Dressing for Success: The Female Attorney’s Wardrobe
Just as a building requires structure and organized design, to be successful, an outfit needs to be thought out and well-prepared. Dressing well is a skill that requires forethought, planning, and an eye for the overall composition and the big picture, while also accounting for the small details and nuances. A job isn’t a job if you can do it in your sleep, and dressing for the day is a skill that takes practice. For example, the way an architect approaches their craft is the same way that a lawyer approaches the craft of dressing for the day. A building needs a sense of perspective, elevation, and harmony just as an outfit does.
The relationship between the scale of a building or a home and how it works with the neighborhood, the hallways, and the entrance are two things attorney’s must take into consideration when choosing their office attire. Just as a well-designed building is not designed behind closed doors only to be revealed at the big unveiling, the same is true for the wardrobe of female attorneys. The dress code is provided at the hiring phase, and while it is important to research the dress code and to follow it, it is also vital to remember to have fun with work outfits, to make a statement with what you wear, and to communicate effectively by way of the dress code.
Lately, the trends with architecture have been moving toward a more contemporary design, which calls for a transition from beautifully-designed homes and buildings to ones that are sustainable and incorporate the materials of the future while using some of the best elements of the past. In looking at the relationship between architecture and professional attire, it is important for lawyers to follow the same trends as architects and builders in their approach to the style and form of their wardrobes. Traditional dress codes for females in law firms have included skirts and blouses, but have now moved more toward slacks and blouses, or slacks with a blazer to achieve a streamlined and sophisticated look. Pantsuits have been a classic for several decades, but Bloomer suits are just coming about.
When your fashion sense takes you to the courtroom or the office, it can be difficult to decide exactly what to wear for the day. Often, attorney’s make it easy for themselves by following the traditional dress code as a way of achieving a more professional image. Work suits are an easy way to stand apart from the rest of the office because no other cadre of business professionals wear them. Architectural techniques create an aura of minimalism that recalls perfection and precision, and are the same techniques used by wise female attorneys to frame themselves in the proper context.
Modern female business attire should fall to the floor, providing the lawyers with an air of sophistication just as a modern home provides its inhabitants with a sense of style and presence. Minimalism is also an element of contemporary architecture, and achieving that same aesthetic through professional attire is another key component to a female lawyer’s wardrobe. Minimalism makes a statement in dress in a similar way as it does in architecture. Just as minimalist architects provide their clients with essential lines and enough extravagant elements to account for an eye-catching presence, so must female lawyers take an approach to their wardrobes that incorporates enough traditional elements to show professionalism while using modern styles and silhouettes to frame themselves in a flattering way.
The original elements of modern architecture play a major role in the styles of today, just as they do with female attorney attire. The same way that architects are keenly aware of the enduring characteristics of successful architecture and how they apply to modern homes and office buildings, so must attorneys be for their professional wardrobes. If a woman wants to be a successful female attorney, she needs to take notes from the architects who designed the offices in which she works. Just as an architect creates spaces for her clients, a female attorney must also succeed by using a courtroom as a workspace and an office as another workspace, so it is important that she carefully applies the same principles to her professional wardrobe.
A dress code is in place for a reason, and if a female attorney wants to win cases, she must do it with the same sound reasoning by dressing for the success she knows she can achieve. Just as architects aspire for continuity in their creations, so must attorneys achieve that same goal when creating their wardrobe. And as an architect’s goal is to craft a space that is modern yet timeless and that addresses the client’s needs, so must a female attorney consider her own needs and the needs of the spaces in which she spends her workdays when choosing her professional attire. According to the in depth guide on law firm dress code for females, understanding these principles can significantly enhance a female attorney’s professional image.