How powerful women outsmart conventional fashion design

When women first started flooding into professional workplaces in the 80’s, they faced a dilemma – what to wear? High fashion didn’t look professional. Female versions of men’s suits just seemed silly. Dresses could be too revealing, and often didn’t convey power.  Weird compromises ensued. And you know what? We’re still agonizing about women’s looks.

Women’s assumption of powerful positions - historically recent

Perhaps a little context.  It wasn’t until 1974 when the Equal Credit Opportunity Act was passed which, for the first time, allowed women to obtain credit cards independently from their husbands.  Astonishingly, it took until 1981 when a famous court case settled that a husband could not dispose of jointly held property without the agreement of his wife (that isn’t that long ago, folks!).  Women’s financial freedom grew.  Legal protections became available to them, such as laws that prevented mortgage discrimination against young married couples on the premise that the wife would stay home if she became pregnant.  With financial independence (and other advances, such as the ability to plan childbearing), women began to assume positions of some power.

Paula Hawkins, in 1980, became the first woman elected to the Senate without following her husband or father in the role.  We had the first female Supreme Court justice, Sandra Day O’Connor in 1981.  The first female astronaut was Sally Ride, in 1983.  Geraldine Ferraro was the first female candidate for Vice President in 1984. Liz Holtzman, who rose to national fame for her role in the Watergate hearings went on to serve for 8 years as the Brooklyn District Attorney, the only woman to have served in such a capacity.

The “Working Girl” aesthetic

But despite these advances, fashion for powerful women was all over the place.  For a great introduction, have a look at this trailer for the 1988 film “Working Girl” (ouch!).  We had big hair. We had boxy shoulder pads. We had high, spiky heels.  There was big jewelry.  Eventually, we left that behind and the era of “power dressing” was born.

As Lilah Ramsey reports in Vogue, “A particularly evocative editorial from Vogue’s October 1985 issue summed up the moment perfectly. Photographed by Helmut Newton, the spread, entitled “Power Dressing,” featured women hovering above men—who were filling their gas tanks, cleaning their pools, and trimming their hedges. The accompanying text was as follows: “A different way of looking at fashion—as entertainment, as fantasy, as a provocative element. And men looking differently at women. Women at men. The women dressing to be noticed…and gain the upper hand. Men can fuel fantasy. But women set the direction…and the tone. You get the sense that things are changing.”  For a Tik Tok version of that spread, check this out.

To the horror of the fashionista’s, another look for working women emerged – worn by preppies or more commonly “yuppies” for young urban professionals.  As Vogue puts it, “Whether fashion liked it or not, the look had a chokehold on the 1980s. 1984’s tongue-in-cheek The Yuppie Handbook outlined it all—for women, Ralph Lauren skirt suits, a pussy-bow blouse, a Coach bag, and running shoes instead of pumps. For men, a pinstriped three-piece suit, a Rolex, a Burberry trench, and a squash racquet. Essentially, a combination of “timeless” closet staples.”

Eventually, its popularity began to wane, leaving Vogue to exult, in a 1989 article, “The horrifying little yuppie suit (which, with its copycat male pinstripes and flop-doodle little-girl bow tie, did more for making women look stuffy and drab than, as intended, male and "powerful” is now, thank the gods of Seventh Avenue, on the endangered species list.”

Looking as though you belong at the table

Even today, despite the leaps women have made in professional and public spheres, their fashion options often are frustratingly limited. While menswear has long standardized the power suit and set expectations around professional attire, women have frequently been left to navigate an uncertain landscape of ill-suited, trend-driven, or overly conservative options. Enter Nina McLemore, a designer who has quietly redefined this space by creating clothes that resonate with the modern woman’s need for authority, elegance, and comfort.  As the Wall Street Journal reports, “Women in Power Know Nina.” 

McLemore’s work has gained traction among high-profile figures like Indra Nooyi, Janet Yellen, Elena Kagan and Billie Jean King, names synonymous with competence, leadership, and cultural impact. This isn't by coincidence. Her designs are rooted in an understanding that clothing for professional women should do more than simply ‘fit the dress code’; it should command respect, inspire confidence, and project an image of self-assuredness without sacrificing individual expression.  At least a quarter of female CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies wear her designs.

What makes McLemore’s approach stand out is how it bridges the gap between fashion and function. Her clothes are meticulously crafted to accommodate the high-stakes environments her clients operate in, whether it’s global economic summits or advocating for equity in sports and beyond. Each piece is tailored not only to move with the body but to complement the mental and emotional armor powerful women need in their day-to-day lives.

The Niche Waiting to be Claimed, the mission to be brought forward

McLemore’s success is more than a matter of business for her.  It is part of her mission to provide women with tools – in this case, clothing – that allow them to look the part as they take a seat at the proverbial table.  It’s a reminder of the importance of truly understanding your end-user—something that applies far beyond fashion.

In any domain, businesses that thrive are those that identify and meet specific needs with depth and empathy. By focusing on high-quality fabrics, innovative tailoring, and designs that fit the unique needs of influential women, McLemore has carved out a brand that’s more than a clothing line; it’s almost a secret weapon.

Women in leadership

The barriers to women achieving power have come down, but they are far from gone. Women still suffer a narrower range of acceptable behavior than men (what my colleague Adam Galinsky calls the “low power double bind”). Women are often excluded from the networks largely dominated by men. Women can be left out when it comes to the key assignments that lead to big promotions.

Nonetheless, with more women than men graduating from college, with women representing a critical workforce in many professions and with the pay gap between men and women narrowing, we will all benefit from talented women taking leadership roles.   Indeed, as Julia Boorstin points out in her wonderful book “When Women Lead,” they bring valuable perspectives, new ways of thinking and different practices for motivating people with them.

And Nina will be right there, ready to help them look the part.