Dress to Impress

TEXT AYANA MUSAEV PHOTO VICTORIA ROHRER

The impressions you make with your appearance is an interesting topic to put forward. Many students that graduate from KTH end up in influential positions in their respective workspaces, and even if they don’t, they find themselves in impactful environments. Dressing for power makes parts of your life easier; instead of trying to get attention and establish authority with rhetorics, let your style speak for you instead.

The European cut of the blazer will seem to prevail as the piece of clothing that gives off authoritative vibes in our modern age. Even if the work setting here in Scandinavia has evolved to a rather casual business setting in most places, is it possible to get the professional aura by curating your outfits accordingly. We will share some tips on how to elevate your style and wardrobe in a way that empowers you. If you know that a piece of clothing you own is more ethically manufactured than for example something bought from Shein, or even better: if you have bought something second hand, well it could bring a special kind of joy to you. This can be seen as a sustainable way of looking at clothes, but there is actually more to it which involves class and privilege. Everyone should have the privilege to still be able to practice a hobby (fashion in this case) and not be seen as a worse person if they aren’t as sustainable in comparison to others that have more money. Something that is useful for most people is the equation of ‘cost per wear’: the cost of the clothing piece is divided by the amount of times worn. This could amount to some pieces initially being pricier and more sustainable, being cheaper than the cheaper alternative to it. The cheaper one presumably being made in worse quality, hence resulting in that you only wear it half as many times as the one with higher quality. For getting the empowerment the superficial way is there a term called ‘Power dressing’ that is coined for dressing in an androgynous way to receive authority in professional settings. An important part of it lies in accessories. Hence you can achieve allure and get a powerful upgrade on a simple shape or outfit by combining different both masculine and feminine elements.

Dressing after your body type is another powerful tool. When followed, it is not thought about, but when dismissed, is the biggest authoritarian turn off. This is a point that is often brought up in ‘the French girl’ fashion guides, but is just as applicable for all genders. When things fit together well, we see the whole person as harmonious, and many of us associate harmony with put-togetherness, which is a given signal for authority. Other things that the fashion guides focus on is the lack of showing off of the brands’ logos, but rather focusing on the material and shape. This goes back to the importance of long living materials which you can enjoy and be proud of for an extended period of time. Maybe even please different versions of yourself as well, if you chose the clothing piece wisely. Some of us change up our styles throughout the years more than others, especially between the transitioning years from teenager to adult. So being mindful when buying clothing really pays off. Only after empirically studying peoples’ styles out on the street did I and Victoria come to the agreement: the tipping point to when an outfit expressed power was when there were details which caught our attention. Which most accessories do. Other things that made us interested in an outfit were the assembly of different qualities and shapes, and how some people who had clearly given their clothing some extra thought were able to radiate harmony.

We asked a few students on the street:

1.Thoughts when assembling the outfits? 2.Thoughts of what your clothes are expressing about you? 3.Favorite way of getting new clothes?

Linnea, architecture, year 3

1. It should be comfortable in the first place. If it is for a special occasion, such as for presentations and interviews, there is extra care put in the outfits to be pretty and fresh. 2. Utilising the clothes to get the desired amount of attention you would want that day. Would rather be overdressed than underdressed for the days you want attention and wearing plain (often black) clothes for when you want to blend in. 3. Physical boutiques and buying pieces you’ve checked in for a while to make sure you will wear them for long. Often picking timeless pieces to be on the safe side.

Lochlan, chemical engineering, year 1

1. Weather and matching. Using a capsule wardrobe makes it easier to get a rotation of outfits to wear. 2. Vibe of being laid back, in contrast to wearing tight jeans, and it makes it easier to find new friends with a similar vibe. 3. Only second hand since a year back. It’s cheaper and more fun.

Sara, master in vehicle engineering, year 5

1. Going mostly for black and clean outfits, since that fits the most. 2. Normal, not sticking out in a crowd. 3. Borrowing clothes from friends. Buying clothes more for the base wardrobe, so as to not get tired of them, and these from the usual popular stores.

Mahdi, chemical engineering, year 1

1. Picking non-smelling clothes, making sure they fit together and fitting the occasion. 2. Odd combinations in cut and utility but same color (black) give off a vibe of being basic but with an unexpected twist when you look closer. 3. Online, mostly from Zalando.

Klara, technical preparatory year

1. Comfortable, fits for the situation, choosing a color palette and picking colors according to the mood that day. 2. Social power heightens if you to some degree are fitting yourself to your environment. My outfits are personalized but still adaptable enough. 3. Second hand for sweaters (harder to get the right size on other things) and buying basics from Weekday as they last for a long time.

KULTUR