For those lucky enough to not be chronically online, you may be surprised to learn that officewear is having quite the moment. The so-called “Office Siren Aesthetic” has gained a foothold mostly among people with little-to-no corporate experience. (That certainly makes it much easier to romanticise.) Think geek-chic glasses, undone button-ups that highlight lots of cleavage, and skintight pencil skirts – basically Gisele Bündchen in The Devil Wears Prada. This NSFW look may earn a slap on the wrist from HR in real life, but in fashion, anything goes.
The VIP attendees at Dior’s autumn/winter 2024 show in Paris proved that, amongst the non-9-to-5 crowd, businesswear is here to stay. Longtime friend of Dior Jennifer Lawrence was a reliable front row attendee. The Oscar winner opted for a three-piece suit, wearing a plunging gray vest, sans shirt, which showed off her décolleté, cuffed cigarette pants and a blazer. She even wore work-friendly shoe – a pair of black, pointed-toed pumps – with sheer black tights.
Jennifer Lawrence wasn’t the only one seemingly about to clock in. Natalie Portman channeled her inner Jackie, donning a multicoloured mélange skirt suit over a black turtleneck, which she accessorised with black pumps. She updated the businesswear look with a short, thigh-skimming skirt, a vampy red lip, and a pair of tortoiseshell sunnies.
Maisie Williams took a page out of Lawrence’s book. The actor, who plays Christian Dior’s younger sister, Catherine, in The New Look, also went for a plunging neckline. Williams wore a grey skirt suit – consisting of a double breasted blazer and midi pencil skirt – which she accessorised with a Dior saddlebag.
Jennifer Lawrence at Dior.
Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Getty Images
Maisie Williams at Dior.
Jacopo Raule/Getty Images
Other fashion-forward guests got the memo, too. Alexa Chung tried out power suiting in a cream-coloured two-piece, featuring a strong shoulder and cropped jacket. Kelly Rutherford also tapped in, wearing a white skirt-set (quite possibly the only look that would make it past HR) and Jeanne Damas tested out the partially unbuttoned top, which she paired with a pleated black midi skirt.
While these looks may not fly in the office, the front row guests at Dior are inspiring us to reconsider how we wear our work clothes off the clock. Perhaps that means taking them from day to night, or even just finding a new purpose for your all of your button-downs and slacks outside of the office.
