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Companies are launching full-scale return-to-office mandates this fall, so it's time to get serious about professional fashion.
Dell and Amazon are among the most recent big companies implementing five-day RTO policies, leaving employees with two options: report to the office or find another job.
This fall, workers will have to keep their professional wardrobes as updated as their off-the-clock looks if they want to make a good impression at work.
And they don't have to look too far for inspiration. Luxury designers are leaning into "corporate core" as more people require high-quality office attire, said stylist and content creator Timothy Chernyaev.
"You have this new generation of people that came into the workforce during COVID. Now, they're experiencing the office for the first time," Chernyaev told Business Insider.
He pointed at recent collections by Italian brands Bottega Veneta and Miu Miu (a brand particularly popular with Gen Z elites) that embody the Silicon Valley aesthetic of the San Francisco workforce as a major inspiration for the direction corporate dressing is headed.
Nicole Pollard Bayme, the CEO of the LA styling firm Lalaluxe, also said she's observed a style shift from remote work's "era of sweatshirts."
Here are three ways to make sure your professional style is fashion-forward this fall.
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As the weather cools, Chernyaev said people need to be "more inventive with layering" their clothes. It's a practical way to stay warm, look fashionable, and ensure you get multiple wears out of an article of clothing.
And it embodies what office dressing is all about.
"It's cold, it's hot, you walk out for lunch, so you need shirts, little sweaters, and little sleeveless sweaters," Chernyaev said.
If you want to invoke the "Silicon Valley style," Miu Miu is the high-end brand doing it the best, he said. You can shop for a warm-up jacket that looks similar to one Google might issue to employees, "but instead of Google, it says Miu Miu."
When it's time for happy hour, Chernyaev said you can keep the Miu Miu jacket on and add a chic dress underneath to take your look from day to night.
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"This fall, office wear is all about relaxed manifestation," Bayme said.
She added, "It's less about who you are today and more about stepping into who you're becoming."
As you take meetings in person instead of over Zoom, personal style and grooming become important factors of the impression you leave on colleagues and clients.
Bayme said she asks her style clients about the deals they want to close, promotions they want to achieve, and the sort of person they want to become when she dresses them for work.
"For those returning to the office, brands like Zegna are leading the charge in letting the individual shine while keeping things elevated," Bayme said.
Bayme also praised Celine and Stella McCartney as two brands that are "perfect for those stepping into their future selves."
Gen Z might be obsessed with secondhand clothes, but Chernyaev said pre-owned clothes aren't always polished enough for the office.
Although there are some good finds at thrift stores, it's harder to find professional clothes that are in good condition after being worn to work every day by their previous owner.
He said the typical worn-down T-shirts and outdated button-downs at thrift stores don't work well when you're at the front of a room running meetings or introducing yourself to new clients.
Instead of spending money getting a vintage suit tailored or mended, Chernyaev said you can take your cash to Bloomingdale's and pick brand-new office attire.
Whatever workers choose to wear, Chernyaev said people would benefit from losing their "I'm just clocking in" attitude and taking their professional wardrobe seriously.
