From pajama-like clothes to activewear, Zoomers are making controversial couture choices at the office.
Now, one Gen Z fashionista is taking things to the next level, with critics accusing her of dressing like she’s heading to a nightclub, not a place of employment.
Victoria Olegario, 21, regularly uploads images of the outfits she wears to her job at a New York City-based modeling agency. The ensembles often feature micro shorts or show the employee baring her midriff.
Last month, Olegario went viral after sharing one particularly divisive outfit.
The brunette rocked an army green outfit featuring knee-high boots, a skirt with a slit and a one-shoulder strappy top, with a cardigan draped over her shoulders.
While some supporters insisted she looked great, others were baffled by her decision to dress in such an outfit for the office.
“It’s an office, not COACHELLA. People need to understand the places, and the dress code,” one person replied in a post that received 6.2 million views and over 1,200 interactions.
“I love it for a festival or going to a club, but not for an office, very out of place and forced.”
Many people pointed out that the user works in fashion and it’s highly possible that her outfit choices are appropriate for her specific workplace.
Olegario subsequently told People that she prefers to wear clothes that represent her “young wild and free spirit” — and that’s not business casual.
“The younger generation isn’t interested in dressing in stuffy monotone outfits every day like they did in the 1950s,” she said.
And those who argued that she can dress this way due to her job in fashion were seemingly correct.
“Personally, my coworkers were complimenting my outfit but stay mad over your dress code!” she wrote in one of her replies.
“As long as you’re not naked, you can wear whatever you want,” Olegario insisted.
She added that she wished more places of work would lean into a casual dress code.
“Office dress culture should be a lot more lenient than it currently is,” Olegario said.
Her specific job allows her to express herself through her outfits and accessories.
Olegario described her style as an “amalgamation of different eras of rock and roll,” noting influences such as Stevie Nicks and Janis Joplin, and her outfits range from loose form to tight clothing.
Plus, she’s a “huge fan” of not wearing a bra.
“I think we as a society just need to free the nip,” she explained.
Regardless, Olegario said that she doesn’t usually respond to hate comments because she “knows better,” considering she’s had her account since she was just 14 years old.
“But if I’m in the mood to be a bitch, I’ll match their energy and say something catty or sarcastic,” she admitted.
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