Dressing for success has always been of the utmost importance in the business world. And in the corporate culture of the 80s, designers such as Yves St. Laurent and Armani ensured that women had every bit the same opportunity to dress like an over-achiever as their male counterparts. For any woman with ambitions of dominating the business world, a sleek powersuit was the apparel of choice.
Gone were the dresses and high heels, replaced with a suit fashioned with padded shoulders, sharp cuts and tight waists, offered in the same navy blue and slate gray shades as one would expect in a men’s suit. Coupled with a Rolex, Pierre Cardin footwear and a designer bag, the image of corporate power was unmistakable. Adorned in one of these high profile suits presented an image of confidence, wealth and success, everything needed to convey corporate power.
Designer Giorgio Armani soon realized that men might also like a sleeker, less traditional look than the average three-piece suit offered. He first displayed this new attire on the body of Richard Gere in the 1980 film, American Gigolo and it wasn’t long before men were mimicking this stylish look. The Italian design of these garments were far less-restricting, while still offering a professional well-groomed look, accentuated by a hand tailored shirt and tie underneath.
With the wealth-obsessed 80s in full swing, men and women alike had a fresh way to present themselves as they plotted to take over the world, looking like a million bucks every step of the way.
Gone were the dresses and high heels, replaced with a suit fashioned with padded shoulders, sharp cuts and tight waists, offered in the same navy blue and slate gray shades as one would expect in a men’s suit. Coupled with a Rolex, Pierre Cardin footwear and a designer bag, the image of corporate power was unmistakable. Adorned in one of these high profile suits presented an image of confidence, wealth and success, everything needed to convey corporate power.
Designer Giorgio Armani soon realized that men might also like a sleeker, less traditional look than the average three-piece suit offered. He first displayed this new attire on the body of Richard Gere in the 1980 film, American Gigolo and it wasn’t long before men were mimicking this stylish look. The Italian design of these garments were far less-restricting, while still offering a professional well-groomed look, accentuated by a hand tailored shirt and tie underneath.
With the wealth-obsessed 80s in full swing, men and women alike had a fresh way to present themselves as they plotted to take over the world, looking like a million bucks every step of the way.
