The Devil Wears Prada lied – here’s how fashion editors really dress

Popular culture has always held a peculiar fascination with the upscale world of glossy magazines.

No film, however, captured our desire to sit at the editor’s desk and go behind-the-scenes of the fashion cupboard quite like The Devil Wears Prada. The phenomenally successful adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s novel starred Anne Hathaway as Andy, the ambitious assistant struggling to cope with the ever-more-outlandish demands of Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly – the editor of Runway magazine, whose character was not-so-loosely based on the famous froideur of Anna Wintour.

The film made us forever wary of florals for spring and immortalised the importance of a certain shade of cerulean blue – so when a sequel was announced earlier this year and on-set photographs began to drop, all eyes were on what these famous, fictional doyennes of fashion were wearing.

But do the stilettos and OTT attire reflect what fashion editors really wear to work?

Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci on The Devil Wears Prada 2 set in New York this summer - GC Images

Most fashion editors agree that Miranda Priestly’s dogged devotion to vertiginous heels, for example, feels somewhat anachronistic in 2025.

“I doubt she has had to contend with South Western trains – I think us Brits are much more pragmatic,” says Avril Mair, the group luxury fashion director at Harper’s Bazaar UK and Elle UK. “Office dressing usually involves a 7.30am walk to the station lugging a laptop and carrying an umbrella. It’s not a glamorous starting point.”

For Oonagh Brennan, the fashion director at Red, the on-set outfits teased so far have been “surprisingly underwhelming”.

She says: “The clothing lacks the refined finish I associate with industry insiders. Instead of projecting that confident, edited elegance, it feels a bit grungy, a bit pedestrian.”

She cites Andy – she who once wore the Chanel boots – in unstructured, rolled-up jeans as “more Saturday errands than front row”.

Those who actually walk the hallowed halls of fashion’s most revered magazines mostly eschew the trends in favour of elevated basics (often from high street heroes) and upscale tailoring. They love a punchy accessory that can take them all the way through a long, demanding day – and good denim is practically written into the job description.

Here, five fashion editors reveal what their working wardrobes actually look like.

Lisa Armstrong

Head of fashion at The Telegraph

Andrew Crowley

What are your go-to outfits for the office?

There’s usually an element of tailoring, whether it’s trousers, a crisp shirt or a jacket. I shop across designer, high street and second-hand, looking for good quality; then I use tailors to get the perfect fit. Massimo Dutti and Reiss are great and, this winter, Hush has gorgeous, double-faced blazers and boxy jackets that look much more expensive than they are.

I recently bought a double-breasted velvet blazer from Nili Lotan in a coppery brown which makes other colours pop, from pale blues and pinks to browns, greys and blacks – it will be useful when I have to go straight out at the end of a working day.

Recently, I’ve fallen back in love with skirts. A chocolate Me+Em one edged with cream lace that I wore all summer will be dragooned into service this winter with boots and brown or cream jumpers: quite a soft look, but luxurious and (I hope) sleek. Walkable but smart shoes are also a must.

This winter, I’ll alternate between Russell & Bromley’s Dalton ankle boots and penny loafers from Sebago. As a finishing touch, I like a structured, medium-sized work bag that fits an iPad, and DeMellier’s midi Hudson bag is super slick without being a silly price.

Get Lisa’s look...

How trend-led are you when it comes to your wardrobe?

Rather than trends, I’m drawn to interesting pieces that will make my classics look individual. I’ve collected Sacai since it launched a dozen years ago in the UK and I still wear every single item.

I’m 5ft 4in and a UK size 6-8, so I avoid extremes: nothing fussy, overly patterned or exaggeratedly oversized. I suit pared back designs (Toteme’s a favourite, as is Cos) but find strict minimalism too severe.

What, in your opinion, are the best kept fashion editors’ secrets?

Bobbie’s shoes, from Paris, are incredible: the design team has a finely tuned eye and the prices are reasonable. Try Pairs Socks for wonderful, fashionable colours in wool or alpaca (without the Prada price tag) and Susan Caplan for stunning, vintage costume jewellery.

Other tips? Using elasticated hair ties to keep your sleeves hoiked up; adding a flash of lace to transform tailoring and knitwear; dressing head to toe in different shades of the same colour; and popping a crisp shirt under practically anything, to make your outfit look instantly more tailored and thought through.

Laura Ingham

Deputy director of the global fashion network at British Vogue

What are your go-to outfits for the office?

I’ve created my own office uniform built around timeless pieces – for example, a Uniqlo menswear white T-shirt, generally paired with boyfriend-fit jeans or tracksuit bottoms, topped with an oversized tailored jacket. For trans-seasonal days, I often add my Maison Margiela trench coat and I love to layer hoodies under my blazers.

I’m rarely without my metallic Nike Muse trainers or flat quilted Prada sandals; to take an outfit from day to evening, I simply swap in strappy Jimmy Choo heels or my favourite, cherry red Miu Miu mini Wander bag.

Get Laura’s look...

How trend-led are you when it comes to your work wardrobe?

Although I spend my days analysing fashion trends and building shoots around seasonal drops, my own wardrobe tends to remain the same – although this season, I’ve started to experiment with my collection of silk scarves, which made a stylish return to the runway following Michael Rider’s debut at Celine.

What, in your opinion, are the best kept fashion editors’ secrets?

In the office and between shows, editors often compare recent purchases, or discuss where to find the best denim or vintage sales.

The same brands continuously come up: Toteme for timeless luxury, Talia Byre for fashion-forward stripes and sporty co-ords, Phoebe Philo for ultimate investment cuts and cult accessories, Martine Rose for statement jackets and menswear infused tailoring, and Uniqlo for great quality cashmere, denim and tees (always shop the menswear section).

Avril Mair

Group luxury fashion director at Harper’s Bazaar UK and Elle UK

What are your go-to outfits for the office?

I don’t really have a working wardrobe and my off-duty style is pretty similar to what I wear to the office. Most days I leave early for a working breakfast, then have meetings in the office before going out for appointments, and I usually have evening events, so my wardrobe has to be fairly practical but also a bit fabulous. I dress in a mostly monochromatic palette but always with something unexpected, usually shiny: I love Cos jeans, paired with a Chanel jacket and some sort of party flat, usually from Alaïa or Manolo Blahnik.

I often wear a statement skirt with a simple white T-shirt or sweater – Dover Street Market is next to the Hearst offices and a constant temptation; I have a few standout pieces from there by Comme des Garcons, Simone Rocha and Prada. I also swear by a smart jacket to pull everything together and my most recent investment is a khaki utility one from Loewe, which I’m already wearing on steady rotation. I don’t overthink what I wear – I want to feel comfortable but also presentable and, hopefully, memorable.

Get Avril’s look

How trend led are you when it comes to your work wardrobe?

I don’t really have a trend-driven wardrobe, as I wear things I’ve owned for a long time and justify investment pieces by their longevity. I’m not going to buy anything brown just because it’s a “thing” this season.

Accessories do change from season to season, though, and I’ve just bought some Dear Frances loafers and a Polo cashmere sweater, both of which nod to the new preppy mood.

What, in your opinion, are the best kept fashion editors’ secrets?

The best white T-shirts come from Cos and I won’t hear any argument. Kenya Hunt (editor-in-chief of Elle UK) and I both love Cos denim, too, although fortunately we tend to favour different styles.

Toteme is a real favourite in our office and I have a great army-style leather jacket from there which I wear a lot. Dear Frances, Manolo Blahnik and Alaïa are probably the most worn shoes.

Kemi-Olivia Alemoru

Head of editorial at Glamour UK

What are your go-to outfits for the office?

My outfits need to work for meetings with colleagues, commercial clients for whom I need to look smart and celebrities in front of whom I don’t want to look too square. I might also need to be filmed or shot for the magazine and, if I’m meeting my friends in the evening, I don’t want to look like I’m cosplaying a “She-E-O”. It’s a delicate balance that contains so many multitudes! I like heeled boots because being flat to the ground feels unnatural to me; I feel like I carry myself differently if I’m a few inches away from rock bottom, so I’m very attached to my Miista heeled boots for every season.

For autumn winter, I like a big textured coat – think fur, leather or vinyl – and I’m always leaning into colour, because life is too short to mute myself in any way shape or form. Generally, I’m a real all-rounder and love accessible brands like Asos, House of Sunny and Cos, as well as those that have moved me to make a special purchase like Chopova Lowena, Ganni or Awake Mode.

I buy a lot of second-hand designer, too – I think everyone is probably sick of my Fendi raincoat by now, but who cares? Being an outfit repeater isn’t at all shameful to me, as I get my cost per wear and it’s better for the planet.

Get Kemi-Olivia’s look...

How trend led are you when it comes to your work wardrobe?

I like to think I am not trend-led because I only really buy things that evoke an emotional reaction. I won’t buy something until it keeps popping up in my mind, and only then will I decide that we’re meant to be together.

What, in your opinion, are the best kept fashion editors’ secrets?

I think fashion editors’ style can’t be pinned down that easily, because everyone dresses to signpost their own personality. Besides, a fashion editor at Dazed isn’t going to dress the same as a fashion editor at Grazia – titles have very different audiences and approaches to curating style. The only thing I can pin down, however, is that a lot of people in fashion gravitate towards black – but evidently, I don’t mind looking like a box of crayons!

Oonagh Brennan

Fashion director at Red

What are your go-to outfits for the office?

My style is rooted in forever classics: a sharp blazer, tailored wide-leg trousers, a trench coat, lived-in jeans and soft cashmere knits. But there’s always a nod to femininity; I can’t resist a ruffled collar or a poet sleeve, for example. Then I’ll amp it up with accessories: I love a layered necklace moment (usually a mix of Tilly Sveaas, Monica Vinader, Milne-Watson and Sarah Wilson) and I’ll often add a little silk scarf. I also love to layer earrings – either Completedworks ear cuffs or Missoma gold hoops – for a bit of a rockier edge.

My office look nearly always starts with denim, and I’ve lost count of how many pairs of jeans I own. I tend to buy them from the high street – Zara and H&M nail the silhouettes season after season – and I’ll tweak the cut depending on the trends. For a romantic sensibility I love Zimmermann, Dôen, Ulla Johnson and Isabel Marant; on the high street, Sézane, Zara, Sandro and Maje always deliver.

Tailoring is key for me, as a blazer sharpens everything. I’ve worn my navy wool Zadig & Voltaire one for years, and I recently picked up a grey wool Vanessa Bruno blazer on Vinted, which is such a good find. I can’t do heels all day as I do too much running around, but I do like a block or kitten heel, which gives me just enough lift to feel pulled together – Repetto’s block heel ballet pumps are on my new season shopping list.

Get Oonagh’s look...

How trend led are you when it comes to your work wardrobe?

My wardrobe is built around quality timeless staples – pieces I wear year in, year out – but I always like to layer in a few updates to keep things feeling fresh, as a quiet nod to the new season. This autumn, there’s a strong Western energy that I’m really into. I’ll tap into it subtly with a cowboy-inspired ankle boot, and maybe a checked shirt or a suede jacket.

I usually steer clear of pattern and stick to a neutral palette, but this winter I’m embracing a warmer tonal story through camel, shades of brown, burgundy and sage. It’s a nice shift from my usual navy, grey and black and just enough to inject a bit of new-season energy without straying too far from my style DNA.

What, in your opinion, are the best kept fashion editors’ secrets?

Massimo Dutti, or “high street Celine” as it’s known in the Red office, is amazing for tailoring, coats and leather pieces and, at a higher price point, the Frankie Shop, Blazé Milano and Joseph are great for blazers.

I love Chloe for jeans and shoes and Khaite for its boots, With Nothing Underneath for great quality shirts and Hush for the best slub cotton T-shirts: they’re not too thick and very flattering. Demellier is my hot tip for bags that look designer but don’t have the eye-watering price tag.

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