What is power dressing?
The term power dressing first came into being in the late 1970’s and quickly dominated women’s wardrobes in the 1980’s. Women who held authoritative positions at work or politics were expected to show their status through power dressing. The distinctive shoulder pads and pant suits were worn by some of the most influential women of the times, like Princess Diana or Margaret Thatcher.
Today, though, power dressing has changed ten fold. It is not about wearing stuffy pantsuits or masculine clothing, rather showing your optimistic and fearless state of mind. Whether it be the most brightest pink frock or a multi colored floral blouse, wearing feminine or rather ‘girly’ clothes do not translate to how much power or status one holds.
Women like Michelle Obama was a huge inspiration to many young women and men. She delivered powerful and moving speeches yet carried herself with grace in feminine sheath dresses or stunning strapless gowns. She made her mark as one of the most stylish FLOTUSs’ and sent a brilliant message of inclusivity with a wardrobe that included clothing by designers from different backgrounds.
Hilary Clinton or Angela Merkel have favored the traditional pantsuits albeit colorful. By opting for conventional suits in various colors they were either symbolizing a cause, thought or just adding their personal touch. British prime minister Theresa May, at the Women In The World summit once said “I’m a woman, I like clothes. One of the challenges for women in politics, in business, in all areas of working life, is to be ourselves, and to say you can be clever and like clothes.â€
Wear the most girliest most floral dress! Embrace your femininity and individuality!
After all what is more powerful than being able to dress yourself?
So, in my bid to wear what I like (and when I feel like it!), here I am wearing an off shoulder blouse in black. It looks like a double breasted jacket and gives of that 80’s vibe. I paired my own brand Famushu pants. They are a bright orange and black geometric printed cotton pants. The design was inspired by the Maldivian traditional mat ‘thundu kunaa’.  I wore a Maldivian lacquer works inspired pants in a previous post. In case you have not seen it before, I’ll link here .
Alors!Before wrapping this post with some photos , care to share how you would power dress?
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