How do you do black tie on a shoestring budget?  Reader J wonders…

I am a law student who will be working at a firm over the summer. I am expected to attend a black tie event, but I don’t know what to wear nor how to find the dress without breaking the bank. I am also hoping to find a dress that is multi-purpose, so that it won’t gather dust in the closet until the next black tie affair comes along.

Congratulations — black tie events can be a lot of fun, and I don’t think we’ve covered them in quite a while (see my advice for what not to wear to a black-tie, as well as how to dress for a black-tie affair at the last minute).  Here are my tips:

• If you’re going to splurge on anything, splurge on shoes and accessories. You can wear these pieces to a multitude of different events, so your cost per wear is much less than it is for one-time-only items like dresses.  Comfortable shoes are particularly important — although most business black-tie functions do not have dancing (at least in my experience), you can be on your feet for hours enjoying cocktails.  You can borrow a clutch or wrap if you’re really on a budget, but I would urge you to keep an eye out for these pieces, and when you find one you love at a decent price, consider snapping it up.  If you have a wrap, a clutch, and fancyish shoes, you can make almost any black dress look appropriate for a black-tie event.  (On the converse, if you have a full-length black gown or other great black cocktail dress and then wear it with regular accessories, nothing looks worse to me.) Local places like DSW and TJ Maxx will have great deals on shoes; you can also look to 6pm and other online deal places.  If you already have a favorite brand of comfortable heels, see if they make evening shoes as well.  I would stick with black, gold, or silver shoes for the most versatility, but that’s just me. (Pictured above: Caparros – Webster (Black/Clear Satin) – Footwear, on sale at 6pm for $49.)
• Do your hair yourself.  If you can do your hair in a fancy-ish way by yourself (put it in curlers, or have a friend help you put it up in a fancy up-do), this is a big place to save on money.  A Cup of Jo has some great tutorials; I’m sure YouTube has a million more.
• The dress.  The dress is probably the thing you’re freaking out about, right?  I remember for my first black-tie event.  The joke around the office was that it was my law firm’s Prom, and for weeks the first-year associates wondered what the heck we were supposed to wear. (Apparently “ask a more senior associate” didn’t occur to us.)  Were we really supposed to show up in a long dress?  Wasn’t that a bit crazy for a work event?  So I bought a black knee-length velvet cocktail dress, wore it with plain black heels, and, I think a fancyish clutch . . . and I never felt so underdressed in my life!  I honestly think if my shoes had been fancier I would have felt better about it, but for every subsequent Prom I got a floor-length dress.  I will say that if it’s a black-tie event after work (such as when it’s for a charity and a client has bought a table there, for example) that I saw more women wearing shorter, cocktail-length dresses (if not pants) for the event… whereas if it was a Saturday night type affair, longer gowns were far more common.  Here are few tips for you to save money on the dress:

• Befriend a slightly more senior coworker who has your body type — and then ask her if you can borrow something.
• Rent a dress, such as through Rent the Runway.  Your cost-per-wear for black-tie dresses can be quite high, so renting them often does make more sense.
• Check out consignment stores.  You may want to do some legwork before you start heading out — ask around in your town, and perhaps call ahead to the the store to see if you can get an idea of their inventory.
• If you have old bridesmaids dresses, take a second look at them.  If they’re otherwise acceptable to wear to the event, you might be able to dye them black.
• Stalk the sales!  I remember getting a full-length skirt and a matching top from an Ann Taylor outlet store for $9.99 for each piece — but that was truly a “right time, right place” kind of sale.  (And it was January, if I remember correctly, which is around the time you see a lot of good sales on this stuff.)

Readers, what are your tips for doing black-tie on the cheap?  What have you worn to different black-tie, work-related events?

How do you deal with back-handed “compliments” in the office? Reader B wonders…

I am a 30 year old lawyer working in Washington, DC. My late 20’s/early 30’s professional female friends and I have experienced a strange and disconcerting dynamic amongst women in the workplace: getting negative comments from other women for being smartly/well- dressed. These outfits, I believe, would objectively be considered professional, age-appropriate, and well-fitting: tailored suits in feminine cuts, pencil skirts to the knee, or pumps with a modest heel. They would certainly be similar to those depicted on the Corporette website. The comments often take the form of backhanded compliments, such as, “That shirt makes you look soooooo thin.” They may also be cautionary, like “Wow, you had better be careful not to hurt yourself in those heels”. This feedback comes from women at a similar professional level and more senior employees. It most often comes from women whom are a generation older and seem to be, at times, more about our size and age than what we are wearing. It also seems to be more of an issue in government and non-profit environments, as we haven’t noticed it to be a problem in the private sector. How should we respond to this type of feedback? At what point should we give in to workplace pressure to dress in a more bland way versus continuing to wear clothing that makes us feel sophisticated and professional?

This issue comes up a lot, and as your friendly blogger I see both sides of it: the younger women wondering why these older women are giving them these back-handed compliments, and the older women asking me how in the world they tell someone they’re dressed wildly inappropriate for the office in a casual way. I’m curious to hear what readers think about this.

A few thoughts:

• I think you always have to interpret what they’re saying as constructive advice for how to dress for YOUR office. Remember, ladies, just because something is featured on Corporette or in another “wear it to work” source doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for YOUR office, because every office has its own peculiarities. These older women are — hopefully — trying to convey to you that something about your clothes is inappropriate for the office.  The flip side: just because they’re saying these things doesn’t mean that they’re right, either — they could be jealous, they could feel threatened by you, etc, etc. But every time I’ve been on the receiving end of these kinds of compliments (and trust me, I have) I’ve studied what I was wearing, studied my office, and tried to make an educated, objective decision whether to stop wearing whatever was so offensive. These would be my interpretations of some possible “compliments”:
  • “Don’t hurt yourself in those heels” = “You look like you’re having a problem walking in those shoes, which is inappropriate for the office.”
  • “Oooh, cute dress — do you have a date tonight?” = “You’re dressed for your date, not your job, which is inappropriate.”
  • “You look sooo thin in that shirt” = “Wow, that is tight! Should I really be able to count your ribs?”
  • “Gee, I never would have thought to wear a corset top with a suit!” = “Why are you wearing a corset top with your suit?”  (Pictured: Victoria’s Secret.)
• In the instant it’s said, this is your response: a cheerful “Thanks!,” possibly followed by a compliment about her outfit or, should you choose, a note about your own attire. “I was inspired by Boss X’s great outfit on Friday,” or “I feel like I could run a mile in these heels!” or something positive. I wouldn’t talk about it more than that unless you’re in a formal setting (HR office).
• Here are some guesses as for why this issue comes up in government and non-profit offices but not the private sector: a) there are probably more older women in general there since there is often a promise of a better work/life juggle in those environments, b) they tend to be smaller offices with their own “personalities,” and c) they probably don’t have a separate HR department or other formal ways of telling you that you’re dressed inappropriately.  But, like I said, those are just my guesses…

Readers, how do you deal with back-handed compliments? Also, I’m really curious — would you rather someone say directly “that dress seems a bit inappropriate for the office,” rather than paying you some false “compliment”? For those of you who have tried to tell someone that she was dressed inappropriately, how did you do it (and what was her response)?

What should one wear if you’re officiating a wedding? Reader W has a unique question, so I thought I’d tackle (even if it is a bit farther than our usual topics)…

I suppose because I’m an attorney and all-around upstanding citizen, I’ve been asked to officiate the wedding of a very good friend this summer! I’ve actually performed one wedding already and I wore a somber black suit that was appropriate for the occasion. However, this time around the wedding and reception will be held during the day at a Northeast yacht club in July (meaning WARM) and the dress code is more of a summery semi-formal. Probably not a black wool suit occasion! I was hoping for your advice on what would be appropriate dress. Naturally, I’ve asked the bride what she thinks and was no help at all (“Wear whatever you want!”), but I still want to be respectful of the bride with NO possibility of upstaging/distracting and taking into consideration I will be feature in the ceremony photos. My initial thoughts are no wacky colors, sleeves or a blazer which can be removed after the ceremony, and minimal accessories. Does this mean I should wear a shapeless beige sack? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

First, congratulations; I think that’s quite an honor. I might first ask what the wedding colors are, and if the bride wants you to work within those parameters. Here are my tips:

1) Wear black. Here in NYC, most women wear black for everything, including weddings, but I know in other parts of the country it’s poor form to wear a black dress to a wedding.  I’d talk to the bride about it if you feel uncomfortable — considering that the groom and his men will likely be in black tuxes, it will be a nice visual for all the pictures.

2) If not black, go for a sedate, dark color. If you’re really not comfortable wearing black to a wedding, think navy or gray.  You’re doing something serious and studied, and I think your clothes should reflect that.  Another reason to go for a somber color: as the officiant, you should blend into the scenery. It is the couple’s day, after all — all eyes should be on them when they’re standing before you. Ask the bride what the bridesmaids are wearing and try to choose a color in that family — if you can get a swatch of their fabric that would be best to make sure it doesn’t clash.

3) Wear a dress. This is my $.02, but you do want to be festive! If possible I would stick with a pencil or straight skirt, versus a wider, fuller skirt, but that’s me. A sheath dress would be great, or the Nordstrom faux wrap dress by Suzi Chin (pictured in black above; available in other colors and plus sizes also) would be a great one to wear to officiate, provided the cleavage isn’t too low. (See above re: all eyes should be on the couple.) Maybe I’m crazy but a knee-length dress sounds better than a floor-length dress, but the bride will know better.  If the bridesmaids are wearing shorter dresses, I would particularly consider a knee-length dress.

4) Consider a sparkly wrap in a matching sedate color.  This can be a great investment, as you can reuse it for black tie events — but this way if you have a sparkly wrap with you and feel underdressed, you can wear the wrap around your shoulders.  I’ve pictured a gorgeous one by Armani (for $535 at Saks), but there are much less expensive ones, such as these solid-colored sparkly ones at Yoox for $118, or this lace and sequin one at Macy’s for $38 (available in black and champagne).

5) Wear a pair of sparkly shoes.  If you’re wearing a sedate dress, your accessories can be a bit more on the fun side — sparkly shoes that you can dance in will be fine.

6) Don’t wear satin or other bridesmaidy type things.  Maybe I’ve been a bridesmaid too often, but I always think of the bridesmaids and groomsmen as being the couple’s best drinking buddies.  That is, of course, a high honor as well — but as the officiant you should be a bit more than that.  More serious, more reserved, more respectable.  In other words, no shots until after the wedding ceremony.

If none of this sounds right, think “mother of the bride” type dresses.  I went to one wedding recently where a family friend, a female judge, performed the ceremony, and she looked festive yet serious in a dark navy or black MOB-type sheath dress with a sheer beaded jacket.  For your money, I think you’ll get more mileage out of a simple non-MOB sheath dress plus some great accessories (as recommended above), but it’s up to you.

I’m curious, readers — what would you wear to officiate a wedding?  If a girlfriend were officiating your wedding, what would you want her to wear?

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.

I’ve gotten a few requests for suggestions for “lightweight blazers” for hot summer months, so I thought I’d round up a few for today’s Hunt. For my $.02: if you’re really going to be wearing a blazer outside or in another hot environment, linen is the way to go — it just breathes so well. Silk is another good choice, but the tradeoff for all that, um, breathing (for both linen and silk) is the mad wrinkling that occurs. Cotton holds up much better (and I always think a cotton pique fabric looks pretty but professional, while a cotton seersucker can be classic) — if you can find a linen and cotton blend, or silk and cotton blend, that may be the holy grail. Right now I’m seeing a lot of blazers with eyelet details — I honestly don’t think they’re appropriate for most conservative offices, but they can be another option if you’re attending an outdoor event.  Readers, what is your favorite type of blazer to wear on hot days?  Do you have any tricks to keep linen or silk from wrinkling?

(I already featured this $88 Gibson blazer a few weeks ago, or I’d have included it in today’s roundup…looks like it’s available in different colors now, though.)

Pim + Larkin is a new brand to me, but I love the bright, saturated colors available for this linen/cotton/spandex blazer. It’s available in marine (pictured above), tomato, lemon, and a light pink “nudetral” (pictured at right) in sizes XS-L, and there are matching skirts, dresses, and (sigh) Bermuda shorts. The blazer is $79 at Piperlime. Pim + Larkin Colette Blazer

Seersucker is pretty classic, and a lot of places have varieties on it — but I know readers have had success with Land’s End Canvas in the past, so I thought I’d post this one. Although it does look cute with the dotted blouse, I’d probably keep my look more neutral for the office — maybe a white tee and a colorful skirt. It’s $90, and available in sizes 0-14. Women’s Seersucker Blazer

I haven’t tried J.Jill clothes in a while, but this linen and cotton stretch jacket looks great. Do note that it’s available in misses, petites, women’s, and tall sizes, and in arugula (pictured), a chalky blue, a dark red, mushroom brown, and white. It’s $99-$109 at J.Jill. Linen & Cotton Stretch Jacket

I think this silk and cotton tailored jacket looks gorgeous — but it is not returnable, so order carefully! The light gray color, the single button — classic. Was $348, now marked to $98 at Maxstudio.com (sizes 0-12). Silk & Cotton Tailored Jacket

Splendid has a number of cute blazers right now, which is interesting since I always think of them as primarily a t-shirt company (super soft ones, too). Still: this linen blazer (available in paprika, pictured, as well as white) is $148 at Splendid (and it seems to have sold out most other places it was available, so I’m guessing this one’s a winner). It’s $148 at Splendid, available in sizes XS-XL. Linen Blazer

I can’t wear boxier jackets like this, but if you can, this black and white print looks really versatile, and I really like the frayed trim. It’s a cotton/linen blend, and available for $175 at Net-a-Porter. MICHAEL Michael Kors Cotton-blend tweed jacket

I feel like I’ve posted almost all of the Rag & Bone blazers available this season, and I gotta say I’m in love with this one, too! Linen-blend, lined, and I love the fitted, curved look. It’s $495 at Nordstrom (in tangerine, sizes 2-10), and in black at Rag & Bone.

Like this feature? Check out other recent installments!

(L-all)

Do you have to wear pantyhose in the summer? The pantyhose-at-the-office question comes up so often, but I don’t think we’ve addressed it in a while — and Reader N wonders…

I had a question about wearing pantyhose. I’m about to start my first internship in finance (a mid-sized hedge fund) this summer and I’m really confused as to what to wear. It’ll be in London, so I don’t know if that changes business formal guidelines. Anyway, I’m 20 years old and a southern girl, and I’ve never worn pantyhose in my life. Is it really necessary to wear pantyhose with a skirt suit, even in the middle of July? I’m tempted to just wear a pant suit the first day and see what everyone else is wearing, but then I’ve heard people say that pantsuits aren’t conservative enough and I should wear a skirtsuit the first day just in case.

Obviously, I have no idea what I’m doing. Oh dear.

Congratulations on your summer internship — it sounds excellent. There is a really big range in what’s acceptable at conservative offices, and so — for my $.02 — it’s always best to get started on the right foot, which is to say the safest foot. You don’t want people’s first impression of you to be of your clothes — you want it to be of your work, your accomplishments. So for the first day — probably even the first week — I would suggest wearing:

•  Skirt suits (at least for the first day)
•  Nude-for-you pantyhose (pictured above: Wolford ‘Fatal Lace 15′ Seamless Stockings, available at Nordstrom for $50)
• Closed toe shoes
•  Sleeves, if you’re not wearing a blazer

You may realize pretty quickly that your female bosses all wear skirts without hose, and after that point you have my go ahead to ball up your pantyhose and pack ‘em away until interview season. Similarly, after a few days of observation, you may feel confident in bringing out your peep-toes and your sleeveless dresses. But the point is that you have to know your office.

Now, if you do get stuck in a firm where you have to wear pantyhose all summer… there are a few things you can do to make the summer go more comfortably.

- If there’s a problem with your hose (they fall down, they run, they cling to your skirt), odds are that you just haven’t found a great pair of hose for you yet. Readers have sung the praises of everything from Jockey to Wolford, so you don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money; you just have to find a great pair that works for you. Personally I’ve always been a fan of control tops (even when I didn’t need the control) because the hose stayed up better, but that’s me — Spanx even has a higher-waisted version to prevent rollover.

- If you constantly feel sweaty while wearing your hose, first switch to all cotton underwear. (A reader asked me once if you needed to wear underwear with hose, and my answer there is yes — I’m not an expert but going commando in hose sounds like a recipe for a yeast infection.) If that still doesn’t work, you may want to look into thigh-high hose — a lot of women prefer those, particularly in the summertime.

- You may want to review my older advice on how to care for your pantyhose (as well as how to put them on).

Readers, which are your favorite pantyhose brands? For those of you who wear it even on the hottest days, what is your advice for Reader N?

401K fees can be such a complicated topic — so when the good folks at DailyWorth offered to guest post I jumped at the chance to have someone wiser than myself cover it! – Kat

Is your 401k plan costing you too much?

Many people don’t realize that they’re being charged a fee (or fees) for participating in their 401k plan–and over time, those fees can eat up a chunk of your savings. (Pictured: Erosion Control? originally uploaded to Flickr by muffinman71xx.)

Shocked? You’re not alone. In fact, new federal rules requiring 401k plans to be more transparent about fees take effect in July — and women everywhere should sit up and take notice.

Keeping retirement fees low is critical for women, who tend to live longer than men and thus need to be vigilant about keeping investment costs low, so they can hang on to more of their cash.

Over 20 or 30 years, a fee difference of even 1% can swallow tens of thousands of dollars. For this reason, cheaper funds are often found to perform better over time–because the lower fees mean that you net a bigger return.

One of the most commonly talked-about investment fees is the expense ratio, which is basically a management fee charged by the mutual fund (and you probably have a few mutual funds in your 401k portfolio).

But some plans levy a handful of fees on top of expense ratios, such as administrative fees, and investment adviser fees.

The new fee disclosure rules will require your 401k provider to spell out what they’re charging you. Already some large 401k providers (Vanguard, Schwab, and Lincoln Trust, to name a few) are offering cheaper plans to small businesses–which means lower fees for employees.

“In an ideal 401k plan, the expense ratio for every fund option should be less than 1%, and the plan should offer index funds with an expense ratio of less than 0.5%,” says David McPherson, a financial planner in Falmouth, MA.

The heftiest fees in your portfolio–and the ones you have most control over as an investor–are expense ratios. As an investor, it’s relatively easy to compare the expense ratios of various funds to pick the best fund for you that’s also the least expensive.

For a quick overview of your retirement portfolio–including your average fees compared with the fees of a comparable portfolio–try plugging your holdings into Morningstar’s Instant X-Ray. Or compare different funds being offered by your 401k by using the FINRA fund analyzer.

If your all-in fees are higher than 1.5%, lobby your employer to switch 401k providers–it will save them money and help you keep more of your nest egg.

DailyWorth is a community of women who talk money. They deliver practical tips and inspiring ideas to help you earn more, save more and spend smarter. Sign up for their free email here.

I’ve written before about how I love to get up early because that’s my most productive time of the day — but I don’t think we’ve ever talked about how to optimize those productive hours to get the most stuff done. I have my own tricks; I’d love to hear what you guys use as well. (I usually can be focused enough without time management techniques during this time — but they can be super helpful during other times of the day. Pictured: Pomodoro Kitchen Timer for Action Logging, originally uploaded by AndyRobertsPhotos. )

1) Know what you want to do. I always find this time is best to focus on ONE THING, not a whole to-do list. I don’t even WRITE my to-do list until later in the day, to be honest. When I get up early, I do the one thing that I need/want to do, and nothing else.

2) Leave some work unfinished so you can start in the middle. Writers are often advised to finish their day in the middle of a sentence, instead of at the end, so the next day you can just pick up where you left off.

3) Know your direction: forward or backward? I usually want to use the time to push “forward” — write new words, organize my research or my thoughts in new ways — but sometimes I prefer to go “backwards” and review work I’ve already done, such as when I want to edit something closely.

4) Avoid time sucks. I don’t look at email until 9 AM, for example, and I save other things that easily expand into longer projects for later in the day, when my focus is already not at its best. For example, in my law days, I saved research until the afternoon when I could, preferring to use the mornings for organizing the research or writing — now I save things like RSS feeds, Twitter, and Pinterest for the afternoons or evenings when I can.  On days when I really need to focus, I avoid turning on my computer when I can, and work with pen and paper instead.

5) Protect your productive time. If you’re super productive in the morning, don’t let friends or colleagues schedule breakfast meetings. If your best time is the afternoon, keep chatty coworkers out of your office.

Readers, what are some of your top productive times? How do you make the most out of them?

What is the best bag to carry if you walk to work? Reader A wonders…

I’ve had a bag dilemma for years and though this venue might provide a solution. I thought perhaps someone out there might have found the holy grail of bags to address the following issues, and I’m sure others are looking for the same. I would certainly love a post on this. I’m a lawyer and I walk almost two miles to work everyday. Here’s what I’m looking for:
- Big enough to carry folders, papers, occasional laptop and occasional change of clothes
-Color-neutral enough to be worn with anything for everyday use
-Professional looking
- Comfortable to carry long distances, such as a cross-body style with comfortable strap. Maybe a backpack style?

Does such a bag exist? I sure hope so.

I’ve always loved walking to work, and I’ve regularly schlepped about that distance. While there are so many benefits to walking to work (fresh air! clear head! some exercise!), I do feel like I’ve done some serious damage to my body from walking so much. For example, whenever I get massages, the masseuse always comments on the huge knot on my right upper back (where I usually carry my bag), and I honestly blame the first few years of walking to work (back in the days when I wore Steve Madden 3″ stacked heels regularly — for the 2 mile commute!) for the feet problems I have now. (I suppose there’s another post idea there, but my secret belief is that feet problems are like dreams: no one else wants to hear about them.) So: I gotta say that Reader A may be asking for too much. A laptop? A change of clothes? This all seems like a lot for a regular commute, and probably the smart advice to her is to find another means of transportation if she has to carry so much. That said, on the rare occasion where I wanted to carry a computer or a change of clothes, I suppose I could have fit a super-lightweight, small laptop (like my netbook) into my bag, and I also could have possibly fit a pair of jeans (for a night out) — but not both, and certainly not with a change of shoes.

For the past few years my bag of choice has been a large hobo. I’ve found that a single strap is a must (it stays on your shoulder better than two straps), and a good bag that has pockets keeps your phone, ID/subway pass, and lipgloss close at hand. My all-time favorite is a Cole Haan hobo (I have 3 or 4 of these — I had to put a moratorium on myself! They’re all similar to the “greige” one pictured (also available in plain black), but I also like my Kooba hobo (similar to this one, pictured, Kooba – Alexander (Berry)), and my Rebecca Minkoff hobo (Rebecca Minkoff – Nikki (Red) (not pictured)). They generally fit all the stuff I keep in my bag, with space for an extra pair of shoes if I need to carry them, or perhaps the laptop/change of clothes that Reader A is dreaming of. Keep in mind, I’m not saying this is the smartest choice — I’m just saying, this is the kind of bag that I found worked best for my commutes.

If we’re talking smart choices, though, you probably do want a crossbody or a backpack, to better distribute the weight; you might also want to look for a lighter fabric bag (such as a nylon) instead of the leathers and canvases that I always prefer. I might point you to a LeSportsac Everyday bag (pictured), which has been my gym bag for years, and is now my favorite diaper bag. I vastly prefer my leather hobos for style, but the Everyday bag can’t be beat for being lightweight and well organized. I might also point you to the Marc Jacob nylon knapsack — it’s pictured at the very top of this post in pink iris, but it’s also available in black. LeSportsac also makes a nylon backpack, as does Tumi. My personal $.02 is that fashionably speaking, the backpack is kind of at the bottom of the pile — but sometimes you have to be kind to your body and prioritize comfort above fashion.

Readers, do you walk to work?  What bags do you carry?  Have you developed any “best practices” for commuting?

Reader D has a unique question: what to wear in the field?  More specifically, to visit a factory (and ride in her client’s plane!)

I am going on a site visit to a factory near Seattle.  The visit includes riding in a small plane and then visiting a large factory so I will need to be casual, wear flat comfortable shoes, yet still look professional.  Any advice?  Although I am a senior associate I will be the sole representative for my client and want to make sure I come off as professional as possible.

Congratulations on the opportunity — it sounds fun (riding in a private plane is on my Bucket List) and like a good career opportunity. As far as fashion goes, I think my answer depends on one question: can you wear denim around your client? If so, I think a pair of dark (preferably black) jeggings, tucked into flat boots, topped with a button-front and blazer, and accessorized with your normal work jewelry, would probably be my best guess for an outfit. (Update:  There’s a lot of disagreement with me in the comments, which is fine, but just to be clear: when I say “jeggings” — I mean skinny  jeans that have a bit of extra Spandex in them to make them more comfortable, but are still primarily denim.  E.g., these, these, or these. Not these.)  Here’s my thinking:

- Factory = boots. While ballet flats and other flat shoes have many things to recommend them, on the off (off) (off) chance something falls on your foot, you should be as protected as possible. Also, I think if there’s any uncertain footing that requires delicate stepping (e.g., over pipes), you’ll want to be in shoes that you know will not fall off. Oh, another reason: if it’s at all muddy or dusty on the runway (or in the factory), you’ll want the dust to stick to your boots rather than your pants.

- Factory and small plane = pants. See above re: delicate stepping.  I think it’s also possible in the factory you could be walking on grating, or on metal stairways, with people walking or working below, such that you wouldn’t want to wear a skirt.  I could also see there being some awkward stairways to get up to the plane (although it’s entirely possible I’ve just watched Arrested Development too much).

- Factory and small plane = tight-fighting, non-voluminous clothing. You wouldn’t want to get a flowing cardigan or skirt caught on a piece of machinery, or (ack) in some part of the propeller.

- Professional = blazer, dark pants. I would suggest that you carry over the jewelry you normally wear with suits to this more casual outfit — if it’s pearls and diamonds, do it; if it’s a statement necklace that you always wear, do it. Part of this is for a continuous look: the client has seen you wearing the jewelry before, and even though you’re in a different type of outfit now you’re still, at the core, the professional lawyer he knows. Another part of this is to help YOU feel confident and be in your zone for your most professional self. For me, for example, that means putting on my good watch whenever I have a business meeting, no matter what I’m wearing… even if I don’t wear the watch when I’m lazing around the house or hanging out with friends.

So all of these thoughts, above, send me to jeggings, flat boots (get ‘em shined before you go!), a nice top, a blazer, and your work jewelry. There are some non-denim leggings that have enough weight to the fabric that they can be worn as pants (despite the popular Buzzfeed “am I wearing pants” flowchart) — I got a nice ponte pair from Ann Taylor earlier this year. If you really would rather wear proper trousers, I might still advise wearing flat, knee-high boots beneath them — that way if conditions are really horrible you can tuck your pants into your boots.

A few other considerations: plane and runway = wind, so I might suggest pulling your hair back from the get-go. Keep in mind, though, that the factory may require you to wear a hardhat, hairnet, and/or goggles… so I wouldn’t do anything too fancy that will interfere with those requirements.  In other words: low “on purpose” ponytail, not a French twist.

Readers, have you had to visit factories (or, speak up ladies, how many of you have ridden in private planes)? What would you wear?

As today is Administrative Assistant’s Day, I thought we’d have an open thread about what the best thing your secretary/assistant has ever done for you. We’ve talked about what you can delegate to assistants before — what DO you guys delegate? What do you look for in a great assistant?

For my own $.02, the best assistant I ever had was only mine for a short period — she was attached to a partner down the hall who had a niche practice, and when the partner moved offices, so did my secretary. But in addition to being pleasant and nice, she was really smart — I felt like I could give her anything and she would do a great job with it. I wish I could remember something specific she did that went above and beyond, but really she was just generally excellent!

(Pictured: Files, originally uploaded to Flickr by Velo Steve.)