Here's a fun little question for today: how many sneakers do you currently own, and how do you choose which ones to wear with which outfits? In general: how do you wear your sneakers in 2024?

More questions: if you've spent money on designer sneakers, whether Loewe, Balenciaga, Chloe, Golden Goose, etc, what was your thought process? Is there a pair of sneakers that you've been considering forever but feels a bit too pricy? If you've bought multiples of the same sneakers over the years (like me with Converse), which shoe is it? Do you prefer different sneakers for different athletic activities, like running vs. strength training?

(Side question: what do you CALL them? Tennis shoes? Sneakers? Athletic shoes? Sneaks? This can be a regional thing, I think…)

We've rounded up the best sneakers for work outfits, as well as discussed what your weekend sneakers say about you.

How I Wear My Sneakers in 2024

I have a bunch of sneakers right now — I leaned into them after realizing that I was consistently wearing them more than flats, boots, or heels. Some of the ones in my collection, and how I wear them:

Black Converse. I just bought a new pair after having a gray pair for a thousand years; I still can't decide if I want to swap out the white laces for ivory ones to make them less… stark. I like to wear these with bootcut jeans. I've had Chucks for decades at this point, and like I wrote about when we discussed weekend sneakers, I feel like they are very much shoes that show my personality. (WHAT it's saying about my personality I'm not quite sure, but I definitely feel a sisterhood when I see other women wearing them — we're sarcastic? We like stand-up comedy? We have a lil' rebel inside? Hmmn. I considered long and hard splurging for the Comme des Garçons PLAY x Converse with my most recent purchase, but ultimately decided against it.)

Black Adidas. I'm going to have to check my order history — they might be a version of Gazelles with mesh? They're mostly black shoes with white soles and a bit of mesh on the upper. Despite the fact that the shoes have a very similar profile to my Chucks, I do wear them differently — I find myself wearing the Adidas more with “current outfits,” and Converse with more classic ones. Anything that feels trendy to me will probably get Adidas or…

White Cole Haan Grand Pro Topspin platforms. I got these white and blue versions after hearing readers sing their praises — they're very comfortable and feel on trend. I'm hoping to keep them pristine white. I find myself pulling these on with wide-legged, casual styles (like my Spanx Air pants), and will probably try them with some of the cropped flares I bought in the NAS. I don't like the skirt-with-sneakers look for myself, but if I were to do it, these or the Adidas would probably be the shoes that I'd wear.

Blue Asics GT-2000. I've had a version of this shoe for decades at this point. A few years ago, I went to a sneaker store to be fitted and assessed for a sneaker and was supremely amused to walk away with the recommended item: a new pair of GT-2000s. I wear them with workout clothes, which means that during the school year especially (when I throw on workout clothes to get the kids out the door), this is most likely what I'm wearing.

Purple Kiziks (Athens). These are super comfortable, and I love that I can step into them. If we were traveling somewhere and I wanted an alternative to my Asics, I would probably bring these. If I were to get a new pair of Kiziks I'd get one of the more athletic-looking ones with the swoops on the side; I love these for comfort but sometimes they feel a bit off trend, at least for me personally.

White and green Tretorns (Rawlins). I got these on sale in the past year or two, and like them for comfort — their low profile makes them sort of interchangeable with the black Adidas. Now that I have the Cole Haans I find that I'm wearing these less, even though the Cole Haans have significantly more of a sole than the Tretorns so they're taller.

Ranked for for comfort: Chucks (with insoles), Asics, Kiziks, Cole Haan, Tretorn, Adidas.

Ranked for style: Cole Haan, Adidas, Chucks, Tretorn, Kiziks, Asics.

How about you, readers — how many sneakers do you currently own, and how do you choose which ones to wear with which outfits?

Stock photo via Stencil.

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Here's something I've been wanting to talk about for a while: are women's vests appropriate for work in 2024? If you're wearing them, are you wearing them as styled on every site (i.e., by themselves) or are you layering shirts beneath them? Which of the myriad types of vests out there is your favorite — knit, waistcoat, longer/split hem, double-breasted, belted, or something else?

Just to set the stage for you, these are some of the vests I'm seeing out there right now…

I think they're an interesting trend because they're more structured/tailored than a lot of the clothes we're seeing out there, especially for WFH or business casual offices… yet I also feel like for a lot of conservative offices, going sleeveless can be dicey, as can showing a bit of midriff (know your office!) They're also a quickly changing trend (as you'll see below), adding yet another layer of “know your office.”

So I'm curious — are you wearing vests, readers? Are you seeing all of the vests in your offices, or are these kind of the new “shorts suits” in that they seem work-appropriate but probably are not (know your office, of course)…

Recent Trends in Women's Vests

It's funny because I feel like vests have been trending for a while now, but they keep changing the exact style — we've gone from the drapey knit vests, to cropped sweater vests, to the fitted waistcoat look (still in, I think!), to the latest looks, with longer vests that can be double-breasted, belted, or split hem and intended only to be buttoned at the very top.

(Weirdly enough, we haven't swung back around to the men's-vests-over-drapey-blouses à la Labyrinth and Heathers (lousy photos here and here), so clearly that's going to come next…)

Some of the looks from recent years…

In fact, when we last discussed vests in 2015, this was the little collage I put together…

So trends are definitely moving quickly with women's vests!

My $.02…

For my $.02, I think this is very much a know your office situation. I absolutely adore the waistcoat vest-with-blazer-and-suit look, but in my experience those vests can be pretty low cut, and the buttons can be gapey, also… so in practicality they've never worked for me. Argent has a bunch of vests with matching suits, as does Reiss, Mango, White House Black Market, and Banana Republic. I also like the monochromatic look (vest + pants) in general, but I think it's at its best when there actually is a matching blazer that you have with you in the office.

Of course, you often see these styled as separates also, and I really like that look also — but I usually see it styled with jeans or matching shorts, and I tend to think those are looks best left to the weekend… but that may be me. You can see examples from J.Crew Factory, Loft, Open Edit, Target, and of course J.Crew.

I think the longer belted vests are my next favorite for work — they can be a sleek and polished look, and are usually meant to have something worn beneath them. But I know a lot of women feel that a belted, wrapped look isn't the most flattering, along with the fact that they're usually styled sleeveless, so I think we're only going to see it in practice on a few number of people. Ann Taylor has a bunch of these, as do Aqua and M.M.LaFleur; Spanx has a similar asymmetrical option that's somewhat between a double-breasted look and this longer vest look.

I'm biased against double-breasted looks because I almost never feel like a double-breasted jacket is flattering, on anyone. With double-breasted jackets, those are often meant to be unbuttoned when sitting because they gape in weird ways — but if you're wearing it as a top by itself that's going to be hard to do. As noted above, Reiss has one of these at the moment, as do Ann Taylor, Argent, and Banana Republic Factory.

The split hem looks are, IMHO, the ones that are best left to weekends… the Tuckernuck version above is one of the most work appropriate I've seen (Ann Taylor is down to lucky sizes in this one, but it's another option) — but in stores I'm most often seeing them like this or this, with the midriff exposed.

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The NYT had a story about how sheer socks are all the rage, and I'm still mulling it over: would I dare to wear sheer socks (with work outfits or otherwise)?

I'm honestly still undecided for myself — it feels a bit like a “little girl or ladies who want to be little girls” kind of trend — but there is something so fabulously joyful about the unexpected, happy socks that I keep coming back to the idea.

The pictured socks are $18 at Sock Candy, but last night I found a trove of similar socks at Amazon (where they also have sheer socks without colorful patterns). These black and white socks with polka dots and stripes seem very tame if you want to try the trend in a more subdued way.

Sales of note for 7.19.24

• Nordstrom – The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now open to everybody! Here are all of our picks, and here are reader favorites.
• Ann Taylor – Semi-annual sale, extra 50% off markdowns + 20% off everything!
• Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, take an extra 20% off your purchase
• Eloquii – 50% off select styles
• Everlane – Up to 70% off
• J.Crew – End of Season Sale, extra 50% off sale styles
• J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything
• Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off
• Madewell – End of season sale, up to 70% off with code.
• M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the biggest sitewide discount I've ever seen…)
• Rothy's – Lots of great finds in the “final few” section
• Talbots – Semi-annual red door sale, extra 40% off markdowns

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Readers have been having some interesting conversations about nude heels lately — is the “nude-for-you” look out? Is it still a classic that isn't necessarily trendy but isn't out, either? If you're not wearing nude pumps, what shoes should you wear instead of nude heels? I'd love to hear your thoughts…

Are Nude Heels “Out”?

While the heyday of Duchess Kate wearing nude heels has passed, I'm not sure they're necessarily “out.” Instead, I think they remain a versatile look for a lot of women, especially in springtime, and especially if they tend to wear more dresses than pants.

I would argue that nude-for-you heels are a classic, and if you have a pair you love, you should keep wearing them. I tend to think that if you have a classic, feminine style of dressing, then they will always be in, and I honestly will be shocked if they don't swing back around as a “trend” in the next 10 years.

Where to Find Nude Heels in 2024

There are still a ton of places selling nude heels in 2024 — and companies that focus on a wide range of nudes, from pale pinks to deep browns.

Companies specializing in nude heels for every skin tone include Naturalizer, Rebecca Allen, and Kahmune.

Three specific heels we love that are likely to come in a wide range of neutral colors:

Would I Buy New Nude-For-Me Heels?

Well… probably not, to be honest. If I saw an amazing deal on a classic pump like the BB from Manolo or the Romy from Choo, then I probably would snag it, but I don't think it's the kind of thing where you need to run to DSW to get a nude-for-you heel.

What to Wear Instead of Nude Heels

I think there are a few other trends to keep in mind when considering what to wear instead of nude heels if that was your go-to in previous years — specifically the trends for the color brown, casual dressing, and maximalist dressing like metallic shoes and animal prints. (All with a nod to the fact that you can wear flats with a LOT more outfits than you used to in the past!)

Wear Brown Heels Instead of Nude-For-You Heels

Brown is having a huge moment, and I feel like tan, caramel, and milk chocolate colors are easy neutrals that are taking the place of beige or nude-for-you heels. (If these colors ARE nude-for-you, you can either choose to go darker or lighter for a bit of contrast, or not.)

Wear Metallic Shoes Instead of Nude Heels

I've noticed a lot of readers saying they're replacing their nude heels with metallic shoes, and I think that's a great swap — after all, metallics are great neutrals too.

Here are some of our latest favorite metallic shoes for work (both in heels and flats, since flats are so much more omnipresent with work outfits today…)

Go Even MORE Casual

As work dressing is getting more and more casual, a number of other things might be appropriate for settings where previously you'd have grabbed a nude heel or nude flat. (In particular I think these might look great with non-sheath-dress options, whether it's a midi skirt or a cropped kick flare pant…)

The two big things to consider here: sneakers for work outfits and nude-for-you sandals.

Some cute, highly-reviewed nude-for-you sandals for 2024 (but seriously, know your office!!) (You can find all of our latest favorite nude heels for work here.)

Readers, what are your thoughts? Are nude heels “out”? What are you wearing instead of nude heels?

Social media image credit: Deposit photos / ArturVerkhovetskiy. 

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We haven't had a good talk about workwear trends in a while… so let's discuss! What do you think are incoming trends for workwear in 2024? What ongoing trends do you think are going strong? What trends do you think are on their way out? And, which are your thoughts on all the trends — love, hate, meh?

In the past, we’ve discussed style vs. trend vs. frump, trends you hate in 2019, trends you won’t wear to work (2016 edition), trends and the conservative office (2015 edition), and trends you’re totally sick of (2013 edition).

Here's a template to use in your responses:

New trends I like: 
Ongoing trends I like: 
Trends on their way out:
Trendy, but not for work:
“Classic” styles that are out / the pandemic killed:

Workwear Trends in 2024

What ARE the workwear trends in 2024? We're definitely seeing:

• wide-leg pants — but all pant widths are around, including cropped kick flares (one of my least favorite styles, tbh)
• midi-length skirts and dresses
• comfort dressing: sweater blazers, pull-on pants
• denim suits (blazers and trousers)
• I feel like color is coming back in a big way, also — all the TikToks about “what season are you” are leading the way away from the all-beige minimal looks
• Mary Jane flats and silver flats

Trends that have been around for a few years and continue to go strong:

• bodysuits: They're too perfect for wide-leg looks to go away.
• sneakers with workwear: Everyone loves them; they're not going away.
• coordinated sets, like a matching top and pants
• layered necklace looks

I feel like some of the trends that are on their way out include these… They're not out yet, but I'm not sure I'd spend too much money replacing or buying into the trend.

• ruffles and smocking
• lug-sole boots: Maybe I'm wrong and they're going to be a longer trend, but I just feel like they haven't caught on as much as retailers hoped. I think they can be awkward to style with a lot of the other current trends.
• boyfriend blazers? Here's my thought: They're still around and sold, but I think as people's pants styles move away from skinny pants towards wider, drapey legs, the boyfriend blazers are going to go away unless they're part of a suiting set. But that's my guess…
• (jumpsuits? I'm curious what you guys think…)
• (crop tops? I feel like the ones that are staying are more tasteful and less “I'm missing the bottom 2/3rd of my shirt.”)

My “trendy, but not for work” list includes all of the sheer styles and “no-pants looks” we're seeing on runways and at award shows… I might also include high-top sneakers.

In terms of classic styles the pandemic killed (or, at least, classic styles that are on their way out), I might include underwires, heels, and bodycon/sheath dresses, at least as the default choice for most working women. I'm sure they'll be back at some point — they were all such easy ways to look polished!! — but right now they're much, much, MUCH less popular than they once were.

Readers, what are your thoughts? What trends are you feeling right now? Which trends do you hate?

Further Reading:

• The Best Fashion Trends That Are Defining 2024 [Refinery29] (oh dear, they include suits with shorts)
• 11 Spring 2024 Fashion Trends That Define the Season [Vogue]

Stock photos via Pexels / Andrea Piacquadio.

The post Workwear Trends in 2024 – What Are Your Thoughts? appeared first on Corporette.com.

As I've mentioned before, classic knee-high boots are still in (although not worn with skinny jeans, but rather with skirts and dresses, particularly midi-length). That said, though, the trendiest style for knee-high boots right now is a slightly looser boot shaft than what we've seen in previous years — not quite slouchy, but… roomy.

These Everlane boots are a great example of the trend — slightly roomy but still sleek. They're a pull-on style with a 3″ heel height.

The boots are $350 at Everlane.

(Looking for something similar? Other examples of the trend include these boots at J.Crew and Stuart Weitzman… Meanwhile these Veronica Beard boots have the more traditional, tighter shaft. If you're looking for an affordable alternative to try the style, check out these boots at Loft, or these boots at Amazon, both under $100.)

Sales of note for 7.19.24

• Nordstrom – The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now open to everybody! Here are all of our picks, and here are reader favorites.
• Ann Taylor – Semi-annual sale, extra 50% off markdowns + 20% off everything!
• Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, take an extra 20% off your purchase
• Eloquii – 50% off select styles
• Everlane – Up to 70% off
• J.Crew – End of Season Sale, extra 50% off sale styles
• J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything
• Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off
• Madewell – End of season sale, up to 70% off with code.
• M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the biggest sitewide discount I've ever seen…)
• Rothy's – Lots of great finds in the “final few” section
• Talbots – Semi-annual red door sale, extra 40% off markdowns

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