By Caroline Callicutt
By Caroline Callicutt
Outfit Details
Model: Ja’Lene Jae’kiah Woods
Look one: Ja’Lene is wearing a black leather dress with an oversized blazer and classic black loafers.
Look two: Ja’Lene wears straight, plaid trousers, a cropped collared top and a pale green tie. She wears the same classic black loafers.
Model: Bailey Zipp
Look One: Bailey wears an oversized white button-up shirt with a cropped brown, black and white argyle sweater vest. She is also wearing platform loafers with frilly white socks.
Close your eyes. Picture an office building. Imagine the stuffy cubicles, the sticky note-covered desks and the sparsely decorated conference rooms. In my mind, I see tall men in drab suits pacing in their small offices, chatting at the coffee-stained Keurig and rapidly emailing a chain of other tall, suit-clad men. As of December 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women officially outnumber men in workplaces across the country. This statistic changes that mental image for me. For years offices have been dominated by men, the media has portrayed women as sexy receptionists and nothing else, and women have been fighting for equal pay and fair maternity leave. Now there are more women in these spaces than ever. This shoot is meant to empower all women. As more women are entering these spaces, and finding the stench of the patriarchy is still lingering, clothes can be a statement and a shield. As exemplified in this shoot, women can rock business wear and still be stylish. Playing with silhouettes, like pairing a big blazer with a LBD and cropped vests with big button up shirts are just a few ways to feminize typical “menswear” pieces. Women deserve to be in these spaces. Office buildings still have a long way to go to accommodate their new majority. Speaking for myself, I do my best work when I know my outfit rocks. This shoot aims to show that women do not have to sacrifice style or femininity to look professional in office settings.
