A few weeks ago, standing in line at a bakery in inner Sydney, the woman in front of me was wearing such a perfect spring office outfit, I took note. A calf-length black dress with cap sleeves and a cowl neck, made in dense wool. It was architectural, twisted at the waist; fitted without being skintight, and its seams revealed it was cut on the bias. She had accessorised it with an oversized black tote and black ballet flats. We walked out at the same time, so I took the opportunity to compliment her and ask where the dress was from: “Comme des Garçons,” she replied.
In the spirit of abandoning heavy coats and covered-up-everything, like no other time of year, spring invites us to play with our outfits. A few weeks ago, during Milan fashion week, Prada sent barely-staying-on pinafores, softly pleated asymmetric pencil skirts and navel-grazing V-neck jumpers down the runway. The late Giorgio Armani’s final show was an ode to layers of soft tailoring: cowl necks under blazers, high-waist pleat-front pants and button-up vests. This spring, the theme is office-wear – but make it cute.
Nicholas Cox, founder and director of recruitment agency The People Place, says: “People have lifted their game as offices have filled again.” In an update to the perennial smart-casual office directive, he now advises clients to look “polished but easy”.
A good rule of thumb is: “If you would not wear it to a client meeting, skip it.” Some other rules he suggests office workers abide by: “No gym gear. No thongs [flip-flops]. Skip shorts or tiny skirts unless you know it is fine. Avoid see-through fabrics, loud logos and heavy fragrance.”
While the death of the office siren – with her pencil skirts and blow waves – may have been decreed by gen Z, tailoring has not yet been abandoned completely.
Smart jackets and blazers now feel “lived-in”, says Annie Carroll, co-founder of style newsletter Homeroom. The fit is more relaxed and the materials are textured with a fleck, a faint pinstripe or a subtle check. Women’s suits made from natural fibres, the type championed by Australian designers Beare Park, E Nolan and Courtney Zheng, are now a few seasons old and wear like it.
Genevieve Phelan, founder of Melbourne-based networking community Convino, says: “At our most recent event, I remember slouchy, soft two-piece suits and the occasional blazer atop jeans with a loud heel.”
The first sun of the season is nothing if not a time for bare legs – like the capri pants worn by seemingly every celebrity during the northern hemisphere’s summer, thanks in part to Chloé’s Resort 2026 collection. This trend was only just eclipsed by slouchy tailored shorts. To make the latter work for the office, make sure they are knee-length or longer and choose fabric with some body and drape – such as a heavy cupro or cotton drill. “Pair them with a lightweight cashmere cardigan buttoned up over a singlet,” says Carroll, and “a round-toed slipper or a low-heeled sandal. Nelson Made makes perfect versions of both.”
Staying with textured warm-and-cool contrasts, October is the perfect time for long tailored trousers and sandals. The proportions have to be in sync, says Carroll. “You want a trouser that is very long, skimming over the top of your foot, so that only your toes poke out.”
A shirt dress, long trenchcoat, chunky shoe combination also endures. Look for breathable materials such as cotton and lyocell, from Cos or Uniqlo if you are on a budget, and Lemaire, if you are not. “The right shirt dress can serve you really well in an office setting – it is a shortcut to look polished,” says fashion editor Zara Wong.
For a more flexible alternative – that honours spring style’s prerequisite of layering – she also suggests “making your own” by wearing “a shirt with a knee-length or longer skirt in a similar colour”. At Australian fashion week in May, Lee Mathews accessorised such looks with brogues, fisherman sandals and leather Mary Janes.
If you work somewhere more conservative, great shoes and jewellery are a clever way around the tedium of a very corporate dress code. You can keep clothes simple and let accessories do the heavy lifting, says Carroll. “Long pendant necklaces such as this one by Albus Lumen and this one by Ayllon are my go-to for adding interest to an otherwise pared-back outfit.”
Alternatively, Phelan suggests breaking up a monochrome outfit with a discreet pop of print in a camisole or a scarf – zebra, leopard or polka dots. Or by adding a sexy-but-sensible shoe. “A slingback kitten heel can add a surprising dose of fun,” she says.
