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What to Wear to a Company Picnic

06/07/2012 By 127 Comments

What do you wear to attend a company picnic and watch a baseball game — particularly when this will be one of the first impressions you make? Reader E wonders…

I finally have a unique fashion dilemma that I need help on. After working as a government attorney for several years, I have landed a job at a biglaw firm starting in the fall. I have been invited this summer to the firm’s trip to watch a baseball game and the picnic beforehand. It’s a family event to which SO’s and children are invited, and it’s on a Friday right after work. My dilemma–what to wear?? This will be the first time I meet many of the attorneys and support staff, so of course I want to make a good impression. Are jeans appropriate? Khakis? Do I need to wear team colors/jersey? Ack! (Also, I wouldn’t mind any tips on socializing at this type of event–I’ve never been to one and my SO can’t attend, so I’m really nervous about showing up alone and meeting people for the first time!) Thanks for any advice you have on this!

Ugh. I know firms think these things are fun, but the sartorial conundrum never is. Honestly, I would suggest calling the Hiring Department and asking them what people have worn to the event in the past. (In general, ladies, this is ALWAYS the right answer — call the HR department.) If they give you a vague answer (“oh, you know, pants or a dress”), I would ask what the men wear — if they’re still in suits from a day at the office (perhaps sans tie, or with shirt sleeves rolled up), I’d go for something more formal, like a sheath dress.  If they’re in shorts, polos, and sneakers (or team jerseys), welcome to Situation Casual — and perhaps consider jeans. [Read more...]

Filed Under: After-Work Activities, Business Casual, Business Etiquette, Internships/Summer Jobs, Networking, Professionalism, Transitions, Weather, What To Wear To...

Open Thread: Summer Hair Secrets

05/30/2012 By 122 Comments

I thought it might be fun to share some of our best secrets for summer hair. For example, when my hair was straighter, I felt like I was constantly battling frizz — so I kept a container of Frizz-Ease Secret Weapon at the office and would smooth it on my locks before I left the office to meet up with friends. If Frizz-Ease was somehow unavailable, I just would take a slightly bigger amount of my hand lotion (I’m addicted to Curel) and, after moisturizing my hands, smooth the remaining amount on my hair.

I have never been a fan of blowdryers in the summertime, but especially over the past 5 years or so (as my hair has gotten curlier) I’ve been doing minimal blowdrying in the summer (sometimes just 3-5 minutes of blowdrying at the crown of my hair) and then letting the rest airdry into whatever waves or curls my hair wants to go into.  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hair, Weather

The Hunt: Summer Blazers

05/14/2012 By 74 Comments

Pim + Larkin Colette BlazerSure, 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?

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Filed Under: Basics, Recent Recommendations, The Hunt, Wear to Work, Weather

Pantyhose in the Summer

05/10/2012 By 187 Comments

Wolford 'Fatal Lace 15' Seamless StockingsDo 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: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Comfort, Fashion, Fashion Gaffes, Internships/Summer Jobs, Pantyhose, Professionalism, Transitions, Wear to Work, Weather

Coffee Break: Hot Girls Pearls

03/19/2012 By 142 Comments

These “pearl” bracelets and necklaces are filled with a non-toxic icy gel that can be frozen to keep you cool. I saw them touted in O:The Oprah Magazine as a great way to make it through menopausal hot flashes, but I think they’d be great for hot, sticky summer mornings in the subway. I prefer the bracelet ($30) to the necklace ($55), but if it gets hot enough, I suspect I’d wear ‘em both! Hot Girls Pearls

(L-0)

Filed Under: Aging Gracefully, Coffee Break, Commuting, Weather

The Hunt: Raincoats & Lightweight Jackets

03/19/2012 By 111 Comments

Jones New York Trench CoatSure, 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.

With the first day of spring almost here (I believe it’s tomorrow, March 20!) everybody needs a lightweight jacket. Here in NYC it rains so much that I’m always looking for a great rain coat to serve as my lightweight jacket, but I hate double-breasted jackets. Here’s my case against them: not only do they usually look stupid when worn open, they often have to be fitted so close to your body to look good that it’s hard to fit a blazer under there — which for me is always an essential. So I thought I’d round up some jackets out there that, in addition to being lightweight, possibly weatherproof (or at least weather-friendly), can also possibly fit a blazer beneath them. Readers, have you recently bought a rain coat? What do you look for in a great one?

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Filed Under: Basics, Commuting, Outerwear, Recent Recommendations, The Hunt, Weather