July 2009

Weekly Roundup

by C July 17, 2009 Business Etiquette

Liking these posts? Follow Corporette on Twitter — this is the edited version of what we’re reading! (We also Tweet if we hear about a good sale.)

- The L.A. Times has a great profile on J.Crew’s creative director, Jenna Lyons (pictured).

- Does work/life balance exist? Or, in order to rise as high as Sonia Sotomayor, do you have to be a workaholic? [WSJ's The Juggle]

- Studies show women of color struggle to rise in law firms. [MPR] But, allegedly, women are more likely to get hired at law firms than men are. [Let the Curve Do the Work]

- Turns out no one likes the office pool party! [WSJ's The Juggle]

- Some “no duh” advice on how not to get fired over Twitter/Facebook use. [Young Lawyers Blog] For your real life, Lifehacker offers advice on how to avoid sounding stupid: a calculated pause.

- Oh yes — in case you didn’t hear — Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale
is on, meaning there are discounts on this coming fall’s merchandise.

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Bargain Friday’s TPS Report: Nine West’s Walcott Pumps

by C July 17, 2009 Fashion

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

Today’s reader-suggested TPS comes from reader L, who writes:

I just got the Nine West “Walcott” shoes in black – and they’re perfect. I want them in every color. Not too high a heel, not too pointy at the toes (but also not so rounded they look like toddlers’ shoes) – they’re very comfortable, effortlessly professional, and inexpensive (on sale for $50!). I think the style won’t be discontinued any time soon, I’ve seen different colors introduced each season.

We think these are a great, reasonably priced alternative to the Cole Haan and Manolos out there. Note also that these shoes are available up to a size 12. They’re available at NineWest.com for $50.
Walcott

If you’ve recently seen a great work piece you’d like to recommend to the readers, please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. Unless you request otherwise, we’ll refer to you by your first initial only.

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Corporette 101: Pant Hemlines

by C July 16, 2009 Corporette 101

This post is actually inspired by a reader’s question:

How long should pant hemlines be, when wearing a suit or dress pants with loafers (with a 1″ stacked heel) or heels?

We recall, many years ago, seeing an illustrated feature in the front of Esquire magazine, advising men how long their hemlines should be with different types of pants and shoes. (Yes, we were dorky enough to scan it and keep it.) Our advice won’t be quite as nuanced as that, alas, because in our minds the answer is always the same: the front of the hemline should brush the front of your foot (“the vamp”), and only a half-inch of heel ought to be showing in the back. Far too often we see women wearing heels with pants that are hemmed for flats — it makes their legs look shorter. It’s even worse with suits, because then the whole suit looks like it doesn’t fit.

Readers, any thoughts?

Further viewing: Proper Fit of Pants [eHow]

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Thursday’s TPS Report: Charlotte Tarantola’s Summerland Cardigan

by C July 16, 2009 Fashion

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

Today’s reader-suggested TPS comes to us from L, who writes that “[t]his Charlotte Tarantola cardigan fits really well and is nice to have in cold offices during the summer.” We’re loving the fun mix of colors and patterns, as well as the ribbed knit panel around the waist. It’s available at Nordstrom.com for $100. Charlotte Tarantola ‘Summerland’ Cardigan

If you’ve recently seen a great work piece you’d like to recommend to the readers, please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line.

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Suit of the Week

by C July 15, 2009 Fashion

For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.

We’re loving this beautifully designed and reasonably priced skirt suit from Max Studio. The curve of the seams, the hidden pockets, the slightly rough look to the jacket — we love it all. We’d buy it as a suit but probably end up wearing the jacket a lot as a topper for other outfits. The jacket (FAILLE SEAMED JACKET) is $178 (was $342), and the skirt (STRETCH FAILLE PENCIL SKIRT) is $98 (was $148).