THE
INSIDE THE 1987
CORPORATE CLOSET,
THERE'S A NEW
FOCUS ON FEMININE
DRESSING.
BY LINDA R. BENSON
High fashion executive
dressing with a three piece,
gabardine suit by Yeohlee,
available at Lynn Portnoy.
Yeohlee fashions also at Anna
Bassett's Claire Pearone and
Madelaine.
50 FALL '87
H
emlines short or
long, waistlines
fitted or baggy,
breasts empired or
au naturelle — women have
always understood how to
accommodate to the whimsy
and dictates of fashion. To a
woman, fashion is the
expression of her own image,
the synthesis of her worlds,
public and private.
And for many women in the
1980's, these worlds — and
roles — have changed. Her
public worlds have often grown
to include a 40-or-more-hour
workweek, board meetings,
bank negotiations, courtroom
appearances, lunches with
clents or customers, site visits to
factories or other heavy duty
locales, and travel.
Ten years ago, John T. Molloy,
author of the bestselling "The
Woman's Dress for Success
Book," turned an analytical eye
to feminine fashion. Using
research techniques, he studied
its impact, not on other women,
not on sales for manufacturers
or department stores, but
among successful, powerful
men in a particular setting, the
workplace.
"Never be the first in your of-
fice to wear a fashion. Fashion
fails!" Molloy concluded in a
style that is always strong on
forcefulness and sometimes
light on tact.
"I've had more of an impact
on what women wear in the of-
fice than all of the fashion
designers for the past ten years.
Women may say they hate my
ideas, but they work," Molloy
added.
Molloy seems to have reason
to be self-congratulatory. His
austere, decidedly genderless
recommendations to the woman
who wanted to be taken
"seriously" in the traditionally
male workplace found a follow-
ing. The high points are: The
two piece "power" suit in navy
or gray, with a jacket neither too
long or too short, too full or too
padded and an A-line skirt
which covers the knee and a
few inches extra; never, never a
soft, clingy sweater underneath,
but always a serious blouse in a
"real" fabric, preferably with a
neck-skimming collar or bow. To
complete Molloy's power look?
Unobtrusive accessories, flesh
colored hose, two-inch pumps