today’s get-up 19jul08

today was a special day. if you’ve been following freebird, you’ll know that i am currently working part-time in the back office at patricia field’s shop. my work is basically to help out with the web orders, and also i work closely with the buyers (erm, to get merchandise to stock the shop!). that is what i’ve been doing the past couple of months. however, today, my manager asked me to help out in the store for a few hours in the evening.

help out. in the store. like the store-store. on the floor.

don’t get me wrong, i didn’t dread any of that. my dream in life isn’t to be a salesgirl, but my little secret is that i really do love it. the thing is, i grew up helping out in my parents’ shop. even when i was still quite a kid, i would go down and help sell stuff. when i was a teenager, i worked there during the school holidays to get some extra pocket money. i tend to get a little shy when meeting people for the first time, and i’m really bad at small talk and sometimes don’t know what to say. (so awkward. i am. very.)

but because i’ve worked in retail basically since i was a kid, i really love it. and because i sort of grew up doing that in my parent’s shop, to me, retail = my own business. when i later worked in a nail salon (please. nothing like the god-awful nail salons that are everywhere in new york.) for a short 3-month stint, i really learnt the importance of customer service. i was friends with all my clients, and got to know some of them really very well. i knew everything about their family, their job, their relationships, etc. i got to know them, and they, me. and they would come back again and again.

i believe it is because i make it a point to make their experience at my shop (even if it wasn’t mine) an enjoyable, memorable one.

one of my clients became such a good friend, i got to know her entire family and she later offered me a job as her p.a.! i went to work for her for 9 months before i left for tokyo, and it was one of my best work experiences. we’re still great friends to this day and my sister is now also friends with her whole family!

so. back to the story. even though i only worked on the floor for 5 hours today, i was excited about it. i mean, it’s been a while since i’ve done some sales job, but to me, it was like getting back to basics. i believe every customer is important, even if the sale is small. a happy customer will keep coming back, and that “small” will grow pretty big. trust me on that one. my parents also taught me to be my own boss. and if i’m not yet at that kind of level, then treat the place i’m working at, as my own. personally, it is this way of thinking i have that has helped me in all my work experiences, because my bosses trust me enough to know i will do a good job.

besides, patricia field has the best kind of clothes in new york. new york fashion is not what i thought it would be. people here really don’t dress up that much. yes, you do get the classy chic people. but the majority of the population is just a big blah. if you’re like me, you probably thought that new york was a pretty darn stylish place.

eh— wrong. sex and the city gave you the wrong impression. it sure gave me one. when i first came here, i was shocked. i thought, “where were all the beautiful people!?” the reason why new york looked as good as it did in sex and the city, is because of patricia field. you can’t argue against that. it’s a fact.

so it was great just working on the floor and helping out whichever customer i could. the kind of shopping experience you get in the store, the kind of stuff we actually have, is like no other in new york city. one lady picked up the leather finger tip gloves we have, and asked, “why do you guys make these gloves? why just 4 fingers? does it serve a purpose?”

i said, “its purpose is to be fabulous!! it doesn’t need any other reason! i bought one before i started working here and trust me it was worth every penny.”

i know i sound lame, but personally, i hope that customers, especially the ones i served, leave the shop feeling happy and satisfied!

did that last sentence sound like i was prostituting? hahaha.

my dream is to one day have my own little store, stocked with things that i love and things that i’ve designed myself. and i want to be there and sell my own things to my customers! personal service! that’s my ideal future.

anyway, some of you might know that i recently had the chance to meet loulou, the girl behind loulou loves you! she makes the cutest satin knickers and all kinds of bows. i make bows myself too, but loulou’s are big and too cute.

i know i have been posting too many outfit photos recently. i know that because i have received a couple of hate mail. haha! (they were too funny and some people have nothing better to do. i put myself out there and i’ve been honest about everything, so if you don’t like my blog, you can leave. but more on that another day!)

however, this bow was so cute and i got so many compliments on it, i couldn’t not put up a picture. thank you loulou! i wish i wasn’t so broke when i met you, or i would have bought more!

gingham bow by louloulovesyou
zamiang! tshirt by jun takahashi (undercover) for hysteric mini
the aristocats‘ marie purse from tokyo disney
turquoise crinoline
navy tights
studded boots by junya watanabe
neon pink watch by toy watch

the first thing my roommate said when i came home today was, “*gasp*! you walked around town like that?”

hahahahahahaha. i know. i’m an asian circus.

ps: oh man, i never realized my window was so disgustingly dirty! how did all those fingerprints get there? eek!!

Tagged as: patricia field, style, today's get-up