POWER DRESSING

What kind of clothing conveys a sense of power today or how do I classify what a power dressing is.
Could it be the throwback of the 70s or 80s decade of suits, shoulder pads and masculine tailoring for women? So what is this so-called “power dressing?” And does it have any importance? Does it
change once attitude if power dressing is practised? Who is this person who defined power dressing? How did he even convince and brought the change to the market? Well, to answer that questions
let’s go back into the 1977s when a guy named John T. Molloy came out with a series of books about “the women dress for success.” From that book then came the idea of the power suit and the power
suit meant to show the strength, leadership and skills. In order to achieve the kind of authority of The Iron Lady, Molloy recommended women do two things. Don’t look like a secretary, and don’t
try to look too sexy. Because of course, women should protect themselves from their own sexual objectification and protect once self from the un-modest dressing. However, the way in which men and
women’s dress for work differs. For men, this means black and grey suits, teamed with not-too-daring ties, and smart polished shoes. However, while the traditional trouser suit works for men, it
does not work for women. Indeed, by the very fact of his writing two manuals on work dress, Molloy points along the way in which dress at work is gendered, both reflecting and reproducing sexual
difference. While both manuals have the same goal, the acquisition of status and power at work men and women. must attain it by different means, according to Molloy. And for a woman, this means
managing her sexuality. While an aspiring professional man needs only to worry about his dress (which suit to wear and in which colour, which briefcase to carry, and so on), whereas a female
counterpart must also worry about her body, since her body is sexualized in a way that the male body is not. Will you call this as SEXISM? NO! as for a woman she has a simple set of rules so that
her clothing and the accessories work for her accordingly. Sometimes, this specifically involves dressing to make the right impression on men or for that matter even attract men. This is not
sexist. It is due to the debatable reality that men kind dominates the power structure for the business, in government departments, in education and so on. I am not pointing out that women dress to
impress and attract, menonly but my point is that by her dress or rather by her power dressing she gains confidence in her own self to face the crowd. What the researcher advise man is that your
clothes should move you up socially and in business, not hold you back. As quoted in the woman’s dress for success book 1977/ [John Molly].
Today, honestly speaking the world of work is a world, that demands a clear separation from the erotic, and thus, women’s potentially sexual bodies must be covered appropriately and smartly. Women,
Molloy argues, have to dress for “authority” since their social position, as women, puts them at some disadvantage compared with men at work. In his book, he describes how a women’s dressing should
be. The wearing of tailored clothing, like a smart jacket with the tailored knee-high skirt, is according to Molloy, the most effective, powerful and Dominant dress. It would seem, therefore, that
while suggestive clothes must be avoided, women’s aim and focus should be to look “feminine” at all costs: the wearing of a skirt coordinated with decorative items, like a necktie, brooch, or
another accessory, help to soften the severity of the suit. Molloy had so much respect for women that he promised if women control a substantial hunk of the power structure in ten or fifteen years,
He will write a book advising men how to dress smart in a female-dominated environment. I believe it is not sexism; it is realism, woman’s dress for Success book 1997 [John L. Molly].
In the late 1980s, white-collar women began to dress for the power they wanted, not the power they had. The “uniform” that he subsequently helped to promote and inaugurate became known as the
“power suit” It was the game changer it became a major phenomenon of the 1980s, the style was a major success as a female professional dress that has now become something of a sartorial cliché
today. If we see around in the market, Tailored skirt suit with shoulder pads, in gravy, blue, or navy, are in for a huge demand. If we go deep in detail after the Involvement of designers who were
not focused on power dressing gradually caught up and started manufacturing most Jackets with double-breasted layers, for people agreed that what women wear to work is as complex as ever.[ ” You’ve
got to be as powerful as the men, but you cannot sexualize yourself. Go in there and look powerful and capable. Dress like you’re an equal, Judith watt/telegraph/21 September 2014 by Clare
Coulson]. Floral prints and feminine colours, like bright pink or yellow were not the most preferred. Skirts were more in favour than the trousers to avoid the look of being masculine. This was the
birth of “power dressing.” And by the 1980s, it became the way “enterprising” women presented her. Women learned to manage or limit the potential sexuality of their bodies and considered a
competitive dressing sense. More and more women accepted the power dressing trend in the corporate world. Some women were keen in modifying this uniform while maintaining their professional
appearance. there was a designer busy at work in Milan figuring out ways to cut a masculine suit for a woman’s un-masculine form. His name was Giorgio Armani. According to Daily Worth, a women’s
lifestyle site, “Armani managed to completely revolutionise women’s fashion, particularly for the serious ‘career girls’ out there. His new tailored trouser and skirt suits took the sex out of
fashion and gave it a much-needed hit of seriousness.” However, that still didn’t mean that these pant and blazer sets weren’t trying to emulate a more male presence. It was a hazy time, one during
which women were commanding power but had to do so underneath the disguise of pinstripes. Vice observed, “These big shouldered jackets and pants disguised a woman’s figure and took the focus off
her gender, creating a feeling of authority as the traditional sex roles continued to blur.” Not every designer believed that to be powerful meant to play dress up as a man in the boardroom. Enter
Ms Donna Karan. She got rid of the boxiness of a male jacket and let women believe they could walk into a room looking feminine and still own respectability. Karan told Bloomberg L.P., “When I was
working at Anne Klein in the ’70s, women were wearing jackets and bow ties and shirts — more or less dressing like men. Where was the sensuality of women? I don’t think anyone really understood how
crazy our lives were. Those suits were holding us back. We wanted to move. We wanted to be comfortable.” In this way, the women of the ’80s trodden in the space between Windsor knots and
stilettos.The power suit of the ’80s flipped itself on its head and became a power skirt once the ’90s rolled through, according to the Baltimore Sun. The pussy-bows that were mirrors to neckties
went away, hemlines became shorter, and the shoulder pads were ripped out from inside suit jackets. Why? Women’s attitudes were largely changing, and with it their need to look aggressive ebbed
away. The Baltimore Sun reported, “Now the most feminine symbol the dress is back. And some say the change in style reflects a new, self-assured image of women in the corporate world.” [A woman was
confident that she looked good and could get on with the business of enjoying herself when wearing a suit or coatdress.( HISTORY OF FASHION /June Marsh/modern legends/page185)] To give you an idea,
designer Marco Jacobs said, [“The ’80s was Nancy Reagan and Dynasty, huge shoulders, nasty little suits, dress for success, hard-edge, hard-core, mean, aggressive clothes,” Instead, designs took a
softer, more romantic approach, in 1992 Marc Jacobs/the LA Times] One powerful person who broke out of these fashion limitations was Diana, Princess of Wales, was an enthusiastic Pearson, after her
divorce never looked better than with her more glamorous outfits.[HISTORY OF FASHION /June Marsh/back to the future/page193] TV presenters were also a major influence for the change. “Designing
Women” and “Moonlighting” were some of the shows which had a lot of viewers. Broad shoulder pads, wide lapels and a wider range of textures and bright colours and accessories soon started catching
up,
Back to present day! Most of these fashion fads have come and gone, but you can still see their influence in politics and in business, for example. Especially personalities like the candidate for
president of the united states of America 2016, Hillary Clinton or the first African American first lady Michelle Obama or Chancellor of the Germany Angelina Merkel Many of the tenets of power
dressing are still in play today, we just consider it as a formal wear.
But a 2016 study re-examined the principles behind power dressing and has a very positive opinion about it. The study discovered that putting on formal clothing does indeed make us feel powerful,
confident and even makes us think differently. In an age during which jeans and trainers are just as regularly allowed in the office as blazers and heels, power dressing has reached an age of
“anything goes.”[‘the power suit was very much based on a male construct, really, today, women are freed from those constructs, free to dress as they wish.’(The new York times/Lovedays)] Now there
is no such thing as power dressing. Women dress in a way that they think is comfortable, stylish and authoritative that women feel confident in.
Today women don’t have to wear a pantsuit to prove their authority. The stiff male adopted suit no longer fashionable. The key for women is to look professional, yet retain their femininity. Women
can now wear soft fabrics or colours, bold prints and have feminine tailoring and accessories at work and still project power. In today’s market, we see the trend of interchangeable pieces enabling
women to customise their corporate look which makes things smart and efficient.[‘We are women, we love clothes, one of the challenges for women in business, in all areas of working life, is to be
ourselves, and to say yes we can be clever and love clothes’.2015/October/Ms. May]
Time have changed, As women reach the top of every profession and we desire to be who we are!

 

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