The Power Of Dressing

Now that the dress is officially back, dressing up is the new trend in town. Power-dressing; an American phenomena who's name was coined from eighty's films such as Working Girl, describes the razor sharp dress sense of ambitious secretaries who set out to achieve upward mobility in men's dominated industries. The trend for tailoring has made its way to London City, albeit in a more subtle and discretional manner.

If the recent press surrounding the fraudulent secretary, Joyti De-Laurey, who embezzled GBP4.4 from her Goldman Sachs bosses accounts, power dressing will lend you the no nonsense status to show you are consistent in your thinking, exuding you are highly organised, efficient, but also feminine and fashionable. Perhaps De-Laurey took the term power-dressing a little too far - a dress for success phrase which is not related to buying flashy cars and villas on your bosses corporate credit card - rather it is about being confident and constant in your appearance.

Think smart jackets, pencil skirts, fabulous handbags (the most 2004-expensive one you can afford as Lisa Armstrong, fashion columnist, recently quipped) and always wear high heels. Ditch the cardigan for a sweater instead (opt for comfortable over frumpy) and no blouses unless they are crisp white cotton tailored a la Dolce & Gabbana.

Remember, too, that power dressing is not about revealing too much of your body. You can highlight your best assets but do not show too much cleavage. That gives power dressing an entirely different connotation.