Dress for the Job You Want

The Statement Jacket  

A vivid, sophisticated print suggests that you're imaginative rather than bound by convention.

Christine Shields: After a string of routine jobs in the automotive and banking industries, Christine, 58, is reinventing her career, trying to get into the field of corporate event planning (on the side, she makes party favors for wedding receptions).

The Outfit: An unforgettable occasion, carefully orchestrated and budgeted—that's the event planner's specialty. Christine decided to invest in a new outfit that reflects this attention to detail: It conveys business acumen, but the floral jacket and striped top (Tory Burch, $750 and $195) are "fun and funky, not too buttoned-up," she says. Other pieces—knit pants (Diane von Furstenberg, $275), a gold and quartz chain (Suzanne Kalan)—are understated, as is her makeup.