Today's women are wearing "housewife dresses" from the '50s to work. That's why

Exquise's Tobie top, exclusively available on Anthropologie, has become a hot favourite. With a pleated waist, voluminous sleeves and accentuated hips, it is reminiscent of the 1950s housewife dress silhouette - but in a new twist, writes Harper's Bazaar India.

The top and its variations - in the form of dresses and jumpsuits - have already been sold or rented tens of thousands of times. According to Nuuly, a clothing rental service, young women (under 30) choose this piece for the office, while older women choose it for its versatility and waist-accentuating fit.

Interestingly, the design is based on an idea developed almost a century ago by American designer Claire McCardell. It was she who adapted the men's shirt to the needs of women, creating a shirt dress that is comfortable and stylish. She introduced a number of features - for example, flaps that emphasise the waist without a corset, a convenient button fastening and concealed pockets.

Fashion history expert Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, author of a book about McCardell, admits that she bought this piece because she "recognised" the famous designer's style in it. In her opinion, the popularity of this design today is due to women trying to find a balance between professionalism and femininity in clothing. She believes that modern women still haven't got a clear "code" of what is considered "proper" office attire.

Against the backdrop of last year's micro-trend of 'corpcore' - strict jackets, pencil skirts and stilettos - this design looks softer and more human. But despite the associations with the "domestic" image, like the "traditional wives" (tradwife) movement, the piece does not lose its office chic.

So, Hannah Wu, 23, who works in corporate finance in New York, said:

"I love that this model emphasises the figure but still looks professional without being too strict. It's more structured than a tradwife style, but at the same time less aggressive than the TikTok office dress code".