When I think of “power dressing”, the first image that springs to mind is actress Diane Keaton in the 80’s movie “Baby Boom”. She was a hotshot Manhattan business woman with a corner office, working 18-hour days in strong shouldered skirt suits and stiletto heels.

Power dressing is the type of professional attire men and women wear in corporate and government environments to make themselves look and feel authoritative, strong and capable. In essence, power dressing refers to outfits that make you look and feel powerful.

Most of us don’t work in corporate or government settings, but we all have moments in our day to day lives when we want to look and feel powerful. It often has nothing to do with business meetings and wearing career wear. Power dressing takes on a different meaning in this context.

I have a variety of outfit combinations that make me feel more competent and authoritative. I can’t tell you why they make me feel this way, but it’s definitely the case. Here they are:

• Boots worn with just about anything. I feel like Wonder Woman when I wear boots. (Hopefully I don’t look like Wonder Woman, though).
• Pencil skirts worn with low heels
• Tailored blazers worn with jeans
• Sheath dresses worn with dressy flats
• Skinny jeans paired with voluminous belted blouses and high heels
• A cravat style scarf

As much as I love wearing my suit, I don’t feel particularly powerful in it! Do you have wardrobe items and outfit combinations that make you feel powerful?

I suspected this might happen. So far, I haven’t worn my denim shirt casually at all. Instead, I’m having far too much fun building new smart casual and creative business casual outfits with my favourite new denim item. Oh, how I love the power of denim. Its ability to stylishly tone down a dressy item knows no bounds.

I really like blue (think ink, denim and cobalt), paired with black, white and cream. It’s one of my favourite colour combinations, which is why you see me wearing it often. I just don’t seem to tire of it like I do with other colour combinations.

Layering a button down shirt under a sheath dress is a common marriage, so why not pop a denim shirt under a fun polka dot bubble dress? Scrunch the sleeves and add hose, booties, necklace and tote and rock the day the mod way.

This outfit represents another comfortable daytime work look. For my next set of denim shirt ensemble posts, I’ll be putting the oh so trendy and controversial denim on denim look through its paces. I wonder what Jasmine will think of those outfits.

That’s it for this series of denim shirts in dressy ensembles. Which one was your favourite: bubble dress, ball gown, or dressy skirt?

I adore the look of 50’s and 60’s plastic and glass beaded necklaces. This style of vintage jewelry appeals to me in fun colours like turquoise, red, green and yellow, but white really speaks to me too.

This type of jewelry aesthetic adds a great casual sense of humour to an outfit, whereas pearls, which have a vintage flavor too, feel a lot stricter and dressier. Pearls are a lot more buttoned-up. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I’m so fond of wearing pearls since I’m in tune with my serious and strict side.

Vintage white beaded necklaces can be your fun, carefree and casual alternative to pearls. Imagine them with breezy Summer dresses and bold patterned tops. Very fab.

Etsy has a wonderful assortment that’s cheap as chips. There are long and short strands, single and double strands, and a good variety of bead sizes too.

Yesterday I mentioned that I like my denim shirt best when it’s matched with dressy items, like a dressy skirt. To quote one of our readers: “I like the sound of the flop-proof casual outfits, but it’s the contrast between dressier items and the denim shirt that makes my heart beat faster”. My sentiments exactly.

As a humble salute to the incomparable Audrey, I’ve taken one of the dressiest items in my closet and paired it with a denim shirt. How’s THAT for dressing down a formal item of clothing.

My vintage inspired ball gown has a fitted bodice and tulle skirt lining so the only way that I could make the pairing work was by knotting the the front ends of the denim shirt and scrunching the sleeves in true retro 50’s style. I add a vintage handbag, black fishnets and the usual classic pile of pearls. But I kept on my modern specs and watch, and threw in silver wedge, sling-back sandals.

This is definitely a more daring way to wear a denim shirt. I expect it to be an acquired taste. But I really appreciate the contrast between luxurious and rugged items so it works for me, especially if it means that I get to wear my ball gown more often.

The dress code of this outfit is a little blurry. Dressy smart casual or creative cocktail would probably be my guess.