power dresser
Suited for success
A power dresser is someone who wears clothing deliberately chosen to project authority, success, and professional dominance.
The term emerged in the 1980s alongside shoulder pads and executive suits, when dressing for corporate advancement became explicit strategy: She was a power dresser who owned twelve versions of the same black blazer.
Matched formal garments
- blazerSemiformal tailored jacket
- tailoredAdjusted to fit exactly
- pinstripeThin parallel lines on fabric
- shoulder padsUpper body protective gear
cufflinks · necktie · pencil skirt · stilettos · loafers · oxfords · formalwear · businesswear
Senior organizational leader
- CEOTop corporate officer
- corporateOf or relating to companies
- boardroomCorporate decision venue
- ambitiousStrongly desiring achievement
influential · commanding · assertive · confident · decisive · authoritative · leader · managerial
Fourth-to-last twentieth-century decade
- Wall StreetAmerican finance hub
- DynastyHereditary ruling succession
- Working GirlSecretary seeks promotion comedy
- yuppieAmbitious urban professional
Margaret Thatcher · corporate ladder · glass ceiling · corner office · networking · status symbol · Armani
Smooth and elegant
- sophisticatedWorldly and cultured
- elegantGracefully refined, tasteful
- polishedSmooth, refined, accomplished
- groomedMade neat and tidy
chic · stylish · sharp · impeccable · refined · streamlined · minimalist · luxurious
suit
Matched formal garments
- blazerSemiformal tailored jacket
- tailoredAdjusted to fit exactly
- pinstripeThin parallel lines on fabric
shoulder pads · cufflinks · necktie · pencil skirt · stilettos · loafers · oxfords · formalwear · businesswear · monochrome
executive
Senior organizational leader
ambitious · influential · commanding · assertive · confident · decisive · authoritative · leader · managerial · elite
1980s
Fourth-to-last twentieth-century decade
- Wall StreetAmerican finance hub
- DynastyHereditary ruling succession
- Working GirlSecretary seeks promotion comedy
Margaret Thatcher · yuppie · corporate ladder · glass ceiling · corner office · networking · status symbol · Armani
sleek
Smooth and elegant
- sophisticatedWorldly and cultured
- elegantGracefully refined, tasteful
- polishedSmooth, refined, accomplished
groomed · chic · stylish · sharp · impeccable · refined · streamlined · minimalist · luxurious · understated
power, dresser, powers, powered, powering, powerful, powerless, powerfully, powerlessness