Jealousy over her husband’s closet was the unlikely inspiration for Emma May’s successful career pivot into fashion at age 48.
May founded SophieGrace in 2018 after years as a lawyer, real estate brokerage founder and chief of staff to Canadian Premier Jim Prentice.
As a professional woman juggling a demanding career and young children, she often found herself spending far too much time figuring out what to wear each morning.
Then she looked in her husband’s closet.
“It was so simple,” May told Know Your Value founder and “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski.
Her husband could effortlessly pull together a tailored outfit from a closet filled with versatile essentials. For May, getting dressed was a different story: finding pieces that matched, looked flattering and felt appropriate for the office could take up valuable time and mental energy before her workday had even begun.
“I just need something I can put on right away, and I don’t have to think about it,” May said. “[A collection where] everything’s modular, it all goes together, and I know that I will show up looking and feeling my best…”
May realized she wasn’t alone. Many professional women, she believed, were dealing with the same daily dilemma — particularly women navigating high-stakes careers while also managing the chaos of everyday life.
So, despite having no formal background in fashion, she decided to build the wardrobe she wished she had.
Today, SophieGrace is growing in popularity in Canada and the United States, with a focus on professional, comfortable and timeless clothing for women often at the peak of their careers. Her customers include lawyers, doctors, politicians, top researchers and other ambitious professionals.
May, now 54, says her own experience as a working mother was the foundation for the brand.
“My background really was being a professional woman… It was having young kids and having the chaos of life and having to get up at 7 a.m. … and be fully put together,” she said.
May shared with Brzezinski four fashion principles she believes every career-oriented woman should know.
1. Don’t push it.
Experimenting with patterns and trends can be fun outside the office. But when dressing for a professional setting, May believes simplicity is often more effective.
“Details need to be about fit and shape — and keeping things very clean and simple,” she said.
The goal isn’t to make a fashion statement. It’s to walk into the room feeling confident and focused on the work rather than distracted by what you’re wearing.
2. Authenticity is key.
Your work wardrobe shouldn’t feel like a costume, May says.
“When you put it on, do you still feel like you, or do you feel like you’re wearing a costume?” she asks. “If the answer is you feel like you’re wearing a costume, it’s not going to work for you.”
Brzezinski agreed, noting that “one wrong move can throw away the day.”
There is already enough to think about when you’re heading into an important meeting, presentation or interview. An outfit that feels uncomfortable or unlike you can become one more distraction.
3. Trust your gut.
There isn’t one formula for dressing successfully at work. Some women feel most confident in dresses; others prefer trousers, skirts or a sharply tailored blazer.
May’s advice: Pay attention to what makes you feel confident.
“I think you know it in your gut when you put it on whether or not it’s something that resonates with you,” she said.
The right outfit, she believes, should feel natural — not like you’re trying to become someone else.
4. The goal should be that no one is looking at your outfit.
Whether you’re walking into a big interview, a boardroom or a high-stakes meeting, your clothes shouldn’t be the main event, said May. The focus should be on your face, your energy, your ideas and your professionalism.
“You show up before anything that you’re wearing,” May said.
Brzezinski called the philosophy both “brave” and “true.”
“Literally nobody in the fashion industry has ever said [‘no one should be looking at your outfit’] to me,” added Brzezinski. “It’s so brave, and it’s so true. The goal should be that your outfit doesn’t distract from you. They shouldn’t be looking at your outfit — but that doesn’t mean you don’t look amazing.”
For May, that’s ultimately the point: The best work wardrobe isn’t necessarily the one that gets noticed. It’s the one that allows the woman wearing it to walk into the room feeling prepared, confident and completely herself.
The post Your outfit shouldn’t be the star: A fashion expert’s guide to dressing for success appeared first on MS NOW.
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