What to Wear to Work (and Home): Sari Christeson, Argento Founder and CEO

In this bi-weekly series, we interview female executives, founders, and CEOs - basically boss ladies - about the "power suits" or effortless outfits they wear every day to conquer any job.

The story of how Sari Christeson launched her women's workwear brand, Argent (opens in new tab), is familiar to anyone who has ever struggled with corporate attire. After years of working in the finance and high-tech industries, Christeson grew frustrated with the lack of stylish and functional clothing for women working in conservative environments. She set out to fill this gap by creating workwear that was not stuffy and could be worn comfortably and confidently by anyone, including pantsuits in bright, bold colors and prints.

What sets Argent apart from other workwear brands is that each item is designed with fashion first. I've seen a number of women who worked in the consulting and financial industries leave to start their own workwear brands," says Argent. But none of them brought their fashion expertise with them." Christeson had no background in fashion. She quickly hired a design team to create the garments and build the supply chain. Meanwhile, as CEO, Christeson is in charge of operations, strategy, and marketing.

The brand initially presented a collection that ranged from pantsuit silhouettes to jumpsuits in a variety of colors, with black, navy, and neutral colors being the most purchased. After the first season, "one of the biggest takeaways for us was just how big the desire for color is,"

said the designer. Our red suits, olive suits, and cobalt suits sold out quickly."

These days, there are plenty of fun, contemporary styles of argent suits, such as pastel pink linen two-piece sets and two-tone staggered blazers (opens in new tab). In addition to looking sleek and cool, the blazers from Argent are also highly functional. Sleeves can be raised with hidden bands, and jumpsuits are convertible for easy use in the restroom. "We want to inspire women to be bold, to have a bit of a 'fuck it' attitude at work, and to push forward in their careers," says Christeson.

That message clearly resonates. Powerful women in a variety of industries, including politicians like Kamala Harris (open in new tab) and Hillary Clinton (open in new tab) and entertainers like Amy Poehler and Arkwafina, have worn items from Agents.

Christeson leads a team of 12, split between both coasts. All manufacturing takes place in New York City's garment district, a process made a little more difficult by the COVID-19 crisis. 'Frankly, it's a difficult time for everybody,' he said. 'We've had to close all four of our stores and our corporate team is working remotely. The first couple of weeks there was definitely a dip in buying [for workwear], but now it's picking up a little bit."

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So if you're tired of sweatpants and want a cute blazer for a job interview or a big Zoom presentation, Argent has you covered. Before we get into that, let's give Christeson a rundown of her personal work style (she still goes to work in the office; she's a bit of a "workaholic").

"My son usually wakes us up between 4 and 6 am. I spend time with my son and have breakfast. It depends on the morning, but usually I take turns getting ready with my husband, who also works at Urgent Care. I have to, so I'm pretty quick and reasonable with my routine. I shower, don't wear makeup most days, and dress straight. I tend to wear denim and a blazer. It's very convenient because it's only a few blocks away [from my house]. It's just my husband and I in the office right now."

"I wish I was the one who lays everything out (the night before), but I'm not. I look at it the morning of the day and decide what I'm in the mood for. I play with blazers, tops, and shoes. Then I mix different types of denim. I like wearing a full suit, so I'll wear a full suit even if there's no particular reason. [I'll wear a blazer with a T-shirt or turtleneck and a pair of Current Elliott patch jeans; I also really like B Sides denim (opens in new tab). I usually wear Argent a lot. In terms of jewelry, I'm from the South, so I have a lot of classic pieces and I love the brand Jenny Bird. I love delicate gold jewelry, so I wear a necklace that I have worn every day since I was 15 because of my mother. I match it with stud earrings. I also wear a lot of sneakers, especially Adidas sneakers. I also like Native Sneakers (opens in new tab) and a brand called Mari Giudicelli (opens in new tab)."

"Bold, practical, classic."

"Focus only on what you can control and don't stress about the rest."

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