How Leaving My Fashion Job for Tech Actually Saved My Personal Style

Kristina Ang is a Who What Wear editor in residence, a fashion writer and content creator, and a social producer for Spotify. Previously, she worked as a social video coordinator at Harper’s Bazaar.

If you’ve never worked at a fashion magazine, let me tell you what it’s like. Much like the iconic films The Devil Wears Prada and Confessions of a Shopaholic, magazine editors are always dressed to impress. Even when they aren’t trying, they still manage to look effortlessly chic in a Dries Van Noten sweater and Maison Margiela Tabi loafers. There is no shortage of archival Prada pieces sourced from a secret sample sale and brand-new, gifted Gucci bags in the office. Even when I felt confident in my outfit, that feeling soon disappeared when I saw what everyone else had on. You know what they say: Comparison is the thief of joy. They weren’t kidding. Everyone seemed so sure of themselves, while I found myself second-guessing every clothing choice I made. Ironically, being surrounded by fashion all that time didn’t inspire me to be more fashionable. It did the exact opposite.

Over the two-and-a-half years that went by at my previous position, the internal struggle I felt when choosing what to wear to work only got worse. I began to overthink the simple act of putting clothes on my body every morning. What if they think my outfit is too basic? What if they notice I’ve been wearing the same pair of jeans? This growing fatigue was not limited to the office. Getting dressed up for events, red carpets, and even just hanging out with friends on the weekends was no longer something I looked forward to. Rather, I dreaded it.

Having spent my entire career in fashion, I was just as surprised as anyone when I left my industry dream job this past holiday season to work at a major tech company. Sure, I was giving up the glamour that comes with working at a high-profile publication, but I gained something too. The effect my career change had on my personal style was something I never anticipated.

Suddenly, I felt reinvigorated and reinspired. Dressing up for the office felt exciting again. Yes, it helped that I was only expected to be in the office around one to two times a week, but that’s besides the point. I underestimated how much being surrounded by high fashion every day took a toll on my freedom and creativity. The simple fact was that I was no longer working somewhere where clothes played such a pivotal role in the daily life and conversations of the workplace. I could wear whatever I wanted—free from judgment and the stress of a self-imposed standard I believed came with working at a fashion magazine.

With this renewed sense of relief came the opportunity to rethink my entire relationship with my clothes. What is my style, and what does it look like? In truth, I’m still figuring that out, but this new chapter has given me the freedom to define it on my own terms. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully define what personal style means to me, but for now, I can say I feel good in what I wear, and that’s all I could ask for.

Ahead, I hope you can take some inspiration from the outfits I’ve been wearing to the office lately and, of course, shop the looks.

Get the look: Wire-rim glasses + Fur-trimmed denim jacket + White boxy T-shirt + Straight-leg jeans + Leather ballet flats

Get the look: Wire-rim glasses + Red wool sweater + Asymmetrical lace camisole + Baggy black jeans + Split-toe flats + Denim studded tote bag + Gold bean necklace

Get the look: Round glasses + Button-down shirt + Rugby shirt + Tailored denim trousers + Sneakers

Get the look: Wire-rim glasses + Track jacket + Wide-leg jeans + Split-toe flats

Get the look: Wire-rim glasses + Button-down shirt + Blue sweater + Light-wash jeans + Sneakers + Suede bag