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I was thinking, how I’m always amused to stumble on older pieces that we’ve featured here on Corporette® … sometimes they still look good, or I remember liking them. Other times, the styling or the featured piece of clothing is just… fug.
Anyway, I started thinking… it might be fun to share some previously featured pictures with you guys, and discuss — would you wear these items today? If so, how would you style them in 2025? If you’ve replaced items like this in your closet, what are you wearing instead of them?
First up, some of the things we featured on September 8 over the years… because we have only ever posted during the workweek, any years where 9/8 fell on a weekend won’t have content.
(Psst: you can see previous installments of this occasional series here!)
Workwear for September 8th:
2008: Round-Toe Heels
I had a pair of shoes almost identical to this that I wore everywhere because they were so comfortable (except I think mine were wedges, ha). Looking back, why yes, I can see how fug. Commenters at the time (all 3 of them) were bored by the menswear detailing.
(Note that this was also before we started the afternoon post, so we still featured shoes in the morning…)
The price was pretty good, though: they were $75, marked to $13, at La Redoute (which readers were mentioning recently for their bedding, if I remember correctly).
Strappy Office Heels for 2025
2009: Another Mary Jane Pump
Say what you will about my shoe choices (which, admittedly, readers have said a lot over the years) — but I am consistent. (I have narrow heels so I walk out of a lot of regular pumps!)
These Pour la Victoire heels were our pick of the day for Sept. 9, 2009 — and they were $189 at Endless.com, which was a competitor with Zappos (and possibly owned by the Gap family of brands?).
2010: Short Belted Wool Jacket
We featured this Burberry belted wool jacket in 2010, and I still love this one — the color, the shawl collar, the shrunken fit. The belt I’m less excited about, but we belted everything back then. (Remember the trend of wearing multiple skinny belts? Just me? Ok then.)
The sweater was $550, at Burberry.
Sweater Jackets for Work in 2025
2011: Jacquard Pencil Skirt
Awww, my first maternity leave. This pick was from our guest poster, Becki of Shopping’s My Cardio — she was a lawyer at the time, although I think she eventually left the law to pursue other projects.
(I don’t know if this was apparent at the time — half of the guest posters I only knew through their blogs, aside from my good friend Auntie M (who just guest-posted over at CorporetteMoms and I was just texting with this morning). In many cases with the potential guest posters, I reached out cold to ask if they would guest post — and I was thrilled when so many great people said yes.)
(We did another round of guest posters when my second son was born, but ultimately stopped allowing guest posters in general because my email was getting deluged with poorly-disguised efforts from companies who only wanted text links and basically ads-as-content. If any actual readers would be interested in guest posting, we’d love to have you.)
As Becki put it back then:
Not in a million years would I normally suggest Bebe for anything, really, much less work-ready fashion. But this jacquard pencil skirt is exactly what I’m after this season. Printed pants are all the rage, but they’re tricky to pull off, especially at the office. This print is subtle with substance, the silhouette is as classic as it gets, and the navy/black palette can’t help but be closet-friendly. Pair it with mushroom, pink, or a rich emerald green, and you’ll have an unexpected wardrobe workhorse. This is also a great piece to use for your first pattern-mixing attempt. Add a zigzag or a tribal print in the same color family, and you’re instantly a trendsetter.
Commenters wondered why the model wasn’t wearing a shirt.
Pencil Skirts for Work in 2025
2012: Gathered V-Neck T-shirt
It’s interesting to me that this shirt does kind of have a 2012 vibe about it, although if you asked me I wouldn’t have thought about it as a trend. The Elie Tahari top was on a pretty great sale at Bluefly — it was $98, but was marked down to $23… and it had a matching wool blazer.
I haven’t given Bluefly much thought in years, but they are in the midst of their 27th anniversary sale if you want to check it out.
Fancier, Dressy Work Tops in 2025
As of 2025, some of our favorite dressy tops for work outfits include ones from smaller brands like M.M.LaFleur, Modern Citizen, The Fold, Tuckernuck, Nation, OGL, Melloday, and Saint & Sofia, as well as bigger brands like Boden and CeCe. Some great fancier sleeveless tops include options from Loveappella, this wrap top, and this high-necked option from Amazon.
2015: Duchess Blazer
I’m not sure if this was our FIRST mention of the Smythe Duchess blazer, but it may have been based on the reader reactions to it (commenter Cher Horowitz professed her love for it but wondered if there was a matching mini skirt). The Duchess blazer is still around, although less omnipresent than it was a few years ago. What say you, readers — classic, or trendy item that’s on its way out?
Shrunken Blazers in 2025
2016: Japanese Oxford Bib Shirt
Back in 2016 I was hesitant that this Everlane shirt would look good on my curvy body type, but in love with the half-placket, wider cuffs, and “the blousy-but-crisp” feel. Funnily enough, these are exactly the details that I still like about the shirt. I would probably also note today that it’s a popover, which can be great if you have problems with gaping buttons.
We were in prime skinny pant days in 2016 — at work you’d see this with tighter-fitting ankle pants.
2017: Long-Sleeved Top
Our Frugal Friday pick for this day in 2017 was this unusual top from H&M, which I think has the same not-trendy and not-classic vibe that it has today and is just an interesting statement piece. If anyone bought it back then, I’d love to hear how long it lasted. The top was machine washable and $35.
The first comment that day was from our friendly local troll Ellen, who commented:
Yay Kat and Kate! You are BOTH to be comended for putting up such a great buy on Fruegel Friday! There’s a great H&M up near Rockefeller Centre for all of the MANHATTAN, NY HIVETTES so we can see this in person and try them on. For $35, I am NOT even goeing to waste time getting the manageing partner’s approval, and will buy for both Rosa and me. The flare is perfect for peeople like me with a tuchus, so because the bottom is NOT tapered, hopefully no one will notice my tuchus! More importantely, it IS Machine Washeable, so my cleaning lady will NOT be abel to destroy them when I put them in the hamper for her to clean!!! YAY!
She (?) is still around every so often, but I’ve gotten annoyed when she comments on real dilemmas posed by commenters, so I do my best to block them. If ever there’s a comment where someone is advising you out of the blue to get a man or that you need to stay svelte to keep a man, an Ellen comment has possibly slipped through. (Readers actually usually do clue me in to when she’s around, so I think people have learned her, ah, style.)
2020: Belted Striped Skirt Midi Dress
Elizabeth picked this very pretty dress in 2020 — if you click through you can see that it had a lovely striped skirt with a bit of a menswear influence, and I love the top and the high waist. I don’t think of either as being “oh so 2020,” but maybe I’m wrong. (I tend to think of 2020 as the Year o’ Sweatpants because of the pandemic, but again, maybe that’s me.)
I’m sorry to see that the brand, Paule Ka, went into receivership in 2024 — do keep an eye out for the brand on thrift sites, they had a lot of nice work clothes.)
Readers, did you purchase any of these work clothes back in the day? Do you wear anything similar now?