As hard as it is for women in business to figure out what to wear, it may be even harder for those in Los Angeles.

After all, this is a city where discussions about one’s assets and bottom line are more often than not related to the job done by a doctor rather than a C.F.O. Here, the traipsing employed by aspiring starlets passes for a power walk. And while you certainly don’t want to get confused with the talent, the standard New York look—black suit, black heels—is too somber for sunny California.

Stacey Snider, one of Hollywood’s most-watched execs, understands the potential pitfalls and how to navigate them. Accused early in her career of being just a pretty face, she has proven to be far more. In 1992, Snider was made president of production at TriStar Pictures and, by extension, one of the highest-ranking female studio execs in Hollywood. By 2000, she was running Vivendi-owned Universal Pictures; under her leadership, the studio made such blockbusters as The Mummy (which grossed $416.4 million at the box office worldwide), The Fast and the Furious ($207 million), and Bruce Almighty ($454.6 million).

Last year, Snider left Universal to become chief executive of DreamWorks S.K.G. Though some saw it as a step backward—she went from overseeing a slate of about 30 pictures a year to supervising just four to six, and from reporting to the G.E. board of directors to reporting to Brad Grey, C.E.O. of Paramount—it was a move she claims she made willingly. Snider said she wanted to spend more time with her two kids. (And pundits opined that she wanted to spend more time with Hollywood’s most important director, Steven Spielberg.)

Plus, the atmosphere at DreamWorks is by all accounts warmer and fuzzier than that of profit-obsessed Universal. That fits with Snider’s attempts to present herself as a sensitive mother, not the ambitious corporate climber others have called her. Accordingly, Snider picks clothes that portray her as womanly and sensitive; hers is not a style that screams power or ambition. She reveals the personality she wants you to see—which is often in soft focus and pastel hues—and never too much skin. Though she sometimes veers deep into white shirt, dark jacket territory, Snider always manages to seem feminine. Maybe it’s the accessories or the much-admired highlights in her hair. Pretty may be a dirty word in Hollywood’s upper ranks, but Snider proves there’s a way to play it to your advantage. We review some of Snider’s looks in a slideshow.