I learned this the hard way early in my career—standing in front of a room full of students in a stiff blazer that looked fantastic on a hanger and felt unbearable by third period. By lunch, I was tugging at the sleeves, overheating under fluorescent lights, and feeling strangely disconnected from the room. That was … Read more
I still remember the first”Kurti” with “Tunic” or “Casual Top I had tailored after college. I asked for “simple sleeves,” didn’t specify anything else, and ended up with stiff, tight sleeves that cut into my arms every time I bent my elbow. The fabric was fine. The color worked. But the sleeves ruined the whole … Read more
I learned this lesson the hard way about ten years ago. I was working at a creative agency, wearing what I thought was a perfectly good office outfit—crisp shirt, tailored trousers, sensible shoes. At 6:30 pm, a coworker said, “Drinks?” I went to the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and realized I was dressed for … Read more
Which One Actually Deserves a Spot in Your Rotation? I learned this the hard way. A few summers back, I bought a pair of Sambas because the internet told me they worked with everything — jeans, trousers, even a casual suit if you had the nerve. Three weeks in, my heels were sore, the toe … Read more
Midi skirts are the easiest way to look pulled together without actually trying. I fought them for years; I was wrong. I used to blame my height. Then my shoes. Then “bad trends.” Truth? I was buying flimsy fabrics and styling them like an afterthought. Once I figured out proportions and quality, midi skirts became … Read more
I learned this the hard way, in a TSA line at JFK, shifting my weight while a stiff waistband dug into my stomach and my “cute” boots slowly turned into medieval punishment devices. It wasn’t even 8 a.m., and I was already fantasizing about sweatpants. That was the day I stopped dressing for the arrival … Read more
I still remember the first time I thought I’d cracked “business casual.” I walked into a meeting wearing stiff dark jeans, a shiny blazer, and razor-point dress shoes that looked ready for a black-tie wedding. Everyone else? Relaxed. Sharp, but relaxed. I looked like I’d dressed up for the wrong party—and somehow still missed the … Read more
Last summer I made the classic mistake: I dressed like I had a cute brunch planned instead of a full day of mom life. Linen trousers that wrinkled the second I buckled the car seat. A clingy tank that showed every snack stain. Sandals that looked great in the mirror but betrayed me by 2 … Read more
I used to think all jeans were interchangeable. Denim was denim. If they zipped, I bought them—usually skinny, usually overloaded with stretch—and then blamed myself when outfits looked wrong. Shoes felt disconnected. Jackets suddenly looked too long. Photos were brutal. The mistake wasn’t my body. It was the silhouette. Once I stopped treating jeans like … Read more
My first corporate interview? A stiff polyester blazer that behaved beautifully on the hanger and disintegrated the moment I sat down. The shoulders buckled. The fabric creased like cheap wrapping paper. I spent the entire meeting adjusting instead of listening. That’s when it clicked: power dressing isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about control. Real power … Read more