2 former Wall Streeters turned startup founders share their best advice for dressing for every kind of office

"Dress for success" is an oft-repeated motto. But recent studies have shown that wearing nice clothes in the office can actually be an effective strategy - dressing professionally can affect the way people perceive you, how confident you're feeling, and even how you're able to think abstractly.

And yet, finding clothes that are both in line with a professional dress code and reflective of your personality is no easy task.

Back when they were both MBA students at The Wharton School, Emelyn Northway, formerly an analyst at Merrill Lynch, and Dorie Smith, a former consultant at Deloitte, bonded at a networking event after they realized they were wearing the same black dress. It was out of that encounter that the idea for Of Mercer was born.

Of Mercer, now a favorite of Wall Streeters and celebrities alike, specializes in workwear that's versatile enough to wear in a variety of offices. The products are manufactured in New York City and sold both online and out of a store in the Flatiron District.

We recently caught up with Northway and Smith to get their best tips for conquering all kinds of office dress codes.

"Whatever you wear, make it something you feel comfortable in," Smith told Business Insider. "We're all in this world where we want to make the woman successful as possible, and she needs to feel confident in what she's wearing to do that."

Here's what they recommended.