WHen I clicked dthe link, I saw a veritable sea of dresses, some of them showing considerable cleavage. I think showing a lot of cleavage and a lot of leg is NOT a power look, personally.
BB, your Herve Leger dress is now showing up on my Facebook page. Hahaha. My body is not as good as yours. Love the dress but I have a 1980’s cesarian section belly.
Good for you looking so darn good!
The HL models are almost 6 ft tall. On 5’6" tall me, even their “mini” dresses look appropriate length. 
Cleavage is another story!
“Is this Herve Leger a “power dress” for a senior level professional?”
That’s something the receptionists might wear.
Our receptionists wear khakis and polos… I do not think those HL dresses come in sizes large enough to fit those big guys… HL is the epitome of anti-vanity sizing.
Then how would you rate the dress for a major HS reunion outfit?
@JustOneDad, you must really compensate your receptionists well!! HL starts around $800.
@GMTplus7 Ha Ha. What year?
@HarvestMoon1 I’m sure knockoffs are available.
I think one aspect of dressing for power/status is others recognizing what the clothes cost. So, knockoffs are sometimes less powerful. However, if a knockoff is worn ironically, that can be an even more powerful message, if anyone understands it. In the end it is how your audience receives the message you imagine you are sending. It isn’t clear to me that JustOneDad is typical of the audience for which those at this hypothetical company party are dressing.
Based on her posts, I believe BB has impeccable style, a consistent look, and will be dressed appropriately for any occasion. I understand how the bandage dress relates to the pencil skirt. I like this look very much.
@JustOneDad
30th reunion
nottelling:
If Kim K attends the party in a bandage dress, she stays on message and retains her power. Those in the company are still part of her overall audience, even if they don’t approve of her look. Even negative discussion keeps her in the public consciousness. But Kim K. could not be successful in the work environment Nottelling describes with her current look. I have no doubt if she had been interested in being successful in that sort of environment, she could have created a look that worked there. And her gym routine would probably have been very different. It is as deliberate a body choice as clothes choice. jmho.
NJSue:
Alison Lurie observes that the rich have always worn the most layers of clothing, as a display of their wealth. I am wondering how that idea holds up today.
@GMTplus7 Hee hee. If you can wear that for your thirtieth, you’re gonna be popular with the boys and decidedly unpopular with the girls. But, that’s separate from whether it’s advisable or not, isn’t it?
My CC ad feed continues to be Nordstroms dresses but most other pages are now showing trampy Bebe ads.
The idea that the rich have always worn more layers does not apply to décolletage. Just look at formal ball gowns.
Also look at the red carpet on awards night–LOTS of skin showing among females! (Personally, I generally find it in very poor taste, but it is what it is.)
I would not look at Hollywood red carpet events for fashion advice.
Personally, I think a LBD can be elegant and tasteful despite revealing “LOTS of bare skin” such as knees, elbows, and (gasp!) shoulders.
The beautiful thing about the LBD is that it is always tasteful.
It depends on the event and on the person walking the red carpet. Meryl Streep at the Oscars would be fine; almost anyone at the VMA’s - not so much.
Skieurope, exactly what I meant - you need to know the people you have to look for. 
For that, you have to have some fashion sense already build in.
I think it would be a huge mistake to use Meryl-Streep-at-the-Oscars as a guide for choosing formal wear. She’s not well-dressed at all (at least not at the Oscars). Now Cate Blanchett is a different story.