I’m so excited because on Saturday October 11, I am participating in something that is sure to be EPIC (and I don’t use that word lightly). I have the pleasure of partnering with Women Leading Baltimore and Black women from all over the city for the inaugural “Power of a Woman” photoshoot. To say that I am excited would be the understatement of the century. This is a powerful opportunity to bring together Black, female entrepreneurs, educators, business leaders, creatives, mothers, etc. together to show the world that something happens when Black women come together. And, it’s in support of a fantastic organization, Women Leading Baltimore, which creates space for high school girls to embrace their power and authority through sisterhood, nurturing mentorship and meaningful opportunities. Truly, what could be better?
Now, if you know me, you know I LOVE a good dress code. And, for this photo, we are requested to wear “jewel toned business attire.” For me, that was no problem. I have clothes already in my closet but also, I love any excuse to go shopping. However, my DMs and texts started to blow up as people asked me how they could pull off business attire in jewel tones. After all, we really want to look our very best for this shoot. Because this is a dress code that is both unique and beautiful, I thought it might be helpful to share some ways that any of us — photo shoot or not — could pull together jewel toned business attire.
What is Business Attire?
Defining business attire can sometimes be difficult because, typically, it is influenced by where people work. For some organizations, “business attire” means a suit while in others it could mean slacks and a blouse. For us, let’s say that “business attire” includes suits, dresses, skirts (especially pencil and midi), blouses, and slacks (wide leg, skinny, and ankle can all work here). Now, because of the type of photo shoot this is, we can push outside of the traditional “business attire” box and think about adding unique, fashion-forward silhouettes to our looks. Think about puff sleeves, ruffles, peplum details, trumpet skirts, wrap jackets, or even a shorts suit. Just because it’s “business attire” doesn’t mean it has to be boring.
What are Jewel Tones?
Jewel tones are exactly what they sound like — colors and hues inspired by the rich colors of jewels. Think ruby, sapphire, emerald, citrine, amethyst, and topaz. You can also flesh out these colors with fuschia, teal, plum and mandarin orange. When all of the women are gathered together, standing tall in these jewel tones it’s really going to be a gorgeous sea of bold colors highlighting strong women.
How To Put it Together
Now that we know the styles we will work with and the color palette, it’s time to put it together and make some magic happen. Below are a few tips that can be used to make it all work.
- Wear a Dress. The easiest way to pull together jewel toned business attire is to rock a dress. Why? Because you only have to think about pulling together one piece of clothing and adding accessories. Plus, you can really play up different silhouettes and styles with a dress.
- Suit Up. Another great way to rock this color palette is to get a suit in one of these incredible colors. Suits are so much less boring than they used to be, with incredible lines, colors, and cuts to add a ton of interest to them.
- Pair it with White. If you’re going to opt for a jewel toned skirt or pants, pair them with a white blouse, sweater or jacket to really make your colors pop. You’ll be sure to stand out in the best way possible.
- Don’t forget patterns. You can also make your jewel tones POP by wearing them in a pattern. It’s a great way to incorporate a couple of these colors and really make a fashion statement.
I can’t wait to see how you use these tips to pull together your jewel toned business attire. Be sure to follow Women Leading Baltimore on social media to keep up with all of the great things they’re doing!