Monthly Archives: July 2016

Adjusting to 9-5 After College

day in the life

All of my life, I’ve been told what to do.  The path to take planned out for me, step by step to insure success. Having school to lend me structure in my life was always something I appreciated. I loved knowing that after second grade came third grade. After junior high came high school. After high school came college. After college comes…adjusting to 9-5?

New Beginnings

I arrived in NYC two weeks after graduation wide eyed and excited to start my job at Richard Leeds. The first week was so exciting. Finally! I was doing the tasks I dreamed to do in college. My my job here is exciting, dynamic, and highly creative. Despite all that as the first week turned into the second, which turned into the third, and so on…I realized something really important.

Adjusting to 9-5 after college  is really hard for me.

Although professors try hard to prepare you for the corporate world, they cannot prepare you for the drastic difference between school life and work life. I did so well under a very strict schedule of due dates and achievable milestones. I excelled under grades earned and classes checked off. It’s the only way I was taught to operate, and now it’s time to adjust to something completely different.

Sure, I have a boss and tasks that need to be done, but there’s no longer a defined path for me and someone telling me “you are going to do this.” Part of my job as a social media marketing manager is constantly going after new ventures in the company and balancing many tasks. Life is no longer centered around achieving one huge goal as the finish line.

Game Plan

It’s hard to adjust to. Hard to accept. For a while I felt incredibly lost as I tried to operate using my old system, and found it doesn’t work anymore. It’s like trying to plug something into an outlet and it won’t fit. Until you realize you just need an adapter, then it will work just like it should

That’s what I’m doing right now: adapting. Adjusting to 9-5 after college isn’t because like most, I am a creature of habit. I love to do things the way I know have worked for me in the past. It’s time now for me to accept what my new normal is. Normal is always changing and it’s not the same for everyone. Normal  should be embraced: not feared.

Breaking from normal helps us evolve a individuals and prepares us for that next stage in life… Whatever that may be. x

How to Style Disney x Coach

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With the new Disney x Coach collection recently released, we got some major inspiration from the 80+ piece collection featuring purses and clothing, to even bookmarks and coasters. We create a lot of Disney pajamas here at Richard Leeds, but we need to carry our Disney obsession outside the house, too! Here’s three outfits we created centered around our favorite pieces in the collection.

Our first look is an easy, feminine outfit from the Disney x Coach collection featuring the Mickey Kisslock Purse. A neutral, off the shoulder dress allows the purse to be the center of attention. With some sleek shades, dainty jewelry, and a floppy hat this outfit is perfect for a walk on the boardwalk or an evening date. Comfortable basket weave flats with trendy ties make extended walking a breeze. Red lipstick is the perfect final touch!

The Disney x Coach collection isn’t just for the ulta-fem: it can be styled up with an edge, too. For this outfit, we loved pairing the Mickey Charm Bracelet with pieces that have attitude. An asymmetrical skirt shines against a striped tank, and black Chelsea boots give it that I-don’t-care vibe. Spritz on some perfume, grab that coffee, and sling that sassy star purse over the shoulder, you’re ready to conquer the day!

The final look we styled around the fresh Mickey C101 Sneaker is ideal for school days or hanging out with friends on the weekends. Overalls have made a comeback, and with a varsity-tank they scream sporty-cool instead of ’90s mom. A baseball cap (worn backwards optional!) keeps you shaded in the summer sun, and knee socks bring attention to the white sneaks. Add a pop of color with a bright yellow backpack for storing everything you need. Sign us up for class if we get to wear this outfit.

What were your favorite pieces from the collection?

Welcome to Richard Leeds International!

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Why hello there!

I’m Lauren, a 22 year-old transplant from Ohio to New York City. I  just graduated from college with  a degree in fashion merchandising and knew I had to get back to the city after interning here last summer. New York is something magical! I searched high and low for the perfect job, and finally found my home here at Richard Leeds International: an amazing sleepwear manufacturer responsible for many of the designs you see in stores like Wal-Mart, Target, Hot Topic, JC Penney, and more.

Here at RLI I am the social media marketing specialist. That’s a long, fancy way of saying I run all of the social accounts and online communications for the company! This is exactly what I wanted to do when I thought about what my dream job after college would be. Social Media is an amazing part of our every day lives, uniting people across the globe. It’s an exciting, fast paced world that never stops binging with new tweets, comments, likes, and messages even after the office lights dim at the end of the day.

I think what I love most about social media though is the connection it provides all of us with. A connection to share our passion, emotion, and excitement about things we love and want to spread the word about. I hope I can bring that connection to you all on Richard Leed’s social media platforms. A place where we can freely express our love for pajamas, the need for a strong cup of coffee, and the most amazing feeling it is to have a sleepover with your very best friends.

I’ll be writing a personal post once a week on here about how I’m adjusting to life in NYC and learning the ropes here at Richard Leed’s. Plan on seeing lots of other content like fashion lookbooks, behind the scenes peeks here at the HQ, wishlists, helpful guides, guest posts, and contests, too. You all are on this journey with me, so always feel free to let me know what you’d like to see.

Let’s make all our dreams visible.

Lauren Pfieffer