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The term “power dressing” comes with a lot of baggage. For some women, it conjures up images of stiff suits, shoulder pads, and a version of professionalism designed by someone who never had to carry a handbag and a team of direct reports.
But in today’s working world, where we’re leading meetings one minute and joining a Zoom call from the kitchen the next, the old model of power dressing doesn’t quite fit. Literally, or figuratively.
And yet, the desire behind it hasn’t changed: to show up with clarity, confidence, and presence.
So what does that look like now?
For the women I work with: senior leaders, lawyers, creatives, founders - dressing with “power” doesn’t mean wearing a costume. It means feeling grounded and clear in what you’re communicating, even when you’re saying nothing at all.
For one woman, that might be a beautifully cut blazer over a tee and trousers. For another, it’s a dress with structure and strength. For someone else, it’s a soft knit layered with sharp tailoring - comfort and authority in equal measure.
The key is this: you don’t need to dress like someone else’s idea of a leader. You need to dress like your version of one.
Here’s what I consistently see working for professional women who want to look like themselves, but bolder:
1. A Sharp Jacket That Isn’t Stiff
The blazer remains one of the best wardrobe investments you can make — if the fit is right. Look for:
I always recommend tailoring it to your shape. A £90 jacket that fits you perfectly will do more for your presence than a £400 one that doesn’t.
2. Trousers That Mean Business (and Actually Fit)
Good trousers are like a silent wingwoman. No tugging, no adjusting, no digging into your stomach mid-presentation.
Whether they’re high-waisted and wide-leg, or cropped and tapered, they need to:
Pair with a clean knit or silk blouse, and you’re instantly elevated — no effort required.
3. A Statement Piece That Anchors You
This isn’t about flash — it’s about signature. Think:
One client I work with wears navy head to toe — and rotates three striking necklaces that completely change the tone. Another keeps a bright red blazer for speaking gigs. It doesn’t need to be big. It just needs to feel like you.
4. Fit Over Fashion, Always
Trends come and go. But clothes that fit your actual body — now, not five years ago — will always look more current than squeezing into something you’re “meant” to wear.
If something pulls, gaps, or creases in places it shouldn’t, it’s not your fault. It just needs adjusting — or replacing.
The best-dressed women I know? They all have a secret - they use a tailor.
You don’t need to wear a blazer to be taken seriously. You don’t need to stick to black and navy to prove you mean business. And you absolutely don’t need to dress in a way that makes you feel smaller just to get a seat at the table.
But if your clothes help you walk taller, speak more clearly, and breathe a little easier before a big meeting? That’s not superficial. That’s strategy.
And it’s yours to define.
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