The ‘office siren’ has taken over social media, but is this aesthetic more alluring or alarming?
Through tempting Pinterest boards and TikTok videos, the corporate-inspired style has lived up to its name. It is drawing young women into its chic clutches with skimpy skirts and barely-there button-downs, only to let them drown in the real workplace.
While we’ve seen fashion trends come and go, and their proliferation through social media, this aesthetic is proving to be just as problematic as it is empowering.
What is the ‘Office Siren’ Aesthetic?
If you run a Google image search on the term, you’ll find women clad in tight white blouses and black pencil skirts, accessorised by early 2000s thin-framed glasses. Think Jimmy Fairly’s newest collection.
You’ll find grayscale colour palettes and tailored silhouettes. Think Giselle Bündchen’s character in The Devil Wears Prada, a style that’s sharp and chic, ostensibly sensible and objectively sexy.
According to its name, this aesthetic is meant to be worn in the office as an example of everyday corporate attire. However, the practical application of the ‘office siren’ style has proved to lead to more scandal than success.
The ‘Office Siren’ Setting off Alarm Bells
Recently, some TikToks have gone viral about a woman who lost her job at a law firm because she was dressing like an ‘office siren.’ The videos discuss an unnamed woman getting fired from her well-paying job because she wore ‘a leather mini skirt and tube top combo.’
In this instance, attention was drawn to the woman as her lost position would have reportedly led to a six-figure salary. However, the problem is rooted in concepts and concerns that extend far beyond the ‘office siren’ trend.
Firstly, dress codes and clothing regulations have long been a hot topic in both schools and offices. While dress codes are supposed to be a means of uniting peers and implementing a sense of cohesion, they are often more targeted at and taxing for women and girls. Take the debate that arose a few years ago over airline uniforms and the unfair requirement that women wore heels while men could wear more comfortable shoes.
From the monetary cost of purchasing the required clothing, to the psychological cost of maintaining a certain appearance at risk of being ridiculed and reprimanded, dress codes incur a direct impact on women and girls.
Rules and regulations regarding clothing have also been used to shift the blame in cases of harassment, as perpetrators have cited improper clothing choices as the reason for their actions and unfairly made their victim the source of the issue. Take the recent case of Honey Rose, an Indian actress who faced sexist comments due to how she dressed.
Who Really Has the Pull?
One could argue that the ‘office siren’ aesthetic is a means of exerting power over the idea of a corporate dress code. By sticking to its understated colours and simple lines, the aesthetic maintains some of the basic principles of traditional office attire while challenging the restrictions placed upon women in the workspace.
These outfits technically fit within the fashion standards set for women, but by manipulating the ways in which the specific items of clothing are worn, their wearers claim a sense of ownership over their bodies and how they are perceived.
On the other hand, underlying notions of sexism inherently limit the power of this aesthetic. The idea of a siren comes from Greek mythology, where these half-woman creatures use their beautiful voices to lure sailors to their death. While this talent results in the demise of men, it relies on first appealing to them.
By wresting control of–and in the case of mythology, weaponizing–sexuality and desire, these sirens reveal its innate strength.
One could say that this strong force of desire would be present regardless of how it is manipulated and by whom, but within the context of the still overarchingly patriarchal culture and history of the corporate sphere, the ‘office siren’ aesthetic symbolises submissiveness and sexism.
As women gained the right to work less than 200 years ago in the United Kingdom, and even more recently than that in the United States, they still find themselves at a disadvantage in many workplaces. Although society is constantly evolving, and there are countless women who have achieved as much or more than the men in their respective fields, equity and equality are still not a given.
While the world is slowly starting to look past women’s appearances and outfit choices, they are still scrutinised far more than those of the men around them. This is an unfair reality, but risking serious opportunities for the sake of a cute outfit may not be the best way to go about changing it.
All of this is not to say that the ‘office siren’ aesthetic is inherently good or bad. In the end, everyone should have the right to wear what they want to wear.
If this aesthetic speaks to you, amazing! Just be mindful that you’re in control of your look, and that it’s not giving other people the ability to exert control over you.
If you want to be a siren, go for it! Just be mindful of what sound you’re making.