Button your cardigans: Is office wear about to get dressy again?

Dressing for work in January, specifically for the office, can be downright confusing. There’s a general relaxing of dress codes, and, sometimes, a blend of the professional and the social (especially if work involves attending the Australian Open).

Now Australia Day is behind us for another year, the work year really ramps up. And so does our consideration of what “workwear” means for 2024, based on the trends from the runway.

Global trend forecasting agency WGSN predicts one of the key trends for the year is something it’s dubbed “thrift-dulting”, a mash-up of secondhand and new finds with a strong 1980s’ influence, including – wait for it – shoulder pads.

“Blazers, pinstripes, ties and ’80s shoulder pads form the basis of thrift finds,” WGSN’s forecasters wrote in its Top Trends for 2024 and Beyond report, released this month. In a related report, the agency further explained the concept: “Thrift-dult explores a new aesthetic centred around secondhand looks, but curated in a more grown-up way.”

One of the key principles of the trend, WGSN says, is the fusion of “personal style and professional identity”, something Sophie Barker, stylist and co-founder of Australian fashion platform Homeroom, wants to see more in the workplace.

She questions why so many people still keep their work and weekend fashion identities separate. “If you want to insert your personality a little more [into your workwear], it’s about picking one piece that speaks to who you see yourself as … then putting it with an oversized blazer and bermuda short [for example],” she says.

Which leads us to two key questions regarding summer workwear: is the oversized aesthetic “dead”? And is it OK to wear shorts to the office?

Shorts: Yay or nay?

The answer to the perennial question about January workwear is yes, you can wear shorts to the office, depending on where you work (obviously a no-no in court, for example), and how you wear them.

Barker says a tailored, knee-length Bermuda short can be dressed up with a tucked-in T-shirt, flat sandals (no sneakers, no heels) and a blazer. “You can look chic and smart even when your legs are showing,” she says. “It’s so old-fashioned to think we can’t show a little skin in the office.”

The end of oversized?

If you follow the European runways, you’ll have noticed that silhouettes, especially in jackets, have started to come in. But that doesn’t consign your boyfriend-style blazers to the charity pile. An easy fix is to cinch a jacket with a belt, and wear over a pencil skirt or cigarette trouser, creating a more streamlined shape overall. Is it cheating? Sort of, but the kind that’s encouraged.

Henne co-founder Nadia Bartel says workwear will take on a “retro sophistication” inspired by the ’90s and early aughts. “We’re introducing more tailored styles to drop in the first half of 2024,” she says. “Even the bottom of the body is shifting back towards a slimmer leg, incorporating a slight flare at the bottom.”

Your new MVPs

The cardigan, once slung over the desk chairs of everyone from secretaries to CEOs, is making an even bigger comeback in 2024. For its 20th-anniversary celebrations, Viktoria & Woods has reissued a cream cardi in merino wool that founder and creative director Margie Woods says helps blur the lines between comfort and refinement. “A form-fitting, button-up cardigan is a great workwear wardrobe staple as we move away from the oversized aesthetic,” Woods says. “It just has such a timeless elegance.”

Bartel agrees the cardigan will be the unsung hero of many word wardrobes, especially between seasons (or in offices that blast the aircon). And she says it’s not just about neutrals; she’s seeking out berry and red shades, with scooped necklines, “to create a layered workwear look. Additionally, a long black coat, beige suiting and wrap skirting are top items on my shopping list.”

‘Goldilocks’ dressing

Before you panic that a more structured approach to workwear means a predominance of ties and cufflinks, fear not. Menswear trends will continue to exude a hybrid approach, including knitted polos and trenches, says Chris Vogelpoel, head of menswear design for Country Road, which turns 50 this year.

“The popularity of relaxed and oversized fits and the continued knitwear trend reminiscent of the ’90s [are] the most appealing [trends],” he says. “Now, more than ever, the lines between casual and workwear are blurred.”

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