We’ve talked about how a $9,000 handbag might be a bit much for an intern — but Reader E wonders when in your career women can buy expensive briefcases and work totes. How soon is too soon? I was wondering if you could do a post about expensive handbags for work. Kind of like the … Read More about When Can You Buy an Expensive Handbag?
Can you wear hipster/geek chic eyeglasses to the office — especially if you’re young? I’m hoping for your input on a quandary I’m having. I’m starting my first real job this summer so trying to build an adult wardrobe now. I am nearsighted and strongly prefer glasses to contacts for everyday wear. I love my … Read More about ‘Geek Chic’ Glasses and the Office
Is ombre hair appropriate for the office? When does any hair color become “unprofessional”? Reader P wrote in with a great question, and perhaps might lead us to an interesting discussion of when hair dyes and colors cross the line: I was wondering if you could do a post on whether ombre hair is professional. … Read More about Is Ombre Hair Professional?
Can younger women buy quality suiting pieces like Armani and St. John’s, without looking old? Reader J has an excellent question: I recently bought this Armani Collezioni jacket on an impulse. The price was too good to pass. But after I got home and tried it on a few more times, I start to wonder … Read More about How To Buy Quality Pieces Without Looking Old
2018 Update: We still think this is a great discussion on whether older women can have long hair and still be professional — but you may also want to check out some of our more recent discussions on aging gracefully, including how to go gray intentionally. Long hair on older women: the perennial question. Despite … Read More about Can Older Women Have Long Hair and Still Be Professional?
How do you deal with back-handed “compliments” at the office? Reader B wonders… I am a 30 year old lawyer working in Washington, DC. My late 20’s/early 30’s professional female friends and I have experienced a strange and disconcerting dynamic amongst women in the workplace: getting negative comments from other women for being smartly/well- dressed. These … Read More about Back-Handed Compliments at the Office
So here’s a fun question: how has your skincare routine changed through the years? For the older readers, when did you notice that you needed to add a little “somethin somethin” to your routine? Do you think particular brands matter, or is it just important to do something? (For example: does a particular brand of … Read More about Beauty Wednesday: Skincare and Aging
So a few weeks ago there was this survey: more makeup makes you look more competent. Or so they say. This seems like exactly the kind of thing we should explore here… hence today’s open thread. Do you think makeup or eyeliner says anything about your competence? Let’s Assess The Models’ Competence Based on Eyeliner … Read More about Eyeliner & Competence: An Open Thread
2017 Update: We still stand by this advice below about long platinum blonde hair at work, but you may also want to check out our latest discussion of the best shade of blonde hair for being taken seriously at work. This is a perennial question: is long hair professional? And a corrollary: is long platinum … Read More about Can Long, Platinum Blonde Hair Be Professional?
Reader R has a question that goes pretty well with our discussion of networking with older men — how to network with older women. Here’s the question: I’m a 24 year old summer clerk with a public defender’s office. I got the gig by networking through my friends; specifically, by getting to know their mothers … Read More about Networking with Older Women
2016 Update: I still agree with my advice in this post, but you can also check out our latest discussion on what not to wear to work. So there’s this great piece on USA Today about how “business casual” can be confusing to some people — this one 24-year-old PR executive was shocked (shocked, we tell you!) when … Read More about What NOT to Wear to the Office
Can you listen to music at the office if you’re junior — particularly through headphones? Does it make you look less professional or focused if you prefer to work while listening to music — and how can you tell if you’re annoying your coworkers?
