The Dressy Androgynous look

Power Dressing - Androgynous Fashion Look 2007 - 2008

These days we're getting lazy with our work-wear. There isn't that many occasions which require we wear a full tailored suit with crisp shirt anymore. Most jobs today only require we look smart, which no longer means formal - a pair of black trousers and a neat top will usually suffice for the boardroom and some of us may get away with donning smart jeans or even (shock horror) a pair of flats to the office.
We've well and truly pushed the boundaries in the workplace, asserting our rights to wear skirts of all lengths, colourful tops and pretty shoes - but whatever happened to power dressing? With city slicking ladies leading the trend for fashionable work-wear, suits have quite simply become dull and promptly ditched in favour of more glamorous work-wear.
But a new kind of power dressing has emerged in recent months providing a stylish alternative to the classic work suit. The androgynous look has been keeping ultra-feminine fashion in check on the catwalk, seeing a trend towards nipped tailoring and bold, brash statement dressing - changing the way we dress for the office forever.

Whilst following all the current trends in the office is fun and fashionable, it also breaks the boundaries between work and play and like it or not, unless you work in the fashion industry, your boss will appreciate the smart and serious look rather than the ultra glam girl persona you may lead out of hours!

Power dressing may sound scary but it isn't if you carefully balance your look. Sometimes you might want to look fierce in front of colleagues and at others you might want to appear part of the crowd, so why not match your look to your work mood and start making big impressions through your clothes now that's power dressing.

Whether you've tried to win over a stubborn client or wanting to impress the rest of your colleagues with your ideas, the key is to choose clothes that ooze confidence. Feel confident as well as look it by choosing slimming styles that you feel comfortable wearing. Power dressing demands a fearless attitude which you'll never convincingly achieve if you don't like what you see in the mirror in the morning.

Choose trousers if you're unsure of baring your legs and leave the killer stilettos at home if you fear toppling over in the boardroom. Combine subtle pinstripe, slim leg trousers with pointed heels for a feminine, slimming look. Always wear high heels but opt for a chunkier heel rather than a stiletto for stability and a perfect, confident walk.
Pick jackets and blazers that are nipped in at the waist to create flattering curves and choose bold colours to wear underneath- weak pastel shades are the power dresser's major fashion faux pas; beige is anything but brave - choose an ambitious red or empowering orange.

If you're not sure about colour, embrace monochrome which is big business this season. Experiment with tailoring that features white lining and pinstripes, or simply add chic to a black suit with a thin white belt or bright crisp shirt.
Never wear anything too detailed or patterned when power dressing (you want to be bold - don't let your clothes steal the show). Choose straight, classic tailoring, smart, high-waist pencil skirts or trousers and find a style that you feel most confident and comfortable in.
Always keep accessories to a minimum choosing silver jewellery for subtle sparkle and a subtle leather tote or handbag to finish your confident, empowering and fashionably fierce look.

 

The Dressy Androgynous look

 

The androgynous look is a fun way to dress for work if your dress code forbids denim. You won't need to go all out to pull the look off as single elements of the trend will be just as effective.

 

 

Definition of Androgynous as used in fashion

As a 'look' of a female resembling a male. Popularized by actress Diane Keaton in the 1970's movie Annie Hall, and copied as fashion apparel. Kate Bosworth and Amanda Peet recently went androgynous at New York Fashion Week.

 

 

 

Celebrities & Fashion

Kate Bosworth and Amanda Peet embraced the menswear inspired fashion trend at the Rag Bone Runway Show in Bryant Park yesterday.

We love hearing all of our favourite celebrity fashionistas weigh in on the spring 2008 designs, and Kate had nothing but praise for Rag Bone's new line, saying, "I loved it! The clothes were easy to wear, effortless, chic".

Each piece you could match with something else [you own]. It was great." We all know how great Kate is at mixing and matching outfits. 

 

Fashion Update - Overview

We at SovaCollection have noticed the shift in trends since the 80's that during the period of time fashion has been the fundamental time portal into the culture, popular art and the feeling of that given age. Whether you liked what was popular in mainstream at that time, it still left its mark forever embedded in people's memories.
Fashion as a whole is a "personal mode of expression", which was denoted by the hysteria of that time shown by the media, or by music that was popular at that time. We saw this as far back in the eighties, where the mode of feeling was innovative and experimental.

 

Clothes Show London 2009

London Event Organisers brief Fashion Capital Designers

The delightful team of The Clothes Show London event organisers visited the Showroom in Kingston on the 21st January to provide designers interested in taking up the incredible opportunity of selling their products at the first Clothes Show in London in twenty years with an overview of this much anticipated event under the FashionCapital.co.uk umbrella.

The event will host a selection of up and coming designer talent, more established designers, beauty and even an indoor beach! The Clothes Show London is expected to resemble the Black Label and Pink zones previously seen in Birmingham.

Extensive press coverage will be featured in the likes of national popular magazines, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Easy Living as well as national papers including the Guardian. Advertisements will also feature in Glamour, Grazia, Elle, the London Lite and Metro as well as billboards and posters in London Underground stations.


Clothes Show comes to town

In 1989 Clothes Show Live opened in London and attracted so many visitors that mounted police were called in to manage the crowds.

Since then the show has been thriving in Birmingham and has become the largest fashion and beauty event in the World. 20 years on and Clothes Show Live is set to return to London in 2009!

From 29 - 31 May 2009 ExCeL, London will be transformed into a fashion and beauty haven hosting an outstanding selection of high street, designer and boutique brands as well as a unique selection of hair and beauty products to preen visitors in their thousands.

This is just what London has been waiting 20 years for… the largest fashion and beauty event is coming to the capital!

Fashion Boutique SovaCollection

A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items, usually expensive clothes and jewellery.

With Boutiques you have designers that create avant-garde pieces to challenge mainstream fashion. We need the platform of the Boutique as created by Mary Quant to keep alive innovation and creativity otherwise assimilated mainstream fashion which solidifies young talented fashion designers ideas.

The sixties symbolised liberalism and freedom of expression. We need to carry this ideal on and to help keep alive individual innovation that Mary Quant boutique style in fashion created.

Jana Thomas of SovaCollection is a designer that enjoys creating and making Womenswear clothing that are of a Classical design, but always well fitted and complimentary to the body.

Once she makes her creation, it’s onto another idea, inspired by some event seen on TV, or something that triggers her imagination whilst shopping, then it’s straight to the sketch board and then to the fabric shop.

One off designs that’s what she specialises in liberated well cut fitted jackets, blouses, trousers, all that compliment a woman that works in a boardroom environment.

Or if the environment is not so formal, her casual wear denotes an air of individual artistry, colours that blend, soft textured garments, or colour schemes that elaborate shapes to disguise or proportion the body whether small or tall in height.

SovaCollection label SOVA is new but the concept of creativity is as old as time, as the fashion quote says fashion come and goes but style lasts forever.

Being of Eastern European roots, she has been in the fashion clothing Industry creating; designing women’s clothes for well over 15 years, her style and discipline is a quality that is foremost in her sewing technique as a craftswoman.

Fashion Capital Boutique - SOVA