How 16 Female Founders Nail Work-Friendly Fall Style (And You Can Too)
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How 16 Female Founders Nail Work-Friendly Fall Style (And You Can Too)

Fall style is the best style. High-waist denim? Let’s do it. Chunky knit? Sign us up. Ankle boots? Pull ‘em on. However, there are only so many times one can toss a leather jacket over a pair of jeans and call it an outfit, and most of us are particularly stuck when it comes to reinventing the leggings-under-a-dress office look for fall.

And why turn to a magazine, when you could open your phone and instead look to female founders on Instagram whose personal styles ooze power, wit, and a damn good eye for accessorizing. Take, for example, Cyndi Ramirez, who revolutionized self-care with New York City and online destination Chillhouse—and whose sunglasses game can match that of any fashion influencer on IG.

Or Australian blogger-turned-handbag-designer, Brooke Testoni, who has the most incredible lineup of vintage pieces and knows just how to style them with tailored, luxe styles from current collections.

To wit: Ahead, we’ve interviewed 16 of the most well-dressed female founders on the ‘gram about how they approach work-friendly fall dressing.

Olivia Perez, Friend of a Friend founder

“I grew up in Los Angeles and because of that my personal style is an East Coast/West Coast mix. New York brings a really elevated, daring, and refined street style vibe but my California roots lead me towards a more relaxed aesthetic. You’ll always see me in something that makes a statement, but it needs to be comfortable because I’m always on the go in New York.”

Candace Reels, Female Collective founder

“I would describe my style as colorful, bold, and statement-making. I’m a shy person, so the way I express myself is through my clothing. I have a lot of colors and patterns in my wardrobe. Throwing on something bright and colorful really uplifts my day. With our current political state, I take all I can get when it comes to brightening up my day, and that includes my wardrobe.”

Kirsty Godso, Nike master trainer and Made Of founder

“My style is always a ‘girls as boys’ vibe whether I’m on or off duty. I love a pantsuit and think it holds a real elegance to it. I like to pair it with a cool sneaker or can be dressed up with a good heel and often wear a bodysuit with it. I spend 99 percent of my time in Lycra and sneakers, but when I dress up you’ll find me leaning towards colors such as cream, navy, grey, and black.

Deborah Symond, Mode Sportif founder

“My personal style is playful, easy to wear and has a high-low balance. I am not afraid of color, and I like to create a base wardrobe of well cut classics that I pair back with seasonal style injections to create a fun and fresh look. Comfort definitely plays a part in my daily style, so relaxed fits and sneakers combine a good mix of both fashion and function!”

Jaclyn Johnson, Create & Cultivate CEO/founder

“My style is what I would describe as functional chic. Sexy right? I like pieces that are easy to wear in many different ways, a good black pant or skirt that can be layered with jackets or tees. I travel every other week so keeping a consistent uniform with an occasional trend piece is key.”

Jessie Andrews, founder of Bagatiba, Basic Swim, Jeu Illimite, and Petiue

“My style is pretty laid back—a lot of vintage and my own brand Jeu Illimite. Trousers, button downs, and dresses focusing more on textures then colors and prints. For fall I choose muted coats and sweaters I rotate on top of my normal style. I don’t like to spend too much money on winter clothes because every place I’ve lived there’s always been a short season for it. You also can’t go wrong with a black overcoat—it’s timeless and sleek.”

Sara Donaldson, Harper and Harley, The Undone Store founder

“My minimal style is filled with repeat outfits and tightly edited wardrobe essentials, but I also like to add in new season arrivals to keep it fresh. Having a curated wardrobe of black, white, grey, and neutrals means that everything works with each other as nothing clashes. I always feel put together, even when I haven’t spent much time on getting dressed. Being comfortable in your clothes, especially in the workplace is critical to your productivity—relaxed tailoring and flats always!”

Amy Fraser, OK Real founder

“I’ve always had pretty laid-back style, leaning towards sporty with some sexy stuff thrown in—but functionality reigns supreme, and even more so since having a baby. I need to be able to throw an outfit on without thinking about it, one that I can run around in all day. I am absolutely the cliche mum in activewear most of the time, but on the rare occasion where I wear real clothes, you’ll find me in black jeans and tshirts, or a jumpsuit if I want to level up.”

Corianna and Brianna Dotson, Coco & Breezy founders

“We love to say our eyewear is the outfit and our clothing is the accessory. Our personal styles are heavily focused around our vibrant eyewear, jewelry, and hairstyles. Then our polished rocker-chic clothing finishes off our full looks.”

Brooke Testoni, Rylan Studio founder

“My style is a mix of wardrobe classics and vintage pieces, and usually steer towards a tailored pair of pants, top and blazer. I like to invest in luxury basics so they last, but in terms of my vintage, I collect these pieces, both high end and inexpensive, from all over the world. Vintage pieces are usually unique and have a little story of their own. I love that you can be the only person wearing a particular jacket.”

Hermione Olivia, Espie Roche and Atelier Romy founder

“My style is built around comfort dressing. I spend my life racing around between meetings and shoots and taxis and tubes so being comfortable but also presentable is key. For me, that usually means tailored pants, blazers and smart trainers or loafers. I have learnt to incorporate more feminine pieces as I’ve gotten older and in my 30th year, have finally learnt to add color, dresses and heels, which is a nice change for the evening.”

Stine Goya, Stine Goya designer + founder

“My wardrobe is trans-seasonal and stays the same in summer or winter – just with added layers. I like a chunky knit, paired with a pair of slacks or over a frilly dress. Needless to say, I go for a colorful look all year round. Since we started doing suiting it has become my go to for more formal occasions and meetings, often paired with one of our printed silk shirts.”

Sophia Roe, professional chef and influencer

“I love mixing different prints, textures, and fabrics! Most of my outfits include a vintage twist of some sort. There’s something really magical about mixing the old with the new.”

Babba Canales, By Babba founder

“I love to experiment and play around with my style! I mainly draw inspiration from my Scandinavian roots, but I like to add some additional color or sporty and unexpected twists to each outfit. It’s fun to put a whimsical dress with a practical sneaker or pair a pajama-inspired pant with a pump and blazer. These little tricks allow for flexibility in my style, which is important to me and my on-the-go weeks.”

Sarah Levey, Y7 Studio founder

“For the office lewk my style is tomboy business casual. I love a great high waisted cropped pant—its always been my go and I try to make every look a tad feminine with a great shoe and bag.”

Lauren Silvers, Glamazon co-founder

“I’m not a girly-girl, so I always feel like myself when my outfit is slightly masculine. I love suits, I love a great blazer, and I love tailored trousers. My style is usually monochromatic, minimal and I’ve always got a piece of gold antique jewellery on, and black cherry nails.”

Cyndi Ramirez, Chillhouse founder

“My style vacillates based on what I’m doing that day and what styles and new trends I’m adopting. I mix masculine and feminine silhouettes often, and a couple of things that are constants are my love for ’70s and ’80s vintage and that I rock a mean pump regularly. As I get older and my meetings get a little more corporate, I find myself leaning towards a more polished look, but keeping in mind that I’m still a millennial who loves streetwear and cute trends.”