How Working Women are Overcoming The Great Resignation

As we reach the second year mark of the initial impact of COVID-19, a global awakening, nicknamed ‘The Great Resignation’, has swept through the entire world in just these past few months. Millions have voluntarily quit their jobs in midst of the pandemic in hopes of better opportunities and fair work environments. This has quickly forced many companies to revise hourly wages, benefits, and other perks in order to attract potential employees. 

The demand of remote work

One ‘perk’ that many companies have made part of their working norm is remote working. First introduced in the beginning of the pandemic, many businesses temporarily closed their offices and shifted to the digital realm where employees quickly adjusted to the new work culture from the comfort of their homes. This new work style has become so important that according to Grow, “more than 1 in 5, 22%, said they would no longer consider working for an employer if work-from-home wasn’t an option”. This had a great impact on society and trends, especially fashion, where comfort became the priority of any everyday outfit. Many parted with their slacks and blazers and began dressing more casual in luxury ‘loungewear’, which according to Google Trends skyrocketed in searches by about 70% within April-December 2020 during the peak of the pandemic.

For days reserved for remote working, we recommend our Relax Wide Trousers, made especially with softness and comfort in mind. Pair it with any of our hoodies, made from the same Double Knit material, for optimum comfort and productivity! Although comfortable and soft as a cloud, these items have been designed and crafted to give the body gorgeous shape and dimension.

New meets old – hybrid working style

For the past two years, remote working has allowed women to balance and take control of their work life as well as their personal and family life. However, with many companies slowly beginning to open their office doors the work style that we have grown accustomed to has begun to morph once again, this time in the form of a ‘hybrid’ style. As employers observed the many benefits that came with remote working, companies have adopted the hybrid remote work style where employees have the freedom to choose days to work from home and at the office. According to a survey conducted by theSkimms, “two-thirds of millennial women say they believe they are missing opportunities by not being in the office, where they can discuss their career goals and development.” By implementing the hybrid work style, women will be able to be able to take control of their work and personal life and craft it to fit their needs.

So what will you wear to your first day back into the office? Nothing says you are naturally confident and ready to take on the new modern age like a pantsuit in pink! Equipped with shoulder pads, clean tailored lines and a silhouette designed to make you look taller, the perfect femme-chic suit should not only be empowering to wear but comfortable too – even for the home office. With stretch, machine washability and wrinkle resistance to make lives easier, it’s a no-brainer we want these always in our suits (and our suits are no exception).

Made from stretchy Double Cross material

See our Pantsuit range here

The pursuit of entrepreneurship

With many businesses opening their doors once again and having employees come into work, mothers and many women with special circumstances who cannot leave their homes, have begun considering different career options that allow them more flexibility, one of them being entrepreneurship. According to Legaljobs, “47% of women started a business in the last year, compared to 44% of men”. By pursuing entrepreneurship, many women have regained control of their schedule and work-life balance, being able to fully indulge in their career without the responsibility or pressure of coming into the office and worrying about their children being cared for.

For our entrepreneurs who are ready to take on the world, we recommend our sleek, Kanazawa Peplum Knit Jacket to polish off the look for quick meetings, whether online or in person, without compromising comfort. Made from soft, luxurious and sustainable TENCEL™ material, it’s not only beautiful on the body, but kind to the planet. Choose from black or white to mix and match easily with your wardrobe! All kay me clothing items even our knitwear are of course machine-wash safe to ensure more freedom for your work and personal life without having to worry about visiting the dry cleaners!

Clean and crisp in white

Versatile for any business scene

Everything at kay me is lovingly made in Japan, with free worldwide delivery. For more lifestyle solutions, visit our online store today.

Going Vegan on Fur Coats

At kay me, we are always looking towards new technology to create elegant solutions to the modern woman’s wardrobe. This time, we took a look at the winter fur coat, and sought to develop a luxury alternative that was just as high-quality and beautiful, but made from 100% vegan materials made with the latest technology. Today, we will share a quick look behind our material selection process of our Eco Fur Coat.

Our journey to developing an elegant, animal-free ‘fur’ coats, started with finalizing the designs for the coats and setting up a meeting with our suppliers. There, we were surprised by what materials we were about to find.

The Supplier Meeting

During the meeting, a variety of material samples were introduced! We only choose the best quality materials there is, but there were more than we had anticipated! With such a high quality and feel, we were remarkably surprised by how far their technology had come. The faux fur samples had a softness and fluffiness that we never expected from it before – some of our staff could not believe it was faux fur at all! Even down to the wool samples, the softness was extremely close to the real thing. For the kay me designers, this was going to be a hard choice to narrow down.

The next step was to choose the perfect match of materials carefully, being wary of color, feel and quality. Other factors to consider where what colors would be, how it would brighten up your skin tone, the most versatile combination – all had to be carefully considered with a little bit of imagination.

After some trial and error, it came down to 2 colors – Pink beige for a softer, elegant and feminine touch, or camel beige for an all-round versatile color. In the colder seasons, there are many options for dark-toned coats, but we wanted soft-toned alternatives for an elegant impression. With the design and materials settled, it was time to go into sample production.

The First Sample

There is always excitement in the air when the first sample arrives in the office at kay me.  Upon the first impression and then trying it on, we realized that the faux fur had too much volume and with the short-haired length, it looked too heavy on the coat. So it was decided to switch to longer hair-length faux fur for the next sample.

The Second Sample

With the second sample back, the verdict? A big ‘Yes!’ from head designer and founder Junko! The long-haired fur was still soft but looked and felt more lightweight, and had a gorgeous swirled texture that still looked natural.

The Final Result

The end result is a wonderful item of clothing made to put any conscious owner at ease in the colder seasons. To see more behind the story, take a look with our kaymedia page (only in Japanese) or see more of the Eco Fur Coat’s features from our Preorder page, available for shipping from October.

2020 Resolution – Conscious Fashion

The first month of January is soon coming to a close and still lies a long year ahead in the world of the fashion industry. While fast fashion still remains as the go-to option for many, more light is continually shed on its effects on the environment, and people have taken notice. This year for 2020, women have chosen to be more conscious and savvy with their purchase decisions, and are shifting their focus away from fast fashion.  All of which, is paving way for another trend on the rise – sustainable fashion.

We at kay me love supporting ethical fashion, and our pieces are no exception. Take a closer look at how kay me supports ethical, sustainable fashion through our products.

It can be a difficult decision to make whether or not to buy products made at the expense of an animal for fashion. However at kay me, we made that decision clear; from day one, our line of products are made with cruelty free and ethical practices and include no animal products at all. Our bags are made using a premium, 100% vegan leather, put together by highly-skilled local Japanese artisans who ensure the top-level quality and finish to each bag. Scroll through our line of vegan bags and wallets.

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While Japan is a treasure cove of beautiful crafts, design and culture, however the very traditions which propelled Japan into cultural recognition worldwide, is being carried on by a handful of craftsmen and small local businesses. kay me is driven to ensure local practices and traditions continue for many generations to come and we enlist local expert artisans in the making of our clothing, from fabric-dying, embroidery to hand-stitching and sewing.

 

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Know that standing out in kay me, is standing up proud for small trades and keeping traditions alive. Explore our range of dresses, knits and stoles, or learn a little more about the kay me background here.

Rose Side-gather Dress – https://kayme.com/ahaa-rose-side-gathered-dress.html

Black Cache-coeur Dress – https://kayme.com/ahji-black-cache-coeur-dress.html

Red Cache-coeur Dress – https://kayme.com/dresses/ahji-red-cache-coeur-dress.html

Navy Trench Coat – https://kayme.com/catalog/product/view/id/5846/s/aiji-navy-trench-coat/category/163/

We are proud that we, and other brands have taken the step towards creating a fashion industry with a more positive, sustainable future. We hope you are inspired this year to make more conscious purchase decisions, support local craft and businesses and share our love for our ethical fashion.