Three generations of intimate apparel industry professionals shared their perspectives with The Underfashion Club in a webinar named Seeking Balance in a Changing Work Environment on December 12, 2024. Moira Nelson, Marne O’Brien, and Kyarra Thompson from Generations X, Y, and Z brought light to the changing attitudes and values in the world by sharing their unique experiences in navigating through work and life.
Long-time club member and friend John Paul Brogan hosted this discussion, introducing the speakers and allowing them to share about themselves. We had the pleasure of getting to learn about these three amazing women and the contributions their respective generations bring to the workforce. Thank you all for sharing your insights!
Moira Nelson is an entrepreneur and the Founder of a full-service Intimate Apparel Consulting Company named Bra La Mode. She’s from Generation X, who were born between ~1965-1980. Also known as the “Forgotten Generation,” Gen X is the smallest generation by population and often overlooked, but has a significant force in society. This group makes up over one-third of the workforce and at least half of its managers. The term “latchkey” is associated with this generation as they were often left unsupervised at home or after school. Famous for their independence and adaptability, this group witnessed the birth of personal computers and worked through the personal and professional shift towards digitization.
Marne O’Brien is a lifelong merchant and the Head of Business Development at Bra La Mode. She’s an older member of Generation Y, having a diverse background in the intimate apparel industry. Generation Y are widely known as Millennials, being born from ~1980-1995. This group came of age with the internet and smartphones, developing a comfortable relationship with technology. Gen Y was most impacted by world events like the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Dot-com Boom, and the Great Recession of 2008. As the pioneers of social media, this generation tends to prefer communication through text messages and email.
Kyarra Thompson is an Account Associate with the US Fashion Apparel Team for Circana, which harnesses market research and data analytics to define consumer behaviors and trends across industries. She is a member of Generation Z, who were born between ~1995-2012 and grew up with the internet, filling the title of “digital natives.” Gen Z’s identity has been shaped by the digital age, climate anxiety, COVID-19, and a shifting financial landscape. This generation is the newest addition to the workforce, bringing fresh perspectives to the professional landscape.
JP Brogran kicked off the discussion by asking a Gen X question to Moira: “How do you view the work ethic and career expectations of the younger generations?”
Moira Nelson shared her experience growing up with the expectation to “get a job, keep your nose to the ground, don’t make waves, don’t ask for time off.” The phrase PTO didn’t event exist and you were either sick or in the office with no grey area in-between. At the start of her career and before the internet, information would be input to a typewriter and sent through a fax machine as the way to communicate between businesses. She recalls it being a competitive environment in which you were expected to work to your death. There were times where workers would be in the office until 2-4 AM and the company would call a car service to take them home only for a shower, staying parked outside and waiting to take them right back into the office. This background made her into a self-proclaimed workaholic and one of the hardest working people she knows, but she recognizes that the experiences of other generations differs. Moira states that it’s a different day and age, a shift, and that it isn’t fair to judge the work ethic of newer generations. She stated “Do they work differently? 100% Have I learned a lot? Yes.”
JP’s next question was for Marne, where he asked how she manages her family and work-life balance as a Millennial mother of two.
Marne shared that when she thinks about the people who are most successful in their careers and home-lives, she realizes it’s something that you can’t do alone. Millennials have strong communities and her peers with children have help. Whether it’s being fortunate enough to have grandparents in the picture, an equitable partner, or the privilege of being able to hire sitters, having people who are able to help you is the most important. Marne noticed that the generation before her seemed to think that doing it all on their own was not only possible but preferable. However, the people around her who are most successful at home and at work are asking for help and getting it. Setting boundaries with yourself, the people around you, and your employers is key. As you get further into your career and your level of expertise increases, needs shift but we’re also able to give more in the best case-scenario.
Jumping off of his agreement with the importance of setting boundaries at work, JP asked Kyarra how it feels to balance work and a social life as Gen Z.
Kyarra shared that the biggest thing she’s learned is that “This is what we do, not who we are.” Being early in her career, she feels it’s important to really figure out what you would like to do based off of your life experiences. Her balance is more-so that she has set hours and when they’re up, her brain shuts off. After she shuts her computer, nothing work-related occupies her mind whatsoever. To the point of constant distractions on smartphones, Kyarra only has her e-mails and work notifications set for certain hours because it’s important for her to find time to focus on the things she loves outside of work. Working from home, it’s more challenging to separate work from personal space since it’s all in the same area. Setting boundaries is integral to achieving this balance so that work isn’t the only thing to occupy your mind.
From the audience in the chat, a question for all generations represented was pointed: What do you think the future of work looks like? Out of traditional office hours, hybrid, and remote work, which generation prefers which method?
As a Millennial, Marne has experienced all of the methods of work, including the hybrid-style during pre-COVID years. She believes we will focus less on in-person interactions since we adapted well to working remotely. Though many companies are demanding people return to the office, she prefers a hybrid schedule. Looking back at when in-office work was the requirement now seems so long ago though it has only been five years. Marne foresees that when leases expire, many offices will choose not to renew. She believes many large companies don’t actually care if employees are engaged and that job jumping and generational turnover is high enough that community-building won’t be a priority. It also behooves companies to get the best talent from all over the country without having to relocate them. She thinks that in 10-15 years, only major cities will have offices.
As a member of Gen Z who was transitioning into the workforce during the years of COVID-19 quarantines, Kyarra was required to operate remotely for years of college and throughout her professional career. She shared that this poses challenges in building relationships and networking. Finding friends is difficult when everything is done remotely. There are rarely opportunities to communicate with people outside of your team and it can make the experience lonely. She’s seen a rise in co-working spaces in the city of Charlotte where remote workers can come together in a shared space in order to combat the lack of social interaction. Kyarra believes that ideally, the future of work would be hybrid but with a choice to come into the office. Though working from home can be comfortable, having the option to leave the house and separate work from personal life makes hybrid work a more appealing option.
Moira of Gen X purely prefers remote-style work at this point. She loves the life of working from wherever she wants and can say that because she’s already lived through the other work-style experiences. She has best friends that she’s met in the workplace and experienced going out after work in midtown Manhattan. Now when Moira attends trade shows, she’s already connected with many of the professionals in attendance since they’ve interacted over the years. A few times a month, Moira still goes into the city for in-person networking events. Even so, the bulk of the work can now be done remotely and efficiently with current technology and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
How is technology changing the way we buy, spend, and shop?
Moira grew up during a time when internet shopping did not exist. You had to physically go to a store or shop the catalogue when it came in the mail, which was so much fun at the time. Now with online tools where we can shop directly through social media platforms, jobs on the consumer-facing side can be done so much more efficiently. There’s instant communication between designers and manufacturers with real-time feedback on colors and prints. With this technology, we save on time, resources, and environmental impact.
Kyarra, as a shopper and consumer in this generation, finds shopping technology to be great, though not great on the wallet. The amount of impulsive buys done while scrolling through social media is exciting yet regrettable. She describes it as a love-hate relationship in which the convenience is appreciated but the joy of shopping is diminished. After a package is opened, it’s an immediate transition into “What’s next?” For Gen Z, instant gratification is something they were raised around and are used to. She points out that marketing fashion on social media is extremely beneficial for smaller and online-native brands that can’t be found in stores. Many young people value individuality in their choices and prefer for their fashion to reflect that.
Marne loves to shop in person, though she hasn’t done that much recently. Shopping in malls has become very experience-based in New Jersey as they have to be to stay relevant. As a buyer by trade, she enjoys shopping at places that are curated for her and prefers to visit some brand’s retail locations over their online shops. For the past few years, she has been renting clothes and finds that it scratches the itch of wanting something new while allowing her to return what she’s worn already. Since she likes to participate in trends and likes new things, renting lets her indulge in what’s next without the guilt. Millennials tend to have loyalty for brands that have reliable fit and quality, feeling that their money is well-spent. If it’s something more expensive that’s going to be worn one time as a treat, then renting can be a sustainable option.
The conversation goes deeper into brainstorming towards the latter part of the discussion, addressing concerns for the youngest generations that don’t have clear answers yet. For example, how can Gen Z find mentorship in this online era where older generations found it naturally in-person? How we do we find chances to connect when technology separates us even at live events? Ideas for breakout rooms and creating spaces for opportunities can be integral to the betterment of the future of young professionals. As an organization dedicated to education and providing resources for those rising up in the intimate apparel industry, it’s essential that we find new ways to solve problems as the world quickly changes around us.
Thanks again to everyone who participated in this discussion and we’re looking forward to the next one!
