Power Dressing

#StyleNotAgeChallenge

Dear friends. It was Emma's turn to choose this month's Style Not Age Challenge, and she went for Power Dressing.

Style Not Age is a challenge for five bloggers aged 45 upwards. Each month we tackle a prompt to style an outfit.

I don't mind admitting that Power Dressing was a hard one for me. Now that I'm retired, I have no need of power dressing. I still have a couple of my "power" pieces from when I worked, but both are very dated now.

Today's power dressing involves bright colours and unstructured tailoring. With that in mind, I'm wearing a red jacket, as I always associate red with feeling powerful, over a cream column: ruched skirt and V neck top, all by Kettlewell. The scarf adds some red and green to liven up the outfit, and I echoed the green with my vegan leather bag. Boots, old, are by Lotus.

Let's see how my style friends got on. Emma from Stylesplash, who came up with this challenge, works in a media job so probably has need for power dressing. She is the queen of colour, and is wearing separates from Zara to make a suit. She bought them in Funchal where Zara is cheaper than in the UK. The trousers were too long and they've been hanging in the wardrobe for months but Emma finally got around to taking them up. The blouse is Hawes & Curtis (bought from a charity shop). Her bag is from Teddy Blake (previously gifted) and gold trainers by Guess.

Anna from Anna's Island Style wore her fabulous outfit to work last week: she works in a gallery on the Isles of Scilly. Her shorts suit was new in June from Primark, in the sale for £34. The fabric is a boucle knit/tweed effect and it's lined as you can see in both jacket and shorts. The shirt and belt were a charity shop find, boots from ASOS, tights from Number 36 boutique and handbag was bought in Paddington Station recently from Oliver Bonas.

Hilda from Over the Hilda looks the part in a borrowed suit from a boutique in Malahide. It has shoulder pads but otherwise is unstructured. Her phone/crossbody bag is from @bagsbylanda. Hilda has made this such a great power dressing outfit with her red lip and laptop bag.

Jacqui from Mummabstylish is quietly in control in a suit is from H & M last winter, blouse from River island, a Christmas present ages ago, and another Christmas gift in the form of her Valentino bag.

I hope you enjoyed our interpretations of power dressing. If you're working, what do you use when you want to look powerful? If you're retired, do you have outfits you wear when you want to feel confident? Do share in the comments.

Sharing this post with: Weekday Wear at Away from the Blue, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Hello Monday at Sunshine and Books, Tell it to Me Tuesday at Perfectly Imperfect, Rena at Fine Whatever, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Confident Twosday at I Do Declaire, Style with a Smile at Stylesplash, Curated by Jennifer (Wednesdays), Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, #SpreadTheKindness and #Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge, Thursday Fashion Files at Doused in Pink, #Neverendingstyle at The Grey Brunette, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style, Traffic Jam Weekend at Marsha in the Middle Senior Salon Pitstop at Esme Salon Crafty Creators at Life as a Leo Wife, Unlimited Link Party at Grammy's Grid