Forget the power suit! Be your most professional self with these 5 dresses
We might not always look forward to the start of the working week, but we will always nonetheless dress like we mean business. Along with a strong coffee, the outfit we slip off the hanger in the morning is our armour for the day, enabling us to take on whatever the working world throws at us.
As a woman, dressing to project strength used to mean the ‘80s power suit, which was designed to ignore a woman’s shape so it didn’t hinder her mobility as she worked her way up the corporate ladder. Luckily, that old-fashioned look – and way of thinking – is no longer in vogue. Let’s say goodbye to shoulder pads forever, shall we?
There’s been a shift in what’s considered appropriate for women in the workplace. It’s been questioned why women should attempt to fit into stiff, male-influenced tailoring. As a professional woman, wearing a dress to the office shows that you’re confident enough in yourself not to have to try to emulate your male colleagues through your clothes. You know your ideas will stand out even more if you do.
“We both experienced that finding sophisticated, flattering clothes that are also office appropriate was something we had both struggled with. We wondered why this was. It struck us that ever since women started to make an impact in the workplace they have been saddled with this expectation that in order to succeed they needed to ‘power dress’, which basically means ‘wear unflattering clothes that look a bit like men’s suits’’, say Louise Knights and Sarah Symeou, founders of Cecily. And so, the ‘business dress’ was born.
Louise and Sarah set out to design something that’s stylish but practical, sophisticated but adaptable, modest but incredibly feminine all at the same time. “A woman is feminine by definition”, the duo explain. “Femininity means not being afraid to embrace all that is great about being a woman, inside and out”.
Of course, as career women we understand the importance of the image we portray to clients and colleagues. As much as we love fashion, we don’t want to compromise our role in the workplace. Fashion can give us the tools to take a step back from the corporate uniform and maintain our own identity and style, but it’s always important to revere the role that clothes have at the office, something that Cecily respects: “our dresses are appropriate for the working woman because they never expose too much flesh, insisting instead on the importance of good tailoring to get the best, most flattering fit and, therefore, the right interest”.
The founders of Cecily do however appreciate that it can sometimes feel like a ridiculous game of catch-22. If we dress like men we risk losing sight of who we are as women, but if we dress too femininely we risk not being taken seriously. “If we are to continue to believe that being a woman in the workplace is a disadvantage, we can never hope to progress, both as an economy and as a society. There should certainly not be any danger of being undervalued if you do choose to dress like a lady”.
Wanting to follow in the footsteps of numerous famous women who have embraced being a woman in a man’s working world – think Karren Brady, Kate Garraway, Louise Minchin, and even the Queen – we asked Louise and Sarah to take us through their perfect Cecily picks for every professional woman.
For a sunny casual Friday at the office, Vanessa is made of beautiful stretch cotton, making it comfortable and adaptable. We particularly love the little pockets, which give the dress a more relaxed vibe with a pair of sandals and a coloured belt. Apart from your sharp wit, a black or navy Josephine is the only thing you’ll need to wow at a boardroom meeting. “We think it has a real ‘sit up and listen’ energy about it!”
What about for those days when you’re constantly on the move, darting around the city attending meetings? Alexia, the Cecily team tell us, is very easy to wear on the go thanks to the elbow length fitted sleeves, which can easily slip under coats and jackets. They also point out that if you’re on your feet all day, the knee length hemline looks beautiful with more comfortable low to mid height heels.
For a job interview a dress with a small collar is a good option as it gives the piece a bit of interest without being too ‘look at me’. Anastasia has a proven track record for interview success – Cecily have had numerous customers letting them know the dress helping them get the job! Finally, after a long day at the office you’re allowed to head straight out for the weekly work night out. Elena’s girly design can be easily accessorised… “just get that hair down and go!”
Now we can’t wait for Monday morning! Keep your eyes peeled for new collections on Cecily’s website. And in the meantime, ditch those shoulder pads and slip on that dress!
