Three Decades Of Workplace Fashion
First there were floppy bowties. Next khaki pants. Then the pantsuit. What's ahead in women's corporate style?
By Colette Martin
While everyone else is still reminiscing about the good and the bad of the past decade, I thought it would be fun to talk about three (yes, three) decades of fashion in Corporate America. I'll go first, starting with the '80s.
I know what you're thinking: The '80s were so boring. Well yeah, they were. I remember getting memos about what was (and wasn't) appropriate to wear to work that suggested the only appropriate attire for men was white shirts and ties, and women needed to wear skirts. I tried to find a photo of what would become my work "uniform" for the majority of this decade, but alas, I seem to have shredded any evidence that I ever dressed like this, so you will have to bear with me as I describe it to you.
I wore what every aspiring female manager wore--a suit. A boxy-cut, shoulder-padded, totally unflattering, matching skirt suit. Never pants. Only skirts with nude stockings and pumps. I wore these suits with a button-down shirt, usually white or pinstripe. Sound awful? The crowning accessory for this glorious outfit was the tie. I had quite a collection of those colorful (so I could express my creativity) silk items that I would tie into a beautiful bow at the neck. Sadly, I wore this every day.
I kept those bow ties for many years in the cedar closet. At first I thought they may come back in style (thank goodness they didn't), then I thought they might be useful for a craft project (never had time for that). Eventually they made their way to the Salvation Army (so someone else could make a pillow out of them).
When my company started allowing casual Fridays later in that decade, I had a big problem. I owned absolutely nothing appropriate for a non-suit workday. I didn't own a skirt without a suit jacket and I wouldn't be caught dead in pants at work.
Keep reading to find out how corporate fashion evolved (and regressed) in the '90s and 2000s.
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See also:
What Not To Wear To Work
In Pictures: Dressing For Business, Not Pleasure
Do Men Dress To Impress?
Wear A Dress--Today!
