As you might imagine from a company inspired by the powerful look of men's crisp white dress shirts, we're all about the authority that our shirts impart to large-chested women. However, sometimes you may want to go in a softer direction.
Take, for example, the executive who let us sit in on her speed styling session with preeminent style strategist Carol Davidson at our pop up shop in April. The executive told us that during contract negotiation sessions in Japan, she was asked to sit in the same chair every time she entered the conference room. What was so special about that chair? It wasn't at the head of the table. It wasn't more comfortable than the others. No, it had been altered to a lower height than every other chair in the room!
You see, the shorter chair gave this very tall executive the same seated height as everyone else around the table. In a culture that values conformity, a simple furniture adjustment helped her blend in. Because her goal was to close the deal rather than stand out, she went along with it.
Clothing can be used to the same effect. To amp up her presence in a Campbell & Kate shirt, Carol suggested that the executive pop the collar. To dial it down, she could wear it flat and roll up the sleeves.
Carol pointed out that accessories such as glasses can change our effect on others. For instance, the executive might want to wear more bold statement glasses to make an impact in front of a large group but selected more undertated frames to convey a more approachable message in a one-on-one coaching session.
Intrigued, we asked Carol for examples of other pieces that work this way.
