Working with professional women has always been my sweet spot as a personal stylist. I have never been drawn to the glamour of working with celebrities or socialites. I always wanted to work with impressive and accomplished career-minded women. There needs to be a cost involved for someone to actually pick up the phone and hire a stylist. On the surface, sure, everyone wants a style do-over, but to pull the trigger and actually do it is an entirely different story. So it stands to reason that my work with professional women blossomed because the stakes couldn’t be higher for women with rising careers. After 19 years, my experience with working with this type of client is unmatched.
Yet, you don’t begin your career working with professionals at the top. It took me years of developing skills, building trust, and reputation. You work your way up and over time, attract clients who are in leadership positions, like CEOs of major corporations. Today, I will be talking about one of these clients, an amazing woman whom I have given the alias Ms. Incandescent.
How Would You Describe a Female CEO?
When you envision a female CEO what do you see? Do you visualize an icy, competitive, emotionally distant person? Do you imagine that any woman who has gotten to this point in her career has needed to give up all warmth, compassion, or soft qualities? If you said yes, I can’t entirely blame you. First, we have the media to thank for how women who are in leadership professionally have been marginally represented in movies and TV. Second, female CEOs are basically unicorns. Despite the fact that, according to Fortune, there was an all-time high of 23 women in CEO positions at Global 500 companies in 2021, that still only equals 4.6% of the total. Given how underrepresented women are in these leadership positions, it figures that we have only a vague idea of the type of women who have these types of jobs.
Certainly, we can’t paint all these women with one broad brushstroke, but one of the reasons I love working with clients like this is because, on some level, I completely understand them. These women are high-achieving, enterprising, intelligent leaders who are addicted to excellence, and love to work. In fact, while Ms. Incandescent and I were discussing our crazy workload and I described myself as a Border Collie because I am happiest when I am working, she said, “I just might have to steal that.”
In addition, Ms. Incandescent is an unassuming powerhouse with an appearance to match. She has gentle coloring, a genial smile, and a warm, calm personality. In doing some research, I found the leadership board of her company. There was her photo at the top with nearly all white men beneath her. It was incredible to think about what it took for her to rise to CEO. But knowing her, the kind, forbearing power she possesses, the thoughtfulness she always exhibits, and how she listens and respects the expertise of others, what I see in her is someone who understands how to lead, inspire other leaders, and bring out the best in people. I gave Ms. Incandescent her alias because she is bright and impressive with a luminous glow.
Ms. Incandescent’s Wardrobe Needs as a CEO in a Leadership Position
As a CEO, Ms. Incandescent is in a tricky position with regard to her image and how she projects herself at work. Even before the pandemic, the company she heads up, which employs several hundred people and earns several hundred million dollars in revenue a year, is a casual place where she can wear jeans or more casual looks. Her travel schedule can also be dizzying and where she needs to attend all different types of events. Striking that perfect wardrobe balance in her position as CEO can be difficult because dressing more casually while still coming across as the person in charge is delicate. Ms. Incandescent can’t stroll in wearing the same casual pieces as those who report to her, but she also can’t look unapproachable and stiff in looks that are too conservative or rigid because by doing so she may look like the boss but she would also come across as removed, out of touch, and disconnected.
The next challenge is that Ms. Incandescent wears a size 16/18 which is fine if this size range wasn’t the equivalent of a cell phone dead zone, as I call it. Nobody likes to claim these sizes. Few missy brands reach this far and 16/18 isn’t really considered plus-size which means not all plus-size brands dip that low. The offering in these sizes becomes limited especially when a woman has money to spend. Despite the data being more complex than assumed, the public perception is that being overweight is a disease of the poor and among people from lower-income households. This leaves women of larger size with money to invest with few options to shop.
Planning Ms. Incandescent’s Wardrobe
In the planning phase for this season, Ms. Incandescent and I set very clear goals. The first was to create looks that were casual enough to fit her work environment by selecting upscale causal pieces or by pairing lower-end casual pieces with higher-end ones so that the lower-end pieces would look elevated. Second, as you can imagine, Ms. Incandescent’s schedule is incredibly taxing, so she requested a very easy mix-and-match wardrobe capsule. She has no extra bandwidth to think about what to wear in the morning. Third, this capsule needed to cover a variety of requirements when interfacing with others. In all things she does, she needs to represent herself as a CEO, however, all those situations vary greatly.
As the landscape of opportunity continues to widen for women in leadership and dress codes in the workplace further relax, the whole concept of women rising to the top by rubber-stamping themselves into dress-for-success-suited looks is over. In many ways, where I draw inspiration in styling my clients in the current work climate is from my fashion design days and the women I reported to. These were women who knew how to creatively look like leaders. Yet, these were also women trained in fashion. The caveat for women in executive leadership is fashion isn’t their strong suit, no pun intended. So while there is no love lost by women for the old ways of wearing a suit, there is a longing by many of them for a time when all they had to think about was which top to wear with the closet of suits they owned. This is why capsules and easy mix-and-match wardrobes are so appealing.
Ms. Incandescent’s Capsule
Shop Ms. Incadescent’s Capsule
1 Merritt Jardigan 2 Edge-to-Edge Cardigan 3 Shawl-Collar Cotton Cardigan 4 Scoop Neck Cashmere Tunic 5 Lambswool Cable Sweater 6 Cashmere V-Neck Sweater 7 Rib-Knit Linen Sweater 8 Short Sleeve Cashmere Sweater 9 Short Sleeve Linen Sweater 10 Rib Stitch Cotton Sweater 11 Abaca Viscose Sweater 12 Beautiful Flower Silk Cashmere Scarf 13 Valextra Brera Large Leather Top-Handle Tote 14 The Sammataro Jean 15 Jersey Denim Jeans 16 Lightweight Denim Jeans 17 Ribes Sateen Trousers 18 Reims Nappa-Look Trousers 19 Stretch Gramercy Pants 20 Tapered Linen Trousers 21 Charli Top 22 Linen Knit Top 23 Earth Quake Cotton Scarf 24 Mosaic Cashmere Silk Scarf 25 Kate Embellished Suede Loafers 26 Olisa Slip-On Sneakers 27 2.ZERØGRAND Wingtip Oxford 28 Carisa Booties 29 Jalen Flat 30 Wrap Gold Ring 31Gold-Plated & Glass Pearl Chain Necklace 32 Lygia Necklace 33 8 Knot Huggie Earrings 34 Elizabeth Pink Quartz Pendant Necklace 35 Golden Glow Necklace 36 Vicky Washable Silk Tank 37 Evelina Draped Tank 38 Natural Buffalo Horn Chain Bracelet 39 Virginia T-Shirt 40 Modal, Cotton & Silk Printed Scarf 41 Edetta Loafers 42 Gold-Plated Sterling Silver & Labradorite Ring 43 Modern Chunky Sterling Silver Ring 44 Chunky Dome Ring 45 Oval-Link Earrings 46 Goldplated & Blue Agate Hoop Earrings 47 Labradorite & Freshwater Pearl Necklace 48 Freshwater Pearl Mixed-Link Chain Bracelet 49 Gold-Plated Cuff 50 Electra Floral Modal Scarf 51 Fallen Autumn Leaves Modal Scarf 52 Bilia Viscose Twill Shirt 53 Poplin Split Neck Blouse 54 Embroidered Ramie Shirt 55 Long Silk Shirt 56 V-Neck Linen Tunic 57 Funnel Neck Blouse 58 Pleated Satin Ruffle-Trim Blouse 59 Crepe Suzette Twist Top 60 Farina Poplin Shirt 61Fabriano Cotton Shirt
To note before we get into the looks created from Ms. Incandescent’s casual CEO capsule:
- This capsule was built for transition. Given the time of year, I picked pieces to round out the winter season while also introducing some spring pieces. This is why you see some duplicates of pieces in the same colors, like two pinks sweaters. One is linen and the other is cashmere.
- The intention isn’t for Ms. Incandescent to purchase all of it. I always mention this, but to clarify, I build out large capsules so a client can choose what they like and leave the rest without losing its ability to all work together. In addtion, the reason I started capsuling wardrobes for clients was twofold. The first reason was becasue during the pandemic, my work went exlusvively virtual and capsulng wardrobes for clients was the easiest way to explain to a client how to utilize what I picked for them without me being there. Capsuling also started as a helpful tool for me to cross check and make sure my selections were balanced. In time, however, capsuling has become the most requested tool from clients.
- Accessories are a way to get more with less. Ms. Incandescent requested accessories for her capsule, but even if she didn’t, I would have added them because if you want to keep things tight and easy, they are the most efficient and fastest way to change things up. They’re also easy and small to pack. As you will see, in each look, Ms. Incandescent has a variety of accessories to choose from for each look. She can can use shoes to change the appearance of an outfit from more casual to a bit dressier and can switch up and swap out a scarf in lieu of accessories. These are just quick and smart ways to look like you took more time than you did to get dressed.
Outfits Created Using Ms. Incandescent’s Wardrobe Capsule
Where We Go From Here
Ms. Incandescant and I will be meeting up and discussing purchases and considering alternatives I offered as substitutes for pieces in this capsule. Once her buys are received, we will review, talk keeps, and what fill-ins need to be addressed. For now, I want to thank Ms. Incandescent for her permission to share this capsule. Building this beautiful capsule was a wonderful challenge and it has been a pure delight working with her.
Oh WOW. This is not well suited to my coloring (unfortunately) so I can’t just blindly steal it. BUT – I love this. Not only because it is the appropriate blend of casual/business casual for my life today, but because its also showing a CEO’s capsule with NO DRESSES, NO SUITS, NO hard edges. Even the tailored pieces are soft (material, drape, cut). Talk about breaking some stereotypes!!! I probably look best in more structure/tailored pieces (your fat in a bag issue), but I prefer softness, drape, fluidity… (maybe to balance the harder edges in my personality!) and I just dont feel comfortable in dresses in my workplace. This is pretty inspiring – to think that a CEO can dress like this and still come across as being powerful. (Huh. after typing that, i realized how deeply engrained that “impression” must have been. Thanks, society!) Thanks Bridgette, for the eye-opening lookbook
Thanks, Ezzy. It’s amazing the impression of what we think CEO’s look like. Ms. Incandescent would love to wear more casual dresses and we have tried some but at this point in her life and what’s been fitting her well, pants have been working well. She actually has fantastic legs. We spoke about blazers and really saw no need for them. She does have a few, but softness really felt like the way to go or taking a jardigan, like the one from MM, which is like a hybrid and really offers a professional softness. As I mentioned, Ms. Incandescent is currently a 16/18 but mainly gains in the mid-section, so for her, a softer shape that grazes delicately with slimness at the bottom has been a really flattering silhouette. She wears long over lean beautifully.
While the pieces are casual, there is still a richness and an elegance that elevates these looks so that Ms. Incandesenct is approachable and relatable to her environment while still looking like she is in charge. She is not the type of CEO who wants to be distant with her employees. You completely get the sense that she is the type of person who leads in a way that inspires trust and confidence and she walks into a room in a way that puts you at ease. Do you know the type of leader I am talking about? That person who enters a room and you breathe a sigh of relief because you know you are going to be led properly. This type of person needs to have a calming yet strong presence, not an intimidating one. My goal in building these looks was to create that type of vibe, a look that says that she has herself together enough and is confident enough to not need to steamroll or intimidate anyone to get the job done.
Thanks for the response, it was interesting additional information. I guess the last bit “a richness and elegance that elevates these looks” – how is that achieved? is it the color play (lower contrast but saturated colors?) is it the fabric choice? is it the fit (i’m guessing that plays a role – I can imagine some of the outfits above being super chic when fitted well and super frumpy when not)? Her posture?
I’m sure its all of the above…
And I do know that type of leader, although sadly, I don’t see too many around right now. Sometimes you don’t realize how valuable those people are until they are not there and you find yourself holding your breath anticipating the upcoming circus. I think your last line re: “confident enough not to need to steamroll or intimidate anyone to get the job done” was beautifully phrased. It helps to lead from a sense of fullness rather than a sense of lack. and it really shows.
Yes to those things, Ezzy but also price point and quality. Many of those pieces in the capsule come from Marina Rinaldi, which is Max Mara’s plus label, one of the pairs of loafers are from Tod’s, the handbag is several thousand dollars, there are a few Lafayette 148 pieces in there as well. This is not to say that everything has to be expensive to look good or that more money spent equals leadership, but adding fine quality pieces punctuates and elevates looks in these situations, particularly in a situation like this when Ms. Incandescent can dress casually.
A trick is to mix the low end with the high end so the high end can elevate the lower end pieces and also know where to invest. I don’t care how much money someone has to spend, I’m less inclined to put someone in a top that costs $700 but I wouldn’t have a problem putting someone in a jacket that costs that much. It’s also a matter of time and place. Where and when does it make sense to break out the better pieces vs. not. It’s knowing when and does and doesn’t make sense.
Sadly, as I mentioned, the perception is that being overweight is a disease of the poor, so once you get into sizing over a 14, there is a severe limit on what women have access to in luxury sizing. Thankfully, things are starting to shift a bit but it is still a terribly underserved area in fashion considering the average American woman wears a size 14.
SO nice to see a CEO capsule without a blazer. I have been trying without success to build blazers into my wardrobe and they just never feel right. I’m a hard-to-fit shape so thats what I’ve been blaming it on… but I think this feeling that they’re just more formal than I need is a big part. I’ll admit to unconsciously subscribing to the ‘CEO wears suits’ stereotype.
Thank you Bridgette and Thank You Ms. Incandescent for sharing <3
It’s so interesting, when I wrote that part about how people envision CEOs, I wondered if there would be pushback that I was being presumptuous. I guess not. I think we all still associate power with tailored clothing and hard edges despite the fact the workplace has continued to get more and more casual.
I was thinking about my client, Mrs. Wonderful, another CEO and someone I have blogged about. I’ve been styling her for years and while her workplace is as casual as Ms. Incandascent’s, she still did have the need to wear more structure at times, and her typical uniform for a while was a sharp blazer, sheath, and heels or tailored pants. In the past two years, we have softened her as well. I may have to do a side-by-side comparison at some point to show how much it has changed, although, she just told me she is heading to live in Paris for a year for work and my brain went all buzzy with ideas, to which, she texted me, her husband replied, “of course it did.” Suddenly I had her wearing a lady coat and bright gloves. So we’ll see where she lands.
I’m not anywhere near CEO level but my days can vary from meetings with municipal staff to construction site visits and anything in between. I joke that I need to figure out what exactly the female equivalent of the khaki pant is as men seem to have no trouble wearing the same pants to all ‘events’ but my jeans aren’t formal enough for municipal meetings, though they’re great for site visits. My tailored pants are great for the meetings, but don’t translate well to muddy and dusty site visits with clunky steel-toed boots.
A comparison of how style has changed within the past few years, for the same person in the same role, would be interesting! It helps to explain why my jeans are getting much more wear than my tailored pants 😉
I worked with an architect once and the situation sounds very similar. There are so many variables of the average working women’s day that just don’t get considered when work clothes get designed. It very much goes back to Ms. Incandescent’s capsule and how we envision the CEO. Immediately, we see a woman behind a desk in a sharp suit. Meanwhile, men have effortlessly gone from the suit to the khaki pants, dress shirt uniform without a drop of sweat on their brow.
I even work with a Disney Imagineer (what Disney calls their engineers if you aren’t familiar) and she is often on ride sites where she needs to wear work boots and clothes that can stand up but also needs appropriate work clothes at times. One night she texted me in a panic that she was a few hours from home the night before the launch of a ride she worked on, was invited to the event, only had her work clothes for working on the rides, which included her work boots, and needed an outfit STAT. She was on west coast time, I east coast time, it was 6pm her time, and we could just text. She had two stores total she could access, and we cobbled together a look on the fly. Keep in mind, she is a petite-plus. It was CRAZY! I literally took my phone to bed and was texting me examples of ideas from Nordstrom Rack, the only store she could access for shoes so she could find suitable alternatives, because you know they never stock the same things in every store. We pulled it off, but, wow, like any woman should ever have to go through this? It was definitely the weirdest and most challenging situation I’ve ever solved. This client was a true champion.
Beautiful colors!
When I asked Ms. Incandescent for permission to share her capsule, that was my first selling point, not that she needed to be sold, she was totally into it. I was so happy with the palette. The other reason I felt it important to share this capsule is how underserved this price point is for women in this size range. It can be so disheartening to feel like you can invest because obesity is viewed as a disease of the poor. Meanwhile, an Italian company, of all things, has been doing the most gorgeous plus-size clothes for decades. Here we are, the fattest country in the world and Italians even do this better than us. Take note, American designers!
Obesity is a problem in America to be sure, but not all large (plus size) women are fat. Many are athletic. Many have a large frame. Just like being shorter or taller than average, nature is diverse.
It’s a fair call out, perhaps, but I think the percentage of women who wear a size 6/18 and are athletic vs. those who are overweight is quite small. And you certainly don’t have to tell me about how diverse nature is, I have not only studied women’s bodies for the past 19 years, I closely analyzed them when choosing clients to model in my book that was published in 2008. What I learned after analyzing a decent sized data pool was that no two women have the exact same body proportions and I’ve always argued that the standard apple, pear, blah blah blah shapes aren’t all that informative because they’re too general and neglect a whole lot of body characteristics a woman has. So yes, to your point, bodies do come in all shapes and sizes and size alone cannot be the only standard because proportions do play a factor. Characteristics like broad shoulders, large arms, a large chest can very much force a person to have to size up. I know for myself, I have often needed to size up in jackets to work with my G-size chest and large arms and as a result, my narrow shoulders have looked ridiculous. Unless women get custom-made clothing tailored to fit, they will always be trying to jam a round peg into a square hole. This is why using a tailor for alternations is so valuable and it kills me when women don’t want to take advantage of this step and then complain that clothing doesn’t fit. What are they expecting? Clothing is literally made for a very general body type and women are all built differently.
Luv, luv, Luv this palette. Absolutely my goal to get a good base and then razzle dazzle with accessories. Took lots of notes! fabulous post! New heard of a jardigan but it sounds like it might be a better idea than a blazer! thanks!!!
I fell in love with the palette too, Elle. Unfortunately, it’s out of my own group of colors I can wear, but I can definitely borrow. It’s probably why I enjoyed working on it so much. It’s one of the perks of the job, I get to play with all sorts of color families. The Jardigan is a concept developed by M.M. Lafleur and is a blend of a Jacket/Cardigan which I imagine your surmised. Unfortunately, M.M. only ships in the U.S., however, I am sure the concept has caught on with other brands and I am absolutely certain you can find M.M. Lafleur jardigans in a whole range of colors and styles at places like Poshmark. M.M. does theirs in a nice substantial knit that is substantial enough so it isn’t mushy like a sweater yet not stiff like a blazer. It’s really a nice hybrid. I think you’d get some nice wear from it.
Where is the panache?
I’m sorry? What type of panache are you looking for exactly?
Nothing ostentatious. Something with some flare and color.
Did you consider that this is the palette my client and I agreed on and that my client’s preferences? We are dealing with a real situation in this capsule, not a hypothetical one. It may not be what you would do, but for my client, it was perfect. Not all things that are luxury or of high quality have to be over the top, and given my client’s casual work environment and her soft coloring, too much flare would overpower her. I think your opinion on this capsule not being your taste is one thing. But to say it’s lacking something wouldn’t entirely be accurate. Every person is different and as a stylist, it’s my job to capture that.