Originating as a concept within John T. Molloy’s book Dress For Success in 1975, power dressing is still very much in play for today’s professionals, though the application has changed significantly. Initially, embracing power dressing meant dressing conservatively and often applied to women, mimicking the look of men’s wardrobes to appear just as professional or as equals in such a setting. Today, power dressing can be embraced by men or women, and it has much more to do with self-expression, confidence, and even using clothing to make a statement. Its whole purpose is to power the professional to achieve all they hope to accomplish within their career field through confidence. Read on to learn more about power dressing and how it can be used to boost confidence within a career:
Power Dressing Psychology
We all know you never get a second chance at a first impression. Therefore, it’s safe to say that first impressions matter a great deal. This is just as true, if not more so, in professional settings. The outfit you choose to wear for your initial meeting will set a tone. A black blazer and a bold-colored blouse pair wonderfully to communicate a first-impression message of competence and confidence. You will also feel more confident when you wear something “powerful” as your outfit will make you feel unstoppable. A great option for confidence includes a classic coat paired with a body-contouring pencil skirt. This outfit will make you feel like you can take on the world. The right outfit will also make you exude authority. Strong colors like deep blue, or even fuchsia pink, can project a hard-to-ignore message of confidence and authority. This is the embodiment of the phrase “dress for success.”
Key Elements to Know to Embrace Power Dressing
There are a few key elements to consider when building a power wardrobe. They include: power suits, proper tailoring, color incorporation, and proper accessories. Each piece of clothing within your outfit should contribute to helping you build the right kind of image; one of confidence.
- Power Suit: Power suits are the foundation of many powerful outfits. They have been popular since the early 20th century. Today’s women can rock a sharp blazer and pencil skirt or tailored trousers or even a dress to impress. Men, of course, can also embrace the power suit.
- Fit and Tailoring: One often overlooked, but immensely important aspect of power dressing is proper tailoring and fit. You can have the right kind of clothing on but if it doesn’t fit properly, it will not provide the boost of confidence you desire. Worse yet, it can convey the message that you aren’t exactly put together. Ideally, your clothing should be tailored to fit you well, which will boost your confidence and even improve your appearance and posture.
- Color Psychology: We did touch on it a little before, but color is yet another key factor to consider when power dressing. Certain colors tend to communicate approachability, authority, and confidence. Rich colors, such as fuchsia pink, bold red, and deep blue are associated with leadership and power. Also, navy, gray, and black are important neutral colors that allow you to build the foundation of an outfit and are just as vital. The more vibrant colors should be reserved for mixing and matching, not dominating an entire outfit.
- Accessorize: The last key element of a power outfit comes in the form of accessories. The right accessories can elevate your look without overpowering it. Accessories don’t have to be limited to jewelry. They can also include a fashionable loafer or a classically styled bag. Ideally, your accessories should complement your overall look, and never overwhelm your outfit. Aim to strike a good balance.
Today’s More Casual Professional Settings
Although there are many professional environments that still hold to the standards set forth years prior, requiring employees to wear dress attire, there are many others that have gone much more casual. However, even if your employer embraces t-shirts and jeans, there is still something to be said for power dressing within these perimeters. Remember, modern power dressing is more about building confidence than following a certain set of wardrobe standards anyway. Therefore, consider the following tips to embrace the idea of power dressing, no matter the dress code in your workplace:
- Express Yourself: You will always appear most confident when you are being true to yourself. This means you shouldn’t ever try to dress like anyone else. Instead, embrace your own personality and, within reason, express this in your work attire.
- Consider Comfort: Although you want to look great for sure, you also need to be able to move around and be comfortable in certain workplace settings. Therefore, it’s okay to still be comfortable and dress successfully. In fact, being comfortable can make you feel calmer, which will, in turn, make you feel more confident and self-assured. Just don’t go too far in the other direction, as it will not look great to embrace the sweats and holey t-shirt look. We all love that look at home, but it’s not for the office.
- Invest in Key Quality Pieces, Avoid Trends: When you are trying to embrace power dressing, first find some clothing that is well-made, and then don’t skimp on the tailoring. Invest in a few key pieces to build up your wardrobe. That goes for jeans, too, or whatever type of clothing you are wearing. Make sure that it looks good on you, fits right, and is well-made. Also, try to choose garments that are more classically designed instead of being overly trendy for the office. You can enjoy trends outside the workplace. Inside, unless you work at a company that wants you to be trendy, this is usually not considered professional.
You Can Boost Your Confidence and Career
You can successfully boost your confidence and your career by embracing power dressing. This doesn’t always mean suits or dressy clothing, though it can. The main point, though, is not so much about the specific clothing options but instead how you feel when wearing them. Power dressing is all about building confidence through properly fitted and high-quality clothing items that hold their value. This means steering away from too many loud, trendy pieces and instead opting for a base wardrobe you can build upon over the years. Don’t forget, too, that if you are slow at building your base, you can dress up any outfit with the right accessories, so don’t overlook that option as well. Just create a look for yourself that communicates your personality and makes you feel confident when wearing it to embrace power dressing fully.