Working girl 2.0 The new rules of power dressing
As Kirsty Wark heralds a new era of workplace fashion, Bethan Holt asks the industry’s best what weapons we need in our wardrobes
It’s one of the most common nuggets of advice offered to women climbing the career ladder: “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” It was an adage perfectly encapsulated in the 1988 film Working Girl, in which Melanie Griffith segues from her brash secretarial wardrobe to the polished, wideshouldered tailoring beloved of her boss, Sigourney Weaver, who looks like she might have stepped straight off the catwalk. Yet, earlier this week, Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark declared that such notions of power dressing are over. “Gone are the days when you used to wear Armani shoulders,” she said. “It was kind of a shield of armour, but I don’t have to do that anymore.”
There’s no doubt that Mr Armani offered a seductive solution to the problem faced by women working, in what was then a man’s world (and yes, this piece is all about how women, rather than men, dress for work, because in most cases a suit, shirt and tie will still do), but fashion and office cultures have moved on.
It is a subject on which Wark has become a trailblazer, in both words and deed. I know many a woman who finds herself eagerly watching the broadcaster’s latest grilling of a politician, before turning her attention to tracking down the jumper/ skirt/ dress she was wearing.
In 2014, Wark spoke to The Daily Telegraph’s Lisa Armstrong about her penchant for fashion. “Twenty years ago I don’t think I would have agreed to do an interview about clothes,” she said. “But now I’ve established who I am, I celebrate the whole idea of tailoring and everything else as an industry. We all wear clothes, why shouldn’t we talk about them?”
Wark is not alone. There’s a vanguard of women with serious, demanding jobs who are redefining the rules of power dressing. As one of the world’s most respected human rights lawyers – not to mention the wife of a Hollywood actor
– Amal Clooney has seemed to almost effortlessly find a way of dressing (in fluoro-yellow Bottega
Veneta for a talk at the UN, for example), which feels personal but professional – and a world away from the dull grey skirt suits many women once felt they must conform in.
Elsewhere, Theresa May has made no secret of her love of fashion, while Meghan Markle looked more C-suite than duchess-to-be as she arrived at Cliveden House in working-woman favourite Roland Mouret on the eve of her wedding.
And, over the past six weeks, BBC divorce drama The Split has created a new workwear role model in Hannah Stern, played by Nicola Walker, who has been seen strutting across London in heels, wearing talkingpoint jewellery with her tailoring – and pulling out a gorgeous Erdem party dress in the final episode.
Of course, we can’t all have the on-tap styling advice and money-noobject budgets of these women. But there are a few lessons that every professional woman can note…
1. Heels are still in
For all the talk that heels might be over (and there’s no denying that a smart trainer is now acceptable in many workplaces, especially in the creative fields), anyone with an inside track on the business and banking industries will tell you that a little height is still a trick many women swear by.
“A lot of power comes from feeling smart, and for that I think you’ve got to have heels. Even if they’re not very high, they give you a sense of gravitas,” says Anna Berkeley, a stylist who works with women at the top of their game in professions ranging from law to advertising.
But, she adds, you can still have fun and inject a dose of personality. Paul Andrew’s polka dot kitten heels (£545) or turquoise woven pumps (£575, both at Matchesfashion.com) come recommended by Berkeley, while she also takes her clients to Lkbennett for more affordable options (“they trash heels so quickly running from meeting to meeting”).
2. The suit 2.0
Or should that be 397.0? The suit has come a long way since the days when Armani made it the ultimate office uniform – but it does still feel relevant. Cate Blanchett looked exquisite in relaxed, colourful takes by Roksanda and Stella Mccartney at Cannes this year, while Victoria Beckham has been recently seen looking sophisticated but not too trussed-up in bottle green tailoring (Topshop have a great pistachio twopiece for £79). Opt for colour, louche cuts or clever design details to feel au courant.
“We are using small styling shifts that make a big difference when it comes to being on-trend, but still office-friendly,” adds Lisa Aiken, retail fashion director at Net-a-porter, whose workwear go-tos include Joseph and Rejina Pyo. “For example, pairing a slim-fit tee with a pantsuit is more modern than a shirt, which can feel formal.”
3. Build an arsenal of separates
Berkeley says that co-ords are also having a moment, citing Theory and Victoria, Victoria Beckham’s matching tops and trousers as exemplary. “We have seen a shift from power dressing suits to
separates. So a great jacket can work with a tailored pair of trousers or skirt, and feel more modern,” confirms Liane Wiggins, head of womenswear buying at Matchesfashion.com. “We often think about the younger CEO, who doesn’t want to dress in a traditional ‘power way’,” she adds.
Amal Clooney is the boss of this look, teaming neat T-shirts with floral pencil skirts, or buttonthrough midis. Ivanka Trump’s White House wardrobe is also mostly made up of versatile separates, many of which – would you believe – are by Zara.
4. The statement dress
“Some women do get a deep sense of strength and confidence from wearing body conscious, but not revealing, dresses, especially for big presentations or events,” explains Berkeley. You need only look to Dame Helena Morrissey – City superwoman, founder of the 30% Club (which campaigns for more women on boards) and mother of nine – who depends on fitted shifts by Chanel, Roksanda and Beckham, for proof that this is a formula that still works. Berkeley emphasises that the age of the power upper arm (ushered in by Michelle Obama) is over now and it’s more about interesting cuts and prints; Kitri’s mustard silk dress (£185) or Cefinn’s teal funnel neck maxi (£270) would both do nicely, as would a tailored jumpsuit, like Boden’s £140 “Clarissa”.
5. Sporty can pass, so long as it’s luxe
“I recently ran a breakfast with 10 very senior businesswomen and they described our clothing as their confidence-provider. One told me that it ‘enables me to act like a swan on the surface and no one needs to know I’m paddling furiously below’,’” says Clare Hornby, who worked in advertising before starting Me and Em. One of her best known designs is a tailored side-stripe trouser, which Wark made famous when she wore them on Newsnight. And, yes, that is basically a souped-up tracksuit bottom – but paired with a neat blazer and blouse, the look was pulled-together, rather than slobby. Hornby adds sporty details to tops and advocates wearing trainers with dresses or suits – whether it’s Friday or not.
And if in doubt? Just remember the three Ws… What Would Wark do?
‘And if in doubt? Just remember the three Ws… What Would Wark do?’