Or so we hope. C’mon, don’t be shy, we won’t bite. Comment away.
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From the monthly archives:
June 2008
The WSJ has a story today about how the law firm Weil, Gotshal, & Manges recently had a women’s networking event at Henri Bendel’s, giving everyone $25 gift cards to get them started. Bendel’s agreed to give 10% of the profits to a charity, and Weil agreed to match those profits. (We knew we shouldn’t have cancelled that callback we got from Weil, darnit.) (Photo by pixxiestails, courtesy of Flickr.)
Jillian Bunyan, who had just arrived in New York from “rural Maryland” to intern at Weil, said the evening offered her a chance to interact with women she considered too high-up to approach in the office. “Being here sort of levels the playing field,” she said. While the big bosses at work seemed out of reach, at Bendel’s “you can talk to anybody about designer sunglasses.”
. . .
Two lawyers, Erin Law and Virginia Munoz who were hunting for a watch, agreed that men had the advantage of being able to bond more easily than women. “They can just do it whenever,” Ms. Munoz said. Women, she said, needed a reason to talk to each other. To her, male bonding seems effortless: “Oh you like sandwiches? Me too!”
We’ve already done one poll today, but we’re curious for comments — do you feel that firms should have special networking events for women? Beyond dinners or catered parties, what sort of events has your firm done that you’ve liked and haven’t liked? What sort of events would you like? Have organizers tried to do specialized events (e.g., shopping or spa parties) and been rejected by male managers? Do you feel like there needs to be something to “level the playing field,” as the above quote (from what sounds like a summer associate) suggests — either lots of liquor or two women grabbing the same cashmere sweater?
We have mixed feelings on this stuff. On the one hand, these women-only events feels a bit like those pink computers and Blackberries marketed towards women — false in some important way. But the shopping event sounds like fun bonding — much more fun than trying to balance a weak cocktail with a tiny plate of appetizers.
At Weil, Shopping & Networking Go Hand in Hand [WSJ]
UPDATE: Boo — unless we’re mistaken our comments aren’t working. Double boo. If you like please e-mail us with any comments (editor@corporette.com) and we’ll post ‘em when we get ‘em up and running as updates to this post. (We promise we will NOT post your e-mail address or name.) Otherwise we’ll let you know when we fix the problem.
UPDATE 2: We’re back in business! Please comment away.
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Let’s set the scene for you: You enter the break room. One of your colleagues stands there, minding her own business and getting coffee. You notice that she’s wearing a khaki linen skirt that is a bit too short — when she bends over to put the milk back in the fridge you can see everything. When she stands up again you realize that the skirt is see-through, to boot. Your internal debate begins: should you tell her?
Photo at left by DCvision2006, courtesy of Flickr.
We’ve all had that unfortunate outfit mishap where a newly-purchased item of clothing doesn’t quite work out the way you want it to — it’s too low cut, it’s popping open, the skirt is shorter than you thought, etc. Some of these things, you know about — but other times, it takes a good friend to tell you. Would you want someone to tell you? How do you act when someone else’s outfit is inappropriate? (Note that for today’s poll, you’re allowed to choose more than one answer.)
Our tip: Young lawyers are often told to keep a conservative suit in their office, in case there’s a last-minute court appearance. This is not bad advice for all women working in conservative offices — keep a safe outfit (one that you know fits) at the office. It’ll save you when your outfit is accidentally inappropriate, as well as when you spill salad dressing.
Related (kinda): How to Tell Someone They Smell Bad At Work [SpeakStrong]
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In this new feature, we’ll explore one tool that makes the busy woman’s life easier in some small way.
We always feel like the more papercuts you have, the more vulnerable you are to infections, colds, and so forth — so whenever we get one we do our best to keep it sealed. When we started our corporate jobs, we were fine using Band-Aids for the occasional scrape. But, after a few years and a few thousand papercuts — including those nasty cuts from redwelds — we realized regular Band-Aids weren’t doing the job. We now swear by by New-Skin Antiseptic Liquid Bandage for patching up our skin.
We like it because one bottle lasts forever, and is easy to apply as soon as the cut happens. It doesn’t come off when washing your hands, and it doesn’t leave a sticky mess on your fingernails.
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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. We begin the week in splurge mode, with our most expensive suggestions, and wind our way to Friday, where a less expensive item of clothing might be just what you need to make it to the weekend.
Goodnight, nurse. We love this Diane von Furstenberg Zanne Pocket Dress from Pink Mascara. Feminine but businesslike, it’s the perfect black dress to wear to the office, out for drinks, or even to a cocktail party.
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- The NYT studies Michelle Obama’s style. We were kind of transfixed when she recently looked fabulous while apparently wearing two cardigans. [NYT]
- Ooh, potted, tinted lipgloss that is 85% organic and has no chemical preservatives. [Beauty Snob]
- Feeling tired? Use acupuncture to pick yourself up, caffeine-free. [Real Age]
- Also, if you haven’t heard, there’s a nationwide alert for tomatoes. Yes, tomatoes. [Emergency E-mail]
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Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
It’s disgustingly hot outside, and linen trousers can be an absolute lifesaver in this sort of heat. Khaki and white linen is festive and seasonal but, let’s face it, fraught with problems — do you really trust that you’ve found exactly the right pair of underwear to wear beneath them? Black linen pants are much less dicey, and hide wrinkles. They’re a great way to survive the summer in style.
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Cole Haan is having a great sale on their site, with lots of Nike Air shoes marked down significantly. Lots of sizes left, too. Some of the shoes we like for the office:
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- Carma OT Air Pump (in Navy) – now $189.95
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- Fiona Air Sling – now $159.95
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- Joelle Air Mary Jane – now $209.95
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- Nami Air Pump – now $209.05
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- Wanda Air Sling – now $189.95
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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. We begin the week in splurge mode, with our most expensive suggestions, and wind our way to Friday, where a less expensive item of clothing might be just what you need to make it to the weekend.
A good sweater set will take you through the summer with grace and style. We like this floral crewneck sweater from TSE, sold at Saks. You can wear it as a set, obviously, or wear the tank as a vest, on top of a collared button-down shirt. The best thing about the twinset is the ability to wrap the sweater around your shoulders for the hot commute into the office and then put the sweater on for the chilly air-conditioned day.
Tip: We’ve always found that the trick to the “cardigan over the shoulder” thing is to button the entire sweater (otherwise it looks like a cape), put the buttons against your back (not facing outward), and bring the arms up over the shoulder as neatly as possible and knot it once. We prefer to tie the sweater on top of our shoulders, rather than around our arms, but we’ve seen it both ways.
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