After a year and a half working in the retail world, there have been many ups and downs (and clothes lying on the floor). While I may have had some rough shifts, I would like to stay on the positive side and write about the great things I have gained from working in retail.

Working in a clothing store taught me several things about clothes and the most important being that I REALLY like them. It is not easy to resist being addicted to clothes when you are around the same clothes on a daily basis. I know that sounds silly because you're around the clothes you own right? But this is a store with things to purchase and that makes it a little bit more difficult.

Of course many stores give their employees pretty significant discounts and I was lucky enough to take advantage of that and (maybe) save a little money while I was working there.

Aside from getting a great discount on ADORABLE clothes that were a little pricey, I also had the opportunity of first dibs on when things would get marked down. Every now and then, items that did not sell well or were leftover (maybe from the the summer or another season) would get marked down to an incredible price and sometimes it would be in my size!

Dealing with the public is never easy in the retail world, but you are not in it alone! My managers were always there for me when I needed back up. Working in retail is a team effort, to clean up the store, make sure everything runs efficiently, and to maintain and balance so people do not become overwhelmed. My co-workers definitely made the job so much easier and enjoyable. Everyone knew each other pretty well and we welcomed new people into the environment with the most absolute sincerity.

Lastly, and probably the most difficult thing for me starting out in retail was giving fashion advice. I was always afraid I would steer someone in the wrong direction and not prove to be helpful. As I became more comfortable with helping people put together outfits and pick out clothes, I felt more confident being assertive, not just with this but in everyday life. I tend to be on the shy side most of time and have trouble speaking up, so being able to express my opinion was important.