A guide to adding fun to sharp 'power casual'

A guide to mastering pattern mixing for the office—from beginner to advanced pairings that project self-assurance and individuality

- Esther Achara

After relying on “neutral, almost ghostly clothes” for the past few seasons, Sally Singer, a veteran fashion editor and president of talent agency Art + Commerce, has begun mixing emphatic patterns.

The New Yorker now leverages vibrant combinations—say, a red-and-white check shirt and a skirt covered with bright pink roses—for in-office meetings.

When THE WALL STREET JOURNAL prints are done right, she believes, “instead of seeming silly and decadent, [they] have a soulfulness.”

Other powerful women are eschewing quiet luxury, too, mixing patterns for work with a considered, corner-office confidence.

Back in the early aughts, wildly mismatched prints “leaned playful and youthful,” noted Sydney Stanback, global trends & insights lead at Pinterest. Today’s more intentional, grownup pairings, she said, are “an authoritative version of maximalism.” The message they send? Self-assurance and individuality.

For the boardroom, Qin Huilan, 71, a retired doctor in Shanghai, suggests combos of clean, graphic prints that skew “solemn and composed.” In her creative job, British Vogue's head of editorial content, Chioma Nnadi, 46, relies on a cacophony of abstract florals that “bring my personality to the office.”

Here, a guide to mastering three levels of refined pattern-mixing—beginner, intermediate and advanced.