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Updated: Oct 30, 2018 253 Comments · by

Splurge Monday’s Workwear Report: Long-Sleeve One-Button Blazer

The Personal Shopper (TPS)

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Orange Blazer: Akris Punto Long-Sleeve One-Button BlazerOur daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. I forget where I read it, but apparently orange is the hot new color of the moment, and my personal favorite way I've seen it styled is like this: with a darker orange layered with a lighter orange. It's bold, it's fun, and it looks surprisingly fresh and put-together. It looks great with white as shown here, but try it with navy or beige as well. The blazer is $1190, and the skinny stripe/rib knit t-shirt is $395. NM is sold out of the shirt but for white, while Nordstrom has it in white, tangerine, and navy/cream. Akris Punto Long-Sleeve One-Button Blazer A few lower-priced options are here (tall sizes only), here, and here (on sale); two plus-size alternatives are here and here (linen). Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-all)

Sales of note for 9.30.24

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

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Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. KT

    I love orange/yellows, but I always look jaundiced when I wear them. I want to live vicariously through everyone who can rock these shades.

    • Diana Barry

      Me too! I love this blazer but it comes out more yellow on my screen, not my color.

      • Ellen

        Yay! Pricey Monday’s I love Price Monday’s but MOUST agree with Diana Berry here on the color. As a fair skin blond, I already need something darker then this to look good. And usually blue is my color to match my eyes, — I think yellow and oange are best reserved for a girl with alot of clotheing and dark features. Mabye Cathereine Zeta Jones.

        This weekend I met a guy at the deli who wanted to give me a free Knish. He works there and said that Iam delightful and delicious! If ONLEY he OWNED the place, I would date him. Frank wants for me to meet his nephew, also named Frank. That is all I need. . Another leering guy named Frank. No thank’s Frank. Myrna thinks I should advertise on Tinder, but that is for 20 something’s not for a 35 year old attorney at law, duly admitted in NYS. Is there anyone here on Tinder that could redommend it? I do NOT think so, but I am getting DESPRATE for a guy! FOOEY!

        • Christine

          You will find a man where you least expect it. The deli guy should not be written off so quickly. He does not even know of your legal status as “duly admitted in NYS” unless you told him. I suggest you follow any and all leads where men are concerned, as you are not getting any younger, at age 35, with no prospects. The guys your age are looking at uninhibited 20 somethings, and older guys are either married, gay, or asexual, none of whom meet your requirements. If you give the deli guy (or someone similar) a chance, you may find yourself very happy a year down the road.

          • Ms B

            This sounds like the plot of Crossing Delancey, but that requires pickle jokes. Does he look like the young Peter Riegert?

    • SuziStockbroker

      I look like death warmed over in orange and yellow, so it is a nope from me. I do like it styled the way it is in the photo (for others), it does look fresh to my eyes.

    • lsw

      Me too. My mom looks gorgeous in those shades and yellow is her favorite color so I feel like I’m often getting her yellow clothes that I wish I could wear!

    • Sydney Bristow

      I can pull off one very specific shade of orange, which luckily was one of my undergrad’s colors. Every other shade I’ve tried makes me look sick. Which makes me sad because I really like the colors in theory.

  2. KT

    I am in a struggle to find plus size blazers/jackets in colors other than black.

    Any suggestions? Lane Bryant and Avenue never seem to have more than the same 2 blazers, and Avenue’s quality is crap to begin with.

  3. Zelda

    Shopping help! I’m looking for cute sandals for an outdoor wedding (wedge or block heels, 2.5-3.5 inches), either a neutral color (gold, silver, tan, white, maybe black) or a bright (fuchsia, turquoise, etc.), leather or fabric (i.e. not pleather) and under $100. Thanks!

      • Zelda

        Those are cute! Not sure if they’ll work for this event, but I might buy them anyway…

    • CountC

      I have several Seychelles wedges and they have two on their site now for $110 in gold/rose gold that are really nice; however, the materials are man-made.

      • Zelda

        Do they make your feet sweat? My issue with synthetic sandals is that they tend to cause me to sweat or maybe they don’t absorb sweat as well as leather, so my feet start to slide around in hot/humid weather.

        • CountC

          I am a sweater, so I sweat no matter what I wear when it’s warm out. I haven’t noticed any increased sweating in these shoes versus any of my other shoes. I find they fit nice and snug so I don’t have any issue sliding around.

    • Duchess

      The Jack Rogers Marbella wedge? They’re regular price over budget, but Country Club Prep is having their friends and family sale right now, which would get you right at $100. I have the cork and gold pair and I find them incredibly comfortable (and the classic Navajos make me want to cry if I have to walk more than a mile).

    • Anonymous

      Gentle Souls lily moon – over your budget, but the Kenneth Cole website sometimes has 60% off. I think mine were $100. Super comfortable and the leather is very nice.

  4. Uzbekistan?

    Has anyone traveled to Uzbekistan? I really, really want to visit some of the Silk Road cities, but I want to know a bit more about what I’m likely to encounter as a solo female traveler. Any anecdata?

    • anonymous

      I’ve heard Uzbekistan is really beautiful. I haven’t been, but I travelled around Tajikistan and had a fine time. I guess it depends on where all you’ve travelled before. I found Tajikistan much easier to travel around as a solo female traveler than the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.

    • Anon

      Uzbekistan is hard for a solo female. Esp if you want to travel in the countryside outside of Tashkent (which itself is an interesting city but I had trouble- sexist comments, leering/staring men). I was there for a work trip for three weeks and am Asian so that might have something to do with it.

    • Anonymous

      Last summer I spent two weeks in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and loved it. The Uzbeks are incredibly friendly and were so excited to have Western visitors. That being said, it would be hard to do on your own, but mostly just because of the language barriers and the difficulty getting around. I went through an Intrepid tour, though I know G Adventures also does tours through the region (I’m considering going back this summer to do Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan). I’d recommend a tour just for language and logistics, but if you decide to go on your own, you’ll still be very safe as there’s no crime at all.

  5. No Baby Luck

    Well, after a year and a half of trying and two unexplained miscarriages, my doctor is recommending clomid and an iui. Does anyone have any advice/commiseration?

    I’m afraid of baby boards because they’re full of people ordering clomid off the internet without Doctor supervision and crazy stories about people having quintuplets on their first round of clomid.

    I’d just love to have something work, I’m 28 and crushing my job and worked so hard to get to a point at my job where I felt OK about starting a family. My husband and I bought a house and did a nice long vineyard vacation and took care of everything we could control thinking a baby would happen the moment we tried and yet here we are. It’s so hard having issues with this where it’s totally out of your control! I’m not used to feeling helpless when dealing with things.

    • Anon for this

      First of all, I am sorry you are struggling with this, it is hard, I know.

      I tried for a baby (albeit my third and I was over 40) for 18 months, and also had 2 miscarriages in the process, so I do understand a bit what you are going through (again, I already had 2 children, and I was grateful and acknowledged that the whole journey).

      Fertility docs recommend clomid and IUI pretty frequently, imo. If you don’t ovulate (which you clearly do, or you wouldn’t have gotten pregnant twice), then I can see that being a good recommendation, but often I feel like they are just trying to pin the tail on a donkey blindfolded with that.

      I found reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility, and even more so, The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis, very helpful.

      The latter focuses, by chapter, on a number of common roadblocks to fertility. Mine was “Advanced maternal age”/egg quality.

      I did successfully conceive Baby #3, and I am absolutely positive it was due to following her recommendations.

      • Anon for this

        I will add that the fertility docs were VERY discouraging about my ability to get pregnant on my own. They said I had “less than a 25% chance” in a year. Well, I got pregnant 3 times that year, without their intervention.

      • pockets

        At first I agreed with your assessment of Clomid, but the doc could be using Clomid to control the timing of ovulation to do the IUI.

        I also struggled with infertility (opposite problem – I ovulate like once every six months) and Femara (which is similar to Clomid) did the trick. Prior to that I ovulated once in the six months we were trying and had a chemical pregnancy. I’m definitely going to try to get Femara to conceive the second one because it was so easy the first time, even though my cycles are a little more regular and I could probably do it without the drugs.

        • Never too many shoes

          I have PCOS and ovulate, like, once per year. We sought help when I was 37 years old after four years of not using birth control.

          Like pockets above, I also conceived with Femara and cycle monitoring (next step was IUI) but was lucky enough to get pregnant on second month. I know that Clomid comes with a much higher chance of multiples.

          Any chance OP is in Toronto? I had a great doctor and a great OB as well.

          Best of luck, truly. Infertility struggles are so hard and we are too often silent about them, despite the fact that such difficulties are completely common.

          • N

            I am not the OP, but I am in Toronto and am about to speak to my primary care doctor about my own infertility issues. Could you please share who your obstetrician is?

            Thank you!

    • Betty

      Huge hugs. Infertility is hard and often so silent. Thank you for reaching out as I would guess that you and I are not the only ones to have experienced it. Going through this can feel so powerless. (I was also 28 when we had trouble conceiving.) We waited until we were in a good spot and then thought it would happen so quickly, and then the months ticked by.

      My thoughts: Are you seeing an OB or an RE? If you are seeing an OB, I would get a referral to an RE (reproductive endocrinologist). Many things that an OB sees as “normal” are not to an RE, and an RE can help you in so many ways. Regarding clomid, I skipped clomid and went straight to injectibles (GonalRF) as clomid can have side effects (including thinning of the uterine lining), but many insurance companies will require you to go through clomid first. (Again an RE can help here.) Also, are you going through an infertility clinic or an OB office for the IUI? An infertility clinic can do advanced procedures to make an IUI more successful.

      An end to our tale: We conceived our son on our third IUI with GonalRF. He is 5.

      • No Baby Luck

        Thanks, we started seeing an RE about two months ago and he’s the one prescribing the clomid and doing the iui. He did a surgery to correct a septum, which was possibly causing the miscarriages, but wouldn’t explain why there hasn’t been a pregnancy for the past 9 months of trying. I think part of what was so surprising was that I have so many friends who got pregnant the first time trying and 26 seemed young to begin trying so we naively assumed we’d avoid difficulty.

          • No Baby Luck

            Yea, he has no issues and my doctor said I have no obvious issues aside from a small septum that he surgically corrected in a little 10 minute procedure.

        • Betty

          I felt like there was very little discussion about infertility at a “younger” age. One of the hard things for me to wrap my head and heart around was the recommendation of timing: the rec of one year of trying below 35 and six months 35 and older was tough. At a younger age, it really shouldn’t take a year but you have more time for good luck to play a role. When I first saw our RE and disclosed how long we had been trying, how long we had been using ovulation predictor kits, etc., she recognized that it should have happened by then. It also played a role in our decision to skip clomid. We knew that there was a real chance of going to IVF (we would have the next month) and if we used an injectable (used for IVF as well), we would know how my body reacted.

    • Anon for this too

      Hugs. It isn’t easy. Hang in there! I’ve had 2 miscarriages myself. In addition to the two book recommendations and advice above, I found the book It Starts With The Egg by Rebecca Fett to be the most useful, straight-talking book of the 3. Ms Fett is a microbiologist, and she goes through recent studies and discusses how egg quality is central to conceiving a healthy baby and how to improve egg quality. The book doesn’t talk down to readers and isn’t too woo-woo/ positive-thoughts-will-get-you-there OR too strongly advocating running to assisted reproductive technology. Anyway, sending good thoughts and hoping for a great next few months for you.

      • Anon for this too Post script

        I didn’t mean to sound dismissive or contemptuous of assisted reproductive technology in my note–just realized that it sounded that way.

      • Anonymous

        This is interesting — I thought eggs were largely fixed by the time a girl baby was born and that they just slowly deteriorated (I had two MCs; one clearly due to a trisomy of one chorosome where the babies don’t live into the second trimester even though they have a detectable heartbeat in the first). I didn’t know that you could make them better at all (just maybe accellerate their decline).

        • Anon for this

          I thought the same thing until I read the Randine Lewis book. I don’t know that the Fett book mentioned above was out at that time, it sounds like she discusses this even more so than Lewis. I am such a nerd, now Ii want to read the Fett book (I have no intention of having any more babies).

        • Batgirl

          For what it’s worth, my RE didn’t think that there was much, if anything, you could do to improve quality. But he didn’t think there was any harm in taking doctor-approved supplements aimed at doing so (like C0q10).

    • anon a mouse

      My RE said that clomid + IUI is the standard protocol because doing one or the other is marginally successful, but doing both means that you are really upping your chances of success. The process is intense and emotionally draining, so I totally understand why you’d want to try to get pregnant ASAP and not deal with clomid (and the doc appointments, and the IUI timing, etc) long-term.

      The risk of multiples is very real, though. Maybe not quintuplets but you and your husband should have some serious conversations about how you feel about multiples, and what you would do if one of the fetuses was nonviable. (And make sure your doc is in line with your thinking.)

    • anon

      Hugs, and sorry for your losses. I am glad you are seeing an RE. There are also REs that specialize in RPL (which I believe is maybe now defined as 2, but used to be defined as 3 losses?), could be another thing to look into. Echoing the question about about whether your partner has been tested. Clomid + IUI is not a terrible first step. Even if you ovulate on your own, the Clomid gives you a little boost. While the risk of multiples is increased (my RE said it’s 4% w/Clomid, as opposed to 1% without), if you are being monitored–as you should be–you will have an ultrasound before you trigger ovulation and have the IUI and will know how many mature follicles you have. Yes, an egg could split and you could end up with more, but not sure the chances of that are so high–you should definitely be comfortable with all of this from talking to your doctor. Ask as many questions as you need. And if your RE won’t go through it with you, time for a new doctor.

      Definitely talk to your spouse about what you would do about multiples. My husband used to be scared of twins because he read that twins result in higher divorce rates (according to something he had read–I’m not trying to make or not make that claim here), but since it became clear what it would take for us to have kids, he’s been hoping for twins. Talk about selective reduction with your spouse. IMO, I don’t know what I’d do in that difficult situation, and a lot of factors would come into play, but good to talk about the fears and possibilities in advance.

      And last, you are not alone. I am sure if you post an anon email address, folks would reach out. Or at least I would. Having support in this process is crucial.

    • CKB

      I’m so sorry you are dealing with this. I had 3 m/c before my 3 successful pg, but my losses were determined to be caused by anti-phospholipid antibodies syndrome after a ton of tests because my first 2 m/c were at unusual times (between weeks 13 and 16).

      I hope the clomid/iui combo works for you. ((Hugs)). Dealing with this stuff can be so hard.

  6. Jitterbug

    I learned a valuable lesson this weekend: unless you have experience tinkering with gadgets, don’t try to fix your own Apple devices.

    I dropped my iPod nano* and shattered the screen a couple weeks ago, and when I looked online to see what my options were, I decided it was a good idea to order a repair kit and replace the screen myself. Sending it to get serviced would take days, and going to the Apple Store seemed like an errand I just didn’t have time for (in hindsight, the device still worked, so it’s not like I was in that big a rush). I kept reading about how it was an easy DIY job and the professional repair was a ripoff, and I believed it.

    Well, maybe it’s easy for some people . . .

    When I got the repair kit, two things were immediately apparent: for one thing, there were no instructions, just tools, so I knew the first step was finding a tutorial. Second, I realized that even though I’d be doing it at home, the fix would still take time. Probably less time than going to the store, but still time I didn’t have that week.

    So on Saturday I realized I finally had time to sit down and figure this thing out. And right away, it was harder than I thought, just prying it open was hard! So initially I gave up and made an appointment with Apple Care. And I should have stopped there, but nope, I kept prying anyway, and finally got it open! I took the whole thing apart, but then I had no idea how to put it back together and it seemed like I damaged some components, and at that point I knew I had completely mucked up, there was no way I was going to finish the job and I was too embarrassed to take it to Apple at that point, so I decided it was best to just order a new iPod at the time.

    I mean, they’re only $150, so it’s not like I lost a ton of money on this mistake. But if I’d just gone to the Apple Store in the first place it would’ve only set me back ~$75, and now that I know how hard these things are to fix, I’m not one to argue with that repair cost.

    So that’s my story, and I’m sharing in the hopes that if any of you find yourselves in the same situation, you’ll learn from my mistake. There are plenty of things we can learn to do ourselves, but this is not a DIY task I’d recommend unless you’re already good at tinkering with electronics.

    *yeah, they’re still around! and I do recommend getting one if you’d rather not use your phone as your main music player. They’re tiny, relatively inexpensive, and hold a ton of music!

  7. Hollis

    I’d like to buy a nice chess set for DH as a father’s day gift. I’m wondering if anyone here has a recommendation. Thanks.

    • SC

      A friend of mine bought a nice chess set for her husband on Etsy for Christmas. You could try looking there.

    • OS

      Please, please, for the sake of real chess players, don’t get some silly themed set that screams ‘interior decor’ instead of ‘we actually play chess from time to time.’ (So, with apologies to SC, I’d be very wary of Etsy.) Instead, get a double-weighted Staunton set of pieces. Lots of retailers sell them, but here is a link so you can see what they look like.
      https://www.houseofstaunton.com/

      • SC

        No offense taken. My friend did a lot of looking, but she found a normal-looking chess set with wooden pieces on Etsy. The page claimed it was “vintage,” and we rolled our eyes because it was made in the 90s.

  8. Hair

    I’m so upset- my hairdresser did a treatment to my hair that she said would make it stronger/healthier, and it ended up resulting in my losing a lot of the length off my hair. I want to switch hairdressers but my city is small, and there is only one other place that does curly hair- if they’re bad, then I might be stuck (my current hairdresser holds a grudge). I’ve been thinking of switching for a while, my current hairdresser isn’t the most professional (she’s always late, works awkward hours, always complains about money even though she only works during business hours and half a day on Sunday, etc).

    I guess I need advice on two things- how do I feel pretty when I hate how I look with short hair, and should I switch hairdressers?

    • Heather

      It doesn’t sound like you’re ever going to trust her again. There’s nobody I trust with my hair in my city, so I travel – it’s worth it to not end up with a triangle shaped hair style. Look for somebody in your neighbouring cities who comes recommended if the other place isn’t good. I think you can go in there and talk to them about your experience, and ask if there’s anything they can do for your hair that might make you feel better about it.

    • Bonnie

      It doesn’t sound like you have any reason to stay with your current hairdresser. She’s petty, mean, unprofessional and messed up your hair. I’d not only switch but also ask for my money back for the treatment.

    • Worrywort

      As for how to look pretty, this is what girlfriends are for! I ended up with a chin-length flapper bob I hated, but an army of close friends consistently reassured me that I looked beautiful and stylish. That and a lot of eating protein, calcium, and biotin to make my hair grow helped me feel pretty until it grew out.

      Change stylists. There is no shame in traveling to get your hair done.

    • Lobbyist

      Does she cut your hair dry? I have curly hair and now go to a hairdresser who herself has curly hair and cuts a lot of curly hair. She is the first haircutter I have had who cuts my hair dry. The other ones cut it wet. The difference is remarkable.

  9. Frizz

    Will Living Proof hair products change my life? I have a pixie cut, with hair length ranging from 1 inch in the back to more like 5 inches in the front. Sounds easy BUT I have frizz prone hair with some very awkward waves. A quick blow dry, a few swipes of the flat iron and some styling products keep it looking like I want when the weather cooperates. But summer is coming and it is humid where I live. What should I try? Can I continue to use my regular styling products? The sales people in Sephora weren’t full of answers. Thanks!

    • Anonymous

      I love Living Proof, but I have to abandon ship because I just can’t afford $60 for shampoo and conditioner anymore. I’d recommend trying out the travel size kit they sell at Sephora online – it should be the shampoo, conditioner, and a styling cream for maybe $30? That’s a good way to get started.

      I think I’ll miss the beautiful, sophisticated fragrance most of all :'(

    • Anonymous

      I like Living proof shampoo and also Percy and Reed. Sephora carries both in smaller trial size bottles. Try them and see!

    • Yup

      I’m of the view that one good (expensive) styling product (or two, depending on your needs) is all you really need to totally splurge on. Maybe also condition if you have dry hair. So, I use cheap shampoo, salon conditioner (long, dry hair that is frizz prone) and then Living Proof, KMS or Kerastase styling products (which I love). I usually take recs from my stylist though – could you ask her and even buy whatever she recommends at the salon?

      • NYNY

        This. If you’re going to splurge, do it on the styling products that stay in your hair, not the things you rinse out.

        I have straight hair that can get poofy to frizzy in humidity, and I love Living Proof prime. It reduces frizz and helps me wash my hair less frequently (which also helps frizz, because day 1 washed hair is the most frizzy).

    • lucy stone

      I love living proof, but I can’t afford to splash out on the full suite. I usually use cheap shampoo, good conditioner, and good styling products. Once a week, or if I need to have fancy hair for a day, I’ll use the full suite of products.

      • Scarlett

        Same here – I love living proof’s style extender and use that after a shampoo/conditioner of drugstore Pantene (which is great for no frizz)

    • anne-on

      Use whatever shampoo/conditioner you like, and stock up on the frizz/humidity protector stuff. The KMS humidity protectant works beautifully for me.

    • trefoil

      Try the Bumble and Bumble Defrizz serum – it’s seriously one of the only things that keeps my thick, wavy hair from expanding to fill the room.

    • MJ

      If your hair takes mousse well, I am a huge fan of Tresemme Climate Control Mousse. I get it on Amazon because Target and CVS stopped carrying it near me. Other kinds of Tresemme are not the same–the Climate Control is what you need.

  10. anon

    I love love love love this blazer and the combo with the top! Great colors for me and just so happy. Now to find something cheaper!

  11. Cheat a little

    Go to the new person just for styling and see how you like her, what she does, how competent she seems (ask re treatments for curly hair). You don’t have to fully commit to switching — just go for the curly equivalent of a blow-out and see how you feel.

    I am so straight that I cut people (ha!) if they can’t cut a straight line or make me crooked. You would think this is basic, but, sadly, not so much. Esp. in small towns. For good hair, I’d be willing to drive a bit to get a good person.

    • KT

      ^THIS. After Japanese Straightening, I have pin straight hair. My hair is fine and looks better cut blunt rather than layers and I thought it would be easy to find someone to just cut straight across, but it’s turned out to be a unicorn search.

      I now do the high-ponytail method of home hair-cutting since it’s the only way to get the result I want.

    • Hair

      This is a really great suggestion- that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Thanks!

      And I would drive a bit for a good person- my current place is a 5 min drive, the other one is about 30. The bigger problem is that the next major city is around 2.5 hours away, so I’m limited to my city unless I start doing weekend trips for hair

      • AnonInfinity

        I would so do weekend trips for hair. I have curly hair as well, and having it look good is worth almost anything to me.

        • Anonymous

          Agreed. I finally found a place that I like in my city, but for a long time I would fly in early for work trips to NYC in order to get a haircut.

      • Anonymous

        I drive that far for curly hair, worth it! Plus I usually make it into a fun day with delicious snacks, restaurants and food shops we can’t get in my town, clothes shopping we can’t do in my town, and a movie or other show before heading back home the same day.

  12. Shopaholic

    I need shopping help. I’m going to a reception/lecture at a museum in a couple weeks. I got my invite through connections outside of work but I’m bringing a partner from the office with me. Last year I went and wore a dress and a blazer, which was right for the occasion. However, this year I seem to have ballooned and none of my nice work dresses fit. I wear a lot of skirts and blouses at the office but I’m not sure that’s the right tone I want to strike for this event.

    Any advice on dresses for an extreme pear shape? I hold all of my weight around my tummy/hips/upper thighs (I’m about a 2/4 up top and a 6/8 around my hips). This is a pretty high profile event so I’m willing to spend a little bit more (up to $400/500 for the perfect dress) although obviously anything less would be better.

    Thanks all!

    • KT

      It sounds like a wrap dress would be perfect, particularly in a classic black or navy. You can find them (in every size) for every price point. A classic DVF version would be elegant and flattering

      • Pear

        I have a similar body shape/size, and find the wrap dresses unflattering since I have so little on top.

        I have a really hard time finding dresses.

        • KT

          Interesting-I’m a pretty extreme pear-14 up top, 18/20 on bottom, and wrap dresses with a fuller skirt are super flattering.

          • Pear

            Because you are blessed with b00bs, so a good wrap dress will give you a fabulous silhouette. When you are flat chested on top, an unstructured wrap dress makes you look even flatter and often gapes without a lot of creative securing.

    • NYNY

      I’m not sure what you’re looking for. Is the request a dress to look more festive, or a dress to look more professional than your day-to-day work look?

      • Shopaholic

        I don’t exactly know which I guess is part of the problem. Something professional but it doesn’t have to be a black/grey/navy sheath. So I guess something in between.

    • Snick

      I am also a pear about the same size as you. Have you tried fit-and-flare dresses? That’s what works best for me since I can get the size that fits me best on top.

    • Samantha

      I am similar (2/4 top, 4/6 bottom) and Boden high waisted dresses – with a fitted waist and gathers at the waist for a slightly flared skirt- work great on me.

  13. Heather

    I don’t like this colour combo. It reminds me of an egg. I think I’d switch the blazer for something less yellow. Navy, maybe?

  14. Billy Madison

    My husband is going back to school to complete his bachelor’s degree. I’d like to get him a fun gift (or bunch of little gifts) to celebrate. So far I’ve got the university’s t-shir and a six-pack of terrible college beer. What other fun items would y’all suggest to play up the “college student again at 40” idea? He has the serious stuff he needs like a new laptop, but I want him to also have fun with this experience since he didn’t really get to have it the first go around.

    • Anonymous

      Football tickets? Sweats with the school name on them? Something specific to his major (e.g., googles if he’s studying chemistry, the Oxford Shakespeare collection for English, etc.)?

    • Idea

      the movie “Old School” with Will Ferrell. Not one of his best, but fun.
      Also, Animal House.

      • Billy Madison

        :snort: I’m trying to imagine my luddite husband snapchatting on campus about the sick frat party last night, bro. (Do you the Youths even use those words anymore?)

      • Jules

        My college professor ex is a semi-Luddite and likes to play that up with his students for laughs. And he honestly wasn’t sure of the name snapchat so he called it crackphoto. Which it kind of is.

    • hoola hoopa

      A case of ramen. And maybe one of those huge things of red licorice.

      A hard-copy of Urban Dictionary would be perfect. Maybe their desk calendar?

      I love what you have already.

  15. MakeupNewbie

    At 30 years old and recently having transitioned from a career where makeup was inappropriate, I considered buying some but had no idea where to start. Last weekend I took myself to a free class on applying eyeliner (so brave!) at Sephora – my gosh, that is a lot of work! Eeek! Does everyone do full makeup for work every day? How long does that add to your morning routine? Are there women at your office that don’t wear makeup? Thanks in advance!

    • KT

      I do a full face every day: primer, foundation, concealer, powder, blush, highlighter, eyebrow pencil, eyeshadows, liner, mascara and usually a nude lipstick. I use Urban Decay’s all-nighter setting spray and it lasts all day.

      It takes maybe 10 minutes to do from start to finish.

      I can apply liquid eyeliner without a mirror in about 10 seconds per eye. You get used to it. I use gel mainly now and do the top and bottom waterlines and it really takes me less than a minute.

    • Zelda

      I’ve never worn a lot of makeup to work. The only makeup I wear daily is tinted moisturizer, setting powder for shine and tinted lip balm. If I want to look extra polished I’ll add eyeliner and/or shadow, mascara and maybe eyebrow gel. This takes me 5-10 minutes max and I usually do the “extra” part in the bathroom at work.

    • BB

      My routine takes 10-15 minutes, but I do pretty minimal makeup (concealer, powder, light shadow, liner, mascara). Women I work with tend to do “natural” makeup, which is probably a lot less time-consuming than if I had to do a full “going out” makeup every morning.

      Also, I’ve found youtube vidoes to be very helpful with this sort of thing…also Sephora’s return policy :)

      • H

        I do exactly this and it takes about this same amount of time. I think the women in my office also do something similar. I wish I could get away with less, but I have acne (still… at 32…arg) so I have to put something on that evens out my face tone and minimizes the look of blemishes.

      • M

        This is pretty much my routine too. I can get it done in 5 minutes. BB balm, concealer (Bobbi brown or Laura mercier pot for under eyes and Loreal crayon for acne), stick eye shadow (Laura mercier), blend with fingers and beauty blender, brush out eyebrows, apply mascara (I used to do eyeliner but now I think it’s a waste of time. Just wiggle the mascara brush so you really get the roots), cream blush (nars orgasm) if I look really tired, then finish with fresh lip balm (I change based on the seasons, right now I use rose).

    • Anonymous

      Oh no. We are not all wearing full faces of makeup a day, promise!

      For me, often I just wear lip gloss.

      When I want to look more polished, I add tinted moisturizer, concealer, mascara, and blush.

      For “fancy” I might add eyeshadow or eyeliner, or highlighter, or a lash curler. But certainly not as a necessary part of my daily routine.

    • Anonymous

      I use a tinted moisturizer most days and that’s it. If it’s a big day, I’ll do my brows, a little liner on the waterline, BB cream and lipstick.

      Full makeup is for interview days, fancy nights out, and weddings. I used to do it every day but now I go to work early and prefer sleep.

    • Anonymous

      I do mascara and maybe (maybe!) eyeliner for work. I don’t really notice one way or another about what the other women in the office do – so they may be doing a lot, or nothing at all.

      • Anonymous

        I only notice when women drastically depart from the routine. One of our partners never wears any make-up at all except for days she’s meeting with clients and then she comes in with a full face of pageant level make-up. That’s the only time I notice what my coworkers are doing.

    • Anon100

      I work in an engineering/construction related field, so most women wear minimal makeup, if any. Maybe some eyeliner and mascara and tinted lip balm, which should take less than 10 minutes.

      • Engineer

        This. Tinter mosturizer/bb cream (i dont know the difference really), eyeliner, mascara. lipstick applied in the car.

        Takes less than five minutes. I think a lot of getting your morning routine really quick is just practice.

      • Anonshmanon

        +1 for this. A lot of women round here don’t wear any whatsoever. My daily routine of powder against shinyness plus blush takes maybe 60 seconds. If I have to speak in front of people or something else formal, I add mascara, bronzer, lipgloss, possibly eyeshadow in a very modest shade. Then it is 5 mins. I am generally lucky with my skin, so YMMV.

    • Anonymous

      I wear tinted moisturizer and mascara (blonde eyelashes) everyday. Takes 3 minutes sitting in my car in the parking garage before work.

    • Cat

      I’m in-house and most of my legal colleagues are women. Of the 13 of us, 3-4 wear what I would consider to be “full” makeup every day (noticeable products such as colorful eyeshadow, red lipstick, or thick mascara). 5-6, including me, wear makeup every day, but the goal is just to look polished as opposed to “oh, great makeup job.” The remaining 3 wear no, or almost no, makeup, but interestingly all 3 of them wear glasses, which help draw attention to eyes.

      My routine involves 8 products and takes about 5-7 minutes:
      – Concealer under eyes/any blemishes
      – Foundation
      – Eyeliner (I use Clinique’s quickliner as it’s idiotproof and easily smudgeable)
      – Light brown eyeshadow
      – Light brown brow gel (I have unruly brows)
      – Mascara
      – Blush
      – Tinted lip balm

      If I’m in a rush, I’ll pare it down to only concealer, brow gel, mascara, and blush — these four products take me from “are you still a law student” to “functioning professional.”

      So, advice? If you like makeup and want to use it, I’d go to the Clinique counter rather than Sephora — Sephora just seems overwhelming to me (too many options!) and the Clinique sales people seem well trained in the art of simple makeup.

    • Anonymous

      It gets quicker with practice, I promise! I go through phases – sometimes I’ll wear a full face (10 mins) or sometimes I’ll wear my “express face” (concealer, brows, eyeliner, mascara, blush – 5 mins). I think eye products are hardest to learn, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy!

      Check out emilynoel83 on YouTube. You’ll have to go back through her archives to find some of the best tutorials, but she does a great job explaining things in a very approachable way.

    • Anonymous

      I live in a hot and humid place so I use serum and sunscreen/ moisturiser.

      Then, loose powder applied with brush, blush plus lipstick.

      That’s it.

    • Jitterbug

      I don’t do a “full” face, I put on BB cream, a hint of neutral blush or cheek stain, lip stain, brow mascara, and lash mascara. Sometimes I skip the brow stuff if I’m pressed for time or just don’t feel like it. I’m planning to incorporate a bit of brown eyeliner for an extra “pop.”

      Eyeliner can be tough to learn. I like using Kat Von D’s Tattoo liner because it’s easier to apply than a regular pencil, but even then, I’d recommend finding time to practice when you’re not going out, and then incorporate it into your “look” when you’re going out and have time to fix mistakes. Once you get the hang of that, it’ll be easier to throw it on when you’re getting ready in the morning.

    • MrsPotatoHead

      I typically wear under-eye concealer, eyeliner, mascara, foundation and blush. That and doing my hair takes 7-8 minutes (I timed it). That said, when I started wearing make up my current routine would probably have taken me 30 minutes. Practices makes you better and faster at most things, including makeup application. I started just applying eyeliner and mascara, which is a lot of bang/buck.

    • Anonymous

      Moisturizer with SPF, BB cream or light coverage foundation, mascara, eyeliner (Urban Decay 24/7 pencils) and brows (Benefit Speed Brow). I can do the full face and brush my teeth in under five minutes. On a fancy day I add powder, lipstick and blush, which adds about 2 minutes to my routine.

    • Anonymous

      My routine is pretty basic for where I work. There’s a few women who wear a lot/very obvious makeup, a few who wear almost none, and several of us who are in between.
      I have it mentally divided into a couple sections: foundation, occasional concealer, powder, eye primer, blush (boring/beige-colored stuff); clear brow wax, tightline upper lashes, relatively light/neutral shadow, curl, mascara (eye stuff – I favor purples and bronze/gold to contrast with my eye color); light foundation over lips to help set lipstick, lip liner, bright lipstick (I like the look of subtle eyes and bright lip). It takes me about ten minutes most mornings, unless I get distracted by morning reading/news during the process, in which case it’s a little longer :P

    • Anonymous

      I have terrible acne scarring and discoloration, so at a minimum I need concealer and foundation. Those products combine to make my face look a sort of creepy level of even-tone, so I then add blush to restore color. I’ve recently started doing eyeliner and shadow to open up my droopy eyes. The concealer and foundation takes the longest–maybe 5-7 minutes–and the “makeup” color part is only another 1-2.

      The entire routine after moisturizer is:
      -Face primer and eye primer
      -Color corrector
      -Concealer
      -Powder to set the concealer
      -Foundation
      -Blush
      -Eyeliner
      -Shadow
      -Overall setting powder
      -Mascara.

      Less than 10 minutes.

    • Anonymous

      I do bb cream, bronzer/blush, fill in my eyebrows, and mascara. I put on lipgloss on the train ride to work. Takes me less than 5 minutes. A “full face” takes me 10, if I am going to special event maybe 15-20. It gets way quicker with practice. I never DONT wear makeup to work (I mean never) because I will get constant comments that I look tired and/or sick.

    • MakeupNewbie

      Thanks everyone for the thoughtful responses! I am pretty intimidated by the variety of options (had to look up what BB cream was), but I am going to try and piece together something simple to start and hope it gets faster with practice.

      • Worrywort

        It will! Fwiw, my makeup routine is gel eyeliner and tinted lipbalm only. I add some sort of anti-shine powder and a bronzy blush (like bare minerals warmth) if it’s an important meeting or hearing day. Start with what you’re comfortable wearing.

      • MKB

        FWIW, I totally recommend ‘HydroPeptide Solar Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30’ (not sure if I can post the link, but if you google it you should be able to find it) – it’s something I bought as a daily sunscreen, but it provides light coverage as well (like a tinted moisturizer). I don’t wear much makeup, but this is worth the time for me because of the sun protection.

    • hoola hoopa

      I have a professional but non-client-facing role in the PNW and almost no women in my department (~12) or even my company (~150) wear make up routinely. Those who wear make up do it because they want to, not because they need to for professionalism.

      If I do: primer (because I’m “old”), foundation, and mascara. I have three little kids and my morning routine is already a circus, so I do it in the car once I’m at work (have baby wipes handy for your hands). Takes about 5 min. I’ve noticed that other common routines of my coworkers is maybe tinted sunscreen, liner/shadow, and mascara.

    • DC Anon

      I highly recommend the Stila liquid eyeliner pen. It’s incredibly easy to use and with some practice, it will take literally 5 seconds per eye.

      My work makeup takes 3 minutes:

      — Stila liquid eyeliner pen
      — Diorshow mascara
      — Laura Mercier pressed powder (use a Sephora air brush to apply; makes a huge difference in how natural it looks)
      — NARS orgasm blush

  16. Anonymous

    I highly recommend the Stila liquid eyeliner pen. It’s incredibly easy to use and with some practice, it will take literally 5 seconds per eye.

    My work makeup takes 3 minutes:

    — Stila liquid eyeliner pen
    — Diorshow mascara
    — Laura Mercier pressed powder (use a Sephora air brush to apply; makes a huge difference in how natural it looks)
    — NARS orgasm blush

    • Anonymous

      Old Navy or Gap (with a coupon/sale).

      With Gap – I would try a few of the same size in the same cut – the fit can vary a bit. I haven’t had any issues with saggy butt in the pairs I’ve purchased in the last year, so go with what fits in-store.

      • lsl

        I bought a few pairs of the Old Navy Sweetheart jeans when I lost weight too. They have a nice high rise, and have held up well. I usually get them for $20 on sale.

    • Veronica Mars

      Define cheap? I get all my jeans from Gap. They retail for something like $70 but they have tons of sales (I think they’re now like 30% or 40% off right now).

      • Anonymous

        Under $50? I consider $130+ “nice” denim (though obviously it goes up from there)

    • CHJ

      UNIQLO, if you live in a city where can try them on in person. Their denim is thicker and holds it shape better than most other jeans in that price range (~$50). They do free in-house hemming too.

        • CHJ

          I’m not sure how they do it, but the hemmed version looks like the original hem. As in, it looks the same way a hem would look right off the rack.

          Also, FWIW, the Boston store at Quincy Market will do the alterations same day, so you can buy jeans at lunch and pick them up, hemmed, on your way home. It’s amazing.

          • anon

            Thanks CHJ :) question is answered. A Euro hem is taking the original hem (with the weathering etc) off the old pants and putting on the new ones.

    • Anonymous

      Old Navy rockstar jeans. They don’t last very long but they fit me the best. I’ve found Gap jeans have really declined in quality/fit (and gone up in price) in the last few years.

    • brokentoe

      Look at Kohl’s. Their Sonoma jeans have served a similar purpose for me, they have tall sizes and they always have sales.

    • Anon

      Old Navy or Express when they are on sale. I also like Levi’s sometimes, but takes some patience to dig through the millions of different cuts.

    • Yup

      Old Navy high-rise rockstars are great for that (I just grabbed a pair to replace slightly too big Express high-rise jeggings while I’m losing weight). You can almost always find 30% off on the website or in store. I like the high-rise rockstar better than the sweetheart which felt a little mom-jean to me, to be honest.

    • Spirograph

      I got a surprisingly great and flattering pair of skinny jeans from Target a few months ago. Worth checking out!

    • Anonymous

      I love the Banana Republic high waisted skinny jeans. They’re truly high waisted and stretchy. I have a pair from Loft that is also ok, though they run kind of short.

  17. Diva

    I finally got a Diva Cup. You guys. Dump your tampons. Go to your nearest CVS/Walgreens and get a Diva Cup. I am blown away by how obvious this thing is and how long I’ve gone without it. It’s super sanitary, I change it twice a day, even on heavy days, no leaks, can’t feel it, easy in, easy out, etc. A lot of ‘rettes have recommended it in the past, and I wish I’d taken the advice sooner.

    • Anonymous

      I’m so happy to find another convert! I’ve used mine for 10 years now and have only used tampons once or twice (when I started my period unexpectedly) in all that time. It’s amazing to think of all the money I’ve saved.

    • anon

      I just find it so uncomfortable! I am so bummed – I think it is the post-childbirth scar tissue. Anyone using one after having kids and doing so successfully?

      • cbackson

        I could never get it to feel comfortable either (and I have no kids). But I use extended-cycle BC, so I only have 1-2 periods a year anyway.

      • Anonymous

        Try a different cup- the diva cup was too rigid, it affected my ability to completely empty my bladder and I got a lot of UTIs. I switched to the lily cup, it’s been life-changing.

    • Anon

      I’ve been using mine for years, but unfortunately, it’s still a little unreliable on the heaviest days (it seems unable to make a seal and therefore leaks, necessitating back-up). I also find it stressful to deal with on the heavy day when I have to change it at work in a stall. Otherwise, it’s SO much better than tampons and you actually come to realize how much more sanitary it is once you get over the idea that it’s “gross.” I promise you, it’s definitely not.

    • Anon

      I’m so intrigued! I’ve wanted to try it for months. Is there a learning curve (i.e. should I try it for the first time at home on a Saturday)? How do you handle changing it in a public restroom? My work has one stall with a sink (that seems to be always occupied) and the rest are of the public restroom type. Any other logistical things?

      • Diva

        I would try it for the first time on a weekend just to get familiar with it. I haven’t yet needed to handle it at work, since I change it once in the morning at home before work and when I get home in the evening before bed. If you needed to handle it at work, the instructions say you can wipe it out with toilet paper and clean it more thoroughly when you get home.

      • Zelda

        I love my diva cup! There’s definitely a learning curve, so I would start off using pantyliners as backup.

        If I need to use it at work/on the go, I try to use a single restroom with sink. If that’s not available, I take damp paper towels into the stall with me, empty the cup and then wipe it out with the paper towels (which go in the feminine supply trash can, not the toilet!) I’ll usually only have to do this once a day (at most) and then wash it fully when I get home.

      • Anonymous

        The nice thing about it is that you can insert it and try it out even when you don’t have your period. There are different insertion methods and ways of folding the cup to insert it, you can experiment with what makes you comfortable.

        My period isn’t that heavy so I only empty it once a day, in the evenings, at home. It holds way more than a tampon so if you time it right, you might not even need to worry about emptying it in public.

    • LawDawg

      I also loved mine (menopausal now, so no more need). I probably used one for 20 years. On heavy days when I wasn’t home, I still used tampons. It got a little messy emptying in a public bathroom and I preferred not to deal with it. A box of tampons would last me about a year.

      • Anonymous

        You are not constantly buying and throwing away products. Less impact on your wallet and the environment.

      • Diva

        For me it’s been no leaks, more predictability, a feeling of better hygiene, money saved buying tampons and weirdly, a better ability to track the heaviness/lightness of my period.

        • hoola hoopa

          Yep. Plus:

          I don’t have to deal with it AT ALL during the day. It’s like not having a period at all.

          More comfortable (for me) than tampons and pads.

          Also, the bathroom garbage can is cleaner. My husband is a big fan of that, lol.

      • Anon

        I never really liked how tampons felt. The softcup is much more comfortable to me. No string!

      • Hgts

        No leaks (for me), I can actually just put it in and forget about it through the workday. I save money. And my favorite, I can put it in before my period starts and leave it in when my period is trailing off because it won’t dry me out like a tampon. I have unreliable periods and it’s grew to be able to put something in “in case.”

    • Pear

      I’m also a convert thanks to this site.

      I am on spironolactone for acne, which makes my menstrual cycles crazy so that I basically need to use something everyday. So I use my cup all the time. On heavy period days, I add a very light pantyliner, just in case….

      It is really amazing. I’m not sure I would have been comfortable starting with one at age 12, but at age 45 I’m a big fan.

      • Anon

        Boy do I miss my spiro! Had to go off it while TTC, because that’s a no-no while pregnant, and also a no-no while nursing. I miss my face!! That stuff is magic. I may need to look into the cup when I go back on it.

    • Anonymous

      I found using cups to get expensive. I dropped mine in the toilet all the time, and per the directions, once you do that you have to throw it out. After 2 or 3 drops and replacements I went back to tampons.

  18. Travels

    Going to Paris soon. What would you bring back as a souvenir for yourself and for friends?

    • Anonymous

      I wish I’d shipped home wine! Also, take a ridiculous number of photos. Then make yourself a photobook when you get back. For friends, I got a lot of lavender products.

    • kc esq

      Last time I went, I brought an empty Tupperware container and hit up a bakery on the way to the airport for some croissants for the road. I’ve since wondered how far I could take that without being stripped of the baked goods at the airport.

    • Hair

      I brought back a lot of mustards (maille! get the nice jars, you can use them to hold flowers afterward)/jams (chestnut spread!!) and macarons and chocolates (though honestly, I though the chocolate was better in Belgium).

    • Zelda

      I love getting beauty products that I can’t find (at all or easily) at home when I travel. Beauty Monop (in Montmartre) is one of my favorite places to find stuff in Paris. Monoprix is kind of the Parisian equivalent of Target, and this is their only store dedicated to beauty products. They have a wide range of price points and some fun products. Also in Montmarte is La Grenier a Pain, which makes amazing croissants/pain au chocolat.

      For other foodie finds, I really like herbs de provence, flavored olive oils and specialty spreads/jams/mustards.

    • Anonymous

      My friend brought my macarons when he went. That was all I asked for. I did see him the night he got back though, so I assume there’s probably a pretty steep drop of on how good they are.

    • el capitan

      macarons, some st michel galettes (i just realized that you CAN buy these sometimes in specialty stores but they’re so cheap in paris).

      make sure you have some marveilleux too!! (marveilleux de fred is the bakery)

    • SC

      I love the herbes de provence that some family members have brought us. They buy a small packet at a local food market, and it always seems better than what I can find in the U.S. If you want to buy something small, easy to travel with, and inexpensive, this is a safe bet in my opinion.

    • CKB

      When I went I brought back a Le Pliage and fabric for me (I sew) and macarons and caramels for friends. I love the idea of bringing back pastries in a Tupperware though. I would do that next time. I might not share, though.

  19. TBK

    This seems really silly, but I would love suggestions on how to handle our recycling. We have a kind of big schlep from our kitchen to our trash totes — we have to go down to the basement and out the sliding doors to the back yard where we keep the totes. This means that making lots of trips is just a hassle. We also have a dog and toddlers who love to get into anything they shouldn’t. We used to have this flip top bin for recycling but it was such a pain to haul to the basement (it was squarish and bulky with no handles) that we’d wind up just piling recycling on top of it when it got full, which was messy and kind of gross. We sometimes put our recycling in paper grocery bags but (1) those fill up quickly and (2) it’s too easy for the kids/dog to get into them. It’s so silly but what’s the best way to store our recycling that keeps little hands and paws out of it, but also is easy to carry downstairs, and has a large capacity so we don’t have to make too many trips?

    • mascot

      We have a pull-out plastic trash bin in a lower kitchen cabinet that holds our recycling. It’s taking up a cabinet so that may not work if space is a constraint. But it fits your other criteria, especially if you add a child lock. We can mix recyclables so it’s easy to just dump it all in there and empty a few times a week.

    • lsw

      My mom got us the Simplehuman Bullet trash can that she found on crazy sale somewhere and it’s been a huge life improvement for us. We didn’t have space in our recent kitchen reno to add in-drawer trash and recycling, so we keep the bullet and our regular trash can side by side close to the door. It looks way better than the blue bins and holds a ton. I got blue bags from Amazon that fit well and once it’s full, we take it to our outdoor trashcans/bins to wait for recycling day. Wish I had done this years ago.

      We still put the newspaper outside directly in the bins (on our covered back porch), since we sometimes use it for random stuff and it’s more space-efficient to pile paper flat in the bin.

    • Meg Murry

      What do you put your garbage in right now? Could you do a second identical container? It’s a little wasteful, but you could bag your recyclables just like trash and then empty or slit the bags to throw them into the recycling container? We often wind up bagging our recycling into plastic grocery bags, and then emptying the bag into the recyling can and tossing the grocery bag into the garbage.

      If you don’t want to haul out the bags as they fill, could you bag into a grocery or similar sized plastic bag and then hang it somewhere (back side of hte basement door knob or a hook on the basement steps?) until you are ready to haul downstairs?

      The good news is that once they get a little bit older, it gets much easier – my youngest started taking out the recycling for us when he was 3.5 or so – although that only involves taking it out the door and around the corner, not down steps.

    • CMC

      I use a large cardboard Clementine box on top of my fridge (like a banana box in design but the outside has cute Clementine illustrations; got it from a Costco trip, it’s what my groceries were packed up in). Not the chicest option, but free and actually added a bit of color to my otherwise very beige kitchen.

    • Anonymous

      I use sturdy freebie bags from conferences etc., hung on a a clip in the kitchen (can be hung out of reach of some pets and most small children) and easy to carry to the bin.

  20. In House Woes

    Has anyone gone from in-house back to a firm? When I left a firm initially I said I’d never in a million years return and really thought I’d be in-house for life, but with hitting a promotional ceiling at my company, being bored with the day-to-day drudgery and dissatisfaction with management/bureaucracy/corporate culture, I’m really starting to reconsider going back to a firm. I’ve obviously thought just about changing companies, but I’m still worried that in-house jobs may always be a little too routine and will always be subject to good/bad management. Also, if you’ve made the transition back to private practice, did you go in as Of Counsel or as a partner? And how did you build a book after being in-house? TIA!

  21. anonymous

    I’ve been asked for a birthday wish list. in the $50-100 range. I’m looking for something functional that’ll make some part of my life considerably easier. Married, no kids, late 20s. Any ideas?

    • Runner 5

      Amazon TV Stick or Chromecast, if you have neither. I have the first and think it’s fantastic but you do need Amazon Prime to get the most out of it

    • Shayla

      I’d upgrade things you know you already love/use. For example, coffee pot. Or gift certificates to Amazon. :-) Happy birthday!

    • Anonshmanon

      Voucher for grocery delivery service. I started using it once I moved into a building with lots of stairs.

      Or for a house cleaning service?

    • Pear

      I just upgraded my hair dryer, curling iron, and curling brush to things in your range. I use them almost everyday, and am pleasantly surprised how much better they are.

    • SC

      What are your hobbies? Do you have a commute to work, and if so, what kind? Off the top of my head, I’d ask for an electric pepper mill, wireless headphones, or a toddy cold brew system. Random, but all three made some part of my life significantly easier.

    • Maddie Ross

      Clarisonic? (Might be a bit over your price range, but can often get on sale.)

    • Anonymous

      I HATE dragging around a big vacuum cleaner to clean my small apartment so I would ask for a decent stick vacuum.

  22. Anonymous

    Poll: If you were only going to buy one knife for your kitchen, which one would you get?

    For context, I have some old and not good paring and bread knives, and the great Kuhn Rikon little paring knife, but I need something bigger for large veggies. Thinking a 6 or 8″ chef’s knife (I’ve held them in store at SLT before and really liked the Miyabi Evolution) but I’m not sure which size would be better, or if there’s something else I should be considering.

    • Zelda

      The vast majority of my knife needs (and I cook a LOT) are covered by a good quality paring knife, chef’s knife (I think 8″) and bread knife. I got mine in Japan, but as long as you’re looking at quality products it really depends on personal preference. I “tried” a bunch of knives at the store in Japan and picked a set that was lightweight yet effective and felt good in my hand. You’re on the right track by going to the store and figuring out what feels best to you.

    • Anonymous

      I have a 7″ Santoku knife that I use as my all-purpose chef’s knife. Th e point placement is different so it doesn’t rock as much, which is my personal preference.

      Honestly, I think the most important part is to be sure the handle fits well when you hold the knife properly (top of the blade section pinched between the thumb and side of index finger). Some brands I tried had the handle too long and it would hit my wrist when chopping.

    • Anon

      A chef’s knife – absolutely. Buy one where the steel runs right through the handle, that feels balanced in your hand and that you feel comfortable holding. Spend the money – you’ll have it for life. Just don’t put in the dishwasher and have it sharpened semi-regularly (learn to use a honing steel to keep it sharp every day)

    • Rory H

      Cook’s Illustrated recommends the Victorinox chef’s knives which are about $40! Any time they do an equipment review and try to find something to beat it, they always go back to it.

    • Runner 5

      Kitchen Devils make a great smallish serrated knife which I love. In fact, for months it was my only knife. It handles bread and tomatoes fine because of the serration.

    • Minnie Beebe

      8″ Chef’s Knife. No question here. Get the best, most comfortable one you can afford. I just had a conversation with a coworker this morning about this – I bought a Wustof 8″ Chef’s Knife 21 years ago that I use Every. Single. Day. It seemed like a very extravagant purchase then (right when I started grad school) but has been one of my very best purchases ever.

      6″ isn’t long enough, IMO.

      • Anonymous

        If you have one nearby, I recommend a trip to Williams-Sonoma. They carry a wide variety of knives and you can try them out to see how they feel in your hand. I have small hands, so the heavy European-style knives are very hard for me to use.

        I have a Global 8-inch chef’s knife. It is my favorite kitchen tool by far.

        • Anonymous

          I second the recommendation to try before you buy. If you are just buying one knife, an 8″ chef’s knife is the most useful. After that, I would suggest adding a paring knife, serrated tomato knife, and bread knife, in that order. If you get a high-quality knife (mine are mostly Wusthof Classic) and get it professionally sharpened once in a while, it will serve you well for decades.

  23. Paging Penny

    Or others with life coach and therapy experience.

    I saw your recommendation from the weekend thread. Do you find that your life coach and therapist are duplicative? What distinguishes the life coach from your therapist?

    I find that my issues are all kind of a jumbled ball of insecurities and perfectionism, so my therapist does some of what I’d expect a life coach to do: challenging my assumptions about myself, questioning my thought patterns, etc. But I like the idea of a life coach, too, just not sure if I need one.

    • Life Coachee

      I had therapy several years ago and now have a life coach. There is a lot of overlap, and IMO, you probably don’t need both at the same time if you have a life coach with a strong mental-health related background. My life coach has her phd in something mental health/psychology/etc related. She was a school counselor at one point, a college professor at another point, and a therapist as well, so there is a lot of overlap in terms of talking about negative self talk and challenging assumptions. However, I’ve found life coaching to be more proactive than therapy– while we do talk about childhood issues, it’s more focused on the big picture and the future and working on getting to how I want my life to be.

      I went to therapy to deal with anxiety/perfectionism and fallout from growing up in an alcoholic/codependent household. I went to life coaching mainly to figure out what I wanted from my career, though we also talk about my relationships with my husband and daughter. Unsurprisingly, many of the issues I dealt with that led me to go to therapy are also a factor in my career and other aspects of my life. Life coaching gave me a kick in the pants to realize how unhappy I was in my old job and how I was really not well suited for that type of environment. I have a new job and am in a much better place in terms of stress level.

      Hope this helps!

  24. Anonymous

    Any recs for relatively comfortable black heels that are dressy/wedding appropriate?

  25. ISO Underseater

    I’m looking for a really small carry on bag for one- and two-night trips. I carry my laptop in a shoulder bag that has a nice luggage strap thing for sitting on a rolling bag (obviously my luggage vocabulary is not fully developed) so what I’m looking for is a very small rollaboard type bag that I can confidently put in the overhead on commuter jets, or, if push comes to shove, under the seat in front of me. Ideally it would be grey and available on amazon (gift card burning a hole in my pocket) and $100 or less, but I could compromise on any of those factors, really. I have a nice 21″ spinner from Samsonite (it’s super light weight and I love it, but I’m afraid it’s a little large for a two night trip, and I’ve had to gate check it on commuter planes).

    Any advice for this new-to-business-traveling gal?

    • Zelda

      Search for “Victorinox Luggage Avolve 2 Wheeled Boarding Tote” on Amazon. Meets everything in your criteria except price ($150ish). I have an older version and really like it. It’s small enough to fit underneath a seat, holds enough for a weekend trip, looks professional and is really durable/great quality.

      • Anonymous

        +1 on the Victorinox. I had some luggage break down after a couple years of frequent travel and replaced it with Victorinox and Tumi. Still going strong after 5 years.

    • Maddie Ross

      Just a random aside, but I think it’s funny that you don’t like to gate check on commuter flights – to me, that’s the best of all possible scenarios. The bag is with me. Someone schleps it onto the plane for me, and it’s waiting for me when I walk down those silly little plane stairs at the end. While I despise commuter flights (so much more turbulence!), I love the gate check aspect of them.

      • Senior Attorney

        I agree. We took a commuter flight this weekend and it was great to not have to deal with either the overhead bin or the baggage claim!

      • Anonymous

        I don’t like gate check because sometimes they don’t return the bag to you when you get off, but rather send it on to the baggage carousel with a really long wait (or tag it to be checked through to your final destination, where you have to get it at baggage claim). I’ve also had to wait a really long time for it to come up on to the jetbridge before and that doesn’t work if you’re trying to make a connection, since so many connections these days seem to be a 45 min or 5 hour option with nothing reasonable in between. I can do 45 minutes if I just get to walk off and speedwalk, but not if I have to play the “will my bag be last again” lottery.

    • KT

      I have this little Samsonite ($63) and it’s been a workhorse for my constant 1-night trips. It fits on every airline easily but still is pretty spacious to fit my essentials: http://amzn.to/24GSDBt

      Nine West (on Amazon) has this one in grey and black for $100. I like that it can be a regular roller-bag, but also has handles to carry it like a tote: http://amzn.to/23BWutL

      And this is a really nice hard one in silver for $104; I think I’m going to get this one for my husband for when he travels with me:
      http://amzn.to/24GTd29

    • Gail the Goldfish

      The luggage term you’re looking for is boarding bag. I’ve got one from Samsonite I like. Though I’ve found the only thing that reliably fits on those tiny commuter planes is a duffle bag/tote. Boarding bags are sometimes too wide to go into the really tiny overhead luggage bins, whereas duffle bags you can squish in there. I just end up gate checking sometimes.

    • Ekaterin Nile

      TravelPro “Crew” Rolling Tote. ID number 4071413. Link to follow to avoid moderation.

  26. ArenKay

    Anyone want to discuss the Good Wife finale? I was happy to see Will Gardner again, but particularly disappointed by the Diane/Alicia conflict. Overall, the finale reminded me of how much I loved the show early on.

  27. anonymous

    Do you ladies have any advice about when one should and shouldn’t take risks in your career?

  28. ArenKay

    Anyone want to discuss the Good Wife finale? It was nice to have Will Gardner back again, but the Alicia/Diane collision was pretty disappointing. My favorite thing about the series has been the way in which it takes female friendships seriously. Overall, the finale made me remember how good the series was in the early years.

  29. Anonymous

    Baptism gifts? What should I get my nephew for his baptism? The couple isn’t even particularly religious (so nothing with a lot of scripture on it) but is doing a catholic baptism out of tradition (and a lot of people are coming).

    • Runner 5

      My parents didn’t want to commit me to a religion as a baby so they got the vicar to do some kind of blessing instead of a full on baptism – someone gave me a gorgeous (but child friendly, not precious) book of illustrated Bible stories. I was a big reader as a kid and I meant that although we’ve never ‘done’ religion while I was growing up I still have a vague idea about most of the stories – useful for reading Shakespeare too.

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