For those of us navigating the corporate world, getting dressed in a smart and professional look every day for work can be—well—a challenge. An endless calendar of deadlines and meetings means that you need a rotating wardrobe of smart shirts and sleek blazers to go with them. It can also be hard to have fun and add flavor into your work style, especially if you’re in a more traditional office setting. Investment banking in cool ripped jeans and a mesh JPG top? Unlikely.
However. . . have you watched the underrated 1997 dark comedy Clockwatchers recently? If not, do it for the style inspiration alone: A recent re-watch of the workplace comedy has unearthed a goldmine of corporate style ideas worth taking notes on.
If you have yet to see this often-overlooked film, let’s get the plot out of the way. Directed by Jill Sprecher and costume designed by Edi Giguere, the movie follows a group of Global Credit temporary employees as they navigate their unfulfilling day-to-day duties in the office. The real star of the show, though, is not the satiric script or the campy performances, but rather how each character brings their own unique approach to dressing for the corporate ladder.
Parker Posey in ClockwatchersPhoto: Courtesy of Everett Collection
