Sirsa Ponciano

When deadlines loom or first dates beckon, the last thing you want to do is second-guess what you're wearing. A not-great outfit might only be a small annoyance on a normal day, but in a high-pressure situation, it can rattle you when you need to feel completely self-assured. So what if we told you there was a styling silver bullet to lend an extra boost of confidence during big life moments? As we define it, power dressing is just that: fail-safe looks that lift us up and make us stand straighter.

On a quest to uncover what these personal stories might be, we partnered with Dyson and asked five women to divulge the meaning behind their hair style, type, cut, or texture — from one woman's story about an on-the-whim haircut to another's decision to go natural in order to set a positive example for her daughter. Plus, we asked pro hairstylist Sirsa Ponciano to give us tips on how to recreate each look using the Dyson Supersonic™ hair dryer and its unique attachments and features.