We thought we’d give this a try — on the off chance you’re stuck at the office and want to talk about, well, anything, we thought we’d open a post for you guys. Enjoy! Pictured: Mikasa “Pure Red” Coffee Cup and Saucer, 10 oz., available at Macys.com for $15.99 (was $25).
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
Random question for you guys — has anyone had a successful experience with Locks of Love (or some other vehicle for donating hair)? We’ve heard bad stories from hairdressers but still kind of want to give it a try…
Several friends in DC have done it and been really happy with the hairdressers they went to – for some odd reason, I cannot think of anyone in NYC who has done it, but if I do I will ask them for the hairdressers name.
One of them did something smart because she is very particular about her hair – she had them cut off the ponytail and give her a basic long bob cut, and then eventually had it styled shorter when she found a hairdresser she loved.
Good to know! I think I’ll wait until the fall to do the chop — it’s way too long right now for me, but no one wants to go into summer and not be able to put their hair back.
I have several friends who’ve done Locks of Love and had great experiences (in Texas, though). I think most of them ended up doing the ponytail chop thing that City Girl mentioned.
I kind of like this dress. I think I’d prefer the houndstooth, but the black on sale is almost too good to pass up. Thoughts? It’s a little more a-line, so maybe more forgiving.
http://www.overstock.com/Clothing-Shoes/Tahari-ASL-Womens-Short-sleeve-Belted-Ponte-Dress/4035304/product.html?sec_iid=33969
I did Locks for Love — my hairdresser didn’t cut my hair for free because I was donating my hair, if that’s the question, but I thought the process was great and loved my short haircut! It felt a lot more professional than my super-long hair had been — I basically had been limited to the bun/chignon. If anyone needs a good short haircut in the DC area, Gina at the Alexandria PR@Partners is fantastic!
I tried on the Tahari dress in the store — it is nice, but the belt kind of makes it look cheap. Also, if you are at all hip-py, it doesn’t look quite right. If you’re an hourglass though, this is a great dress.
My daughter did Locks of Love a few years ago in Florida. Her haircut was awful. She has curly hair, which threw the stylist for a loop. We had to get it fixed at her regular salon. As a result, I would agree with the suggestions in the previous comments regarding the ponytail chop.
I’m wondering if anyone can help me with summer wardrobe options. I live in Chicago and walk or take public transit to to work. I end up getting so hot in the summer — both in suits and business casual wear — that I find it difficult to wear most of my professional wardrobe. I haven’t been able to find many lighter options that are appropriate for a rather conservative law firm environment. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Interesting re: Locks of Love — I kind of thought from the website nowadays that I just go to my regular hair dresser, do the ponytail chop, and style/cut from there — and then I mail in the ponytail separately.
Re: Tahari dress — like it! But if you get cold a lot bear in mind that it’s hard to accessorize a cowlneck (or whatever you call that neck) with a sweater or jacket.
Re: walking to work in stifling heat… layer, layer, layer. If your office only allows pantyhose you may want to try commuting bare-legged (or perhaps in thigh-highs? some friends prefer those) and then popping into a starbucks near work to put on your hose. If you’re still sweltering in a sheath dress with bare legs and bare arms… a) look into a switch to natural fabrics only (cotton, linen) — they wrinkle like mad but are great for the summer — or b) look into carrying a fan or something else with you. It might help to keep a can of cold soda in your fridge and take it with you on your commute — try rubbing it on your wrists. Sounds funny but helps you cool down fast.
DLS, I have an almost hour long commute in Alabama in a black car – I feel your pain. Because I refuse to use AC when I’m only going a few miles per hour (call me crazy, it’s okay!) I wear a skirt every day, keep flip flops in the car because I have hot feet, get to work a few minutes early to cool down before putting on the dreaded hose, wear tanks and tees that I will put a cardigan on over before my suit coat if I need to. I’ve even carried in blouses on hangers before. The key is getting in 10 minutes before everyone else. Then you’re in, fresh, and working when the bosses come in, and the office is none the wiser about your real intention. And I always make sure my hair is in a style that will look fresh again when I take it out of the clip or clear band I have it up with! But the soft drink can is a great idea, too!
DLS – Wear lots of skirts and short sleeves / camis, then keep a selection of jackets or sweaters at the office (or carry one in every day). Also commute in flip-flops so your feet don’t get hot. But honestly my best suggestion doesn’t work for most people — I go into the office every day with wet hair. Sounds bad, but I have curly hair and so I can just slap some gel/cream in before leaving home, and then let it air dry as I commute. Seems to go a long way to lowering my body temperature during the commute.
Re: putting on hose in Starbucks — really? What’s wrong with just putting it on in the office restroom after you arrive? An extra stop at Starbucks can take time, plus public restrooms are nasty.
DLS, I have found the best options are a cami under a 100% cotton dress shirt or short-sleeve cotton sweaters. Is your work so conservative that you can’t wear suits in natural fabrics during summer? I tend to switch to cotton/linen suits in the summer and am much more comfortable. Yeah, they wrinkle like mad, but if you’re in an area where everyone’s walking around in linen and seersucker, it’s not like you’re going to stick out. Otherwise I’d just keep or bring a suit to work and change when I get there if I have to wear a wool/poly blend suit.
Could you just change when you get to work? Where I live, a lot of people bike to work and change there.
Two things (1) Can anyone recomend a line of clothing for someone with narrow hips? My hips are always several inches smaller than the sizing chart for the proportions of the rest of my body. (2) Can anyone recommend a flattering and practical bathingsuit for sized for long torso but small hips? The butt is always too big when I buy the right size for my torso.
A couple of things. 1) Whenever I try on a dress, I feel like it needs some tailoring! Is this just me, or do you all run into a similar issue? I’m a size 4-6 and 5’3″, pretty average build –but sometimes I feel like, maybe the straps don’t lie quiet right, or it’s looser on the hip so I have to have it taken it, or I’d look like a balloon.
Also, a second question–2) I see a lot more women wearing capri pants to work now as we’re going into the peak of summer. I just feel like the khaki ones look like you’re going to a park/out to a barbecue. Any thoughts?
DLS, I walk nearly a mile to work in Chicago everyday. When the weather is warm, I carry my jacket or cardigan, wear dresses and skirts, walk a little slower, walk on the shady side of the street, and I even stand in a shady spot when waiting for a traffic light to change. When it’s hot and humid (or rainy, or snowy), I walk through as many buildings as I can (City Hall, Chase, Sears, Macy’s, and two other nameless buildings that are kinda icky but I really appreciate.) When the temperature is unbearable, I take a cab. : )
DLS, I walk nearly a mile to work in Chicago everyday. When the weather is warm, I carry my jacket or cardigan, wear dresses and skirts, walk a little slower, walk on the shady side of the street, and I even stand in a shady spot when waiting for a traffic light to change. When it’s hot and humid (or rainy, or snowy), I walk through as many buildings as I can (City Hall, Chase, Sears, Macy’s, and two other nameless buildings that are kinda icky but completely worth it.) When the temperature is unbearable, I take a cab. : )
I second (third? fourth?) the layering advice for the commute to work.
In addition, I always keep a few Herban Essentials towelettes in my bag and use them to wipe down my face and pulse points when I get to work. The lemon and peppermint ones seem to work the best. You can buy them at Whole Foods or here: http://www.herbanessentials.com/ProductList.do.
Any tips for choosing shoes that work without nylons? Our California law firm is business casual every day. (Think a lot of sweater sets.) The dress guidelines specifically say no nylons necessary. My pumps get very sweaty without nylons and even pull out the padding in the shoes. Would it help if I got slingbacks or peeptoes?
I don’t think you really need to pick a specific shoe. If you go to Target, it has a huge variety of tiny socks meant to go under various types of dress shoes without showing. The other choice is to buy dress shoe insoles. I know that Dr. Scholl’s makes them in a pump shape and you can easily replace them once they start to get gross.
Aldo cotton insoles. They don’t look like much in the picture, but they’re great. Thin, terry cotton insoles that are slightly padded. They absorb all the sweat, and you can throw them in the washer and dryer. For ages I tried to make all variations of peds work, but they were always slipping of my heel or threatening to peak out of my shoes. These are so much better.
http://www.aldoshoes.com/ca-eng/accessories/shoe-care/comfort-fit/56072169-471_072/97
dhttp://www.aldoshoes.com/ca-eng/accessories/shoe-care/comfort-fit/56072169-471_072/97
Peek, not peak.
Off, not of.
Ugh. sorry.
I like the Hue ones, too! But you do have to fiddle to make them stay low enough (go for the smalls) in some of my shoes (Nine West Nuncio in particular). They have a little rubber patch on your heel to stay up … and come in a peep-toe variety!
re: Locks of Love — there is a lot of misinformation out there about them. They sell the wigs — they don’t provide them for free — and the New York Times said that about 80% of the donated hair can’t be used for wigs anyway.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/06/fashion/06locks.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=locks%20of%20love&st=cse
Not trying to say that it isn’t a good cause, but FYI.
I am so intrigued by how many women who comment on this website are required to wear stockings/pantyhose to work. It seems so old-fashioned to me. I work for a large accounting firm in New York and although it is actually written in the dress code that stockings are required, no one actually wears them. I honestly can’t remember the last time I even saw a woman on the street wearing stockings
If that article is correct, Locks of Love has only donated/sold 2,000 wigs in 10 years? That seems like a scandalously low number to me, even with 80% of the hair they get being unusable.
Look at Wigs for Kids. They give “hair systems” to kids with cancer, etc. Their website has lots of information. I color my hair, so I’ve never looked into donating.
With regard to “Locks of Love”…
I haven’t read through all of the comments but saw that there was a discussion about it, so I thought I’d give my two cents. I’ve donated my hair to Locks of Love three times and am in the process of growing my hair out for the 4th donation (my hair is almost all the way down my back now, so it’s about time). It really doesn’t matter where you go to do it because you can send the hair in yourself. I’d recommend just going to your favorite stylist to do it. Have him/her gather your hair into a low ponytail with the elastic slightly lower than where you would like your final style to hit (i.e., if you want a chin-length bob, put the elastic somewhere around your shoulders). Then, have your stylist cut your hair slightly above the elastic. Your hair should be dry when you do it. Keep the elastic on the hair and place in a plastic bag. Then, just have your stylist cut your hair into whatever shorter style you’ve chosen.
Some information on Locks of Love:
The hair is used to make hair pieces for under-privileged children who have long-term hair loss for some medical reason (cancer, alopecia, etc.). Your hair must be 10 inches, at a minimum. Your hair cannot be bleached in any way but may be colored or permed. If you have curly hair, you can pull it straight to measure the 10 inch minimum. You can donate your hair in honor of someone (for instance, I usually donate in honor of someone I may know who is going through breast cancer treatment at the time of my donation). The person will then receive a certificate informing them of the donation in their honor. For more information, you can check out http://www.locksoflove.org
Also, Locks of Love does not sell all of the hair pieces. They are provided for free or on a sliding scale, based upon financial need. What they do always sell is hair that is not useable for their hairpieces — gray hair, hair below the minimum length, bleached hair, etc.
I had a friend who went with Wigs for Kids instead of Locks of Love because (she said) only the former is non-profit. She was very happy with WFK so you might want to consider them along with LOL.
Kate 1 – thanks for the link to the Aldo insoles. Did you get a size smaller than your shoe size or the same size? I’m a size 8, just wondering if I should order the size 7 or 8. Thanks.
To Lawdiva –
I use Aldo insoles all the time too. I get my regular shoe size.
When I bought it though (along with a pair of Aldo shoes I was going to use it with) I slipped it inside the shoes and wore them in the store to try on. It takes up a little room inside your shoe so your feet may end up a little crunched, in which case you may want to buy a half size larger shoe! I usually buy a 8.5 shoe but I ended up buying a 9 shoe and a 9 insole which still left my feet feeling comfy inside.
Another note about them – I know theyre supposed to be washable, but mine really didnt look so good after washing. They look a little worn out and a little greyish (not sparkling white they are when bought).
I tried the Dr. Scholls ones also but those are not washable.
Sam – thanks for the info! I really appreciate it.