The so-called “office siren”–i.e. a working woman with an artfully disheveled up-do who wears Bayonetta reading glasses and pencil skirts–has become a figure of aspiration on social media for young people who are just beginning to enter into corporate culture. But what happens when all those aspirant professionals climb the career ladder and begin to take on managerial responsibilities?
Selena Gomez’s response would be to assume characteristics of an HR manager. The musician was yesterday photographed strolling through Los Angeles in a white-collared and shirt-cuffed Versace dress with patent Medusa pumps and a diminutive Aupen bag. The look–a reissue of a 1993 Atelier Versace gown–was lifted from Donatella Versace’s fall 2024 collection and was prim enough to be considered office-appropriate while being sheer enough to organize “send-offs” at the local bar. (The HR manager will always toe the line.)
Gomez might have never experienced the Apollonian thrill of working a traditional 9-5 but this outfit belongs to someone who has seen the Slack messaging app. Someone who takes great pleasure in sending passive aggressive messages at the most inopportune moments in the working day. “Have you got 5 minutes for a Zoom?”; “Gentle reminder that the dress code for the summer party is ‘Summer Chic’”; “Please can I ask for this umbrella (pictured below) to be returned to its rightful owner?” I apologize to young people on TikTok who fantasize about the seductive potential of the workplace: even the most manicured office siren is destined to become a disciplinarian with a red lip.