Office fashion has become a major talking point since Gen Zers started heading to work in low-rise jeans, alarming their Boomer co-workers.
There is even a popular social media trend that involves young women sharing outfits they have worn to work that have been deemed “inappropriate”.
It is these ongoing outfit debates that inspired one young Aussie to create her own business, having noticed a gap in the market for Gen Z-approved workwear that is still office-appropriate.
So, Maddy Gillbanks created the clothing brand, Bizzi, which is set to officially launch in November.
The 29-year-old has been thinking about office fashion for years.
The Sydney-based worker has a background in human resources, and she has seen firsthand how getting your office outfits wrong can undermine your career.
After being made redundant this year, Ms Gillbanks decided to launch her idea, figuring this was the moment to do it.
“The redundancy pay came at a really lucky time for me. I am going to invest $40,000 over the course of the year,” she told news.com.au.
The brand’s first collection will feature three simple pieces: an oversized blazer, high-waisted pants, and a skort.
All three pieces will be released in the same colourway and in black.
Ms Gillbanks explained that Bizzi is about creating clothing that is “good quality”, fresh, and young, but at the same time, timeless.
She also wants it to be affordable.
“If you’re a Gen Zer and you are new to the workforce, your starting salary is like $50,000 to $65,000,” she said.
“They can’t afford to buy a new outfit every month.”
The price point will be mid-range because she wants it to be accessible to “all women at any level in their careers”.
The idea for the brand is based around Ms Gillbanks’ own opinions on what you should and shouldn’t wear to work.
She even reviews other women’s viral work outfits on TikTok and shares whether they look like “corporate baddies” or “HR nightmares”.
For instance, she thinks this denim skirt with cowboy boots outfit is a “go home and get changed” outfit.
Whereas she thinks the grey two-piece set is cute, but draws a bit too much attention to the bust.
When speaking to news.com.au, Ms Gillbanks rattled off a list of clothing she doesn’t think young people should be wearing to work.
Low-rise jeans, hoodies, tops, or dresses that expose too much cleavage. You might look at this list and think it is pretty basic stuff, but she has seen plenty of people get it wrong.
Ms Gillbanks clarified that she herself would never judge someone for wearing a hoodie or super low-rise jeans to work, but there is no denying that how you dress does matter.
“I think fashion is so important and it shouldn’t be neglected,” she said.
“It is a symbol to the other people you work with that you take yourself seriously and that you are confident and are standing on business.”
The Sydney worker has noticed how office fashion has changed in recent years.
She has even clocked people wearing clothes to work that, in her opinion, look more like pyjamas.
Ms Gillbanks believes one of the reasons so many people make fashion mistakes at work is because many companies don’t have a dress code policy, or if they do, it isn’t widely followed.
Gen Zers are entering the workforce and finding it challenging to find a blueprint for what is or isn’t appropriate.
Ms Gillbanks believes it is also hard because recent fashion trends aren’t exactly office-friendly.
“I feel like what is fashionable at the moment is not appropriate to wear to work,” she said.
“I still find it hard to find something that feels like me that is still professional enough to wear to the office.”
She understands that everyone can have their own definition of what they feel comfortable wearing to work, but some general rules should be followed.
“Definitely having too much skin showing is the main thing,” she said.
“I know low-rise pants are in right now, but I also know that when you look in the mirror, you might look good, but then when you have to bend at the office, your arse crack will be out.”
Ms Gillbanks has also had her own office fashion faux pas.
She went through a phase of wearing a long-sleeved top to work that had a slit just above the cleavage, but in retrospect, it wasn’t the right piece of clothing for work.
“It had that element where it looked like someone had slashed my shirt,” she said.
In the end, the 29-year-old decided she was uncomfortable with having so much “skin showing along the collarbone” and decided to keep the top for weekends.
And, while she may not have thought twice if she saw a co-worker wearing the same outfit, Ms Gillbanks noted that being worried about what you are wearing can bleed into your work confidence
This is precisely why she wants to create work attire for women that is both fashionable and won’t make them feel self-conscious.
“I want to empower women to feel like a badass when they come into work. I want women to feel really confident when they go to work,” she said.