I was born and raised in Hanoi. Since I was little, my parents bought me clothes made of real materials without nylon, with hand-embroidered patterns. My mother knitted shirts and hats for me every cold winter. That may also be the reason why I always choose clothes made of raw, real materials and simple designs, but with small, delicate patterns and details. Moving to Saigon when I was over 30 years old, I am still loyal to linen and silk like when I lived in Hanoi. But my difficulty is that I don't have much time to choose fabrics and have them tailored, so I choose ready-made clothes. I have tried many brands, but in the end I am satisfied, and can be called the most loyal to TimTay.
Previously, I worked as a manager at a number of foreign companies in the field of trade and distribution of goods. I often had to travel, often sitting for long periods on flights or in cars, so I prioritized choosing comfortable clothes. However, linen - you know - is very easy to wrinkle. As for silk, sometimes when I go into an air-conditioned room, it sticks to my body, making me feel unconfident when meeting customers and partners. Therefore, although I love linen and silk very much, because of the "pressure" of having to look "worthy of a boss", I still have to wear some branded, famous clothes, even though I don't really like them.
After having my second child, I had access to a humanistic and profound scientific education, I decided to establish a preschool. This job changed my life a lot. I am like a fish in water, because I like serving others, like discovering new things, and each child is an extremely vivid book. Doing this job, I feel my life is meaningful every second and every minute - just imagine, what kind of person today's little child will become in the future, and then they will raise their children to become what kind of person... Just thinking about that, you can see how much important part of many people's lives I hold in my hands. Because I see the value of my work, I don't have much concept of work-life balance, for me, work is a source of joy, a source of life, and I live healthy, live happily to do useful work. I love this job because it balances both mind and body, and is emotionally satisfying and creative. Whenever I feel confused, I go down to plant trees and sweep the yard. Whenever my hands and feet are tired, I go to class to sew and sing. I can find balance every day. Living with children, I get to “take refuge” and escape from calculations, fighting, and jealousy.
In the kindergarten class, at first I was both a teacher and a manager. The clothes had to be comfortable for those who did manual work, soft enough, and real enough so that every time I held the children in my arms, they felt nourished by the material touching their skin. Linen was ideal for these requirements. I felt free - in the true sense of the word - when choosing my work clothes every day. I was dressed-for-myself.
TimTay is of course the number 1 choice because it suits my style: I like freedom, simplicity and honesty, but it must have a hidden charm. You will wonder how I know TimTay, right? Very interesting! A few years ago, when I was buying clothes from many different brands, I often saw a woman wearing very simple linen clothes. She was not a woman who attracted attention at first sight, but her gestures and posture in the linen clothes she wore were extremely attractive. One time, I met her on the street, I stopped her to ask where she bought her clothes. And she smiled and pointed to her daughter who was walking with her - the co-founder of TimTay. She told me that she was about to open a store, and I came on the opening day... The beginning of a journey to become a loyal fan of TimTay.
TimTay has good material, I hand wash all the clothes I wear - this is really like a meditation activity for me, I don't need to iron, I just hand wash, wring, flatten before hanging, wait for it to dry and then wear it. I like to take care of my clothes, so my clothes are quite durable. Luckily, TimTay clothes get softer the more I wear them. TimTay's design is simple, but quite charming when worn, suitable for many different communication situations, so I can wear it to have coffee with friends - one of my hobbies - wear it to work, even wear it to parties and still feel very confident.
You may not believe it, but sometimes when I'm stressed, I also go to TimTay just to look at a few items. Entering the small space, it's beautifully decorated, has a pleasant scent, and sometimes I'm lucky enough to meet a few people from TimTay whose taste I like, I feel relieved. If I don't feel completely relieved, I can walk, cycle, or read books. I get stressed easily because I'm a perfectionist, but I also get relieved easily because just doing a few things I like makes it easy for me to let go of my worries or anxieties.
I hope TimTay can maintain the meticulousness and carefulness in the stitching of the product. Fastidious fans like me are actually very loyal if satisfied.
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Mrs Linh is wearing: Bug Dress, Kiki Skirt, Basic Top, Potato Peel Blazer, Sweet Potato Top, Salted Pepper Pants
Interviewer: Hoàng Anh
Photographer: Luân Trần
