meet the office rebel
She’s kicking goals and kicking butt... and doing it with style.
She’s also every woman who ever realised that keeping her head down, working hard and playing by the rules wasn’t necessarily going to nab her the corner office, a seat at the boardroom table or access to the Oneworld first lounge. Getting ahead in the workplace means getting noticed, for the right reasons. And while smarts will get you so far, schmick personal style will always help you seal the deal.
Yes, we know. The argument goes that appearances shouldn’t matter. But did Hillary Clinton snag the popular vote to be leader of the free world (although, sadly, not the presidency) in drab, uninspiring threads? N-O. She wore colour. She wore pants suits. She wore tailoring so impeccable her worthiness for the job seemed to be stitched into the very lining of her jacket. Think of it like the formatting on a pivotal Powerpoint presentation – you may have come up with the answer to world peace somewhere between slide four and slide nine, but without a dynamic font and the appropriate highlighting, the shared plate of Arnott’s Assorted Creams will likely be getting all the attention.
We also know you’re probably not considering running for next President of the United States (unless, Michelle, you’re reading this). And we’re not suggesting you invest in a wardrobe of colourcoded pants suits either (though there are some very slick options on p62). But you may well be in the running for president of your company (or partner, or programmer, or maybe you’re eyeing off that plum EA role) and there’s one surefire, immediate, universal way to let people know what you, a woman excelling in her field with everything to offer, are all about: style, with a twist.
Letting your personality show in the way you dress is no longer a workplace no-no. And while corporate dress codes may differ from the guidelines (or lack of them) laid down in more creative industries, the same styling tricks apply, irrespective of profession: introduce an injection of your favourite hue to neutrals via a polished skirt and leave them in no doubt you’re a confident leader; opt for a statement bag that says you’re an ideas person; introduce a ruffle or a floral that makes it clear you view your femininity as one of your most powerful assets. The message: be true to yourself, be comfortable in your abilities, then whip out that presentation and show them who’s boss.