Sponsored by CALVIN KLEIN
4 Women On How They Balance Work, Self-Care, And Confidence
by Audrey Williams
If you've flipped through a magazine or scrolled through Instagram within the past few years, you might’ve noticed that more women are making self-care a priority. And while self-care looks different for everyone, we asked four women we admire about how they approach it in their own lives. Their answers range from hanging with friends and eating pizza to going to morning meditations, but one thing is unanimous: They all need to feel comfortable. Among the four women, this need for taking a break from their busy lives to relax is a common thread, and in partnership with Calvin Klein, they share exactly how they make it happen — starting with the foundation of any comfy day-off outfit: the right underwear.
ON LEARNING TO SLOW DOWN
Whether they’re running around from meetings to shoots to after-hours events in the city, Tyla Gilmore, Kayla Jane, Laura Lee, and Denise Mercedes are all busy women. Being in New York, one of the busiest cities in the world, gives them access to amazing opportunities — but it also makes it all even more hectic. Laura, who regularly commutes from New Jersey for her jobs in the city, knows the toll it can take.
“I see and talk to [what feels like] 150 people a day,” she says. “You may think this job is easy, but believe me, it’s not. I have never worked so hard in my life.”
The always on-the-go lifestyle is something Tyla, a self-proclaimed workaholic, is all too familiar with. It wasn’t until her health started being affected by it that she knew she needed to take time to slow down. “The hard part is learning to take care of yourself first,” she says. “When I started getting migraines I knew it was time to chill out and focus on me before anything else.”
When Laura Lee starts to feel this way, she turns to the things she knows always works: friends, laughing, pizza, and her favorite TV shows. “I believe everyone needs to decompress, otherwise you end up burning the candle at both ends,” she says.
ON CHANNELING COMFORT
Another thing they all agree upon was that when it comes to a self-care day, it’s all about what makes you feel comfortable as an individual. That means wearing whatever you want, whenever you want — even when relaxing at home alone.
For Kayla Jane’s days off, comfort is an oversized t-shirt and super soft undies. “I think that it’s hard to find things that are really comfy when you’re a curvier woman,” she says. “So that’s why I tend to gravitate towards those looks.”
In her experience, some underwear brands don’t always fit, but instead of turning to boring, oversized styles, she prefers something like the classic Calvin Klein set. “Sometimes underwear cuts in at a weird place or makes me feel bloated, she says. “But these rise at a nice place and really make me feel confident.”
Because of this confidence boost, she plans to wear hers both at home and with her everyday outfits — and she’s not the only one. With a few Calvin Klein bras and undies in her lingerie collection at home, Denise Mercedes is already a fan of the fit. While comfort is important to her, she also says that style is a major factor.
“It’s so comfortable, and wearing comfortable, stylish underwear can make anybody feel good about themselves,” Denise says. “We should have some days where we feel stylish and sexy too.”
ON FINDING CONFIDENCE
Each of these women are known on their platforms for being outspoken when it comes to being true to themselves — but that confidence wasn’t built overnight. Denise grew up listening to other people, and it left her feeling uncomfortable in her own skin. “Now, as an adult, I’ve realized that it’s not about what people think about you — it's about how you feel about yourself,” she says.
And even though they are more confident than when they were younger, it’s not always easy. Kayla says she still has moments where she feels like the teenager who hated her own body. “To this day I struggle with body image, but with the support of my followers I’ve learned how to take those feelings of self-doubt and make myself into a better person.”
This post is sponsored by Calvin Klein.
Images: Tory Rust; Art Direction: Diana Weisman/ BDG; Makeup: Tiffany Patton; Hair; Brett Jackson; Set Design: Chris Stone; Senior Editor: Jenna Wexler/ Bustle; Production: Nancy Valev and Lucy Haller/ Bustle.
