It's easy for women to get into a suit-and-blouse rut in the business world. But it doesn't have to be that way, according to Julie Chaiken, founder and designer of Chaiken clothing. Chaiken, who earned her MBA at New York University's Stern School of Business, has been operating her company since 1994, a year after graduating from B-school.

Chaiken's clothing is all about wearable pieces that make a woman feel confident—without being overly sexy. The spring 2007 collection, shown at New York's Olympus Fashion Week in September, was a mixture of simple yet sharp pieces in subdued tones and unbelievably bright colors (see BusinessWeek.com, 9/15/06, "New York Fashion Week: Undressed").