KEY POINTS:
Power dressing - the phrase brings to mind unnaturally large shoulders, tightly clasped burgundy belts, brassy buttons, gold heels and Joan Collins in an episode of Dynasty. Not a nice thought.
So it's been rather unnerving to hear international fashion commentators talking about the return of power dressing.
They were referring to silhouettes seen on European runways for the coming winter. There were wide shoulders, even some oversized shoulder pads, cinched waists, blazers, matching skirt and jacket combinations and prim looks aplenty. Lots of high waists - with shirts tucked in, thank you very much.
And influential names like Gareth Pugh in London, and John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood and Balenciaga in Paris were all in on the trend.
So does this mean that when next season's collections hit the shops in a few weeks, we should all be donning suit jackets before we head off to work in order to make the right, and most fashionable, impression?
Probably not. Luckily, power dressing doesn't mean doing it the Joan Collins way. We're talking the new power dressing, and all that's doing is giving any girl who wants to make her mark on the corporate world a few more options.
Suits for women have been around for some time. The first matching, tailored jackets and skirts turned up in the 1890s. The suits were worn to emphasise a woman's professionalism. Back then, it was unusual to see a Victorian-age woman travelling anywhere without a chaperone of some sort. It was only the ladies of easy virtue, and a fair few prostitutes, who were unaccompanied.
So if a working girl wore a suit on the train, or on the way home from her newly minted job as a teacher, journalist or bookkeeper, it meant she was emancipated rather than insalubrious.
During World War II, women also wore suits, complete with shoulder pads, to reflect the fact they were to be taken more seriously. In many cases, they were part of the military or had taken on formerly masculine roles at work while the men were away fighting.
Mainly though it was still all about skirts - the trouser and jacket combination didn't become socially acceptable until the 1960s, when French designer Yves Saint Laurent started putting them on runway models.
By 1979, both British politician Maggie Thatcher and Princess Diana were sporting larger shoulders. Then Dynasty came along in the 1980s. The term power dressing was also first mentioned. Apparently the earliest recorded use of the phrase was in a New York newspaper, in September 1979, when the writer informed the city's style mavens that: "The accent has shifted to glamour and power dressing for the city rather than the casual look of past seasons."
When asked recently for his thoughts on the power dressing revival, designer Giorgio Armani told New York magazine that: "Suits will always have their place in a woman's wardrobe. But whereas in the 1980s women felt the need to wear a suit to have a presence in the workplace, today women rightly have a self-confidence and a greater desire to express their femininity, rather than their masculinity. Power dressing is about self-expression rather than uniformity or conformity. It is about having the confidence to express your own identity. So there has been a 180-degree turnaround from the 1980s."
Well, Viva asked some locals, who like a spot of fashionable suiting and tailoring, for their opinions on how to look like you're the boss rather than her secretary, in the 21st century.
"A well-made suit will always work but it doesn't always make you look as though you run the place," says stylist and retail manager Rob Niwa, who is managing the new Gubb & Mackie store in central Auckland.
"If you're wearing just black or blue, you could be the PA. If you're wearing a colour or go a little bit further, you look like you're running the place."
Besides adding colour, by going further Niwa means using unique accessories or putting a more fashionable or personal spin on your suit.
"How far you go depends on what sort of business you're in. If it's advertising, you might go for a suit from Alexander McQueen rather than Armani. Because women can actually afford to look more fashionable than men. If everything else is tailored, fits well and you're well groomed, you look in control."
A newspaper story on how female politicians dress for Parliament in London backs up Niwa's observations. Strong colours gave the female party members confidence and made them stand out.
"If there's an element of tailoring, I think that gives you some authority," says designer Tanya Carlson, who always includes delectably tailored jackets and matching trousers or skirts in her collections.
"It doesn't have to be 80s - you could go for something like a shirt dress or tuxedo-style jacket - but as long as there's some structure. You don't want to look like a man but neither do you want to be all soft and flowy."
Heather Docherty, of Docherty Wilkins, says: "You need a little bit of fashion nous. It assumes some sophistication."
Most important to Docherty, though, are clothes that make you feel powerful. "Maybe it's more about a sense of empowerment, rather than actual power dressing. It could be a pair of heels that make you feel ten foot tall and bullet-proof."
There's no doubt that for many women in business, who may worry about being taken seriously, a well-cut trouser suit and heels is akin to changing into a suit of armour.
What moves that outfit into the realm of power dressing would seem to be the addition of something a little different.
In the end, whether you're into big shoulders or brass buttons, jackets with deconstructed lapels or a statement brooch attached, power dressing this century isn't about being flashy or brash, it's about whatever makes you feel powerful.
DRESSING TIPS
* A tailored jacket is key.
* Everything doesn't have to match but it should be co-ordinated.
* Think subtle, tonal differences in colour, if they don't match, rather than clashing.
* Making a statement makes you stand out.
* Wear high heels to tower over the opposition.
* Statement jewellery - a brooch on the lapel, an interesting necklace - is always an option.
* Colour draws attention.
* Dress like a grown-up, avoid childish frills.
* If the tailoring isn't quite right, get it altered to fit you perfectly.
* Places to look for a suit to invest in include: Adrienne Winkelmann, Karen Walker, Kate Sylvester, Keith Matheson, Scotties, Zambesi.
