The past several months has been a groundbreaking time for women. From #MeToo to Time’s Up, women in North America and the world have been sharing their voices, which have long gone ignored. International Women’s Day is the perfect day to recognize the accomplishments of women, and support one another. I wanted to share some ways that we can further the collective spirit of Women’s Day, the remaining 364 days of the year.
Mentor
As a young professional, I’m always looking to find experienced women in my field. While I’m still on the hunt for one in the legal field, I think this day is an excellent opportunity for us to branch out and connect with our peers. Throughout law school, I was so grateful for the amazing energy and support amongst my Ottawa Law School peers. During my time there, I participated in the Women’s Legal Mentorship Program, as both a mentee and a mentor. I really enjoyed meeting other students, and hearing about their experiences.
Even if it’s responding to a Facebook post or sending an email, mentorship and guidance is invaluable. I’ve helped some 2Ls and 3Ls with their resumes, and I hope to continue more moving forward. I’m pledging to set aside at least one coffee date a month to connect with a budding, bushy-tailed young professional or creators looking for guidance. If you’re a new blogger and looking for a mentor, feel free to send me an email or DM.
Collaborate
One of my favourite ways to connect with other women is to collaborate. For this very photo shoot, my good friend Sabina Sohail and I rented a studio space together and shot a few looks for each other’s blogs. I personally much prefer this over having to beg the Instagram Boyfriend!
Blogging can be incredibly competitive. I think too often people are trying to one up each other and fight for exclusive partnerships, however, I’m finding that there’s strength in numbers. This year, I’m hoping to team up with more creators to collectively pitch, work on content together, and travel.
Nurture Friendships
Over the years, many female friendships have come and gone. I have several female friends I’m grateful to have in my circle, and one thing that binds us together is this: reciprocity. Friendships can’t be one-sided. We can’t be constantly one-upping each other and only calling on one another when we need something. Communication, and putting an effort in are so key. While work and relationships can eat up time, setting time aside to connect with one another and check in can go a long way. Being a nice person and supporting your friends is a notion we can all aspire to.
Attitude
Strength as a woman comes from a multitude of sources. While I find confidence in my work with preparation and attention to detail, our outwardly appearance is always a factor. While going through articling recruitment, a polished suit, hair and nails gave me confidence so I could focus on what I could bring to the table as a candidate. I’ve blogged about my preferred articling attire here before, but throughout my articles, a lot of my most favourite looks have been power pant suits. For this post, I wanted to show a blend of power and femininity. Ann Taylor’s spring collection features a wide range of cuts and styles of pants, and fits that work for women of all sizes.
I’m wearing a tweed blazer c/o Ann Taylor, pearlized flare cropped pants c/o Ann Taylor, shoes c/o La Canadienne and a purse from Miniso.
While the tweed blazer evokes a classic femininity, the bold pants add personality and ground the entire look. For International Women’s Day, Ann Taylor has created a Pants Are Power campaign, highlighting the brand’s commitment to over 60 years of making women feel powerful in their wardrobe, and the history of pants and their significance for women. Check out the video below.
Here’s an ode to one of my favourite Girl Power ambassadors, Victoria Beckham.
It’s crazy that even in my mother’s lifetime, she was not allowed to wear pants to elementary school. When I get called to the bar in a few months, I’m thinking of wearing a chic, timeless pair of black cigarette pants. We’ve fought to wear the pants, now let’s go show them. Happy International Women’s Day.
This post was sponsored by Ann Taylor, opinions and words my own.
