Working in fashion comes with its not-so-glamorous downsides. Sure, looking good is practically a job requirement, but there are days when you just want to let stress be an excuse to go to work in your jammies. Of course, there's always a way to deal with the stress and still look good no matter how #haggard you feel.
Here are five real struggles that fashion girls know, which CGs in any job can surely relate to:
1. Deadlines are super tight.
You get to the office at 8 a.m. to rush to Makati and make it in time for your pullouts later at 10 a.m. Who cares if the job was only confirmed last night and you had to wake up every brand manager you know to get the pieces you need for the cover shoot happening later today?!
Fashion (and the stressful things that come with it) never stops, and you need to make things happen in 5-inch stilettos—like pulling off that last-minute outfit change your client requests at an event or coming up with an instant fix for a wardrobe malfunction, all while looking composed and totally on top of it.
2. Your look has to be on point ALL THE TIME.
Spending 12 hours in the studio for a shoot? No, you cannot show up looking basic, and you can't look exhausted or puyat, either! You never know which designer/brand manager/industry insider might drop by or hold a shoot next door.
Basically, you need to look fashion-forward while keeping the message "oh-this-was-just-something-I-put-together-this-morning" (when in fact it's one of your "I-spent-Sunday-night-stressing-about-this-week's-OOTDs!") You might need to master a few beauty moves, too, because you can't let stress make you look bad.
3. Started from the bottom… and I'm still here.
When you work in fashion, it doesn't matter if you're the struggling intern, the favorite assistant, or THE stylist OTM. You need to deal with the stress, get down on the floor to fix those hems, or hold the fan to get the model's dress flying through the set.
In this world, perfection is king (so is your client), and of course, your boss will constantly remind you of that.
4. MURPHY'S. LAW. IS. REAL.
You book the best people and arrange or pre-style your pullouts before you hit the sack. And then… you wake up 30 minutes after your alarm, your makeup artist sprained her hand the night before, you left your styling box at home AND THEN your cover girl's manager just texted and said she booked the cover shoot for ~*tomorrow*~ pala. Hayyy, stress!
But remember, in the industry where looks speak louder than words, you cannot look stressed at all—no matter how many things go wrong.
5. No time for yourself, for weakness…
…or hunger. They say fashion girls don't eat, but it's not exactly like there's a choice. You run from pullouts to stressful shoots and events, and then, you gotta submit that story before 12 midnight. Oh, and when you get to that bar's launch party at 11:30 p.m., you need to start mingling pa with hamburger people. Este, industry people. Time for a busy social life? Time for yourself? They're as elusive as the ghosts of boyfriends past.
Working in fashion and in any industry may be tough, and the stress is as real as the hustle that comes with it. However, you can't let stress show because it'll only make you look bad among your colleagues and clients. Good thing there are always stress hacks you can turn to, so you can keep up, look healthy, and stay in tiptop shape even if you don't have time for it. Since you're a busy girl, try this 15-seconds-or-less habit on top of a healthy lifestyle:
Take Stresstabs daily! Together with proper diet, exercise, and rest, it helps you fight those nasty signs of stress from showing and look put-together (plus oh-so-chic) every day. The best way to beat any struggle is to address where all the problems start, and if the effects of stress are making you look like you're always pulling all-nighters, then you can beat them by getting the nutrients you need from healthy food and the right multivitamin, alongside enough rest and regular exercises.
ASC No. P049P081716S