Naomi has been a Spring since last July after successfully passing a Zoom interview.  Little did we know that Zoom was going to be an integral part of what we do today!  She came from the Big Smoke but with none of those big city ways, oh no.  Naomi fitted right in from the word go.  She’s glamourous though and we find this inspirational!  Did we say she comes from a fashion PR background?  Spring PR London in fact! 

You’ve come from Spring PR London – a fashion PR (no relation) – how are you coping with WFH fashion right now?

“Erm it’s fine!  I think that I have a casual dress sense anyway even when I worked in fashion PR I would wear jeans and a jumper.  (Nice ones we bet!)  The only difference was that I wasn’t allowed to wear trainers so I love that I can now wear converse or trainers into the Spring office.  Now I’m working from home, it’s made me realise that I like getting dressed up in the morning, so I’ve still been in jeans and a t-shirt really.  I tried wearing comfy gym stuff for the first few days but didn’t feel like I was ready to work!” 

What’s your go to outfit?

“The weather has been so nice it’s motivated me to get my summer clothes down from the loft but now I’m waiting to wear them around the office!  It’s a waste of time wearing them at home when I’m not seeing anyone, so I’ve pretty much just been in jeans with a selection of different t-shirts on rotation. Oh, and a pair of fluffy slippers!” 

We’ve found a predilection for socks and sandals to be honest – a silver Birkenstock with a patterned sock is a go-to for one Springer.  Not you though, you still sound glamourous!  How do you feel about socks and sandals?  Or, wait a minute “outdoor clothing” as the new casual, having been in fashion PR for so long?

“If I were to wear outdoor clothes, I would fashion them up a bit.  To be honest I like outdoor clothing but with a sportier look.  You won’t find me in a pair of walking trousers and big hiking boots just yet!  But I do like sport clothing and I really like the technical fabrics that go with them.  Now I understand a lot more about what goes into the textile side of things and what they can do for you I get why you pay that little bit more and I actively search it out.”

“The first couple of weeks were OK but then his bad habits started to shine through. He eats ALL the time. I can hear him eating ALL of the time!”

Ooo we like to hear that!  WFH vs working in the office is very different.  Anything you’re missing?

“General chatter and seeing everyone.  I’m still working in an office with my dad Gary (who we understand flies the outdoor flag) but where his job is so different, we can’t really chat about work.  I miss people around me that are working on similar things.  And to tell you the truth, I’m excited to go back to office so that I can dress up again!”

Yep you’re sounding like the fashion girl we know and love!  We like the sound of Gary with his Berghaus t-shirts and Montane trousers, what’s he like as a work colleague?

“It’s up and down!  The first couple of weeks were OK but then his bad habits started to shine through.  He eats ALL the time.  I can hear him eating ALL of the time!”

Hang on a minute there Naomi, that’s reminding us of someone.  Ummmm could it be YOU?!

“I know!  Is that what everyone thinks about me?  When I come back to the office now, I’ll be so conscious I won’t eat anything!” 

That’s a bit extreme, maybe shy away from the crunchy stuff!  But TBH we don’t mind.  So aside from Gary and his antisocial gnashing of teeth, is WFH working out?

“It is!  And it’s easier than I thought.  I thought it would be hard working away from the office, but I’ve found that everything I need is easily accessible. I’d be happy to work say a day a month from home, something like that would be quite nice.  Definitely not every day though.”

Have you learned any tips from WFH that you’ll be carrying into the office with you when normality resumes?

“Definitely less snacking!  I do also like having a bit of extra time in the morning.  Sitting in the garden with my morning cup of tea.   When things are back to normal I’ll wake up a bit earlier so that I can sit in the garden before my drive into work, weather dependent of course!”

Well we’ve got a flippin’ lovely garden back at Spring HQ with a great big fountain in it.  You can have lunch in the garden too and eat crunchy snacksJ  We’ll be reunited soon, we’re sure of it!