‘The kind of power dressing I’m interested in’

Rev Katherine Chow juxtaposes the power dynamics she was used to when working for a law firm to those found in the New Testament

When I was living in New York in my 20s, I became familiar with the concept of power dressing. This phenomenon started in business and politics in the 1970s, when women adopted a particular style of fashion to help them establish their authority in environments that were historically male-dominated spaces. I remember my female boss at the time, a New York City law firm partner who I respected, giving me a bright red two-piece skirt suit. She said red was the ultimate power colour and that if I wore this suit I would stand out and be noticed in the room. The thing is, I definitely didn’t want to stand out or want anyone to notice me and bright red was definitely not my preferred colour of choice.