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Updated: Oct 30, 2018 95 Comments · by

Coffee Break: Athena Teague Pointy-Toe Pump

The Personal Shopper (TPS) |

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. These kitten-heeled, pointy-toe pumps have been on my radar for a while — they're always highly rated, they come in a zillion colors, and they're available in a wide size range of 4–11. That's pretty good for a $60 shoe! They have a number of fun colors right now, but if you don't already have an animal print in your wardrobe, I would encourage you to give it a try with the lovely black leopard print featured here or the tan leopard print that's also available. Athena Teague Pointy Toe Pump This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

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Comments

  1. Anon

    I put on my big girl pants and brought my lunch today. By 10:30am I’d already eaten half of it. It’s now 11:23 and I want to eat the other half and this is why we can’t have nice things.

    • Calibrachoa

      This is why my lunch goes into the fridge on the other side of the office. that, and I bring a snack.

    • Anonymous

      Bring a less appealing lunch? I eat those 400 calorie Amy’s Kitchen frozen meals. They’re edible and healthy-ish but I don’t crave them.

    • AIMS

      I’m usually better about this if my lunch requires heating. So a soup will be fine but a sandwich, not so much.
      Bringing a snack helps. So does putting it away.

    • Rainbow Hair

      When I just bring “a lunch” (usually leftovers from the night before or a Trader Joes salad) I am way too hungry. If I bring a little snack to eat at 10 am, it’s much better.

    • Sam

      I brought an omelette half (left over from making my son’s breakfast) this morning for my breakfast. On days I have a heavy-ish breakfast like this, I don’t reach for my lunch.

  2. Not for me

    This shoe looks cute but no thanks to the synthetic lining. My feet would stink to high heaven.

    • Anonattorney

      Oooh, is this why certain shoes get so stinky? I lack knowledge in this area. Any tips for picking shoes that don’t stink? Am I just looking for leather?

      • Not for me

        Yes, look for a leather lining (Nordstrom and Zappos indicate whether the lining of a shoe is synthetic or leather). The shoe will be pricier but the stinkiness will largely go away.

      • Anonymous

        Has anyone ever actually gotten those to work well? I have big feet (11), so I’m sized out of most women’s sock sizes, but I’ve never seen these as “no-show” on anything except tennis shoes or loafers types. Ballet flats or pumps always have them peeking out.

  3. Laptop

    Recommendations for a laptop for working remotely? Currently have a MacBook Air which I otherwise like but it’s a pain to work remotely with work’s windows system. I can use some of my work expense budget to cover the purchase. Will primarily use for working remotely, word processing, interneting. I don’t really care for the tablet hybrid laptops as I’m not big on tablets. Thanks in advance!

  5. Best brands for broad shoulders?

    Does anybody have suggestions for good brands for broad shoulders? I’m a swimmer; my shoulders are huge. It would be so nice to find a blazer that doesn’t constrict my movement.

    • Torin

      Thankfully I don’t really have to wear blazers, because they’re not designed for climber shoulders.

      For the rare occasions that I have to wear a blazer, I have some from Ann Taylor that look alright-ish. My two issues with them are that the armholes aren’t large enough to be really comfortable and they restrict my freedom of movement reaching forward. They also gape a little across the chest because I’m flat chested. I’m hoping someone on here has a better suggestion because I truly dread having to wear the d*mn things!

    • AZCPA

      How formal do you need to be? I have the same issue and all that fits me are knit blazers (like the Caslon ones at Nordstrom) but they are pretty casual for blazers.

    • tribble

      Size up and tailor. You’re not going to find a blazer that fits properly off the rack. Drop some serious cash on 2-3 classic blazers that will never go out of style then grab a couple of knit blazers that you can mix in.

      Brands that fit my broad shoulders – Hugo Boss, Brooks Brothers, Talbots, Ralph Lauren. I’ve had sporadic luck with WHBM, Banana, and JCrew. I like MM La Fleur… sometimes. The longer jardigan – I forget what it’s called – worked well for me but the shorter one with the shoulder pads did not. The Olivia Moons have held up just OK, but they have a great range of colors so I keep going back.

      • BB

        Get the “classic” fit for Brooks Brothers. I find that they are wider cut for broad shoulders.

    • pugsnbourbon

      All my blazers are the “open” style. I feel like this gives me just a little more movement. I don’t think I’ve ever worn a buttoned blazer.

  6. Boots

    What kind of boots are we supposed to wear nowadays? I will continue to wear my knee high boots but I would like to buy a new pair for this year. I have no idea where to start.

    • Anonymous

      I’ve heard slouchy knee boots are on trend (as opposed to the more structured riding boot types).

    • Anonymous

      NY Headache Center is great for migraines (assuming that’s why you’re interested). Dr. Yablon is great but I think they are all very good. May be a wait for a new patient to get an appointment but worth it.

    • NYNY

      Denise Chou at Columbia. She works out of their midtown offices near Rockefeller Center.

  8. silliest insecurity ever

    So, I know there’s much bigger issues everywhere, but on a lighter note, I’m starting to have the silliest insecurity ever. My husband and I both have long hair. I’ve never been a fan of his long hair, but hey, it’s hair and he’s a grown man, and he keeps it nice, so I’m not going to fight about it. Over the last couple of years, my hair has started thinning. I’ve always had nice hair and received compliments and just generally like my hair. But now my hair is just ok, and everyone compliments husband’s hair. Sure, fine, he has nice hair. The thing that’s pushing the insecurity is that in another month or two, his hair is going to be longer than mine. And I just don’t want that. I’ve been hinting that he needs a trim for a while (which, for hair to be healthy, you do need to trim it regularly, so it’s not totally untrue that he needs to take a few inches of split ends off the bottom), but he just doesn’t want to cut any length off at all. And I get it, because I’m the same way. I HATE haircuts, I like my hair just above waist-length at all times. I’d grow it to hip length if it would grow, but as I’ve gotten older, it just won’t get longer in a healthy way anymore.

    This is the dumbest thing ever, and I feel really REALLY silly. I saw the posts about Aveda products over the weekend, so I’ll give those a shot. But seriously, I’m a strong independent woman and I’m starting to feel insecure that my husband has nicer/longer hair than me. More hair growth product recommendations? And confirmation that this is the silliest reason to be insecure (or that actually, this is a thing that people are insecure about and while small and silly, not totally unreasonable?).

    • Anonymous

      Not sure if it’s reasonable but I felt super tired when you said you have waist length hair. I can barely find energy to wash/dry/style my mid-back length hair. I can’t imagine having hair longer than that.

      • traveler

        Yeah, when I read that, I started getting neck/upper back pain just thinking about it.

        More power to ya.

    • Anonymous

      I don’t think that us telling you you’re silly or not silly is all that useful.

      But if, by chance, your identity as a person has gotten intertwined with the kind of hair you have, I’d suggest you go to work separating who you are from how long your hair is. Your hair doesn’t define you; you’ll still be you even if your hair were shoulder length.

      • Eff

        As someone who recently went from a lifetime (literally!) of waist length hair to shoulder length hair, I second this comment. I’m still me, but I feel different in a good way. That said, I didn’t feel good about it immediately. There were tears and swearing and wearing a hat to go buy all the products I could find. But now I’m good. I regret it sometimes (growing out hair takes a long time!) but I didn’t realize how much of myself was bound up in being the girl with the crazy long, thick hair until I cut it off. I had to find someone else to be, since I didn’t have a ready-made identity growing out of my head, but I like who I’ve become so far.

    • givemyregards

      I do not think this is the dumbest thing to be feel insecure about! I have had issues with hair loss on and off my entire adult life and it is really stressful and upsetting, particularly if you (for better or worse) have some of your identity tied up in having long hair (or just having hair in general). Have you told your husband about your insecurities? I feel like even when I feel really stupid (particularly when I feel really stupid!) about something, my SO is really understanding and appreciative that I’ve shared with him and I feel so much better for it after the fact. Not saying he needs to cut his hair just to assuage your concerns, but then he’ll at least be able to understand how your feeling and take that into consideration.

      Have you also talked to your hair dresser about these concerns? I find that finding someone who understands my volume concerns and can give me a good haircut making the most of what I have can go a long way.

      • silliest insecurity ever

        I haven’t mentioned this to my husband, mostly because I feel really silly about it. I’m sure he’d be understanding.

        I should definitely mention it to my hairdresser and see if she has product/cut recommendations. I also brought it up in a short doctor’s appointment, but since I don’t have actual balding spots and I’m otherwise healthy, the doctor didn’t think it was a concern. She suggested that we could do some blood tests to see if there’s a hormone imbalance or something, but again, it’s not severe enough to warrant tons of time and money to look into.

        • Anonymous

          Did you bring it up with your PCP or your dermatologist? I had a lot of hair loss about a year ago. It ended up being a temporary stress induced thing for me, so I had to wait out regrowth, but my dermatologist was full of helpful recommendations/willing to run tests. For what its worth, my husband is a doctor and when I asked who I should see about it he said definitely a dermatologist over other doctors.

          • silliest insecurity ever

            This was a PCP, so going to a dermatologist would be a good move. I haven’t done a mole check in a while, so probably due for a visit anyways!

    • AIMS

      I don’t think it’s silly. I think there are certain things we can grow to take for granted about ourselves (e.g., having nice hair) and when that starts to change and you don’t feel like you have whatever that is anymore, it can be tough to adjust. I read an interview with a former model once and she said that one thing that is really tough about getting older when you’ve always been very attractive is you start to realize how many things were a result of your looks and it’s hard to let go of that without feeling sad. I think contextualizing how and why you’re feeling this way can help. I’d also say something to your husband; you don’t have to tell him to cut his hair but you can tell him that it’s hard for you to have shorter hair than he does. Maybe he’ll make you feel better and you won’t care. Maybe he’ll see it as a good reason for a trim. But don’t feel weird having the conversation – it can be very helpful to just say these things out loud.

    • Baconpancakes

      It’s not silly. It’s good to separate yourself from that single thing as a core tenant of your identity, but it’s natural that you would be “[your name], the one with great hair,” in your head if you’ve gotten compliments on your hair all your life.

      But I strongly second the recommendations for a new hair style. I was always the one with long, mermaid hair, and I always got compliments on my hair, but when I got a haircut just below my shoulders, with layers and natural volume, I looked better. My hair wasn’t as beautiful, but it was more flattering to my face, and I looked more beautiful in it. And I am less wrapped up in my hairdentity, knowing that I could change my hair and it would be ok.

        • silliest insecurity ever

          Not quite, at least not yet. He’s got a couple of inches to go, but his hair grows fast, so it could be there by the end of the year. Plus, it’s straight and quite thick, while mine is curly and starting to thin, so it appears much longer. If he donated it to a charity, it could legitimately be 18 inches of hair if they chopped it off just above his shoulders to a typical shaggy cut for a guy. Mine is currently just above my natural waist, so not as long as it has been in the past.

        • Baconpancakes

          Why are you being so rude? My advice was legitimate, and my experience is related to her quandary.

          • Anon

            Calm down. That wasn’t particularly rude. You’re reading way too much into a pretty neutral comment.

      • silliest insecurity ever

        This is helpful advice and I’m glad to hear that it’s not crazy to feel weird about my hair not being like it has always been.

      • Sam

        I second this part: “when I got a haircut just below my shoulders, with layers and natural volume, I looked better. My hair wasn’t as beautiful, but it was more flattering to my face”
        Layered hair can (1) be more flattering and (2) disguise lack of volume (3) make your face look younger because there are no long lines of hair emphasizing the lines on your face.
        I highly recommend trying it! Take the plunge! It may be a bit surprising to you at first but once you get used to it it’ll be a real pleasant change and you will love the compliments.

  9. Anon

    Looking for cooking suggestions to use u a bunch of jams and jellies I made. I have mostly plum jam and lemon marmalade.

    I don’t eat gluten (I don’t think I have celiac but if I eat it I don’t feel well) so that’s why I’m thinking cooking, like using a jam or jelly to make a sauce?

      • Anon

        Oh, that’s not what I was expecting! I thought it might be mashed sweet potatoes on toast, which also sounds pretty good to me.

    • Baconpancakes

      Paging the woman who overbuys fruit at the farmer’s market and is forced to jam in order to keep it from rotting!

      Oh wait that’s me.

      Ways to use up jams:

      A tablespoon into plain yogurt, greek or otherwise (any flavor) – basically every day
      Mix into an unsweetened smoothie that matches the flavor profile (plum jam + cherries + oats + almond milk, etc)
      Add to overnight oats in place of sugar, in addition to or in place of fruits
      Mix into regular oatmeal
      Heat up the plum, spoon it onto pancakes
      Mix the lemon marmalade with white vinegar, salt, and pepper, cook chicken thighs in the crock pot in this
      Blend the plum jam with tangy BBQ sauce, use on anything
      Serve a teaspoon of the plum on grilled pork chops or sausages
      Heat up either one and spoon over vanilla ice cream, OR pair the plum with a coffee ice cream and the lemon with a matcha green tea ice cream
      Thumbprint cookies or hamentashen

    • Clementine

      I put a spoonful of jam into plain yogurt to make flavored yogurt. It’s what my mom did when I was a kid and what I do for my kid.

    • anon a mouse

      Mix the plum jam with a little balsamic vinegar and use it as a glaze for roast pork tenderloin.

    • EasyJamSnack.

      Take slices of polenta* and warm them in a frying pan with butter. Then top with jam. It’s incredible and you can thank me later.

      *There are two kinds of polenta: roll and creamy/stove top. You can buy a roll at most grocery stores (often in the Italian section). I wish I could say I learned this from my grandmother but in fact I learned it from Weight Watchers.

      • Baconpancakes

        If you fill a greased mini loaf pan with hot stove top polenta, and let it cool, you can slide the loaf out and cut it for roll/loaf uses. It’s cheaper this way. But honestly, it’s so cheap even buying the rolls I do that anyway. BUT just in case you have a craving for fried polenta and no rolls available, now you know!

    • Anon

      Thanks everyone! I made chicken thighs with plum jam, balsamic and Dijon tonight and they were a hit!

  10. Valerie

    Jumping off the house vs. loans vs. retirement question from earlier: I’m due to pay off my $250k law loans in the next two years. I’ve been waiting to buy a house until after they are paid off. However, I’ve read that paying off your loans often decreases your credit rating for a bit. I don’t want to end up with a higher mortgage rate because I paid off my loans clearly. Has anyone experienced this? (or NOT experience this)

    • AIMS

      We got a really low interest rate and paid off a big chunk, thought not all, our loans right before it happened, inc. closing out a car financing loan. It doesn’t seem to have made a difference but it also wasn’t all our loans. Maybe start looking before you’re quite done so that you can price it out both ways?

      PS: paying off $250K in loans is super impressive! Good for you!!

      • Valerie

        Hmm, I have some undergrad loans at like 1% that I probably won’t rush to pay off. Maybe leaving those open will help somehow?

        P.S. Thanks, finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel is such a relief!

        • AIMS

          My understanding is that the reason it’s sometimes a small hit is you are basically closing a credit line. So if your loans are $1K a month that’s $1k in available credit that you’re foregoing. That doesn’t quite sound right, at least logically, but that’s how I understood it. In that case, if you get to a point where you don’t have a lot of debt left but you have some “credit lines” still available, you should be in good shape. Keep in mind banks have their own lending requirements for mortgages. I think officially it’s somewhere around 40 DTI but in reality it’s much lower, closer to 33 (actual numbers escape me). Talk to a knowledgeable mortgage person (many aren’t!) to figure out how to best position yourself.

    • Anon

      In the current market, I think it depends on what you think your overall financial situation will be when buying. If you have a high enough salary + no/low debt + down payment or other resources, IM(recent)E, it doesn’t matter what your credit rating is. Banks will want you and will let you explain away issues.

      However, mortgage rates and lending environment may change – why wouldn’t you at least be on the lookout now for a “steal” of a personal real estate investment?

      • Valerie

        Oh, I am on the constant look-out just in case. But my city is having a growth spurt, so a steal is unlikely.

    • Anonymous

      I paid mine off a year ago and did not have a drop in score at all. Even if this did happen I think it’d be small enough that you’d be back to your previous score within 3-4 months, which is probably the right amount of time to go from making loan payments to shoving extra cash into your down payment and post-closing ALL THE HOUSE EXPENSES fund. It’s also about how long it’d take to go from successful offer to close, unless you were planning to have something lined up to buy the minute you paid them off.

    • SC

      My bank was much more concerned about our debt-to-income ratio than our credit score–so paying off loans would have made much more of a difference to getting a mortgage and low interest rate than any effect on our credit scores. That was in 2012 though, when there were more hoops to jump through to even get a mortgage.

      Paying off your loans could cause a moderate decrease in your credit score because (a) you’ve closed the accounts, decreasing the average age of your credit accounts, and/or (b) you’ve decreased the total amount of credit available to you (particularly a problem if you use a lot of your available credit on your cards).

      Since you’re still a couple of years away from a home purchase, it might make sense to request credit limit increases on existing cards or to open an additional card now so that the average age of your accounts doesn’t fall too far when you pay off your loans. In the meantime, don’t close any of your other accounts. It may make sense to keep your 1% loan open (even if you pay off most of it) so that you don’t close your oldest account.

      • Anonymous

        This is good advice. Paying off school loans does not affect your credit rating negatively. Consumer Credit vis-a-vis credit cards has a negligible impact. Meaning instead of 800, you will have 780. But when you are getting a home loan, the lowest rates are generally available to anyone over 700. More importantly you should shop around for loan rates, get pre-approved/ qualified, and then shop armed with that knowledge. Credit Unions can be your friend in this process as well if you are looking for lower rates. The key is as long as you have a track record of consistent wise stewardship of your credit–you have nothing to worry about–especially if the income is there to back it up.

  11. Anonymous

    If there are any Outlander-reading friends here, do you have other book recommendations for similar types (well-researched historical fiction with a good plot – not necessarily fantasy)? It’s slow enough at work that I need something to do – must be on Kindle.

    • Beans

      I enjoyed the Discovery of Witches trilogy. It’s old, but have you read The Historian?

    • Anonymous

      Into the Wilderness (Wilderness Series) by Sara Donati – Claire and Jamie may make a brief cameo (if i remember correctly)

      • Reader

        Second this – I’m re-reading now. And the author jumps a few generations ahead in a follow up series.

        Also Sharon Kay Penman has awesome historical fiction as well as some mysteries set in Eleanor of Acquitaine time.

    • Anonymous

      There’s always the Phillipa Gregory series on the royal women of England. I don’t know how well-researched they are, but the TV adaptions have been entertaining (The White Queen, the White Princess, etc.) I may (finally) be starting to under the whole War of the Roses.

    • Anony Mouse

      If you want something on the lighter side, I’d suggest the Temeraire series by Naomi Novick. It’s Napoleonic Wars-era England, but with dragons.
      If you’re up for something more involved, Wolf Hall, suggested above, is excellent, though it’s a commitment. I have a masters’ in that general era of British History and was seriously impressed with the sheer volume of painstaking detail that Hilary Mantel incorporated into the book (and its sequal, Bring Up the Bodies).
      If you’re open to historical fiction beyond Britain, I’d suggest The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (David Mitchell). It’s a little slow to start, probably because the history of colonial traders in 19th C. Japan isn’t well known to most of us, but give it a chance and it’ll really pull you in.
      Another strong read is To the Bright Edge of the World (Eowyn Ivy)–a dual story of an explorer in late 19th c. Alaska, and his wife on a military base in the Pacific Northwest.
      For 19th C. Australia, Picnic at Hanging Rock (Joan Lindsay) and Oscar and Lucinda (Peter Carey) are two very different but excellent books. I’ve also heard good things about Cloudstreet (Tim Winton).
      The Underground Railroad (Colson Whitehead) puts a different spin on a familiar story: there’s an actual railroad with trains and cars.
      Haven’t read it yet, but have heard great things about the Essex Serpent (Sarah Perry).

    • Anony Mouse

      I wrote a long post and it’s in moderation. :( Short answer: try the Temeraire series by Naomi Novack.

    • Anonymous

      I believe Alison Weir has written a few fictionalized histories, would be set in England and France’s medieval period. I can’t speak to the entertainment value, but I’m sure the research is impeccable.

      • Anony Mouse

        The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir is definitely well-researched. It’s been a decade since I’ve read it, though, and I don’t remember how entertaining it was.

  12. Anonymous

    I was curious to know if any of you have quit therapy and are solely taking antidepressants for depression. I’ve done both for about two years and feel like I’ve gained everything that I can from therapy but am reluctant to quit. I’ve always thought of it as similar to high cholesterol in that you may take medication but you certainly also eat well and exercise. Are there any downsides to medication only? Do you feel like it’s easier to do “the other things” when you’re still in therapy? FWIW I have a therapist that I’m not wild about and a fantastic psychiatrist.

    • Also Anon

      I’ve been in and out of therapy, and on and off of antidepressants, for over a decade, with some overlap. Myself, I’ve found the “usefulness” of therapy comes and goes, depending on what’s going on in my life at the time, and who I’m seeing.

      If you’re thinking you want to continue therapy for awhile, but feel like you’ve learned what you have to learn from your current counselor, you might consider switching to someone else. In particularly, you might find someone with a different approach. If you’ve been seeing someone who focuses on narrative therapy, you might look for someone with a more “active” focus, like CBT.

    • traveler

      Yes, it is quite common to stop therapy at some point if things are pretty stable, but to have it as a back up if/when you need it. While some people stop cold turkey, other will taper down slowly…. just spacing out the visits… and then you usually know when you are done.

      Honestly, most of my friends have such crappy health insurance (very high deductibles), that most I know take meds only because they really can’t afford therapy even if they want it.

    • Mrs. Jones

      I stopped therapy a couple of years ago and have been on only antidepressants since then. It has worked for me.

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  14. Moving on Momma

    Threadjack here. My husband and I are considering moving to another state for quality-of-life reasons and for, I’ll admit, a “sense of adventure.” I’m 30 years old and live 20 minutes from the town I grew up in, and while it’s super nice having grandparents nearby, I can’t help feeling trapped! Both of us are kind of blah in our careers (I’m in government, he’s in construction) and we’re looking for a career shift anyway. Plus, we both want to live in a place with more access to nature, a more walkable community, and less congestion. We have our eye on Portland, Maine. Currently living outside Philly. We have a house and a 1 year old daughter. Any tips on making a big out-of-state move with 2 careers, selling a house, and a kid? Any Portlanders (Portlandians?) wanting to weigh in on what you think of your city and Maine? Thanks!!

  15. Linked In II

    Thanks for the helpful comments on this LI subject from yesterday. It’s given me more (overthinking?) questions about Linked In that I’m hoping you all can help with. I live for details so all suggestions are welcome!
    Photo–should I have one, can I go without, does it need to be professional or at this stage can it be playful?
    Uni– dates should be included? what do I say about the flunked phd–I’ve been doing it for the last few years and so don’t have any thing current to offer except that and affiliated teaching
    Public/private –what is the better setting to put it at? I know that headhunters have their keyword searches they use to contact people and their settings to view a profile is different–in that case does it matter? I’m mostly direct applying to positions that I’m interested in. If the company searches for me is it okay that it’s private?
    An anon person who works in HR suggested I only post ‘high level info’ what specifically does that mean?
    I’ve been at uni for more than ten years and have little clue; thanks for the way finding!

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