“Working in the fashion industry, there’s an interesting balance between dressing professionally and dressing stylishly,” says Kat Collings. And there are few who sit as squarely at that intersection as Collings, Who What Wear’s editor in chief. For those who find themselves striding by her glass-paneled office at Clique’s West Hollywood headquarters, it’s not unusual to spot Collings taking calls and getting down to business dressed in designers that range from Staud to Balenciaga.

In just five years, Collings has worked her way from the bottom up to her current role as editor in chief (in addition to executive director of sister properties Byrdie and MyDomaine—an impressive mouthful, to be sure). “I was an intern at Who What Wear in college,” notes Collings. “That helped me build the relationship with the co-founders to eventually come back on as Katherine Power’s assistant.”

Working in digital media requires the ability to be both flexible and proactive, qualities that Collings calls on to combat a jam-packed schedule. “It’s hard to pin down an average week since it’s always changing,” she notes. “The main pillar of my job is to strategically lead the editorial teams with the goal of making sure we’re producing premium and directional content on our platforms.” Between internal meetings, press appointments, and product development for the Who What Wear collection at Target, a singular title doesn’t accurately describe everything on Collings’s plate at one time.

But don’t let her daunting to-do list fool you into thinking fashion ever takes a backseat. Collings has found a way to make 9-to-5 dressing both polished and unique. “My personal style is trend-driven yet classic and balances feminine and masculine influences,” she notes. “I love peppering my outfits with vintage pieces and interesting accessories.”

While many offices adhere to codified rules of dressing, Collings finds inspiration in dressing for work: “Our dress code doesn’t outline any specific dos or don’ts, but instead encourages employees to dress for the position they aspire toward.”

Aspirational dressing is not a new concept per se, but Collings leads an era of power women who have eschewed ultra-formal styles for a cooler take on work clothes. “If you sway too professional, it’s boring, and if you sway too trendy, it’s not right for an office setting,” she notes. At the start of her career, Collings took an alternative (and slightly unexpected) route to a power wardrobe. “When you’re just starting out, vintage is a great way to get classic professional pieces that are high quality and still affordable,” she notes.

Now, Collings mixes these vintage scores with newer splurges, allowing her to assemble outfits that fit her personality. While in today’s Instagram age, it can feel like every fashion insider wears the same styles, by taking time to build a well-fitted, long-lasting wardrobe, Collings has set herself apart. “Over time you naturally invest a bit more in the special pieces that will last you for many years,” she says.

In Collings’s outfits, details like a contrasting belt or a statement earring make her ensembles feel especially purposeful and precious. But her formula for choosing what to wear is refreshingly easy: “I pick one piece in my wardrobe that I want to wear that day and build off of that. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get it right!” Creating an ensemble around a single hero piece is a habit that Collings and other industry leaders have spoken to before. Consider it a way to focus on statement pieces while still creating a look that won’t catch the eye of HR.

Read on to see Collings’s weekday wardrobe!

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via Who What Wear

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