fciwomenswrestling.com femcompetitor.com article, mmlafleur.com photo credit
Can you admire the way a woman looks, even when she is behaving badly?
Sure you can.
Most likely you already have, especially if you watched the elegantly beautiful Demi Moore violating protected work space with Michael Douglas in the film Disclosure.
Disclosure is a 1994 American erotic thriller film directed by Barry Levinson, starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. It is based on Michael Crichton‘s novel of the same name.
The film is a combination thriller and slight mystery in an office setting within the computer industry in the mid-1990s. The main focus of the story, from which the film and book take their titles, features Demi Moore coming on very heavily to fellow employee Michael Douglas.
The issue is sexual harassment and its power structure.
The film received mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success grossing $214 million against its $50 million budget.
Watching Demi prance around in her various sexy but dignified office attire was almost certain to guarantee there would be some very nice box office returns.
Enough about beautiful Demi.
Let’s get down to business.
So here we want to focus on business attire when all employees are not behaving badly but goodly.
Wait, did we say that right?
You’re okay with that? Good.
Fashion subscription services are now the trend and the new rave. The operative word regarding their inventory is fashion. Mostly for every day dress.
In the spirit of the Demi power dress, we wanted to view a subscription service that caters to women in the workplace and we are mesmerized by MM.LaFleur whose attire we find very attractive.
So do others.
The influential business team at businessinsider.com who tried their service smiles, “The MM.LaFleur business model is necessary, and it’s successful in part because of that and its loyal customers, but those repeat clients come back for their even more lasting business secret: clothes that are beautiful, functional, and getting smarter all the time.”
What a nice recommendation.
Based upon that, we would like to understand more about them.
The Atlanta based news and information source ajc.com educates, “In a fast-fashion world where athleisure is still one of the largest growth categories in women’s clothing, it can be downright stressful to find clothing that is suited for the many places life may take you…including work. In 2013, Sarah LaFleur hoped to make the process easier when she founded MM.LaFleur, a web-based clothing brand designed to help women find work appropriate clothing with minimal effort.”
Sounds like a very good idea.
It gets even better.
MM.LaFleur offers its Bento Box, a curated collection of four to six proprietary designs for busy professional women on the go.
Most fashion subscription services require that you pay a monthly fee.
Unlike other fashion subscription boxes, the Bento Box is not a subscription. There is no commitment. Customers can request a box whenever they need a wardrobe update.
Though they initially did not intend to take the brand into a brick and mortar retail setting, when the company began hosting pop-ups in New York City, sales exploded overnight.
Similar to various other online shopping brands that now offer a retail shopping experience, the MM.LaFleur showrooms are designed to give customers the individual attention and personal touch if they so desire.
Nice to hear that.
We’ve read so much about how customers now only want to shop online but part of the enjoyment of going shopping with a loved one is walking around and showing off the fashion that you are both wearing and seeing the look of excitement on a beautiful woman’s face when she steps out of the dressing room and you can give her a thumbs up or a maybe not.
With MM.LaFleur you schedule an hour-long appointment with a dedicated stylist who helps you determine the proper sizing and styles for your needs.
Based upon all of that, why don’t we dress in our best business attire and knock on their door at mmlafleur.com and hear their story in their own words. “MM.LaFleur is built on a core belief: When women succeed in the workplace, the world becomes a better place. Founder & CEO Sarah LaFleur was once your typical woman in finance whose closet was packed with blah-feeling pantsuits. Back then, she dreamed of a more practical, inspired wardrobe for herself and all professional women.
She teamed up with Co-founders Narie Foster and Miyako Nakamura, and they launched MM.LaFleur in 2013. Their goal: to help women harness the power of self-presentation, and to rethink the shopping process altogether. Not only do we design our own collection, but we integrate personal styling into the MM experience. We know you have #BetterThingsToDo than worry about what to wear, so our mission is to take the work out of dressing for work.”
See what we mean. We knew we would love them. Very creative. Very reflective.
Let’s meet their designer. We’re certain that her clothes will make you feel special. “Our collection is designed by Co-Founder and Creative Director Miyako Nakamura, the former head designer of Zac Posen. Informed by her high-fashion background, Miyako’s goal is to help today’s professional woman build a tightly curated wardrobe of versatile pieces that reflect both her personal style (sophisticated silhouettes, inventive design details) and her dynamic lifestyle (machine-washable, travel-friendly). Originally just seven dresses, our collection has evolved to include separates, knits, suiting, accessories, and shoes. In May of 2017, we extended our size range, and we now carry sizes 0-22W.”
We have a general idea how it all works but we would like for them to explain the process. They are happy to. “At Home via the Bento Box: Take a quick online survey, and an MM stylist will create a personalized box for you that includes a selection of wardrobe items and accessories. This is not a subscription service, and there is no commitment! After your first Bento, you can “Re-Bento” as often as you like. Along the way, your MM stylist keeps you updated about new product and color offerings.”
It certainly is wonderful to have a personal touch.
If you decide to visit one of their showrooms via appointment, we’re told you will work one-on-one with a personal stylist, while enjoying coffee and prosecco. During your complimentary hour-long stylist session, their goal is to treat you to the most productive, personalized, and stress-free shopping experience of your life.
We are in complete agreement with that approach.
In some of our previous retail store experiences, you walk around the department and typically a sales person would help you that knew nothing about who you are or what you want. They would just smile and ask if you needed any help and point you in the right direction.
Especially the higher priced one.
Well, thank you MM.LaFleur for the visit and your much needed unique approach. We really enjoyed ourselves.
For those of you reading this we have one more suggestion.
While it is beneficial to receive fashion tips from a professional stylist we thought that you might also keep in mind to be aware of a few time tested psychological reactions by others to what you are wearing in the business world.
There is a book that in many ways is timeless in terms of suggestions for business dress.
Dress for Success is a 1975 book by John T. Molloy about the effect of clothing on a person’s success in business and personal life. It was a bestseller.
Very important to you ladies.
It was followed in 1977 by The Women’s Dress for Success Book. Together, the books popularized the concept of “power dressing“.
Mr. Molloy’s advice was unusual because they ran actual tests by showing drawings to people and compiling their perceptions of the impact of the clothes. In The Women’s Dress for Success Book, he stated, “This is the most important book ever written about women’s clothes, because it is based on scientific research, not on [the author’s] opinion.”
What was discovered is still included in “advice” articles today.
You should dress like you already have the job.
Respondents subconsciously judged the clothes to see that the wearer fit in with other employees.
Here is what one female reviewer had to say at goodreads.com. “This book caught me off guard. While I expected it to teach me how to dress, I did not expect the research that formulated Molloy’s theories. The research is fascinating and extremely thorough. The conclusion is that women fair better in conservative companies with no casual dress. They must dress in conservative men’s colors in natural fibers, primarily wool, and MUST have a very upper middle class look. The must carry expensive bags, wear expensive chic jewelry, wear hair short and professional and wear makeup that is as subtle and well done as to appear to be wearing no makeup at all. He also covers the importance of posture, speech and body language.”
Good to know.
Perhaps you might read the book first for the foundation to understand how others in the workplace might perceive you.
Then when you contact MM.LaFleur, you’ll probably have a better idea what you are looking for when you collaborate with their talented stylists.
That is our full disclosure.
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OPENING PHOTO CREDIT MM.LaFleur
https://mmlafleur.com/our-story
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disclosure_(film)
https://www.businessinsider.com/mm-lafleur-bento-box-womens-work-clothes-review-2017-4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dress_for_Success_(book)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/70317.New_Woman_s_Dress_for_Success
