• It may be difficult to take your teenager's breakup seriously.
• Journalist Lisa Phillips wrote a book to show parents how to help their heartbroken teens.
• She said you need to validate their feelings and ensure they aren't withdrawing.

When Lisa Phillips' 13-year-old daughter started dating another person, the author and journalist became distressed. She wondered how this relationship — and eventual breakup — would affect her only daughter.

This led Phillips to write the book, "First Love: Guiding Teens Through Relationships and Heartbreak." It's aimed to help parents — like herself — navigate these new treacherous waters.

"Sometimes parents get caught up in what kind of relationship it was, saying, 'Oh, it was just a crush,' or 'Oh, this was just this weird situation. You never really said that you were an official couple. So it's probably good you can move on now,'" Phillips told Business Insider.

While that will be most parents' gut reaction, it isn't the best one. It can be difficult to manage your teen's feelings through this difficult time, but it's not impossible. Here's how.

First, validate your child's feelings

"If the heartbreak is happening, you want to validate it," Philips said, emphasizing that validation is the most important thing a parent can do.

Teens need to hear from their parents that their grief matters and their breakup matters — even if it may seem trivial to you.

Dr. Maria Ashford, a psychologist who has years of experience working with teens, said she sees heartbreak as one of many factors that may be leading to an increase in anxiety and stress.

"Teens, in general, are more hesitant to share these types of vulnerabilities, but especially in an environment where they may be unsure of whether their feelings will be validated or what kind of response they get," Ashford told Business Insider.

By validating their feelings, you're showing your teen you want to be there for them and help them move on with their lives.

Help them take the next steps toward healing

Some heartbroken teens might want to talk about the breakup all the time. Phillips said it's important that your teen doesn't ruminate or stay stuck in negative thoughts about the breakup. Instead, they need the right guidance to get out of this loop.

Phillips recommended saying: "Alright, we've really talked about this a lot. I am worried your brain is getting worn out. Let's think of one problem you can fix now."

You can also ask them if there are other concrete ways to support them. For example, Philips said, helping them deal with how they're going to work at their after-school job if that person is going to be there and coming up with strategies for them to talk to their boss to arrange different shifts.

What if your teen is hesitant to discuss their feelings with you?

Ashford said that if your adolescent isn't talking to you about their feelings, you need to watch for behaviors like avoiding certain activities or social engagements. This may be a sign that they're depressed.

Ashford said to check in with your reticent adolescent and suggested saying: "I know that you just went through something really tough, and when we go through these periods, it's helpful to talk to someone about how we feel. I also know sometimes it can be hard to do that with parents, so I just want to make sure you feel you have someone you trust who you can talk to about these things."

She also suggested you work together to find a therapist if they refuse to talk.

Remember, this is not about you

If you were close to your child's ex, you may have feelings of loss and grief, but you have to find ways of dealing with that on your own.

Phillips also added that this is not the time to discuss your own breakup or your past romantic disappointments.

"Do not bring up your divorce — especially if it's that child's parent," Phillips said. "That's just really not OK. That stirs up all kinds of issues of loyalty."

It's most important to focus on your child at this time and what they need to get through the breakup.

"In this moment, your child needs to feel heard on the [issues] they're dealing with in their life," Phillips added.

• The idea of a 32-hour workweek has gained steam over the years, and some businesses are trying it.
• Now, a group of progressive staffers are hoping to bring it to Congress.
• They're calling on lawmakers to enact 32-hour weeks on Capitol Hill when Congress isn't in session.

The 32-hour workweek has been steadily growing more popular. More and more businesses are experimenting with versions of it, and many workers say it makes them not just happier, but more productive.

Now, some are hoping to bring it to the halls of Congress.

In an open letter set to be sent later on Thursday, the Congressional Progressive Staff Association will call on members of Congress to consider implementing a "rotating" 32-hour workweek for staff.

"By establishing a rotating 32-hour workweek for District and DC staff, you can help increase retention, boost productivity, and improve the quality of life for your team," reads the letter.

Congress has a unique schedule — and unique workplace arrangements.

When the House or Senate is in session, lawmakers are in Washington taking votes, attending committee hearings, and working long hours alongside staff out of their Capitol Hill offices. When they're out of session, lawmakers are typically back at their district offices, meeting with constituents and holding events.

Under the proposed plan, staffers in Washington would work a 32-hour week when lawmakers are back in their districts, while district-based staffers would work a 32-hour week when lawmakers are in Washington.

The letter floats multiple possible versions of a potential 32-hour workweek, including having every employee work 8 hours for the same 4 days, staggering when employees' workweeks take place in order to ensure the office is staffed for all five days of the week, or having employees work five days a week with reduced hours each day.

"Working 32 hours, employees have a more substantial reprieve from work and therefore are able to complete the same tasks in less time," the letter reads. "If implemented for Congressional staff, Members could see the same increase in job satisfaction among their teams, while maintaining or increasing their level of productivity."

Michael Suchecki, a spokesman for the Congressional Progressive Staff Association, told BI in an interview this week that the proposal is not about bringing further perks to what's already a prestigious job, but to "set a precedent for everyday working Americans across the country, and help turn the page to what the future of the workweek can look like for everyone."

In the letter, the staffers argue that making the change will help to combat not just burnout among staffers but also turnover, a common occurrence given that staffers can often make more money with less demanding hours at private-sector jobs in Washington.

"We need to make sure that Congress is still able to draw in and retain the best talent, as opposed to having one of the highest turnovers of any industry in the world," said Suchecki.

Some in Congress have proposed legislation to implement a 32-hour workweek nationwide. Last year, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont introduced the "Thirty Two Hour Workweek Act."

• Venice Simplon-Orient-Express' new ultra-luxury sleeper carriage is set to debut in March.
• The L'Observatoire suite has a butler, a secret lounge, and a marble bathroom for $100,200 a night.
• Belmond's luxury train has seen a booking boom amid a revived rail renaissance.

A $100,200 check could change someone's life — or be just enough to cover their one-night stay in Venice Simplon-Orient-Express' L'Observatoire suite, debuting in March.

Luxury travel company Belmond operates a fleet of six trains. Rail enthusiast or not, you'll likely recognize its famous Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, a 108-guest moving hotel with revamped century-old carriages that still retain the extravagance of the time.

It's this old glitz and glamour that has made the swanky train — and its forthcoming suite — a magnet for the growing luxury rail aficionado community.

Gary Franklin, Belmond's senior vice president of trains and cruises, told BI that reservations for the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express spiked 10% from 2023 to 2024.

Its six Grand Suites are often the first accommodations to be booked, despite its starting price of £22,360 — about $27,310 — for one night. That's more than triple the cost of the train's basic cabins.

These suites, considered a bucket list for wealthy travelers, are the most luxurious accommodations on the train.

Come March, this title will be dethroned by the L'Observatoire.

The more than 330-square-foot suite would be the largest on the train, spanning an entire carriage.

Travelers in the lowest-tier cabins have to share a bathroom with other parties.

Meanwhile, guests luxuriating in the L'Observatoire would have their own freestanding bathtub, separate from the en-suite marble bathroom.

Take a soak while sipping a glass of Champagne — alcohol is complimentary.

French artist JR designed the restored carriage-turned-cabin.

As such, expect creative details in the bedroom, such as green scalloped walls and a round skylight with wood covers that pivot like a camera lens.

It's perfect for gazing at the night sky while lying on the double bed.

Spend your afternoons lounging in the living room.

Peruse the fully stocked bookshelf or take a catnap on the window-side daybed.

If you're more social — or don't feel like eating in the three dining cars — consider hosting a group of friends at the adjacent dining table.

The space can also be rearranged into a living room with couches. Your butler, available around the clock, can likely help you with this furniture jigsaw.

Play a few rounds of 'I Spy' as you look for hidden nooks and messages around the suite.

Look closely at the library to find a secret door. It will lead you into the "tea room," which is finished with a fireplace, another round skylight, and a miniature train model.

The Venice Simplon-Orient Express has 17 carriages — 18 when guests request this lavish suite.

The L'Observatoire carriage is available upon request for £82,000, or about $100,170, per night, according to Franklin.

Despite the steep cost, reservations have been "fantastic," he said, noting that it had been booked for nine nights — about halfway to its first-year expectations — as of mid-December 2024.

Not bad, considering that it costs more than a year's tuition at a private American college.

• Matt and Anya Schodorf are cofounders and owners of Café de Leche, with 4 locations in the LA area.
• Café de Leche's Altadena location was destroyed in the Palisades fire.
• A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $20,000 to support affected employees.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Matt and Anya Schodorf, owners and cofounders of Café de Leche, a coffee roasting café and small business in Los Angeles. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My wife, Anya, and I had four locations of Café de Leche around the Los Angeles area, but our Altadena location — our most popular and busiest one — burned down in the Palisades fire. Most of our livelihood comes from that location, which we developed into a thriving business over the past nine years.

To us, the café was more than just a building. It was a spot where the community gathered, where customers held celebrations for momentous occasions, from wedding receptions to baby showers, and where some of our employees, who later started relationships, first met.

Right now, we're mourning the loss of all these intangible things, like the sense of community connected to that space, and worrying about what will happen next.

That location had six permanent employees, and we also worry about their ability to provide for their families.

We're still stunned at how this all happened so fast

We've had windstorms in Altadena before. We went there at 9:30 p.m. to batten down the hatches — put away outdoor umbrellas and check if furniture had blown over. We watered down the patio in case ashes or embers came in and disposed of a downed Christmas tree leftover from the holidays. We walked around; it was so peaceful. Then, we sat in the office for a minute to pray.

We got our mail and locked the door, giving one last look at our business before we got in the car. Although we saw the fire on the foothills near east Altadena, we never expected the winds to blow the fires so close to our business, let alone for it to catch fire. We didn't think to take anything from the shop.

We woke up scared the next morning and tried to check on our business

We drove up at 6:30 a.m. along West Altadena, thinking it would be the safest route. Everywhere we looked, houses were burning down, and businesses were on fire. We couldn't see through the pitch-black smoke, so we turned around. It was getting unsafe.

Later, our daughter discovered online that the fire station half a block from the café had caught on fire. When we heard that, we knew things wouldn't be good. Then, someone commented on one of our Instagram posts saying they saw the café on fire. We tried to occupy ourselves, but we couldn't stop thinking about what might be happening to our business.

When it was safe to return, we went back up. Nothing was left. We were stunned.

We realize our business is just a thing, but we put a lot of love into it, and it makes up the bulk of our livelihoods

We are a small, mom-and-pop-run business; we don't have investors or a franchise. We put everything into the business, and each décor item was chosen and curated with love.

We're trying to find roles for the six permanent employees within our other locations, but in the meantime, we've set up a GoFundMe page to help them.

Our goal was to get $10,000 for our employees, and it was amazingly fully funded within the first 24 hours. At this point, over $20,000 has been raised. The support has been beyond anything we ever imagined, and we are grateful beyond measure.

Most employees live within 20 minutes of the café, if not directly in Altadena or Pasadena. Many had to evacuate, some lost their homes, and all have been impacted severely by this tragic event. We hope that these funds help bring them some comfort.

We hope to rebuild and come back stronger

People have special places they feel connected to, and this spot was that for many members of our community.

We hope the insurance companies will be true to their word and cover our losses, and the government will pause payments on our mortgage. How can we pay a mortgage on land that no longer has a business on it? These are just some of the things we are worrying about.

After those who've lost their homes are taken care of, we'd like to see some resources available to small businesses to help us.

Our hearts go out to those who lost their homes. We are very cognizant of people who lost more than we did, and we want to send love and support to them.

Anduril Industries will build Arsenal-1 in Columbus, Ohio, propelling its plans to pump out tens of thousands of autonomous vehicles, sensors and weapons.

• The production lines could go hot as soon as July 2026, according to the company.

Why it matters: This is a make-or-break moment for the $14 billion neo-prime, as it's promised the Pentagon and investors alike an overhaul of defense manufacturing.

• Speculation ran wild after it hinted at an initial stateside megafactory and future copycats abroad in August.

The latest: The 5 million-square-foot Arsenal-1 will be erected near Rickenbacker International Airport, which has ties to the Ohio Air National Guard.

• A 700,000-square-foot facility already on the plot will be renovated.
• Barracuda cruise missiles and Roadrunner interceptors are early contenders for production. Energetics — materials found in ammo, warheads and more — aren't on the menu, period.
• The location grants Anduril access to a pair of 12,000-foot runways. Testing nearby is an option.

What we're watching: How Anduril taps a Rust Belt workforce amid louder and louder chatter of American reindustrialization.

• Chief executive Brian Schimpf told Axios in November available labor and state government enthusiasm were big factors.
• Intel is building a semiconducter shop miles down the road.

Context: Ohio is home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center.

• Anduril is working closely with the service on collaborative combat aircraft. General Atomics is also on the drone wingmen project.

Catch up quick: Anduril secured $1.5 billion in funding over the summer. The money will be used in part for the facility.

• The company has other footprints in Rhode Island (focused on robo-subs), Mississippi (focused on solid rocket motors), Texas (where jammers and air autonomy are assessed) and Australia.
• No existing plants will be shuttered, Chief Strategy Officer Chris Brose told reporters.

The bottom line: "This is a massive milestone for Anduril on its journey as a company," Brose said.

• "We will be creating, with our partners in Ohio, something that does not currently exist in the American defense industrial base."

Go deeper: Central Ohio is an industrial development "sweet spot"

It took two presidents who can't stand each other to make a deal between Israel and Hamas.

• President-elect Trump swiftly claimed the victory for himself on Wednesday, while President Biden retorted sharply when a reporter asked if he or Trump really deserved the credit: "Is that a joke?"

Why it matters: Officials from the U.S., Israel and Qatar tell Axios the deal to free the hostages and end 15 months of war wouldn't have been possible without unprecedented coordination between their administrations.

• While Biden laid out the parameters of this deal all the way back in May and spent months pushing the parties to agree to it, Trump's public and private involvement "was the 10 cents missing for the dollar," one U.S. official told Axios.
• Both Israel and Hamas had far more incentive to sign on once they knew it was a deal with the incoming president, not just the outgoing one, another official acknowledged.

Flashback: After Trump's election victory, Biden and his team set a Gaza deal as their key foreign policy goal for the remaining 10 weeks in the White House.

• When Biden met Trump in the Oval Office a few days later, he proposed that they work together on a deal.
• The president-elect agreed, and decided he wanted an agreement before his inauguration.
• Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his top Middle East adviser Brett McGurk started meeting with their successors on the Trump team, Mike Waltz and Steve Witkoff, to coordinate their efforts.
• The ceasefire reached between Israel and Hezbollah in late November also provided new hope for a Gaza deal, and left Hamas more isolated than ever. "The ceasefire agreement in Lebanon was where the hostage deal really started," an Israeli official said.

The intrigue: On Dec. 2, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C) went to Mar-a-Lago for a round of golf with Trump. "I told him that if he issues a statement about the hostages in Gaza it will be a big deal," Graham told Axios.

• Trump agreed and started dictating to his press team. The resulting Truth Social post said that if the hostages were not freed by Jan. 20, "There will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge."
• That created a sense of urgency for the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, but also for Netanyahu, sources familiar with the talks say.

Several days later, Sullivan and McGurk travelled to Israel and met Netanyahu. The Prime Minister told them he wanted a deal on Trump's timeline.

• Sullivan, McGurk and CIA director Bill Burns all traveled to Doha to launch a final push for a deal.
• But Mohammad Sinwar, who succeeded his brother as Hamas' military leader in Gaza, refused to budge, and the gaps remained wide. U.S. officials also remained skeptical of Netanyahu's willingness to deal after he walked back promises and moved goalposts at previous points in the talks.
• As McGurk returned home for Christmas, it looked like the window for getting a deal before Trump assumed office was closing.

Trump decided to dispatch Witkoff to the region after talks picked back up in the New Year and began to show some momentum.

• "The president is exasperated," Witkoff, a real estate investor and Trump confidante, said at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago two days before he travelled to Doha.
• "If these hostages aren't back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East — it will not be good for Hamas or anybody else," Trump warned once again.
• McGurk later told Trump's envoy the time was ripe and his push was needed.

Zoom in: In meetings after his arrival last Friday, Witkoff stressed to the Qatari prime minister that Trump wanted a deal and expected the mediators to push Hamas to make one.

• He told Netanyahu: "Trump is serious about this deal, don't ruin this," according to a source briefed on their conversation.
• Witkoff also asked Netanyahu to send in more senior officials to negotiate, with a mandate to close the deal, the source said. Netanyahu agreed.
• Later that evening, Witkoff joined a meeting between Netanyahu and his chief negotiators. McGurk also dialed in. Over the next hour, the envoys from the two administrations probed the areas on which the Israelis were willing to be flexible.

What they're saying: An Israeli official told Axios that was an unprecedented moment in the U.S.-Israel relationship, and credited Witkoff for injecting "Trump momentum" into the meeting.

• "Witkoff played a crucial role in the negotiations over the last few days, applying pressure from Trump. It was an X-factor," another Israeli official said.
• Graham told Axios that all the players involved understood that Witkoff speaks for Trump. "People in the region don't want to start on a bad foot with Trump," he said.

Behind the scenes: From Israel, Witkoff traveled back to Doha and joined McGurk for 96 hours of intense diplomacy.

• In another unusual step for representatives of successive administrations, the two met together with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

Behind the scenes: The final sprint in the negotiations took place at a Qatari government official residence. Hamas representatives were on the first floor with the Israelis on the second and the Qatari and Egyptian mediators shuttling between them.

• Negotiations dragged on until 3am each night and resumed in the morning after a few hours of sleep, a U.S. official said.
• Issue after issue was closed: The redeployment of Israeli forces; what Hamas must do during the ceasefire; the delivery of humanitarian aid; the sequencing of hostage and prisoner releases.
• On Wednesday morning, Hamas raised three new demands, according to a U.S. official. "We had to flex a muscle to get them to back off, and we did," the official said.

That afternoon local time, Hamas came back for a meeting with the Qatari and Egyptian mediators and gave its official positive response. "Only then we were sure we have a deal," the U.S. official said.

• The Qatari prime minister made the announcement: "We saw two U.S. administrations working together... what the U.S. did led to this moment."
• Next, Netanyahu called Trump and thanked him for his help in getting the deal. Only then did he call to thank Biden.

• An uptick in retirements and a decrease in immigration could help some job seekers.
• US businesses are hiring at the lowest rate since 2013, excluding a two-month dip in 2020.
• A smaller workforce could aid some job seekers but poses risks to the economy.

An uptick in retirements and a decrease in immigration could make it easier for some Americans to find work this year.

Cory Stahle, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told Business Insider that these factors are likely to make it "slightly easier" for some people to find work in 2025 — particularly those looking for "in-person, skilled-labor" jobs where hiring is the strongest on Indeed's job platform.

"Backfills for retiring employees, paired with fewer workers coming from abroad, are likely to mean less competition for many roles," he said, referring to government projections of lower net immigration levels this year and next, along with the potential for stricter immigration policies under the incoming Trump administration. "But it's probably still going to feel harder to find a job than it did during the hiring surge we saw in 2021 and early 2022."

There are some signs that the hiring landscape could improve, and economists told BI that the ongoing retirement wave and the potential for lower immigration levels could favor job seekers this year.

This could be the break many people wanted. While the unemployment rate remains low compared to historical levels, US businesses are hiring at the lowest rate since 2013 — excluding a two-month pandemic-related dip in 2020. This has made it harder for some people to find work. As of December, roughly 1.6 million people had been looking for work for at least six months — up from 1.3 million a year prior.

Stahle said that 2025 could mark an "important inflection point" when demographic factors begin to lead to a decline in the labor force participation rate — which he added has been roughly flat over the last year.

"Once that process starts, it is unlikely to reverse course without a massive surge in immigration or growth in labor market involvement from older workers above all-time highs," he said.

A gap in the workforce could be on the horizon

About 1.1 million baby boomers retired in 2024, and an estimated 2 million will do so this year, Adam Schickling, a senior economist at Vanguard, told Business Insider.

Schickling said there are roughly 8 million working Americans between the ages of 63 and 67 — a common age range for retirement. While there were a similar number of people in this group last year, Schickling said a larger share of this year's cohort is older — between the ages of 65 and 67 — which is among the reasons Vanguard expects an uptick in retirements.

Schickling added that some older workers postponed their retirements because the strong labor market made it easier to secure work. But he said many of these workers will likely choose to retire before they turn 70.

"2025 is shaping up to be one the biggest years for baby boomer retirements," he said. That, coupled with a smaller-than-usual cohort of people between the ages of 20 and 24, suggests there will be a very low labor supply growth this year, he added.

Stahle said workers over 55 are spread across the labor market but are particularly common in business, management, healthcare, and education roles.

Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office projected last year that net immigration levels — and overall population growth — would begin declining in 2025. Additionally, on the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump said he would carry out the "largest domestic deportation in American history," though the extent of his plans is unknown.

"If the incoming administration follows through on promises of limiting immigration and implementing mass deportations, it is likely that we see the demographics impact the labor supply sooner rather than later," Stahle said.

Leisure and hospitality, construction, and agriculture are the industries with the highest share of immigrant workers who are not US citizens as of 2022, per the most recent Census Bureau data available.

When reached for comment, Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the Trump-Vance transition team, said that as president, Trump "will enlist every federal power and coordinate with state authorities to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in American history while simultaneously lowering costs for families and strengthening our workforce."

A smaller workforce could ultimately hurt the economy

To be sure, it's uncertain how much retirements and changes to immigration levels will impact the US labor supply in 2025. Kory Kantenga, head of economics, Americas, at LinkedIn's Economic Graph Research Institute, told BI that retirement levels have been relatively stable over the past year, per LinkedIn data. Additionally, the specifics of the Trump administration's immigration policies haven't been announced.

While a lower labor supply might help some Americans find work, it could also come with significant economic downsides.

"Declining labor supply can improve prospects for job-searchers, but too few workers can also result in inflationary wage growth and supply disruptions that perpetuate inflation," Schickling said. For example, labor supply issues in the construction industry — which has long relied on immigrant labor — could make it more difficult for the US to increase its housing supply, he added.

Kantenga said that in the long run, having an economy with fewer workers could lead to lower consumer spending and slower economic growth.

"Slower growth means fewer opportunities for everyone," he said, adding, "And so it's not necessarily clear that it's going to make workers better off just because it may be easier for them to find a job."

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• Business Insider asked successful men across industries about their favorite fashion.
• Some said they love fan-favorite athleisure brands like Alo Yoga and Lululemon.
• Others prefer pieces from Loro Piana, Acne Studios, and Buck Mason.

It doesn't matter if they wear scrubs or suits during the workday.

Successful men across industries have scoured stores and websites to find their favorite fashion items.

Some have landed on sites like The RealReal, where they buy designer suits for half the retail price. Others buy tops, jeans, and other wardrobe essentials from designers who have local boutiques in their areas.

Here are the brands and pieces a few professionals told Business Insider about, from fan-favorite athleisure to designer denim.

Pants from Alo Yoga are one venture capitalist's secret to feeling comfortable at work.

Rob Biederman, 38, is busy. He founded Asymmetric Capital Partners in 2021, now works as the fund's managing partner, and was named a BI rising star of venture capital in 2023.

He also serves as chairman for Catalent Technologies, the pharma and biotech company he previously founded.

Whether he's sitting in an office or on the go for a work trip, Biederman has found the $128 Day and Night pants from Alo Yoga to be the most comfortable and work-appropriate option on the market.

"I'm actually wearing them right now," he said during an interview with BI. "I might wake up in New York, fly to Boston, fly to San Francisco, then fly to London. So, I need things that can do well across multiple days. They can't get wrinkled if I wear them twice."

In his experience, Alo's slacks fit the bill. They're sold in four neutral colors, and each pair has four pockets.

He also incorporates pieces from Billy Reid and Buck Mason throughout his wardrobe.

"They're two brands that I find to be such undiscovered players," Biederman told BI. '"And it happens that both of their stores are really close to my apartment in West Village."

He describes clothes from both brands as classy, stylish, and crafted with quality. Biederman said they also hold up well after airplane rides and busy days.

Buck Mason is best known for its jackets, button-up tops, and thermal layering pieces. The brand's menswear items range from $45 to $1,498.

Billy Reid, on the other hand, sells elevated basics like lambskin jackets, printed button-ups, and peacoats, with each piece costing between $68 and $1,998.

Depending on the occasion, one art professional switches between denim from Andersson Bell and DL1961.

Paul Hill, the 25-year-old founder of the art-tech company Strada, describes himself as a "big uniform guy."

He spends his days operating a New York City gallery and developing workflow management software for the art industry. So he prefers to keep his wardrobe simple.

"I'm just like, let me pretty much wear the same thing as much as possible every day," he said with a laugh.

The base of his outfits is always a pair of jeans from one of two brands. When he wants a classic fit, he wears New York-based DL1961, which sells sustainably-made pants that cost between $158 and $258 each.

On days when he wants to go high-fashion, however, Hill turns to Andersson Bell. Designer pants from the Seoul brand feature patchwork patterns, oversize pockets, and unique washes. They cost upward of $306 each.

One tech professional in the education space alternates between three designer brands.

Sasha Bratyshkin, 28, formerly worked as an engineer at Facebook and now serves as the cofounder and chief technology officer of Housing.Cloud, a platform that helps students find housing.

In the summer, he enjoys wearing designer pieces from Dries Van Noten and Jacquemus. The latter is known for its cropped jackets, statement button-up tops, and graphic hoodies. Its menswear pieces cost between $150 and $4,590 each.

But at the start of the year, you can usually find Bratyshkin wearing Acne Studios.

"They have great sweaters," he said of the Stockholm-based brand. "It's a cozy line."

The average knitwear piece from the brand retails for $620.

He also searches for new fashion pieces on Ssense.

Since the end of 2024, Bratyshkin has been using the e-commerce site Ssense to find designer pieces at discounts — specifically ones that keep him warm in the winter.

"I'm having a little cardigan phase, so I'm shopping for a lot of that stuff on there," he told BI.

The website sells brands like Bottega Veneta, Comme des Garçons, and Stella McCartney and occasionally offers discounts you likely wouldn't find on the retailer's website.

A finance professional creates his ensembles using garments from John Elliott and 3sixteen.

Reed Switzer, 24, created the fintech company Hopscotch, which helps small businesses pay bills more easily.

He wears Buck Mason's $158 chinos for work most days. On his days off, however, he typically wears jeans from the New York City brand 3sixteen, specializing in Japanese denim. Pairs usually cost around $250 each.

"It's really, really solid stuff," he told BI about the brand's products. "I always had issues finding jeans that I really liked, and this brand just kills it."

As for tops, Switzer gravitates toward heavyweight, good-quality tees. He's a big fan of the $158 ones from designer John Elliott.

"I think they're really great, basic, plain T-shirts," he said. "And the cut on them is always really nice."

His suits of choice come from the Italian brand Loro Piana.

"Any time I need to be a little bit more dressy, Loro Piana, I think, is classic," Switzer told BI. "You can't go wrong with them."

The brand's suits can cost between $4,200 and $6,825 and are favored by celebrities like Andrew Garfield.

Switzer said he also enjoys the designer's trousers for work days.

No matter the occasion, this real-estate professional wants to wear Lululemon.

"Regardless of whether I'm staying in the house or I'm going out, you'll always catch me in some form of a Lululemon outfit," Bryce Grandison, a 27-year-old former real-estate analyst, told BI.

Now studying to become a licensed agent in his home state of Georgia, Grandison doesn't have much time to focus on fashion. So, he sticks with matching sets.

He especially likes the brand's jersey pieces, which range in price between $58 and $98, the $128 ABC joggers, and the $128 half-zip sweaters.

The RealReal is the ideal place to create a luxury wardrobe, says one dermatologist and CEO.

Reed Waldman, 30, is a dermatologist and the CEO of Veradermics, a biopharmaceutical company he founded. During each workday, he wears his personal uniform: a blazer and trousers or a full suit with a tie.

"I don't think I've bought any brand-new clothes in several years," he told BI. "I am an avid shopper of The RealReal. I primarily wear Cesare Attolini, Tom Ford suits, and Hermès ties."

He discovered the retail platform when he first entered the dermatology field with only one suit in his closet. A colleague suggested he try some designer pieces from the secondhand site.

"I think I bought some navy Brioni blazer for $70, and I was like, 'This is so much cheaper than going to Macy's,'" he said. "And people were like, 'This is a really nice blazer. You look really nice.' So then I started buying a lot more dress clothes."

• Brandy Melville is expanding in Asia with a new store in Seoul, South Korea's capital.
• The store is in Seongsu-dong, a hip neighborhood often likened to Brooklyn.
• The store saw snaking queues and products flying off the shelves in its first week of operation.

Brandy Melville, the teen-favorite clothing store that offers a "one size fits all" sizing approach, just opened a new store in Seoul's answer to Brooklyn — and it's a big hit.

The store, located in the hip Seongsu-dong area, opened on January 3 and was flooded with customers in its first week of operation, according to The Korea Herald.

Snaking queues formed outside the store in its first week of operations, as seen in TikTok videos posted by customers.

Other TikTok posts about the store's opening showed customers spending hours waiting in line.

The videos showed a well-stocked inventory, with full stacks of clothes on islands around the store. Products were snatched up fast, with staff having to restock the shelves frequently, per multiple reports from South Korean media outlets.

TikToker users have also been quick to post their shopping hauls from the new store, showing off their new sweaters and cami purchases. Other videos called it a "must-visit" store and one of the "new trendy places" in the Seongsu-dong neighborhood.

The Seoul store adds to the chain's small but growing presence in Asia. Brandy Melville currently has five other stores in the continent — one each in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, and two in mainland China.

Founded in Italy in the 1980s, the brand gained popularity after expanding to the US in 2009 and establishing its image as the go-to retailer for teenage girls in the US.

Representatives for Brandy Melville did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.