Dust off your shoulder pads, 80s-inspired workwear is back
When Michelle Obama stepped onto the stage at the Democratic National Convention last month, she sparked a sensation. Not just because she is a formidable public speaker who can hold an audience rapt, but for her sense of style too.
The former US First Lady wore an outfit by New York-based label Monse for the occasion: a $1,690 sleeveless belted jacket and an $890 pair of trousers. Within 36 hours, the brand had received more than 800 orders for the jacket, and 500 for the trousers, according to US fashion writer Lauren Sherman’s Puck newsletter.
It was not dissimilar to a Veronica Beard co-ord worn by the Duchess of Sussex on her recent visit to Colombia. Again, it was sleeveless and tailored, marrying “serious business” attire with fashion in a way that feels different from past work-fashion hybrid formulas.
Both women are tapping into a trend for 80s and 90s-inflected business attire: suiting, shoulderpads, crisp shirts and formal shoes. Gen Z are calling the look “corpcore” and they’re drawn to it not because they want to fake it til they make it, but because office attire has become so casual, the Working Girl aesthetic feels novel to them.
It’s a truly ageless look though. Just consider the range of women ditching ballgowns for tailoring on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival: Cate Blanchett in Giorgio Armani pinstripes, Poppy Delevingne in silky Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, Taylor Russell in a vintage John Galliano skirt suit, Jenna Ortega in burgundy Paul Smith.
September has only just started, but many are buying into this back-to-work-friendly look already. “This season, we’ve noticed a much larger spike in tailoring sales thanks to the corpcore trend,” says Una Joyce, a womenswear director at Reiss.
This has played out in the rental space too, according to Victoria Prew, the founder of peer-to-peer rental platform Hurr. “Over the past two weeks we’ve seen a 76 per cent increase in rentals for waistcoats, suiting, blazers, tailored trousers, blouses, shorts and sleeveless blazers – and almost 40 per cent of those rentals are for two weeks or longer,” she says. “Key sought-after pieces include the Aligne Leo pinstripe waistcoat and trouser set and the Aligne Daphne blazer and the Frankie Shop Colette and Corrin blazers.”
The difference this time around is that corporate attire doesn’t feel as stuffy as it did three decades ago. It’s suiting for the post-pandemic generation.
We’ve seen this at another Michelle Obama-approved brand, Harris Wharf London. “Our blazer and trousers feel different thanks to the unlined structure – it feels like wearing a cardigan but looks smart,” says Giulia Acchiardi, the label’s designer and co-founder. “Giving more structure to our ‘unstructured’ blazer was a real challenge, but shoulder pads gave it a new edge.”
As Obama and the Duchess have proved, this is a look that can work on any woman, at any age. It’s just a question of cherry-picking the elements that work for you: wear a blazer, mannish trousers, a shirt, a pair of brogues, but not all at once. If you’re too earnest about the trend, it could come across a little Gordon Gekko.
A good way to avoid falling into this trap is to add an unexpected element to your outfit, says Sarah Corbett-Winder, the founder of women’s suiting label Kipper: “I always think a white T-shirt can be quite useful, or a little silk scarf is quite nice around your neck. If you’re going down the shirt route, maybe choose a stripe.”
Seize the opportunity to make the look your own, by adding your favourite trainers or a go-to polo neck – this will make it seem less studied and more effortless.
“Have fun with it and enjoy it, as opposed to thinking it should look like a really smart work situation,” says Corbett-Winder. “A really cool, classic suit is a thing you can wear in so many different ways.” No office job required.
