September Dress Code: What to wear Back to the Office
The wardrobe shifts into a new rhythm, without losing its lightness
September Dress Code: what to wear back to the office
The wardrobe shifts into a new rhythm, without losing its lightness. The sea is still on your skin, but the city has already picked up the pace. September has never felt like just another month: it’s the real New Year. There’s something quietly exciting about coming back — that feeling somewhere between missing summer and being ready to start fresh, get organised and reinvent your wardrobe. It’s also the moment when dressing reaches its sweet spot: a season of endless possibilities, made for layering and for making the most of that last golden trace of summer tan.
Autumn, in the making: style, routine and new beginnings
There’s no need to cover up your tan just yet. Make it pop against shades of cream, sand, midnight blue, grey and black. And flip-flops? They can stay as long as they come in sleek, minimalist leather. Understated, polished and just nonchalant enough for those first days back in the city.
From Desk to Drinks
The trick is mastering the desk-to-drinks look. Think an oversized, deconstructed blazer thrown over a silk slip dress, or a denim skirt paired with a linen shirt, undone just enough. Take off the blazer, swipe on a bold lip and you’re ready to go from the boardroom to the first spritz with colleagues.
The canvas tote makes its comeback
For carrying all those new-season ambitions — and your laptop — the bag to know is the oversized canvas tote. Structured, polished and finished with leather details, it’s giving the classic work bag a run for its money. Roomy enough for everything the day demands, with just enough holiday spirit left in it.
Late-Summer layering
September is the one month when unlikely combinations suddenly make perfect sense. An ultralight cashmere sweater casually draped over a silk dress, finished with flat leather sandals or a statement slingback. The secret is all in the proportions. Try tailored, knee-length Bermuda shorts in worsted wool as a sophisticated alternative to a skirt, paired with an oversized men’s shirt, sleeves rolled up. The result shows off those still-tanned legs while looking completely meeting-ready.
The prints to know
Florals have spring, paisley has high summer. September belongs to stripes and polka dots. Both bring structure to a wardrobe without ever making it feel predictable, especially when styled through unexpected contrasts. Forget the classic Breton stripe: come September, stripes take on a sharper, more graphic and decidedly urban attitude.
Stripes: Riviera Spirit, Reworked for the Office
- The oversized candy-stripe shirt: Sky blue and white, or sand and creamy yellow. Roll the sleeves to the elbows and leave the neckline slightly undone to play up the contrast with sun-kissed skin. Wear it with white palazzo trousers, a cut-out skirt or tailored Bermuda shorts.
- Pinstripes, off duty: Take the classic pinstripe from a waistcoat or tailored trousers and loosen it up with a crisp white T-shirt and flat leather sandals. The easiest way to soften a corporate look.
- The aperitivo switch-up: Tie the shirt loosely at the waist or tuck in just one side for an instant silhouette change when it’s time to leave the office.
How to Wear Polka Dots in September
Polka dots have always had a certain old-school elegance. Come September, though, they shed their prim-and-proper side for something much more modern.
- Think bigger: The back-to-work version calls for medium or oversized dots, set against rich, warm shades like chocolate, cream and terracotta.
- The polka-dot dress: A dark midi slip dress scattered with white or cream dots. At the office, layer it under an oversized menswear-inspired blazer and finish with slides or sandals in a vibrant hue.
- The sheer blouse: Choose chiffon or lightweight silk and pair it with sharply tailored high-waisted trousers. The contrast between fluid transparency and structured tailoring does all the work.
Seeing colleagues again, catching up over the first coffee of the day and filling the first page of a brand-new planner with plans for the months ahead. Coming back isn’t the end of summer. It’s the opening scene of your most stylish season yet.
PRADA
Sky-blue striped cotton shirt
€ 1550
ALESSANDRA RICH
Cream silk midi dress with burgundy polka dots
$ 2350
BOTTEGA VENETA
Parco mules in emerald green
$ 1150
GUCCI
Large London shopping bag in beige sand GG fabric
€ 1900
LOEWE
White cotton poplin shirt dress with batwing sleeves
$ 1650
PRADA
Black brushed leather ballet flats
€ 810
LOEWE
Puzzle Fold Tote medium color-block calf leather bag in multicolor deep navy
$ 2500
BOTTEGA VENETA
Beige mélange wool trousers
$ 2000
JIMMY CHOO
Amelia 35 pumps in Chai beige leather
$ 900
BOTTEGA VENETA
Large Pinacoteca bag black/Fondant
$ 4850
VICTORIA BECKAM
Cecilia Trousers in Dark Grey Mélange Wool
$ 805
ALESSANDRA RICH
Navy Blue Merino Wool Knit Cardigan
$ 1200
