“Power dressing” was once as seductive a matter as power itself. Ultimately, who wouldn’t want to dress like they held all the cards? But the truth is, power, and therefore dressing like you have it, has corrupted itself.

Nowadays, the textbook definition of power dressing – all pinstripes, gold watches and protruding shoulder pads, or, if you subscribe to the Silicon Valley school of thought, a plush, branded vest – can make you look a little bit like a villain in a mediocre thriller. Scary? At a push, perhaps. But also, really rather silly. Besides, in a get-up like that, you’re more likely inadvertently to reveal you’ve struck a Faustian bargain than anything approaching a redeeming quality.

In 2021, this sort of sartorial shorthand – projecting your intentions through what you wear – doesn’t need to be quite so stark, nor does it need to be synonymous with work. After all, you’re a complex man who understands that the definition of “power” itself, let alone how it’s communicated through your wardrobe, is shifting.

Still, while less-enlightened men might consider clothes a shallow diversion, you know that they can speak volumes about your character, confidence and presence of mind. Does power dressing still have a place in our post-pandemic world? Undoubtedly, but not as we knew it. We’re thinking less aggression, more personality and expression.

Being the most self-assured man in the room isn’t just a weekday pursuit: keep in mind, then, that it needn’t be confined to the office – even if you still have one to go to. Here are five ways to dress powerfully – none of which involve selling your soul.

Mr Giorgio Armani’s latest trick was outfitting the Azzurri, Italy’s football team, and the coaching staff in suave seersucker suits for the Euro 2020 football tournament. His first, though, was redefining men’s tailoring for ever with his laid-back vision for suiting. Four decades or so later, today’s power suit shares the same underlying ethos, but takes it even further. You need to show you care, without showing you care.

Doing away with the shoulder pads entirely, this Umit Benan B+ suit, an unstructured, unfussy example tailored from supple silk, has low, loose lapels that give it a boxy, languid feel, while the coordinating trousers are pleated, offering not just a more comfortable fit, but a much cooler, contemporary cut.

If you’re about to reach for your best dress shirt, think twice. A crisp button-down would detract from its wholly relaxed appeal – and, after all, following a year working from home, no one will fault you for pairing it with your most comfortable sweatshirt and sneakers, either.

There’s a reason the late Apple boss Mr Steve Jobs made a black turtleneck his signature uniform. It’s less buttoned up (both literally and figuratively) than a dress shirt and more put together than a T-shirt, plus it’s practically universally flattering on every body type.

But the garment also has less tangible, more abstract qualities. A turtleneck (or rollneck, depending on where you are in the world) is serious, but not too serious. It’s unassuming, but renders the wearer resolutely self-assured. In short, it’s a sweater that shows you mean business – quite a feat for something typically snug.

Jobs’ trademark Levi’s, however, are notably absent from this refined ensemble. Instead, we’ve kept it on the smarter side with a pair of pleated, high-rise trousers from Marni and chunky Derby shoes by Officine Creative that’ll add a bit of height (if you need it).

The notion that accessories make the man is not a new one at MR PORTER. In fact, it wasn’t that long ago we published our treatise on the matter. More than mere finishing touches, though, the slick cross-body bag Fendi and TOM FORD’s panelled James sneakers here serve as the stars of the show rather than supporting players.

The power part of the equation comes with allowing these eye-catching pieces to speak for themselves against the backdrop of Dries Van Noten’s classic charcoal woollen coat and matching grey sweats set from SSAM. Take away the sneaker and bag combo, the look is undeniably stylish, but nevertheless fairly anonymous. With them, it’s a force to be reckoned with.

Where were you when you realised the irrefutable potency of a bold print? If you’re just joining us now, welcome, the water is warm and we’re inviting you to dip more than just a toe in.

That wearing a vibrant pattern is considered a power move is self-explanatory: it requires a fair degree of confidence in yourself, not to mention your clothing choices, to know that all eyes will be drawn to you when you enter a room. Even more so if you’re able to pull it off with equal parts assertiveness and nonchalance, much like our model, who is decked out in a kaleidoscopic patchwork shirt from our friends at BODE, a whimsical bag, courtesy of whimsical-specialist JW Anderson and clashing striped Mr P. socks. Go forth, with gusto.

Received sartorial wisdom would recommend that a sweeping, swooshing camel overcoat is the ultimate power-projecting outerwear. And we’re not disputing the sartorial muscle the classic garment can bring to an outfit. But while womenswear has long embraced the punchy potential of a statement coat or jacket, menswear is lagging behind.

At first glance, it seems like a tricky one to get right. But adopt this approach, and you can keep everything else relatively simple and understated, letting your jacket do the talking with minimal effort required on your part.

Here, we’ve matched this Gucci jacket’s cheerful energy with a patchwork pair of jeans by Marni (the label is doing some excellent work below the belt this season). Finish the look with a bright tee from Bottega Veneta and trusty New Balance M991s.