What to wear to the office and to job occasions where you can see more than your head in the miniature window of a video call? Anyone who asks this question more often can be prepared for one thing: “The big trend for autumn and winter, which has already become apparent in summer, is power dressing,” says style consultant Dunja Hess, who specializes in business outfits.
“Power dressing” – two words that can also be read more frequently in the announcements of the collections for this autumn and winter, for example at the Amsterdam fashion label Fabienne Chapot or in looks by Wolfgang Joop. But what does that actually mean?
First of all, a look at history – because the origins of power dressing go back to the late 19th century, says Birgit Haase, professor of art and fashion history at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. Namely for the development of the tailor’s costume.
“That means that during this time, when the first wave of the women’s movement emerged, women began to wear a costume, the so-called Tailor Made, consisting of jacket and skirt,” says Haase. “And this jacket took an example from male outerwear, that is, the jacket or overskirts.”
In the decades that followed, tailored suits followed “general fashion trends”, according to the professor of art and fashion history. The fashion of the 1980s was particularly influential for what is now understood as power dressing. “At that time, the fashionable silhouette was characterized by a very strongly emphasized shoulder area and the inserted shoulder pads.”
An icon of power dressing: the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, “who embodied this power dressing in a rather conservative suit in muted colors with a classic shirt blouse with a loop collar or bow and a pearl necklace”, according to Haase.
Shoulder pads and wide pants suits
And finally, in the world of fashion: What was once popular is often picked up again later. The silhouette associated with the term Power Dressing is no exception. Today, according to fashion consultant Andreas Rose, the “era of working women in the 1980s” inspires designers like Saint Laurent, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana and Alexander McQueen to “contemporarily reinterpret the power silhouette”.
In general: the return from comfort to business outfits is currently playing a major role. The magazine “Glamour” uses the term “business core” for this.
Lots to see: pant suits, blazers, costumes. According to Andreas Rose, next winter everything will revolve around “menswear codes”: In addition to exaggerated “power shoulders”, tailor-made men’s vests as tank tops and classic ties are also popular. According to Rose, the latter is currently making a comeback in women’s wardrobes: “Valentino even dedicated his entire collection to the accessory”.
Combine broad shoulders subtly
What is now known as power dressing or business core is not necessarily a pure business fashion trend. Ties, suits and the like are also popular outside of meeting rooms and away from the desk.
And as much as they may originally be linked to the world of work: Dunja Hess advises using the blazers with expansive shoulders, which are characteristic of power dressing, more discreetly at the workplace. “In a casual area, I would always combine it with a basic, i.e. with black jeans or normal jeans,” she says. And when it comes to editing, you don’t necessarily have to go all out. “Because these shoulder pads that we are now seeing at the fashion shows are of course bombastic.”
Instead of huge shoulder pads in blazers, you could also opt for blouses with voluminous shoulders, “so these puff sleeves are almost there,” says Hess. “Otherwise I might make sure it’s a piece where you can also minimize the shoulder pad so you can wear it again for years to come.”
Blazer with a difference
For Hess, the appropriate choice of color also belongs in the area of power dressing. However, she does not necessarily see muted colors à la Margaret Thatcher on the train here – but rather the opposite: “a strong, not dark, but cool red”. For the style consultant, an “absolute power color” that gets us “in action”.
She looks good on blouses, for example – and in combination with a black, rather loosely cut pants suit, according to Hess.
And then there is the “blazer vest”, or in other words, the sleeveless blazer. In autumn and winter, the trendy, rather airy pieces, which are usually cut a little longer, can be worn over a blouse or long-sleeved shirt. “And you could wear suit trousers or culottes underneath in classic business,” says Hess. For casual business, jeans would also go with a sleeveless blazer. “This is my personal insider tip for autumn and winter.”
Cropped blazer meets high-waisted pants
But in addition to power dressing elements, there is another trend this season that doesn’t have to stop at the office door: extra short tops – suitable for business in the form of so-called cropped blazers.
However, Hess recommends wearing the short pieces in professional contexts not with the currently ubiquitous low-cut trousers – but with high-waist jeans, high-cut paperbag jeans, Marlene trousers or skirts. Basic T-shirts could be easily combined with this. “And of course that looks really nice, because it’s such a break of different lengths.”
Also popular: pieces made of leather or imitation leather. And even if it doesn’t necessarily have to be the all-over leather look with a leather jacket, leather skirt or leather dress that’s currently trendy in the world of work, you can style individual pieces to suit the office. Leather culottes in 7/8 length with a blouse, for example. Or knee-length A-line leather skirts. “Sometimes a turtleneck sweater goes with it. That looks very classic and chic,” says Hess. “Or I can also add colored things like the red.”
A strong combination that, according to the fashion consultant, is “going in the direction of power dressing again”. (dpa)