Empower your wardrobe, empower your life. Five essential tips to dress and feel your most powerful.
The art of power dressing goes well beyond channeling those larger-than-life ‘80s shoulder pads à la Working Girl . It doesn’t always have to mean business suits and boardrooms or sky high heels that make you stand taller. Power dressing is about wearing what makes you feel your strongest, best, and most confident self. Power dressing is about walking into a room and knowing you belong there. Most importantly, power dressing is about investing in a wardrobe that parallels the type of life you want to lead.
There are the obvious pieces that instantly make us think of power dressing, like a classic button-down shirt, well-tailored pants to carry you stylishly from 9-to-5, and of course the quintessential power suit. But the truth is, the style concept extends well beyond those office-friendly staples. A cashmere sweater that keeps you cozy on a cool day, a top coat that looks effortlessly elegant while running from meeting to meeting, a dress that puts that extra swing in your step—these are all pieces that make you feel good when you wear them. And what could be more powerful than that?
As a brand that was quite literally built to empower women in their everyday life, we know a thing or two about power dressing at Misha Nonoo. Every piece we put out is carefully designed with sustainability in mind and made for the modern woman on the go who is always in charge of her life. Through partnerships, production practices, and beyond, our mission is always to uplift and empower women in their everyday lives. Whether shopping or getting dressed, here are our five no-fail style rules that will always have you looking and feeling your best when putting together an outfit. Consider it your crash course in Power Dressing 101…
Five Style Tips for Power Dressing Like a Boss
Know Where Your Clothes Came From. Who designed your clothes? What inspired them? What did they want you to feel when you put them on each day? Then, follow up with: who physically made the clothes? Were they paid fairly? These are important questions to ask before you shop any article of clothing. It may seem like a lot to ask, but it’s powerful to know that the hard earned money you spend on your clothing is helping to support someone else’s salary, vision, or life. Every piece of clothing has its own story—and when that story aligns with who you are as a woman? Well, there’s nothing more powerful than that.
Know What Your Clothes Are Made Of. The choices you make while shopping have a major impact on not only you, but the environment as a whole. It’s one thing to know your blazer is made from polyester (plastic), but it’s another level of inspiration to know that your blazer is made out of recycled bottles that have been reclaimed from the ocean and spun into fibers to give it new life and reduce excess waste. Knowledge is power—and knowing where your clothes come from is just as powerful.
A defining component of our mission at Misha Nonoo is to pioneer sustainability practices and maintain full transparency with our customers throughout the evolving process. We want you to be in the know when it comes to your clothing’s background stories—they’re just as important as the story of the woman wearing them.
Our on-demand business model helps eliminate 90% of the waste contributed by the traditional bulk production many companies follow. Furthering our mission to empower women, we partnered with a woman-owned factory in Shenzhen, China to pioneer this new way of making clothes, where the only garments ever made are the ones customers have actually ordered. In addition, we’ve eliminated all plastic from domestic shipments and introduced new sustainable fabrics made from natural fibers with zero-waste knit production. To us, these impacts are what the DNA of power dressing is all about.
Wear Clothes That You Feel Good In. Dressing for your own personal style is so much more inspiring than dressing to follow trends. Who are you and what’s the best way to present that to the world? What pieces make you feel the most confident when you put them on? The clothes you wear should feel like a natural extension of yourself—not like you’re putting on a costume or something that makes you feel like an alternate version of yourself. Find what silhouettes, fabrics, and styles you feel your absolute best in. Whether that’s a silky button down shirt that makes you feel ultra luxurious and sexy or a soft T-shirt that makes you feel comfortable and minimal. Once you find those feel good pieces, it will be easier to build looks that make you feel ready to conquer the world.
Don’t Settle For Anything Less Than The Perfect Fit. No matter how stylish your outfit may be, it will never look good if it doesn’t fit you properly. There is no glory to be found in squeezing into a smaller pant size only to be extremely uncomfortable in way too tight pants that don’t flatter you. On that same note, don’t settle for shirts that you can’t fully lift your arms in—you have enough to worry about from 9 to 5, you don’t need a wardrobe faux pas to add to the list! And if the heels give you blisters? Let them go! We promise you’ll be better off. If you ever need help finding the perfect fit, our stylists are always available to help. Whether it’s finding your best-fitting pant size or the secret to the perfectly tailored blazer, they can help ensure your fit always leaves you comfortable and confident. On top of that, MN Network members receive an annual tailoring allowance to get your pieces tailored perfectly to you, because we know it makes all the difference.
Invest in Pieces You’ll Wear Forever. There is major power in those timeless items that you will wear over and over again for seasons to come. Building a capsule wardrobe of pieces you can mix and match on rotation forever not only saves you time and effort, it also helps define your personal style. Eliminate those frustrating “nothing to wear” mornings (yes, we’ve all been there!) by adopting a go-to collection of pieces that always feels stylish, confident, and personal. Every capsule wardrobe should always have the classic essentials: a blazer perfect for the office or cocktails, a white button-down shirt that can be styled a million ways, tailored pants, a skirt that can take you from day to night, the perfect T-shirt, and a classic coat to top it all off. Not sure where to begin in building your power capsule wardrobe? Allow us to introduce you to the five most important pieces to serve as your foundation.
Five Must-Haves for Your Power Dressing Capsule
The Husband Shirt. Our all-time bestseller. Worn by CEOs, entrepreneurs, global leaders and up-and-comers, this is the quintessential button-down shirt you've been looking for. The ultimate wardrobe classic, our Husband Shirt has an oversized fit that flatters every body type while ensuring the most comfortable wear. The magic is also extended into the details with elongated cuffs to provide maximum styling flexibility. Leave them long for a more covered up look or roll them up to the sleeve length of your liking—this also makes layering with your Husband Shirt a cinch. Further maximizing your power wardrobe, you can also personalize your Husband Shirt with our Husband Shirt Builder. Choose your fabric from three different styles: classic poplin, cotton voile, or breezy linen for a more relaxed take, and then choose your favorite color. Accessorize it with customizable tuxedo studs to match whatever your mood is—from gunmetal to rose gold and beyond. Take the personalization a step further by adding an optional monogram to really seal the deal. It’s a power shirt that will stylishly take you from board meetings to Sunday brunch.
The Ivy Pant. Sustainably made from 100% Bamboo Crepe, our Eco Ivy Pant is the timeless slim fit trouser every woman needs in her wardrobe rotation. The mid-rise pants feature a tapered leg, belt loops, back welt pockets, a zipper and invisible clasp closure. Consider them your office staple, they’re ideal for styling with a blouse or matching blazer for a power suit look. The Florence Blazer Dress. No wardrobe is complete without the ultimate power blazer. Our unique take on the classic comes in the form of a blazer dress—the perfect hybrid to take you from day to night. Wear it with a button-down and trousers for a power suit look to the office or wear it on its own for a sexy night out look. The Prose Skirt. A pencil skirt will take your wardrobe far for years to come. A must-have for every working woman, the midi silhouette can be styled an endless amount of ways. Wear it with the Husband Shirt tucked in and your signature pumps for an effortlessly polished look that will stand the test of time—and seamlessly carry you to happy hour after a long day. The Quintessential Sweater. You can be powerful on your days off too. Investing in a quality cozy sweater is a must, and practically a form of self-care in its own right. This cashmere style is luxurious, soft, and effortlessly elegant. Wear it during your weekend downtime or dress it up with your favorite skirt. Like all good classics, the options are endless for styling here. The bottom line? Power dressing means something different to all of us. Maybe you feel your most powerful in a sharp, tailored blazer, crisp white button-down, and the perfect slim fit trousers. Maybe it’s a soft loungewear set that makes you feel cozy, comfortable, and fully at ease with yourself. But regardless of what your style of power dressing is, the common denominator is that it’s all about wearing clothes that make you feel your best. Clothes that you can feel good about buying, clothes that you can feel good about wearing, and clothes that can elevate your life to new heights. That is where the real power lies—and we always hope to instill it into each and every piece we make here at Misha Nonoo.