There is an art to dressing well to work or business meetings. Each person should have a personal style, even in the work field, as long as it is suitable for the line of work and job responsibilities. The way we dress sends clear signals to the other people regarding our competencies, rigorousness, and personal values. This is the reason why the image we have can play an essential role in getting a job, a new project, or more responsibilities at work.

The external image influences how others perceive a person. However, this image also speaks volumes about the organizational culture of the company where the person works. Some companies have strict dress codes when it comes to people in certain positions, and also for workers. When dressing for success is important to incorporate the company’s policies and reflect them.

Some people would argue the importance of dressing well by saying that their abilities and knowledge are their business card and the clothes they were are irrelevant. However, multiple studies beg to differ. The research shows that clothes do have the power to communicate. The studies performed by researchers so far show that women who dress well and have a more masculine attitude have higher chances of being selected for managerial positions. However, one of the studies indicates that there is an inflection point. A too masculine attire can damage the professional perspective of women. The feminine work attire represents an exciting field of study as there is no generally accepted consensus regarding what dressing well means for women in leading positions. The type of position and the field can make a big difference when it comes to dressing well. For example, for women in management positions in a financial field is more important to follow a strict dress code than for a director in an advertising agency.

In the past, most companies had strict dress codes that left little to the manifestation of the individuality of each person. Now, the rules are more democratic when it comes to work fashion. However, it is still important to dress well. Dressing well is not necessarily about the number of outfits and their price tags, but mostly about the quality, the cut, and the overall image the clothes and accessories create.

Dressing well can ensure your success in the work field. To dress with confidence, you should choose outfits that compliment your height, weight, and skin tone that are also comfortable to wear. Keep in mind that the level of comfort should be decided accordingly to the event that you have been invited too.

Wearing pants is very common for women nowadays. A century ago to see a woman wearing pants was inconceivable. Until the beginning of the 20th century, pants were a symbol of masculinity in the Western world. The first women who showed up in public wearing trousers were accused of breaking the dress code. And this was a punishable offense by law. In Paris, in the 1800s, a decree was issued stating that women are not allowed to wear trousers without special authorization. The first to wear pants when they were illegal were the feminists such as the George Sand (writer) and Sarah Bernhardt (actress). They were committed to breaking the rules and defying prejudices. However, at this time, the trousers were still a symbol of male power and gender segregation. 

The social prejudices against women wearing trousers have diminished only after the First World War, due to practical reasons.

In 1920, it was Coco Chanel who started the wide leg pants trend for women. She was inspired by the outfit worn by the Venetian gondoliers in Italy. But it wasn’t until after the Second World War that the trousers were accepted as a reasonable dress code for women. During the war, the factories were lacking the workforce as the men left to fight. Hence women had to replace men, and they adopted the men’s work equipment (the work overalls).

Starting with the 1950s, the trousers designed for women take a more feminine outlook. Audrey Hepburn is the setting up the trend for cropped trousers. The next step in the evolution of pants for women was made when Yves Saint Laurent designed a formal suit for women, in 1966. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s that the society was genuinely prepared to allow women to dress as they please. This is the time of the hippie movement. The same style of pants is worn by both men and women, as a symbol of gender equity.

Wearing pants was, in the past, in turn, a symbol of defiance. Then a symbol for fighting a male-dominated system and a victory of ascending on the social scale. Nowadays, it is just standard attire, often chosen by women in the workplace.

Fashion trends can change from one day to the other, and each season always brings something new. This is fashion, and we all know the rules. But fashion would have been very different if for a few people who have entirely revolutionized the trends of their time. A few inventions such as the mini skirt or the little black dress are considered benchmarks. And there are denim jeans, and we can all agree that they have forever changed the world of women’s fashion and they are here to stay.

Nowadays, most women wear jeans, some even for work, others just for casual wear. But not all know the history of jeans. While the evidence shows that pants similar to jeans existed in Europe 500 years ago (in Genova, Italy), the Americans are the ones that made history as the inventors of the most popular trousers of all times.

Created from a thick and resistant fabric that made them a durable choice for workers, the first line of jeans dedicated exclusively to women was produced in 1935 by Levi’s. Women’s jeans had a particular cut, meant to emphasize their shape. Later on, around 1950, the jeans become a regular choice not only for workers but also for people opposing conformism and wanting to stand out from the crowds. The hippie movement turned the jeans into a versatile part of any outfit.  The jeans became the norm for the teenagers of the 60s. Celebrities such as Elvis Presley and James Dean were the initiators of the jeans trend on the big screen. The jeans became overly popular in America and then all over the world as a symbol of the protests of the pop culture.

When it comes to denim jeans and women’s fashion, an iconic image is one of Marilyn Monroe in the movie “The Misfits” (1961). The famous actress was probably the first to reveal the spectacular appeal of jeans on women. The tomboyish look she exhibited in the movie is different from the sequins and glitter of her usual appearance and a statement that women can do both casual and classy, in a heartbeat.

The 1980s brought us designer jeans, and since then the denim started to be a regular presence on the catwalks from all over the world, year after year. Nowadays, jeans are a part of our wardrobe and speak volumes about our personal style and the choices we make.