An Intro To Power Dressing

Women's fashion for work has been evolving for many years. And this area has been core to the work of Alfred Sung since the 1980s, when we were busy making unique outfits for women at an affordable price. This era saw the first outfits for women known as power dressing, a trend in which woman started to use fashion as a way of establishing their authority in areas that were traditionally dominated by men.

However this trend has its roots back to Europe in the 1800s. Back then women wore jackets that were originally designed for activities like horseback riding or archery. By the early 1900s many of these styles had been adopted for other situations, and by the 1940s women were wearing their own style of suits in things like movies.

Early on, women wearing suits was a form of rebellion, as well as a statement of power and equality. In the 1960s everything came to a head with Yves St. Laurent's controversial look known as Le Smoking, which was a tuxedo designed for women.

By the 1980s, women were more commonly seen in suits for every day wear, with the added embellishment of things like shoulder pads mixed with loud hair styles and makeup. Afred Sung's approach was a little different, by offering softer, more feminine suits for women.

Today's Fashion: A Mix of Styles

Most recently people will recall the Hillary Clinton proudly wearing pantsuits as she campaigned for the role of president of the United States. And on election day in 2016, many women showed up to the polls in pantsuits as well in support of Hillary.

However outside of presidential campaigning, the power dressing trend in its classic sense has been dialed back, as women wear all kinds of styles to work depending on their industry.

Today you can find top CEOs wearing anything from t-shirts and jeans to bright dresses, and yes the classic pantsuit. One thing remains the same though, and that is when you dress in a way that allows you to express yourself, with clothes that fit well, it can positively benefit your self-confidence and the feelings of how others perceive you. A 2012 study called "Enclothed Cognition" found that your choice of clothes (in this case a white coat for doctors), has the ability to do things like improve your attention.