REMEMBER HEELS IN HANDBAGS?
The evolution of office style and how to pitch it right for 2025
Words
JO ELVIN
What on earth was I thinking? Why did I spend virtually every working day of my 30s struggling about in sky high heels? I’d wear them with everything: suits, tight pencil skirts, jeans, you name it. I’d run for the train in them. I’d stomp the cobbled streets of Paris in them at fashion shows. I’d join the M&S lunchtime queue in them. And no cheeky flat shoes snuck in the handbag for me, oh no. That, I reasoned, was for wimps.
What can I say, it was the noughties. I was also the editor of a fashion magazine, so I was expected to ‘look the part’. I was younger, so my back and knees sucked up as much agony as my fashion lunacy could dish out. It was also just ‘the done thing’. So I did it, unquestioningly, day in and day out. For years.
It’s kind of weird to think now that there are whole generations of workers with no concept of what we put ourselves through all in the name of looking ‘office-appropriate’. Thank god, ‘work chic’ means something very different now. It’s far more relaxed and forgiving, but I’ll be honest – I needed a minute to get on board.
It was around 2013-14, when fashion took a sharp handbrake turn. The days of ‘normcore’ were upon us and suddenly everyone decided that looking polished just looked… naff. The unlikely style icons of this new age were the likes of Apple founder Steve Jobs and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, in their perfunctory uniform of dad jeans and casual tops. Suddenly, if you really had gravitas you could show up to work in a grey marl tee or denim. I was thrown. We Gen X-ers had spent our entire lives until that point believing that trainers were for the gym and the gym alone. Trackpants? Shudder – the very hallmark of a sloven who’d given up on life. Reader, it took great courage for me to brave my first pair of Adidas in the boardroom. I felt positively anarchic when, in 2015, I dared to wear them to take my front row seat at a Chanel show.
Of course, like everyone else, I soon got comfortable with the idea of actually being comfortable for a working day. It was the dawn of a whole new age that simply made more and more sense – why had I believed I must torture myself to do my job? By the time we were all plunged into the WFH age, and only seen from the waist up, we all slid into a silent agreement to abandon any pretence of even trying to look professional.
But what happens now, in our post-pandemic era? When the world has become so casual about workwear, how do you curate a wardrobe that glides between office meetings and those still at your kitchen table? What is the vibe even supposed to be now? Is ‘too casual’ a thing? Does looking like you cared enough to iron mark you out as the company relic? It turns out having no rulebook anymore can be a tad confusing. The lines are so thoroughly blurred, I wonder if that’s why apparently Gen Z are increasingly in favour of bringing a stiff, more corporate aesthetic back to the office.
Well my body, for one, votes a hard ‘no’ to that. Down with crippling heels and rib-crushing dresses. The secret to the perfect work wardrobe, 2025 style? Think subtle but significant details. So yes, carry on breathing easy in your trackpants – just make sure they flaunt a tailored detail or two. My go-to formula is to pair them with something dressier on top: a loose but still tailored blazer, or a pretty, fancy shirt, probably in silk. In fact, fabrics are key to pulling off this high-low look. The most comfortable trouser shapes, like a barrel leg for instance, are instantly elevated when showcased in a luxe material, like butter-soft leather or merino wool. We’re never ever giving up our trainers for 24/7-wear, but I find they make sense for work when paired with more polished pieces like a (slouchy), tailored suit. A mini pile-on of necklaces generally adds a final flourish of ‘office-ready’ for good measure.
Look for the design twists on your lounge-inspired basics and the result whispers that yes, you did put some effort into this effortlessness. But not too much.
JO'S OFFICE-READY PICKS
 The elevated joggerThe elasticated waist is built for comfort, while the chic tonal poppers on the lower leg bring the right amount of polish. |  The cashmere knitQuiet quality that adds elegance to cosiness every time. Neutrals are always useful, but I love a dose of colour to brighten grey days. |
 The sock bootsThey will dress up everything while still delivering the comfort of a flat shoe. |  The leather trousersCasual in shape, but the luxe leather makes them a considered, fashion-forward choice. The chocolate tone adds a luxe finish. |
Jo Elvin is an editor, broadcaster, consultant and former editor-in-chief at Glamour and YOU Magazine.