How Fashion Can Take Women Forward In Their Careers

Historically, women who were preoccupied with pretty things like clothes were considered frivolous. Author Jane Austen played up this stereotypical view of women beautifully in her characterisation of the Bennet sisters, Lydia and Mary, in her 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. The former, whose only goal is to shop and flirt with offcers, is described as ignorant, idle and vain. Pious Mary, on the other hand, dismisses such trivialities, declaring them to be “congenial with the generality of female minds, but … I should infinitely prefer a book”. And there it was: a woman was either learned or absurd.

The penchant for “power dressing” in the 1980s was a direct response to centuries of this kind of pigeonholing. Men had power and they wore suits, so women climbing the career ladder adopted what they perceived to be the uniform of authority. Of course, it wasn’t the two-pieces that gave men their status, it was simply the fact that they were men. Over the last two or three decades, however, fashion has become a help rather than a hindrance to women in positions of authority. Leaders such as Michelle Obama and Christine Lagarde have cleverly used their clothes as a way of piquing people’s interest in them, and consequently in what they have to say. As the old adage goes, “see me, hear me”. When you command someone’s attention visually, they are far more likely to listen to what you have to say. These women use clothes, not as armour or as a protective shield, but as an invitation.

Michelle Obama’s full-skirted dresses (these may not seem radical, but compare her stylish Naeem Khan appliqué dresses and Carolina Herrera prints with the dowdy “lady suits” of her predecessors) and Christine Lagarde’s vibrant scarves are sartorial overtures to understand the personality behind the public figure. It sets them apart and differentiates them from their neutral-clad peers. Far from being frivolous, their fashion choices are in part politically motivated. Converting somebody’s indifference into an allegiance can begin by simply wearing an eye-catching dress. And when somebody like Obama does this, she redefines what it means to look like a First Lady, and with its trickle-down effect, a politician, a CEO and a woman in business. She also disassembles that traditional link between the “ Three Fs” – fashion, femininity and frivolity. Multimillion dollar entrepreneurs such as Natalie Massenet and women like Linda Fargo (senior vice president of fashion at Bergdorf Goodman in New York), who is responsible for millions of dollars in revenue for the iconic store, have also helped hugely to redefine what success and power look like.

Linda Fargo (top) and Yasmin Sewell (above) are two of many successful women who have redefined what power looks like.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is not ashamed to admit that she loves shoes (and her Vogue subscription), reportedly using her fancy footwear – leopard-print kitten heels, patent leather over-the-knee boots, diamanté-heeled brogues – as an ice-breaker and talking point. Last year, she explained that “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”. May has no qualms about making official appearances and arriving at cabinet wearing Vivienne Westwood, Amanda Wakeley or Burberry, and she has the confidence to wear these prestigious labels with ease. This kind of confidence suggests an ability and self-assurance in her life and career too. May’s style choices work because they’re authentic. This is who she was pre-Prime Minister, and this is who she remains – a smart woman who understands and enjoys fashion as well as politics. Be it voters, consumers or investors, the public wants to see authenticity in those they look up to, and clothes play a key role in shaping that image.