Reasons to embrace the changes we see in today’s female styling in business
Female dressing in the corporate space has seen some of the biggest style shifts in the last two decades. No longer are we required to take on the business challenges we face in a navy, pinstripe two-piece and shirt – unless of course, that’s exactly our style!
Instead, we’re now seeing the term ‘business casual’ introduced and generally, a more relaxed feel to what we wear.
Yet still, it can be hard to embrace a more laid-back style to our workwear. We’ve been conditioned to be polished and smart for so long, it’s what comes naturally to us. Dressing up and ‘power dressing’ has also served to us as a particular useful vice. Yet balancing this new trend with what we’ve traditionally been accustomed to wearing, can actually work in our favour.
Authentic style.
With this new age, we see an acceptance for introducing individuality to our office outfits. For some, dressing in bold or bright patterns can be a way of enabling us to feel like our true selves. Expression of personality through our clothes can be a pretty powerful effect on how we behave in the workplace.
Appreciating that not all corporate businesses have evolved to the more casual or diverse of dress codes and may still require a level of conventional and conservative wear; consider adding expression through pops of colour and pattern or wearing smart two-piece tailoring in a vibrant colour of your choice. Asymmetric or bolder cuts of tailoring, such as over-sized blazers can also be a great way to demonstrate personal style and flair. Injecting a sense of who you are outside of the workplace with items you could dress up or down, can also make you feel more authentic and is a clever way to get the maximum use out of your wardrobe.
Comfort equals confidence…
Old-school corporate style may feel familiar; however, pencil skirts and starchy dresses were not always the most comfortable to wear, especially come afternoon post-lunch! Living in a blazer all day-long equally, not the easiest. So why not have it all?..
The joy of today’s new office style is that we can still be smart, yet stylishly at ease in doing so.
Wide leg-pants, loose shirts and blouses, shirt dresses all make for great comfortable workwear pieces. Blazers which can be thrown over the shoulders are perfect for giving instant elevation, ideal for the boardroom. Darker jeans worn with smarter items such as. a blazer, shirt, and heels, can be a great comfortable workwear look.
Put simply, dressing comfortably results in a better mood. A better frame of mind equates to a much more purposeful and productive day at the office.
Your audience and personal brand
Finally, on balance with the former two points, how we dress for our positions of leadership or seniority, interviews for funding or podcasting, big client pitches… now comes with an opportunity. One where we can choose what we want to communicate about ourselves, our personality, integrity and how we apply ourselves to our work through our own personal style.
To do this effectively, careful consideration of what your personal brand looks like is key. Consider the feelings you want to convey and the words you envisage these differing stakeholders using when they describe you. Then decide how you want to visually encapsulate that. Mood-boarding is a great tool for this and can be done with the help of a stylist.
The wardrobe you build as a result should be with purpose and conviction in the brand you wish to depict and to truly resonate, one both with originality and a true reflection of you.
Written by : Carina Harvey – Personal Identity Coach
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PERSONAL IDENTITY COACH
