Let’s Make Workwear Fun Again

Who says you need to dress like a man to be taken seriously? Somewhere along the way, women’s workwear fashion circled back to boxy styles, muted monochromes, and corporate minimalism.

It is polished, yes, but it also invites the question: where did all the fun go?

It seems faster than ever: Gen Z is starting the conversation about the very identity of officewear and how far the working woman can step outside the box — or in this case, the blazer.

Divya Mather, now chief merchandising officer for Revolve, details that when she started her career in the 2000s, her closet was divided into two sections: the appropriate-for-work clothes and “all the really fun stuff that I could wear anywhere else.” But younger professionals aren’t keeping those sections separate anymore; they are merging the two.

Today, women on social media show off their workwear outfits that now feature silky slip skirts, sheer blouses, heels and handbags in bold colors, funky tights, statement accessories, and even micro-mini skirts. The result is workwear that rejects neutrality, feels less like a uniform, and more like a breeding ground for creativity.

Above all, it's solid proof that professionalism and personality don't have to live in separate closets.

This is not the first time women have been pushing the boundaries of office wear. The 1960s and ‘70s marked a radical shift in women’s fashion: a time when bright colors, bold patterns, and unapologetically feminine silhouettes naturally claimed their place within offices. Women were finally carving out space in more diverse fields. With this shift came a new embrace of individuality—playful styles became not only style statements but acts of defiance against rigid expectations in a workplace long coded as a man’s domain.

Fashion writer Marlen Komar explains that “women were tired of hearing they had to look a certain way in order to command respect or take up space,” and this same energy persists in the 21st century: a deep feminine urge to gain credibility not just through conformity, but through true identity.

We should lean into this next wave, rather than resist it. This is not your mother’s office environment, so the outfit shouldn't be either. As women continue to fight to take up space in the patriarchal corporate world, we are subtly reminded that femininity is still coded as less professional.

We know that not all women prefer beige pantsuits; rather that all women prefer to be taken seriously, sometimes sacrificing their sense of style and identity along the way.

So, it is time to break out of the one-size-fits-all “power suit”. A new era of officewear is here, one that creates room for identity, empowerment, and personal flair. Workwear doesn’t need to erase femininity to be powerful. In fact, maybe it is time to rediscover the joy of dressing boldly—for the office, and for ourselves as women.

Graphic by Mia Tanner