For women in corporate America, what you wear to work matters, but it’s about so much more than the clothes.
That was the topic of conversation at a dinner hosted by The WIE Suite in partnership with Shopbop, bringing together founders and business leaders from its Austin community.
The event, part of The WIE Suite’s A Dinner For Women series, was held in Austin, Texas, the latest stop on the Shopbop’s national pop-up tour.
The partnership came together through WIE Suite member Stephanie Roberson, Shopbop's Chief Merchandising Officer.
Guests included Kathryn Cavanaugh, Founder and Managing Partner at Capstar, BUMPSUIT founder and CEO Nicole Trunfio, Shopbop Style Director Lauren Edelstein and Loni Andreen, Chief Creative Officer, Shopbop and Current Forward co-founder and CEO Lillian Brown.
The dinner featured a conversation between WIE Suite founder, Dee Poku and Stephanie Roberson focused on style, confidence, and the expectations society places on how women show up in business.
WIE Suite founder Dee Poku asked Roberson about her work and the role style has played in her success.
“I always knew I wanted to work in fashion,” Roberson said. “At 16, I saw an article on a fashion buyer, and I was like, ‘That’s it. That’s what I’m going to do.’ But the thing that always really resonated with me was the power that what you wear can have on how you feel and how you show up.”
Poku recalled power dressing for meetings when she was working at a big Hollywood studio early in her career. Roberson said clothing can work as protection. "There definitely is that element of armor," she said. "The thing you feel most comfortable with allows you to show up as your best self, especially when you need to go in and command a room."
“I also deeply resonate with this idea of dopamine dressing,” Roberson replied. “It has the power to change your mood.”
Poku noted that dress codes don’t apply equally to everyone.
“I would never wear a hoodie to a meeting. I know I can’t get away with it,” Poku shared. “If you’re a guy in Silicon Valley and you come in a hoodie, it’s saying something about who you are. If you’re a woman, it’s saying something completely different.”
The group strongly resonated with the double standard around work attire. One guest shared that she previously tried to hide and defeminize herself, ironically despite working in the beauty industry alongside other women.
Roberson’s response was to “do what you can to be your authentic self," while considering whether the people or the culture around accept it. She also added that change will depend on whether women are backing each other up.
“The more we have women supporting women…that’s the biggest thing.”
The evening ran way past 11pm. "No one left!" Poku said.
