sensual and stylish way,” Ms Bieuville told Who What Wear.

“The woman who represents this has ambition, likes to assume her sensuality and femininity, and doesn’t care about judgment.

“She proves herself through her actions. She’s Samantha Jones in ‘Sex and the City’: feminine, sexy and successful.”

Women who rock the look are apparently ‘feminine, sexy and successful’. Picture: TikTok/@asias.jpg

Be warned, there’s a fine line between ‘office siren’ and dressing ‘inappropriately’, Ms Bieuville said. Picture: Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP

Ms Bieuville pointed to recent runway collections — such as Miu Miu’s FW23, Gucci Ancora SS24 and Tom Ford SS24, designed by the brand’s new creative director Peter Hawking — for “office siren” inspiration.

But there’s a fine line — a few buttons or inches of skin — between the mysterious allure of the “office siren” and dressing “inappropriately”.

“The corporate side is still very much present, but [the office siren] lifts it all up with a play on materials, and in the end, it’s quite a subtle balance,” she explained.

This article originally appeared on The New York Post and has been reproduced here with permission

Originally published as Forgotten office fashion trend is back — and this time it’s ‘sexy’