Women of If you’re like us, you are eagerly waiting for the first day of spring and the Women of Power Summit! We are just weeks away from touching down in Orlando at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts and we’re excited that we’ll be arriving there before the spring comes mid-March to enjoy the weather in Florida. We are also equally excited about the Women of Power fashion show and Macy’s excursion presented by Macy’s.
If you are attending the summit for the first time or if you’re a returning woman of power, you’re probably wondering what you should pack and what the latest fashion finds are as you think about what to wear. For that very reason, we spoke with Diane Mahoney, MyStylist at Macy’s in the Florida Mall who will be working with women during the excursion. As a lead stylist and fashion expert, she shares what women can look forward to this spring and during the summit.
What are some must-haves for the spring?
I think romantic is a word that describes the upcoming season. We just received a large shipment of clothes and I’m so excited about what I’m seeing. For spring, you’re going to see a lot of bold colors and what I’m calling ‘the new pastel.’ Pastel colors that I’ve never seen before like lilacs,
yellows, cream colors, and pale pinks! There’s also an infusion of florals. We just got a lot of gowns in anticipation of gala season. There are some gorgeous patterns of floral like you’re looking across a field of flowers! We’re also seeing black and white stripes, polka dots, and diagonal prints in a black and white palette.
The weather is beautiful in Florida and Woman of Power is a professional Summit. What should women of power be packing for the summit?
I’ve held a corporate job in the past and I often ran into that dilemma because I traveled a lot. My go-to has always been the sleeveless chic dress. Calvin Klein makes a simple chic dress that is flattering on a lot of body types and you can start from there. You can add color with a sweater. That way, if you’re sitting in a conference room and it’s cool you start with a cover. And, as the day goes on and begins to warm up and now you’re going into cocktail you can go from day to evening with that look. You can change up the jewelry and put on a pump at the end of the day if you’re going to a more formal evening event. Layer things so that you can take them off as you go.
What can women look forward to at the Macy’s excursion?
It’s very exciting and it’s going to be a jam-packed day! I’m going to be there and we’re going to help women find their looks and shop. There are four tracks that we’ll be taking with this event at the store. We have a beauty event and there will be a lot of representatives from the companies there that we do business with from the makeup counters and the fragrance lines. There will be a lot of incentives, if you will, with gifts with purchases. We’ve got a shoe event with a lot of the new shoe looks that are coming out. There are some killer shoes that are coming out!
What can we look forward to seeing on the runway at the fashion show?
The fashion show is going to feature things like the new statement shirts or shirt-dress.
Tommy Hilfiger Stripe Dress $89.50
A lot of the designers are doing things with pinstripe shirt-dresses where they are mixing patterns or there’s an interesting take on a cuff or a collar. You might see a shirt-dress with lace embellishments on it that has a soft detail to it. Dresses are going to be important this year so you’ll be seeing a lot of them!
What are some fun and fashionable professional pieces women can add to their wardrobe?
As a stylist, I like to work within a client’s own wardrobe. Trends come and go so if you want to infuse something into your wardrobe I would say don’t abandon your wardrobe for a new trend. Work with the wardrobe that you have. For example, for a woman who has a classic chic dress, you can put a new blouse underneath it opposed to wearing a blouse with a skirt. You can also add a bold jacket or sweater over it and change the feeling of it from something that is traditional or basic. That way you aren’t making a huge investment, you’ll be on trend, and it will add to your wardrobe in a meaningful way.
What should a woman’s style say about her?
In a power position, I think there’s still an expectation for professionalism. If you want to make a big statement that says, ‘I’m your counterpart in the C-suite,’ then you’re going for more of the classic statement. But I think on the way up, there is an opportunity for young women to be able to grow into their style so they’re not coming to work in things that are too short or revealing. In the corporate world you want it to be about your skills and not about what you’re wearing. Find an appropriate middle ground (between you and your fashion) because I don’t like people to lose who they are.
What are you looking forward to at the summit?
When people come in, I want them to be excited about the clothes and feel good. The question that I ask my customers all of the time when they ask me how something looks is ‘How does it feel and how do you feel in the clothes?’ And, I think that’s what you’re going to see when people come into the store. We want them to feel the way that we feel about the clothes. And, if we’ve done that then we’ve done our job well!
If you haven’t registered for the conference you still have time. See you there in your women of power best!