Does Workwear Influence Work Culture?

It is very fascinating looking at how so many of the fashion trends today revolve around corporate work wear, blazers, button downs and even ties.  We have seen this workwear dominate recent runway collections: 33% of Bottega Veneta’s collection, 35% of Alexander McQueen’s, and 32% of Michael Kors’.

Does all this workwear actually make us want to work?

The Rise of Workwear Fashion

The increase of structured business wear in high fashion is no coincidence. It’s pretty interesting that just as companies are pushing for employees to return to the office, corporate-style fashion is making a huge comeback. 

When looking back at the past, fashion and the economy have always been linked, corporate-inspired fashion tends to comeback during periods of economic recovery. The 1980s, a time of booming financial markets, saw the rise of power dressing—sharp suits, shoulder pads, and statement blazers. Similarly, after the 2008 financial crisis, brands leaned into minimalist, tailored aesthetics, which led to corporate stability.

Micheal Kors Fall 2025 Ready-To- Wear Collection, redefines
power dressing with sharp tailoring and sleek black layers. 

Digging Into the Trends

I went straight to the data. First, I analyzed over 1,000 runway images from 'Vogue Runway' across major fashion weeks. Compared to last year, there was a 28% increase in corporate-style pieces. Clearly, brands are leaning into this trend.

Then, looking at what people were saying online, I analysed several online posts related to workwear trends and compared them with the S&P 500’s performance.  The rise of structured, office-ready silhouettes seems to align with a period of economic stabilization and renewed corporate energy. 

A sentiment analysis of 50,000+ social media posts showed a 42% increase in discussions about workwear fashion in the last six months. And guess what? Most of the conversations tied workwear to themes like “power,” “ambition,” and “success.” So, people aren’t just wearing blazers, they’re associating them with career motivation. 

Fashion as an Economic Indicator

People may say "correlation doesn't equal causation," and they are right! Proving direct causation is nearly impossible. But, could there be a hidden work influence? 

There’s a theory (a conspiracy theory) that the office siren trend, a hyper-polished, corporate-inspired look, was actually pushed by companies that wanted to end remote work. The idea is that by making in-office fashion cool again, they could subtly convince employees (especially women, since they usually drive fashion trends) that working in person is the way to go.

Then there’s the role of social media. TikTok and Instagram are filled with #OfficeSiren and #CorporateBaddie content, getting millions of views. This could be reinforcing the idea that looking professional = success, which might even affect how people approach their careers and job interviews.

A Stretch or a Real Trend?

If this sounds crazy, consider this: there’s something called the hemline index theory, which suggests that skirt lengths rise and fall depending on the economy. Could workwear be the modern version of that? When people feel more optimistic about jobs and the economy, they dress the part.

There’s also research backing this up. A 2015 study in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that people who dress formally tend to feel more powerful and make better decisions. So, if workwear is trending, maybe it really is influencing how we think and act at work.

The Future of Workwear and the Economy

As we move forward, will this trend keep growing, or will comfy, remote-work styles make a comeback? If work-from-home sticks around, will we ditch the blazers again? Fashion has always reflected bigger social and economic changes, so it’ll be very exciting to watch what happens next.

So, next time someone says fashion doesn’t matter, you can hit them with this: It’s not just about clothes—it could be shaping the economy. Did we actually prove that workwear trends are driving economic success, or are there hidden variables we haven’t even considered yet?

- Palak Bhandari -