The idea of ‘power dressing’ may feel a bit outdated in today’s professional world, but to perform at your best, there’s no doubt that how you dress can contribute to your success. A flattering, well-cut garment that’s been made especially for you can feel empowering. But when it comes to high-end business attire, while many men may be wearing suits made on Savile Row, City women have often had to make do with generic ready-to-wear offerings.
Today though, workwear needn’t be restrictive, and power dressing doesn’t have to mean a conventional suit. From tailored separates to shoes and bags, there are a number of houses and bespoke specialists creating one-off pieces to meet the requirements of successful women in terms of fit, lifestyle and individuality.

Cerrato: Bespoke trousers
As separates have become a popular alternative to the conventional two-piece suit, a pair of smart tailored trousers is a business wardrobe staple. But, perhaps more so than any other women’s garment, finding perfect fitting trousers can be notoriously difficult.
It’s because of this challenge that brothers Marco and Massimo Cerrato offer a fully bespoke trouser service, allowing customers the freedom to choose every aspect of their garment, from the cut and the fabric (of which there are hundreds to choose from), right down to minute details such as the type of buttons, the size of the belt loops and the position of the pockets (if pockets are required at all).
The business, which was first founded by their father Ciro Cerrato in 1972, is based in Naples, Italy, but appointments and fittings can be held in central London, and the process takes approximately two months from when initial measurements are taken. Each pair of trousers is meticulously handmade in the Naples atelier by a team of 18 artisans, who have each trained for three to four years to master their craft.
‘Most of our clients are businessmen and women, but the cutting is totally different for women – the trouser waist is higher and slightly larger on the hips,’ explains Marco. ‘Our style is distinctly Neapolitan, but we can also create more of an English-style cut with a slight Neapolitan twist. The design of our trousers is very traditional – we still use the same cutting methods used by our father 75 years ago, but we work closely with our clients to add modern touches.’
From £600; instagram.com/cerratomarco

Gaziano & Girling: Made-to-order shoes
Shoes are widely considered a barometer of taste, and while women often squeeze their feet into uncomfortable heels, a pair of high-quality, well-fitting Derby shoes can add just as much elegance to business attire, but make it altogether more comfortable.
Having worked in shoemaking for over 20 years, Tony Gaziano and Dean Girling founded bespoke shoemaker Gaziano & Girling in 2006, and launched its first ladies collection in 2015, with three classic styles combining delicate design with traditional construction: the Maddison Chelsea boot, the Liberty slip-on loafer and the one-eyelet Florence Derby shoe – available made-to-order from their Savile Row store.
‘Our shoes are traditionally English with a continental flair,’ Gaziano explains. ‘They blend with the outfit, but are still unique enough to be a talking point, and I think choosing one of our made-to-order shoes shows originality and sophistication. Wearing a shoe that’s understated, but incredibly well-made represents a woman who is independently minded and confident in her choices.’
While ready-to-wear shoes can be ordered in narrow, medium and wide widths, made-to-order pairs can be commissioned in a choice of up to 70 different leathers including exotic skins such as alligator, lizard, ostrich, calf and suede, with oak bark or Wensum soles. The process involves an initial consultation and a full measure of the feet including length and width measurements. A range of multi-width fitting shoes can be tried on before the order is made to ensure an absolutely perfect fit.
From £835; gazianogirling.com
Edward Sexton: Bespoke tailoring
Dress codes have relaxed in even the most corporate of workplaces, but for occasions when formal dress is required, nothing shows you mean business like a sharply- tailored skirt or trouser suit. While it remains the cornerstone of any working wardrobe, a suit can also say a lot about your personality.
Someone who knows all about this is Edward Sexton. The tailor started out in menswear on Savile Row and founded a company with Tommy Nutter in the late 1960s, dressing a roster of clients from royalty to rock stars. His womenswear came to prominence in the 1970s, when high-profile clients such as Bianca Jagger and Twiggy began sporting his suits.
While Sexton’s signature style is sharp and structured, he strikes a balance between softness and severity in his designs. ‘A bespoke suit is elegant and powerful, but it has to be powerful without being intimidating,’ he says. ‘How a woman wears it and how they accessorise it makes a huge difference.’
Sexton launched his namesake label in 1990 with a bespoke offering alongside an ‘offshore bespoke’ service. Both begin with an initial consultation and measurements taken in his Knightsbridge atelier.For fully bespoke pieces, customers can see the garments being made during the two-month process. For offshore bespoke, the garment is made by craftsmen in China, making it a more accessible, but equally personal alternative.
‘Often it’s a new experience for women to have something fitted and sculptured on them,’ explains Sexton. ‘Because bespoke tailoring really is sartorial sculpturing’.
From £2,900 for an offshore bespoke two-piece suit; edwardsexton.co.uk
Gladstone London: Made-to-measure bags
While paper is almost obsolete nowadays and most of us now transport our work lives on digital devices, we seem, paradoxically, to carry more than ever before because of the increase in gadgetry. With this in mind, a handbag is a key component of a woman’s business outfit, and it need not only be stylish, but practical too.
Having worked with the likes of Tanner Krolle, MCM and Chanel, John O’Sullivan founded Gladstone London in 2015 to reimagine traditional bag designs and crafting elements with a contemporary edge. He offers two levels of bespoke. At the entry level, customers can choose an existing Gladstone bag silhouette – a tote, holdall or luggage case, for example – and the pattern, size, colour and internal configuration can be customised.
For a fully made-to-measure piece, customers can work with O’Sullivan to commission an entirely one-off design, with materials, function and comfort all taken into consideration.
Following a consultation at the Shepherd Market boutique in Mayfair, each client is assigned a bespoke designer, and production usually takes around 26 weeks from start to finish. Customers’ initials, monograms or hand-painted stripes can be added to any Gladstone piece by a master hand gilder.
‘A made-to-measure creation allows you to produce a design completely unique to any other,’ says O’Sullivan. ‘Setting it apart in shape, colour and size, it allows you to have the bag you have always longed for, made to your exact requirements. Going beyond craftsmanship, it is artistry. This service and personalisation give a stamp of distinction and elegance that can’t be found on a ready-to-wear piece.’
£POA; gladstonelondon.com