The 'office siren' fashion trend is spicing up workwear with sexy looks

The "office siren" aesthetic serves up a mix of basics and bold accessories. Photo: AFP

The dress code has changed again! The pandemic has not only shaken up the ways of the workplace, but it has also changed the way employees dress. And that's no mean feat, given the trends that followed the end of the various lockdowns.

These were ever more casual, to the point of banishing – if not relegating to the back of the closet – men's suits, tailoring, heels, ties and other garments previously assigned to the formal domain.

Comfort took the place of elegance, much to the delight of many workers, but the situation could change in 2024, with the return of some of the great officewear classics.

Rest assured, we're not talking about a return to a pre-pandemic dress code, but about spicing up these styles to make the professional wardrobe more glamorous than ever.

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This trend is taking shape under the name "office siren", which translates into a combination of serious, classic clothes matched with offbeat, if not more extravagant, accessories.

On social networks, especially TikTok, the aesthetic is directly associated with Bella Hadid – who seems to be a particular fan of rectangular glasses – but also with Serena (Gisele Bündchen), who has a cameo as one of the employees of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada.

It's all about spicing up office basics with sexier, more glamorous accessories, such as the famous rectangular glasses, oversized jewelry, hair accessories and bold makeup.

Already very popular on TikTok, where it has nearly 10 million views, the "office siren" aesthetic is – once again – rekindling the flame for 1990s and 2000s fashion.

On the Chinese platform, the fashion business student Asia Bieuville, one of the first users to spot the trend, evokes bold lips and nails, statement jewellery and, of course, Bayonetta glasses (precisely those worn by Gisele Bundchen in David Frankel's film).

This is all worn with more classic garments, from pants, skirts and dresses to various sweaters and cardigans.

Ankle boots and high socks can also be options, the fashion student says.

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"Everything she has is basic, but nothing she does is basic," explains Bieuville, who ultimately sets the tone for this trend.

Beyond the wardrobe choices, it's about allure, attitude and self-assertion. One example could be a classic turtleneck sweater, which the "office siren" doesn't wear like everyone else, preferring to leave her hair tucked inside the collar.

This trend is clearly in line with "quiet luxury", which is about discreetly embracing the luxury world without resorting to ostentatious bling and showy, easily identifiable logos.

The "office siren" aesthetic suggests that, despite the emergence of the "mob wife" look, the younger generations continue to nurture a taste for the basics and must-haves of two decades that dominate social networks: the 1990s and the Y2K years. – AFP Relaxnews