Uninhibited

Hui Li’s work environment isn’t too corporate, and she’s thankful that being able to look “smart-casual” every day doesn’t immediately undermine her credibility. “I think the most difficult part about dressing for work is finding clothes that look professional, without compromising comfort,” she says. “Work clothes are generally more structured and snug, and while they may look nice, they tend to limit movement and that inhibits my own confidence as well. The same goes for shoes — if it hurts when I walk, it affects my workday and makes me feel like I’m rooted to my desk. I think looking and feeling comfortable helps to put people at ease as well, and facilitates more open collaboration that is welcome in the nature of my work.” Hui Li says that she also tends to buy more separates, instead of dresses, as she usually shops in stores rather than online, so putting different pieces together in her look lowers the odds of her bumping into someone else wearing the exact same thing. When it comes to managing a work-life balance, Hui Li has a little ‘life hack’, as we’ve all come to call it. “I think it’s easier if you involve your friends and family in your plans — for example, I sometimes have lunch with my parents, who work at the City Hall area; I invite them to company events if they’re open to the public; and I sign up for classes after work with friends,” she says. Family seems to be a big part of Hui Li’s life, and she says she would like to help her parents out with their spectacle business. “I want to incorporate F&B into it — there’s a lot of waiting involved in between eye tests, choosing a frame, adjusting, and more, and eating is always a good way to pass time,” she says. “Alternatively, if I could do anything I wanted, I would open a canteen near my house with a large communal table and a kitchen that only serves one thing on the menu every day — most likely something fascinating off Buzzfeed, and there’d be endless business.”