In the fashion industry there is plenty of talk about the ‘power dress’ – a simple, body conscious sheath – but certain trousers can make an equally strong statement. These wide legged linen pants by Alice and Olivia do just that! Bought them a few years ago at Nordstrom and I still love them…they remind of the classic style worn by actress Katharine Hepburn…

In the summer months I wear them with a suede wedge sandal, but now that it’s fall my brown wingtip booties were just right…

And on top: sometimes there’s nothing better than a simple white cotton shirt with a bare neck – a statement of confidence, as Ms. Hepburn well knew…

I like to have at least 2-3 white shirts in my closet with different variations of collar and cuffs…some look great on their own, some are perfect under a blazer…

As for choosing a blazer to wear on this day, you would think it would be easy but it wasn’t! Most of my jackets (navy, black) were not of the right proportion to wear with the pants – unless the jacket is very cropped or is more of a 3/4 length coat, you look dumpy. (OMG they looked awful!) So what did I wear???

When all else fails, wear a scarf! The traditional Louis Vuitton color scheme blended beautifully and was perfect for the mild September day…

As much as I love wearing body conscious sheath dresses, there is something refreshing and empowering about wearing a loose man-tailored outfit…

And let’s not kid ourselves – the real ‘power’ and strength does not come from any dress or any pair of pants – it comes from inside the woman, from stamina and confidence. But why not have both??!! Imagine then what you can accomplish! 😉