An Unexpected Work Look + The Pros and Cons of Working For Yourself
I spent last week in New York for New York Fashion Week. One of my favorite things (or possibly my very favorite) about going to NYFW is finding infinite fashion inspiration for creating new looks. The unexpected combinations, bold details, bright colors and pattern mixing is just the beginning! It’s a time to take a giant leap out of my fashion comfort zone and mix it up and boy, is that ever fun!
At home, I dress really comfortably and mostly in black. Actually, one of the things I often wish for is having an office or a place other than home to go to work mainly because I miss getting dressed and putting a fun outfit together! Sure, working in pajamas is nice but after awhile I seriously miss being able to get dressed for work every day.
I decided I wanted to put together an unexpected, work appropriate look and also dive a little deeper into the pros and cons of working for yourself because that’s something I get a lot of questions about.
First, let’s address this look and THIS gorgeous pale blue jumpsuit from Topshop. I’d have to say that my favorite item when it comes to professional work wear is the jumpsuit. It’s an instant power suit and now there are so many different options. Let me also say that I know this look is not appropriate for every work/office situation. Being in a creative industry, I have much more fashion flexibility than what is required in a more formal office setting. More workwear will be coming soon, don’t worry!
I wanted to create a look that was unexpected. Instead of opting for a a black jumpsuit, I opted for a subtle color and a unique silhouette. I love the bow in the front and the culotte pant. The strapless cut of course isn’t appropriate for most work situations but it creates the perfect opportunity for some layering and another unexpected detail! I opted for a simple white tee for a more casual vibe. I also would love to layer a lightweight turtleneck underneath for a bit more of sophisticated, conservative look. I decided to go with THIS Steve Madden heel (my go-to when I get dressed up) for some extra height and because… I’m wearing open toes until the very last possible minute! As the weather changes I’m going to do a boot like THIS with a black turtleneck and this jumpsuit for a completely new, Fall ready look.
The last details to help complete the look are a bun and a pink lip for an extra pop of color! I felt professional but I also felt fun and unique! Now, does anyone have an office I can work from so I can wear this look to work!?
One of the cons for me of working for myself is definitely not having an office to go to. In addition to missing getting dressed nice for work, I sometimes miss being in a social environment every day and at times, I miss not leaving my house. Here’s my short list of pros and cons for running your own business.
CONS
1. Work NEVER sleeps. You don’t get a start and end time. I’m often at a 7am shoot for a client and up writing the blog until midnightor 1am. There is always always more work to be done and it can get extremely overwhelming. There is no such thing as a 40 hour work week!
2. I miss people. On days where I have client shoots, I do get to be around lots of wonderful humans. But working from home can get lonely and isolating! Thank goodness for Obi and FaceTime!
3. I miss my weekends. Generally, Saturdays and Sundays are my busiest days for work. I am a full time free lance photographer and many of my clients work full time jobs, so they need to shoot nights and weekends. I often miss out on fun weekend events with other friends.
4. There is no guaranteed pay check. Some months are great! Others… not so much. The inconsistency of work flow requires careful planning and budgeting. Everyone knows this is one of the tradeoffs of being self employed.
5. Other people don’t get it. I get the question, “what do you do, exactly?, ” all the time. Well, I am a freelance photographer and as you of course know, a blogger. My mom and I also co-own a jewelry business together. My grandfather recently said something like “I’m not sure what you do but you seem to get away with not working very much.” This comment didn’t sit well with me. Since my schedule is flexible and I can work from anywhere it may seem (through social media) that I’m just running around all the time without responsibility. Truth is, this job is extremely demanding and most weeks people like me work 60-70 hour work weeks.
This leads me to… PROS
1. I LOVE MY JOB. You may think, 70 hours of work a week, WHY!? But most days, work doesn’t feel like work. I have photography clients who I love, have become close friends with and are a pleasure to work with. When I’m working on the blog, I get to collaborate and bounce ideas off my best friends/ colleagues. When it comes to the jewelry business, I get the pleasure of spending time with my Mom (YAY) while designing and making beautiful jewelry. 70 hours of work per week ain’t so bad when you love every minute of it (almost)!
2. I can work from anywhere! All I need is my computer so I can work on the blog anywhere (I’m writing this post on a plane). All of my editing for client shoots can also be done anywhere. So, that means I have the flexibility to go home to my family on a random Monday if I want to… or, go to NYFW for 5 days or fly to Denver on a Wednesday to surprise my boyfriend for his 28th birthday! This is surely one of my favorite aspects of working for myself.
3. I get to meet AMAZING, inspiring, talented, creative, worldly people and learn from them. Breaking into this industry has been a huge blessing and a journey filled with so many lovely and inspiring people. The first person who introduced me to blogging was the loveliest and most talented, badass, hard working, Helen Berkun. I interned for her in college when I was first exposed to the business of blogging. When I decided to move back to Chicago a little over two years ago, Helen is the one who introduced me to my first client who has now become one of my very favorite people, Janet Mandell. Janet is the kindest, funniest, girl boss with the most epic style. These two role models are like older sisters to me. I love them dearly and they’re just the first two on a long list of unbelievable people I have met since starting my blog.
4. I get to write about things I love in hopes you’ll love them too. I hope the topics and fashion advise I write about will inspire you to appreciate your talents, be grateful for the goodness in your life and help you to always strive to be and look your personal, fabulous best.
5. I get to combine my two loves, fashion and photography! These things have been loves of mine for a very long time and now I get to combine them in every aspect of my work. As a photographer, I primarily photograph fashion bloggers and as a blogger, I get to have my favorite fashion looks photographed! It’s a win win.
You guys, this list could go on for while but I will spare you! But, I’m curious! What do you love about your job and what’s your go-to work wear outfit!? Let me know! I love hearing from you! If you have questions, suggestions or just want to say hi, please comment or DM me any time!
CLICK HERE TO SHOP MY LOOK
Also! You can find coupon codes for both Topshop and Steve Madden HERE & HERE!
A big thank you to Stylinity, Steve Madden and Topshop for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.