ByKat Hours Updated
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Coffee Break: Exotic Embossed Lambskin Flat

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Brooks Brothers Exotic Embossed Lambskin FlatThere is a lot to love about this embossed lambskin flat. Love the green color (although it's also available in a burgundy, and there are still green versions of two satchels, both on steep discount), and I love the slight point to the toes, the little cutout, buckle, and the fringe detail. It's on an amazing sale, too: was $248, now $75 (and lots of sizes left, squee!). Brooks Brothers Exotic Embossed Lambskin Flat Psst: BB shoes did make readers' list of the most comfortable shoes — check out the full Guide to Comfortable Heels! (L-all)

Sales of note for 2/14/25 (Happy Valentine's Day!):

  • Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
  • M.M.LaFleur – Save up to 25% on select suiting, this weekend only
  • Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase — and extra 60% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + 15% off (readers love their suiting as well as their silky shirts like this one)
  • Boden – 15% off new season styles
  • Eloquii – 300+ styles $25 and up
  • J.Crew – 40% of your purchase – prices as marked
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site and storewide + extra 50% off clearance
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Flash sale ending soon – markdowns starting from $15, extra 70% off all other markdowns (final sale)

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

143 Comments

  1. Hello ladies,
    I have a casual meeting tomorrow regarding a job at my company. So it would be a lateral position. I had joined my current position last July but I have been with the company for last five years. So it has been less than a year at my current job.

    My problem is I had an average review last year (which was handed to me a month back). Partly because I started in the middle of the year and spent some time ramping which left me with less time to be in performing mode and partly because I couldn’t function in the team. It was a small team (3 people) and very toxic atmosphere. The team was virtually run by two people on the team and not the manager. He didn’t have a say in anything, neither he was interested in what was going on in the team. They would not allow me to function (withholding information needed to do the job, always asking me to do low priority jobs and keeping good work for themselves, one of them yelling and screaming at me, being sarcastic while talk to me etc etc). These were the reasons I decided to leave the job this January and stayed on the team till now for personal reasons. Since then the manager was removed from his position and one of the team members was fired. The manager handed me the review and he had some pretty bad remarks on me based on the feedback of other two people. Fortunately, the review happened in front of the new manager who was replacing him. I pointed out with examples the kind of a useless manager he was and how other team members have harassed me during the six months I had worked there. The new manager changed the feedback and made it subtle. I still feel that it casts me in bad light as if I was lazy. The feedback is in the lines that I need to take more initiatives and pull together a team to get a work done. It is almost painful for me to get such a feedback and I am nervous that the hiring manager will go through the review and ask me about it.

    I am in good books with my new manager and he appreciated my work in the last two months. He also quoted what good feedback the other senior people were saying. I have had very good reviews for previous four years I have worked for the company and I can ask a couple of my previous managers to give feedback about me which I am sure will be positive.

    I want to answer the hiring manager in a non complaining manner. Can you ladies help me prepare for this question? Thank you so much in advance..

    2. Maybe you could frame it as you realized the team/work environment wasn’t the best fit and then explain what you’ve learned from this experience, something like, “I’ve realized that I need to be more proactive in getting work” or something like that and detail what you’re doing to improve in that area.

    3. Since you have four years of good reviews, start with that–you are a long term good performer! For this year’s review, just talk about the challenge and what you learned. If you can do so gracefully, you can refer to the fact that the company has made some changes on the team, and that you like the new manager, and he’s giving you positive feedback which you are learning from.

      Don’t try to directly defend the not great review unless you have no choice. It’s likely the hiring manager knows the reputation of your former boss, and any competent manager will weigh all your reviews, not just the most recent. It’s just so difficult to defend against a bad review without looking like it is your problem, so better to focus as much on the positive as you can.

  2. I like these, especially the green, but I’m not sure I’d get a lot of wear out of them. I don’t usually wear flats to work–most of my trousers are hemmed for a heel, and I feel very stumpy in skirts and flats. I’d also be concerned about the cutout showing too much toe cleavage (such a ridiculous phrase), which I don’t love.

    1. I love these. I have a pair of similar pointy flats from Via Spiga and the dark green is surprisingly versatile. I rarely like non-black shoes with black tights (with an exception for darker colorful suede, which I think works because of the texture), but I really like the dark green.
      These look very posh, too.

    2. Also love these. I’d wear them allllll the time, especially in the burgundy–no issues with feeling stumpy in skirts and flats here!

  4. Has anyone seen these shoes in person? I’m wondering if the green is green “enough” that against black pants/skirts it would appear as a distinct style choice versus accidentally picking the ‘wrong’ shoes.

    1. I haven’t seen these particular ones but with other BB green shoes, the green could not have been mistaken for black.

      1. Now I’m really tempted on these. They probably won’t fit my wide feet though. Does anyone know if Brooks Brothers shoes run wide?

        1. Some do. Not sure if that’s helpful, but I have several pairs that are too wide for me outside the toebox, if that makes sense (my foot tends to be wider at the front and narrower at the heel). Their return policy is pretty good, too, esp. if you place your order through Shoprunner.

          1. Thanks. My feet are really only wide because of bunions so I’m guessing they won’t work. There is a Brooks Brothers super close to my office so I might pop in to see if they happen to have them in stock.

        2. I find the pointed toe shoes to be more narrow and their almond toe shoes to be a little wide.

  5. Ladies, hoping someone here has an idea to help me out! I relocated not too long ago and have been putting off getting a haircut because I have very fine hair that tends to be difficult to cut – I’ve had more over-layered cuts that ended up looking like mullets and super short cuts that resulted from trying to fix mistakes than I care to count. Previously I would usually find someone who doesn’t ruin it and just hang onto them as long as possible. I know the usual advice is to get recommendations from other women but I work in a team where I’m the only female and I haven’t come across anyone in the area so far with similar hair to mine (I’ve gotten recs from friends with thick or normal hair before and it’s never worked out). I REALLY need to get a cut soon, things are starting to get scraggly. How do I find someone good without playing russian roulette with my hair?? (I don’t mind paying for someone that’s worth it, but in my experience cost =/= quality.)

    1. Have you checked yelp? When I moved to Toronto, I solicited opinions on facebook and also read yelp reviews on probably 100 salons before I found my salon, which I love.

      Or where do you live? Maybe someone here has a suggestion for you?

      1. Sorry, I should have mentioned – Tampa Bay area. I have tried yelp but few reviews actually reference people who have fine hair and what works for “normal” hair types often doesn’t work for me, I’m hesistant to put a lot of weight on them. I suppose it’s better than nothing though and I might just have to pick something there to start with if I can’t figure out something else…

        1. When I lived in TB I went to Chrissy Parker at Beyond Aveda for years and she was fantastic. I wouldn’t say I have the exact same kind of hair as you’re describing, but it does have some quirks and she was just really technically proficient. We did color, long layers, the bob that was big in ’08, all the way to a pixie, and I was always happy with her work. She left Aveda and opened her own salon, I think, called Truvy. I’d recommend getting in touch with her, describing your needs, and asking if she thinks she can help. Good luck!

    3. Does your city have a city magazine? For example, in Dallas we have D Magazine that is published monthly. Once every few years, they’ll run a special issue on the best stylists/massage/spas/whathaveyou and I would start there. Maybe the newspaper does something similar.

    4. You start by telling us where you are! We are your internet water cooler ‘o ladies.

    5. You should be able to go to a few salons for a consultation before booking a cut. Ask the stylist what s/he would do with your hair, and explain the problems you’ve had in the past. I was also going to suggest that you ask around. Maybe you get a lot of responses from women with normal/thick hair, but if the same stylist’s name keeps coming up among everyone you ask, then maybe it’s worth a shot. You could go with something safe like a trim to see if you can find a stylist who knows how to deal. Don’t be afraid to stop women on the street or in Target or whatever.

    6. Can you try something subtle first–like a light trim–and then once they have “proven” themselves do something more? Also, I’m really shy, but I’ll bite the bullet and ask stylish strangers with similar hair whom they use, from the clerk at Sephora to the lady I always see at the dog park. Most people are really flattered and very open about their experiences.

      1. Not sure why I didn’t think of this but this might be my best option – looks like there may be some people watching at the mall in my future!

    7. Does any one in the new job, neighborhood, social circle, etc., have similar texture hair as yours? Ask them where they get their hair done.

      1. I use Jen at Studio Cabello on Davis Islands in Tampa – she (and the rest of the folks at the salon) are awesome and have really done miracles with my difficult hair.

  6. My back is a mess since I injured it years ago. Physical therapy helped but it still gets aggravated a few times a year. A friend recently recommended an inversion table. Does anyone have experience with these?

    1. Inversion tables are wonderful and I highly recommend them. I suffered from a major back injury when I was young and although I healed without too many problems (when you’re little your body is like a sponge) I have some scar tissue and end up getting stiff and sore periodically. One of my previous employers actually kept one in the office for all the employees to use and it did wonders for making my back feel better. I don’t currently own one because I don’t have space in my apartment, but as soon as I live in a bigger space it is a purchase I will make.

      2. Not sure if it would work as well, but DH swears by resting upside down with his back over a giant medicine ball. May be worth a try if you haven’t already given its easier cost/space.

        1. I do this, and I’ve found it can really help stretch everything out/get my muscles to relax.

        3. I didn’t even think of using the ball for that purpose. Thanks for the suggestion!

  7. Ladies, have any of you worked in retail and can explain to me why, other than “it’s policy,” a store “needs” my phone number or e-mail address in order to process a return? I tried to return some items last night, and met with exasperation and attitude when I politely declined to give the employee my phone number or e-mail address. I had an ID and the credit card with which I bought the merchandise, and it was in original condition with the tags on.

    I asked her why the store required the information, and her response was something like, “well we need it for returns because if I try to put in a return without it, they’ll be like, ‘why doesn’t it have numbers?'” At which point I dropped the issue because clearly she had no clue.

    I totally understand the stores want that info for promotions/market research, but they ought to respect that some people don’t want their personal contact information in every company’s database. Is there a REAL reason they need it?

    1. Did you earn some kind of “membership rewards” tied to your phone number or email that needed to be rescinded since you made a return? Otherwise, I have no idea, but this (and the 12 emails a day Lands End sends) are why I have a separate gmail account just for rewards clubs, email promos etc.

      1. Nope, because I never give my phone number or e-mail when I buy things either (and am sometimes also berrated by the sales associates for this, too). Sometimes I give them a fake number just to shut them up. And the idea of spelling out my spam e-mail address in the checkout line somehow just bothers me. GET OFF MY LAWN!

        1. I know it’s necessary for returns, but every single time I give my email address at Pier 1, I end up getting duplicate emails from them. It drives me crazy!

    2. That really bugs me. I usually give a fake phone number or a junk email address that I have, but it others me nonetheless.

      I think I heard that Target was trying to limit returns at some point. I suppose its possible that they keep track by phone number, but I don’t really know.

      1. I think this is it – they do it to track if the same person is returning an enormous amount of things (which can mean fraud/theft). I usually say no when they ask for phone number, email, postal code (because those they just gather for marketing purposes), but I give them a phone number for returns.

        1. I actually DO have this number, except one number is different. I only received one prank call where the person sang that song. I thought it was hilarious.

    3. I imagine that it’s part of the new “loss-prevention” scam. I had AT require my drivers license recently even though I had the credit card and receipt. They’re creating some sort of database of people who return things so that they can eventually deny people who over-return. Best Buy and Victoria’s Secret are, too. I can only imagine that a phone number goes into the same system. I know I sound paranoid, but I was really irritated when it happened and a little internet searching found a bunch of articles. At the store they claimed that it was to prevent people from picking up random items on the floor to return, which made zero sense because again I had the receipt and credit card. Then they switched to “everyone’s requiring it now!”

      1. This still applies even though you had a receipt and credit card. You could buy a dress and keep it. But take the receipt and credit card back to the store, grab the same dress off the rack, and return it.

    4. I believe that they use it to track how many returns a customer makes in a given time period (year, month, etc.) so they can flag frequent returners for a variety of reasons, including using that info at other stores within their chain.

      Not that this is relevant to you, but when I used to work in retail, we were told it was so we could track the people who shoplifted our clothes, ripped off the tags, then returned them without a receipt for cash. We could track how many times a person did this. Too many times = no more returns for them.

    6. Target requires a phone number for returns if you do not have a receipt. It is my understanding that they require the phone number for fraud detection purposes.

    7. I’ve had to fill out little forms for returns at certain retailers since way before the internet, so I think in lots of ways it’s just a hold over policy that kind of means nothing. The big department stores always asked for phone number and street address. I think it’s nominally intended as a guard against return fraud, as in a certain person shoplifting and then returning merchandise, and if they at least have a phone number and a name they have some paper-trail for any actual criminal case.

      I think it’s easier to just write down a fake number and move on rather than argue about it. The biggest retailers have so much bureaucracy, figuring out why or changing a policy is practically impossible.

      I’ve worked for smaller retail outfits that didn’t require personal info for returns, but then again we were small enough we had inventory control where we could actually tell if someone was trying to return something that had been stolen.

    8. Just guessing, but they probably want to track how many items someone is returning.

    9. Really truthfully it is to prevent fraud, I know *you* might be an honest shopper, but there are lots of people who aren’t. They went into different databases (from the mail outs ect) at where I worked, but I am not sure about all places.

      1. Do people who aren’t honest shoppers give out their real phone number, though? If not, why does it matter?

        1. I’m sure some know the system and throw it off, but some definitely don’t. I have a family member who does such investigations. Even if someone with uses a fake number, they very likely use the same one repetitively.

    10. Thanks all, the fraud explanation makes sense… and now 867-5309 is stuck in my head. :)

    11. It’s been years since I worked retail but I understood it was to prevent fraud. In some cases, refunds were refused for heavy returners or potential fraudulent returns.

    12. I do not give out my email address or phone number. When asked to provide this type of information, I usually decline to provide it and if pressed, I make up something ridiculous like 123-4567 for my phone number and say I don’t have an email address. There is no valid reason for asking for this information. It has zero to do with loss prevention — what thief in their right mind would provide a valid number and email?!?! If the store persists, I probably won’t shop there going forward.

  8. How do the BB shoes fit? I wear 6 1/2 in Naturalizer and 7 in Cole Haan. Are they wide foot-friendly?

  11. I admit I own more pens than I need. I am a collector, and for whatever reason, I am always looking for the next best thing. Currently my favorites are the Zebra Flight (though the tips get gunky), and the Pilot Acroball.

    I don’t like gel or liquid inks, I prefer ball-point, but I can be swayed.

    What are your favorite pens, and why???

    1. I really appreciate my Staples brand Optiflow. They’re “rollerball” – so similar to a ball point. They’re really smooth, and I’ve never had one break or leak. Mine seem to last forever and I’ve never had one gunk up or bleed everywhere. I think they have a pretty elegant look – and they’re cheap enough the business office doesn’t complain when I order them.

      I tried disposable fountain pens for a while after a friend recommended them, but I thought they wasted a lot of ink, and evidently my chicken scratch is too scribbly for a fountain pen.

    2. Oooh, leftie here, so I’m picky. My favorites are Pilot Precise V5, extra fine point. All colors. :)

      1. These are the only pens I use. I’m really picky too. I mainly use the blue ones but have definitely used all the colors to color-code my paper calendar and to do lists.

      2. Lefty and these are my favorite, too! I just bought two more packs. For my personal notes, I love writing in the bright blue, purple, and hot pink.

      3. not a lefty, but those are my favorite too! i use blue the most, but have all the other colors for color coding purposes.

    3. Pentel RSVP, fine point. I’ve owned fancier pens, and haven’t yet encountered anything I like better.

    4. PaperMate Profile. Easy writing, lots of colors. I also like RSVP, but the Profiles feel better in my hand.

      1. The WORST is when they are a different color on the outside than the ink is! I throw those away immediately.

    6. Hi, my name is “I can’t resist new pens” and I have a pen collection problem. It has been 2 months – no wait, 3 hours – since my last pen purchase. I have a pencil case + a few package + a desk organizer full of pens at work and three more pencil cases + desk organizer at my apartment, and at least three jumbo size (the kind you used to get at sporting events?) cups full of pens + two desk organizers full of pens at my parents house. And at least 75% of them work (I test regularly).

      My favorite are the Staedtler Triplus fineliner, but I also really love the Sharpie Pens and Le Pens (apparently, I have a think for felt tip). I also really like the Pilot G2 rollerballs. The best pen I ever owned was a ball point pen with this awesome swishy grip I got from Levenger in high school.

      Don’t ask me about mechanical pencils… RIP Bic Great Erase.

    7. Uni Jetstream, comes in 0.5 and 0.7. Can be found at Japanese bookstore/stationery store types. Click top, so I don’t have to worry about losing the cap.

    8. I was anti ball-point but I’ve fallen in love with the Papermate InkJoy 100s. I bought a pack of 20 retractable ones in January… Best stationery purchase in months

  12. Kat, I just wanted to thank you for putting a note on the “Offensive client” post to stay on topic. I know there was a discussion going on in the Weekend Open Thread where some ladies (and me included) have voiced their opinion about the many Open Threads and threadjacks going on. I enjoyed the post and the comments and the discussion, and I think it’s a fine idea to have more on-topic posts and discussions without cutting down the Open threads for those who enjoy them! Thank you.

    1. +1. I was in meetings and missed the discussion, but I enjoyed going back and reading the on-topic comments.

    2. Agreed! I think it’d be great to require that the comments on the reader questions/non-clothing item related posts stay on topic. There also seems to have been an uptick in work related TJs today which is a nice change of pace.

      1. There do seem to have been more work-related threadjacks yesterday and today, and since some of the comments over the weekend resonated with me, I’m making an effort to comment on them. I think I’ve been passing them by lately because they sometimes require a bit more effort, but I want to stop that.

    3. Co-sign. I think too often no one even comments much on the posts that come right before the Coffee Break because it’s just a default “I want to comment on the most recent post with my random TJ” (which is fine, but it limits the usefulness of the specific topic posts) . I think it’s probably why people rarely comment on the Friday News Round Up, too, because the Weekend O/T is always up 30 minutes later. Today was actually really nice as far as all that goes. Usually, if I check in after the Coffee Break is up, there is hardly any discussion worth reading on the previous post because everyone immediately migrates. Great idea, Kat!

      1. That’s a great point. Kat, it might be nice if the middle posts showed up with a little more time to comment before the last post of the day goes up.

        2. Interesting– I completely disagree. Wouldn’t having a specific topic post (the usual middle of the day posts) immediately be followed by a coffee break post give people looking to TJ an appropriate venue in which to do so? And then the middle posts can stay dedicated to the stated topic?

          1. I think if we can keep the mid-day comments on the topic of the post like we did today, I’d like to keep a little more time separating them. That’s just a personal preference though because it’s nice not to worry about switching back and forth between posts.

          2. I’m with you & now I’m just going to skip the “topic” threads as I usually find the topics uninteresting and really preferred the threadjacking, but I think I’m in the minority.

    4. ACK!!!

      How did I not see that? I guess I was so fired up by being so close to the topic that I went straight to saying my 2 cents worth.

      This is great news.

      THANK YOU KAT!!!!

    5. I agree! I like the open threads but its nice to have threads about work that stay on topic.

      1. It’s amazing how many comments were on that thread and all on topic! That’s very cool. I think some people haven’t realized that the Coffee Break threads are more meant for that. So it’s nice that Kat made that more explicit.

        FWIW – I didn’t comment because I was swamped during that time and don’t have clients. But apropos of the conversation about talking about money with your friends, I commented to one of my closest friends that I had bought a pair of shoes from Neiman Marcus because they had knocked off $75 while everyone else had them full price. She said “I can’t believe that. I don’t even pay $75 for a pair of shoes!” She doesn’t resent that I make more money but she thinks I’m a shopaholic, which I most definitely am not! I just need work clothes and she doesn’t.

        1. But NOLA, don’t you LOVE shoes? Its not just about having clothes to wear to work, you genuinely really love great shoes. Like Mary Anne Singleton and horses or Ellen and her fitbit…

          1. Yeah I definitely do! And that contributes to it. But I didn’t used to spend as much per pair as I do now. I tend to buy higher quality shoes these days.

            My friend makes less but also works from home so she doesn’t need work clothes or shoes. I think there are some choice issues here as well. I have an old CRT TV in my livingroom because the only TV I ever watch there is while I’m on my treadmill. She and her daughter have the most enormous flat screen TV I’ve ever seen. So it’s what we choose to spend money on. Still, I sometimes feel badly because our income differential is pretty wide.

  13. I recently moved to the DC area, and have officially reached the point where my hair is starting to look a little scraggly and the color is looking pretty awful.

    Anyone in the DC area have any recommendations? I have medium-long hair that’s thick (the strands aren’t thick, I just have a lot of them, which has caused issues in the past) and dark brown.

    I don’t mind spending money on it, but I’ve had bad luck going the “if it’s expensive, it can’t be too bad” route (I move around a lot).

    2. Where in the DC area are you exactly so we can give recommendations? i.e. DC, VA, MD…

      In any case, I live in DC but my office is in Old Town Alexandria, and I get my hair cut and colored by the office at PR @ Partners, by Gwyana. She’s great.

    3. The only place that I have found that I like (and I’ve tried soooo many) is Casal’s in Clarendon. It’s an Aveda salon. I live and work in DC but I trek out there because it is literally the only place that I’ve found in the area that is both somewhat reasonably priced and that does a good job.

    4. Thomas Shelton. He just opened his own salon on P St in Dupont. He’s excellent at both cut and color.

    5. I proselytize for Jessica Mason at Jouvence Aveda in Pentagon Row. I’ve been seeing her for about 4.5 years now, and I’ve never had a bad cut or color.

    6. I LOVE Meghan Moody at Paul Bosserman Salon in Georgetown. I’ve sent several other people to her, all with very different hair types, and she does an amazing job with both cut and color. Seriously, I’ve had other hairstylists stop me on the street to ask who cuts my hair. Can’t recommend her enough.

    7. Roberto at Bang in Chinatown is fantastic. I don’t even have to tell him what I want; he just knows.

    8. Sorry this is late, but I was in an all-day meeting yesterday – if you’re still looking, Ryan at Eastern Confederate in Mount Pleasant is my favorite stylist ever. I have very fine, long hair, fyi. He really listens when I tell him how much time/effort I’m willing to put into my hair and what I’m looking for, makes the style work for my face and hair, and gives you a beer when you come in! His salon is a basement in a townhouse, full of deer antlers, a fake woodstove, board games, and random kitschy stuff. Not for everyone, but I love it.

  15. I am in NYC at one of those mythical smaller law firm jobs with pretty awesome hours, great senior associates and pretty good work.

    BUT there has been a decline in quantity of work (which contributes to the hours) and for whatever reason, I just feel like I don’t have a great rapport with my partners (not negative, but I usually have GREAT rapport with my bosses and superiors so it feels weird to me) possibly stemming from the lack of work or just general apathy in investment by the partners in my small, stagnant department.

    I am looking for advice on whether it makes sense to seek a change knowing that I’m likely not going to find similar hours, if it means the possibility of finding a place where I will be appreciated, utilized, and mentored for more growth, or if I’m just crazy to give up a pretty good gig.

    Has anybody made lateral moves for similar reasons? Am I simply chasing a unicorn?

    1. I think my answer would depend on a few factors, including: the duration of this slow period, your age/life situation (about to have kids soon? have young kids?), your current billables versus your average billables, etc.

    2. How far along are you in your career? If you’re midlevel, one of the benefits of a smaller firm is the opportunity to get in on the client development side of things earlier than in a big firm. Take your skill of creating rapport and start practicing on bringing in clients.

      1. This was my thought. If you are at the level where it makes sense to start bringing in business, this is probably the best way to stay in your mythical environment and fix the other problems. Even making the effort (and talking about it to the partners) could improve your rapport with the other partners.

      2. Thanks everyone for their thoughts… I am the most junior in my department which would make it seem a bit more secure, but in other ways, because it got quieter soon after I started, I feel like my seniors have gotten to prove themselves and establish that rapport even if they are more senior and thus more “expensive,” they’ve gotten the experience and are more able to do stuff, having had the training.

        Although I don’t think it’s ever “too early” to bring in business, our partners’ sanctioned business making activities do not seem to align with our efforts as associates, which is concerning.

        As to M2’s point about feeling secure, I have never felt secure, and I don’t know how much of that is because it’s actually not secure, or if it’s because I graduated in one of the worst years and our firm isn’t the most reassuring place (my seniors have at times expressed sentiments of not feeling secure in their position even though from my perspective they’re in so tight with the homies).

    3. My gut instinct is that this is a case where you should definitely think about moving. Yes, you are unlikely to find a job with equally good hours, but you’re not leaving because you want more money or more prestige or something else that is normally inversely associated with good hours. You want more work and better work and to be “appreciated, utilized and mentored” – all things that contribute a lot to job satisfaction and are not inherently incompatible with work-life balance. It makes sense to me to look for a job where you will get these things. Also, are you sure your situation is stable long term? If you have had low hours for awhile and are concerned about your rapport with partners, I would consider looking elsewhere for no reason other than you don’t want to wind up jobless (or being told to look for a new job which is a much worse situation to be in that looking on your own initiative). I’d start looking now, but so long as your job situation seems relatively stable, I’d be choosey and not take the first job you’re offered. Ask tough questions in interviews, seek out scoop informally and really try to make sure you will get good work and be mentored and that you feel the firm is a personality fit. As someone who’s done all my job hunting while unemployed, it seems to me that one of the biggest luxuries of job-hunting while currently employed in a reasonable job is that you can really take as long as you want, meet with as many firms as you want, etc, until you find one that you’re really excited about.

    4. I am interested to hear what others have to say on this. Like you, I am struggling with whether to start seriously looking elsewhere in light of the notable decline in quantity of work at my current goldilocks firm. Part of me wants to ignore the problem until I am told to start looking, but the other part of me thinks the first part is an idiot for not making a concerted effort to find something else sooner rather than later. I would love to bring in more work myself, but my junior status combined with the fact that almost no one that has business to give has ever heard of us make that a pretty unrealistic solution as far as the “need work now” problem goes. Le sigh.

      I think Anon in NYC identified some good factors to consider. If your life circumstances are such that growth/mentoring are only secondary concerns compared to the glory of reasonable hours, and you generally feel secure in your job, I would not undertake a serious search until you reach a point where growth/mentoring trump hours or job security becomes a real concern. Having said that, I would still keep an eye out for interesting opportunities.

  16. I went to the J. Crew at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa yesterday to try on the Emmaleigh dress and matching 1035 jacket based on recent posts here.

    Turns out, NO J. CREW IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA stocks these items. I was specifically advised that I should order as many of the items as I might need to try on (which could be 4 of the dress and 4 of the jacket because sizes A and A petite and B and B petite are all possibilities) and then just return what I don’t want.

    Yes, I know this can be done. But, no, I didn’t think that I needed to do that for a staple item from a big box retailer. This is something I do when I want to try on something from Lord & Taylor or some other store we don’t have in Orange County. Looking around the store yesterday, it appears (based on the merchandise) that women here visit the beach and attend parties but do not work or at least do not work in offices that require tailored clothing. I know. I’ve lived here for decades. But I lost it just a little when the very nice mid-20s sales guy suggested I wear the seafoam green eyelet sundress that I was trying on for size to court.

    So I ordered the 2 most likely sizes and am now wondering whether the style is even cut for me regardless of size and wear the neckline really falls. I suppose I will find out when they arrive.

    1. OMG — WHERE the neckline really falls. See how out of sorts this made me!

    2. I often find the J Crew store is designed for people on permanent spring break.

    3. This is why I never shop in stores any more unless it’s sold out online (and in that situation, I call ahead and have it put on hold). It’s really frustrating that (a) the stock in stores is so poor, (b) what they do have is not available in my size or has been tried on by 500 people and looks like it was trampled at Coachella, or (c) it’s been on display and the sleeves were jammed up the mannequin arms, to look “breeze and casual” in that $200 suit jacket, and those wrinkles are a B to get out. So instead we have to deal with having $1000 out on a credit card and making sure to mail back or go in-store to return the “no” items before those charges hit the statement and become due (with my J Crew card, this can sometimes be as short as two weeks). They also give attitude when you go in to the B&M to return because it hurts their store sales numbers, which is an issue they should take out on corporate, not the customers.

      1. I think the last time I stepped foot in a physical clothing store was a year ago when I was on vacation. That’s why I’m shocked that the thought of going into Brooks Brothers to try on these shoes even crossed my mind.

        I think I got used to online shopping like that when I was plus size and even if the non-department store had clothes in my size, they were only available online and not in store. I remember being so incredibly happy when Old Navy started stocking plus size clothes in the stores.

        1. Sydney, if you’re still reading – it is highly unlikely these shoes would be available in store. BB rarely has sale items in the shops unless it’s a store wide promo or – very rarely – some major clearance. If you sign up for shoprunner (free with some credit cards like Amex or free for trial period), you can get free 2 day shipping and returns. FYI.

          1. Thank you for stopping me! I did sign up for Shop Runner after you mentioned it above (hooray for free membership with my Amex!) and I think I’m going to try these. They are just so gorgeous and green is my favorite color. I hope they fit!

          2. I love shoprunner. I hate paying for shipping. It’s great for BB and L&T. I hope these gorgeous shoes work out for you!

    4. This totally explains my bewilderment this past weekend…..I went shopping at a different mall than I usually shop in & noticed a J Crew was in that mall.

      As I was out shopping for work clothes (dresses), I wanted to go in and try some on after seeing some of the good comments on this site. Even though they are normally a little above my price point, I was willing to give it a shot.

      Absolutely nothing business-ey about the store I found.
      Permanent spring break, yes.
      I’m-a-serious-business-woman, no.

    5. I have actually never been to a J. Crew store that had any of their 1035 pieces in stock. The first time I ordered them, I did exactly what the sales associate recommended: I waited until I had completely cleared one of my credit cards, then ordered 2-4 pieces of each item and tried them all on at home until I found my size. I then (VERY promptly) returned everything that didn’t fit. My boyfriend thought I was absolutely nuts. But it was worth it – now I know my size in all those pieces and can order additional pieces or new colors very easily. If it is possible, I would recommend “buying” as many sizes as possible so you can just try them all on, figure out your size and return the whole bunch that don’t fit at once. If you do it right after you have paid your credit card bill, you should be able to time it so that the charges are reimbursed before your next billing cycle so you don’t accidentally get hit with interest for the returned items.

    6. Was at the largest mall in my extremely populated, northeastern, suburban county this weekend, and had the same experience – no suits in stores at J. Crew. I went to Ann Taylor instead and found an awesome suit + jacket combo. Sorry, J. Crew, you lose.

      1. *dress + jacket, not suit + jacket. I apparently have Friday brain today.

        1. AT has always been terrific like that for me – all the stores have fabulous suit separates every time I go in. Same with Jones New York. Plenty of choices and now in recent years, much nicer fabrics than they used to have.

          I never liked JCrew. Over priced and too hard to deal with.

    7. Just sympathy from a fellow OC shopper. The JCrew at South Coast is BIG – I don’t understand why they can’t squeeze in a few suits. They just point to the red phone – at least shipping is free that way.

      1. Seconded. Shopping for professional clothes here is beyond frustrating. But there is a never ending supply of resort wear! It sometimes feels like I’m the only one bothered by this. Glad to know I’m not alone.

        1. Totally not alone. I have also been looking for a pro-choice OB-Gyn since last year. No success yet.

    8. this is interesting, in light of the conversation earlier today regarding stores like Ann Taylor tracking the number of returns someone makes. I actually do this pretty frequently, as I am a size which isn’t usually stocked in stores, and I never anticipated it would be an issue, but I do wonder now. It is tedious, but the end result is that I will have the size that I need (which most likely would not have been in the store in the first place). It has always been worth it to me, but…I never thought about the number of online returns hurting a store, or the store having the ability to refuse to take the return based on that.

  17. I just wanted to let everyone know that I had my review today, and it went really well. The issues I thought had been resolved were, for the most part, and I got a raise, which I definitely didn’t expect based on my billable hours.

    I did get a little teary, which I expected, but I think threw off the (male) partners giving the review. Still, this time last year I would have burst into tears, so I think I got off easy with just a runny nose and bright eyes.

  18. Can I just say: “THANK YOU, NBA!!!” that is what you call a serious response to racism. Rawr!!!

    1. Mother Jones says that $2.5 million dollars for Donald Sterling is $59 for a normal person.

      1. I was thinking more about the “Banned for life” part .. and the NBA is asking the Owners to expel him.

          1. I’m still willing to celebrate. A short time ago, his comments would not have resulted in any punishment whatsoever.

          2. Actually, this may not be the case. The NBA is forcing the sale, so he may have to take the first offer.

            And I am also glad to see strides being made to appropriately address and punish blatant racism.

          3. I can’t remember where I saw the article but one of the articles pointed out that selling (even at a profit) would be a blow to him because he’s the type of guy who enjoys going to all the games and being fawned over for being the owner. He could sell the team at a loss and still be uber rich which is why the fine wasn’t higher (because it would be pocket change no matter how high it was). They felt banning him and possibly taking away his team was a bigger punishment for him individually.

  19. I’m getting my hair cut tomorrow and would really like some celebrity photos perhaps of great long hair that can also be professional. My hair grows very fast and sometimes can look a little too bombshell. Don’t get me wrong, I love my hair, I just don’t want it to be the center of attention at work. I also prefer to wear it down rather than up, so an appropriate length is key. I’m having trouble finding photos of great long hair that is also professional-looking. I either find it overly styled for the red carpet or up in a ponytail for the gym. Does anyone have any favorite looks, maybe characters from TV shows?, of not-too-long professional hair? Something past my shoulders for sure, but not at my waist. My hair is very thick, naturally big waves (although I typically wear it straight), and brown.

        1. That is similar to the cut I have. I wish I could figure out how to give myself a blowout so the curls stay like that. I use a curling iron and can get them to look similar, but they fall and wind up just looking smooth with a slight curve at the ends a few hours later.

          1. I made myself a hair appointment at my salon to learn how to do this. I brought my materials (hair dryer, brush etc) and they taught me how to make better curls. I even set it up where I did it early in the day, and checked back with them at the end of the day so they could see how the product in my hair worked. It was a huge time commitment but I just wanted for once in my life to figure out how to make them stay in all day.

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