Fashion Archives - Inkwells & Images

I am officially labeling 2014 as “the year of change.”

I’ve moved. I’ve changed jobs. I’ve started blogging. And now I’m changing jobs again.

I accepted a new full-time job yesterday, for the second time in the calendar year.

Giving my notice at my current job was hard. It felt a bit like failure. I thought that if I didn’t stick it out, at least for an “acceptable” amount of time, that I was admitting defeat.

But really, I was admitting that I know myself. That I would not flourish in my current environment. That moving on was a better option for me – and, in turn, for the company.

And I don’t think that is what failure looks like.

The fashion industry is not for me. While I find it fascinating, the layers of business and distribution, the forecasting and trickle-down nature of trends, it is not where my passion lies.

And if you are not passionate about something, there is no reason to spend the majority of your waking hours focusing on it.

That’s the lesson I am taking away from this. That I knew it wasn’t working and I took action to make a change. If we don’t take responsibility for living our own lives, who will?

Starting December 15th, I’ll be working at an ad agency in town whose primary clients are in the food industry. Considering how I spend a large portion of my free time, I am positive that this new opportunity is one that will align more fully with my passions and be something I can dive into and enjoy.

Have you made any decisions lately that actively changed your life?

Image courtesy of SomeDriftwood on Flickr Creative Commons.

I recently had to write an introductory blog about me for my new job. I started last month as the new social media copywriter at Shopbop, a high-end clothing e-tailer. The fashion world is a far cry from my former editorial stint in the manufacturing and distribution sector, and I am really feeling the difference when it comes to what I choose to wear to work each day. There is no dress code, either, so anything goes – which makes me constantly want to reach for old t-shirts and my standby cowboy boots – and then promptly feel a bit frumpy when I walk through the door.

Here’s a version of that blog going live this afternoon at the Shopbop blog, Shoptalk:

I will be the first to admit that I have never been very fashion-forward. I’ve always dressed more casual than casual chic.

I was always – and sometimes still am – afraid to try something new. It didn’t matter if it was a trend everyone else was wearing, I just could not step out of my comfort zone.

And it became a viscous cycle: because I never tried anything new, I never felt comfortable trying anything new. Putting on a dressier pair of pants drew attention to me that I wasn’t prepared for, making me uncomfortable. Donning some dangly earrings made me feel out of place. But in recent years, I’ve acquired a new-found appreciation for fashion and all it entails.

I think this change of heart has less to do with my style changing, and more to do with the fact that I’ve learned that it is my style – and I can decide whatever that looks like.

On that note, I propose The New Fashion Manifesto:

• I don’t have to wear what everyone else is – especially if it doesn’t fit my body type.
• If I decide to follow a trend, I don’t have to follow it to a T. I can adopt all or part of it, wear it however I want, and not feel out of touch.
• I can choose to skip a trend entirely – and not feel like I’m missing out.
• I will wear what I like – even if other people don’t like it.
• I will own whatever it is. I will wear it with confidence. My style will be “me.”

I think that last point is key: I need to own my style. Because that is what it is: my style. I decide.

I think this new manifesto will come in handy as I choose what to wear – and what not to wear – this fall.

What about you? Are you afraid to try “new”? Or are you as confident as can be when it comes to your style?