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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 51 Comments · by

Coffee Break: Magid Jacquelyn Large Tote

Accessories· Fashion· Wear to Work | · · ·

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Magid Jacquelyn Large ToteGreat gray tote from Tianni — like the belt detailing, the zipper closure, and the interior pockets, as well as the general look of the bag. It's available in grey (pictured), black, and rose at Endless.com for $74. Magid Jacquelyn Large Tote

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

Comments

    • Chicago K

      It was very hot last fall here and perhaps even the year before in other cities. Even gray nail polish was/is popular!

  3. A.M.

    So cute. Love that it is flat on the bottom but not hugely deep. And especially love that it is non-leather materials that look durable, and the strap!
    If only it weren’t fake croc print. But I think I can overlook that. I wish the rose were more creamy than pink, I would snap that up in an instant. I’ve been on the lookout for a tan/beige/cream smallish tote.

  4. Louise

    I have a $10 gift certificate code at Shoebuy.com that I won’t use before it expires. It is P558705877783545 and can only be used once. Enter the code in the “gift certificate” box at check out. Expires August 31, 2010.

    Hope someone can use it! If you do, please comment back here so folks know the code is gone.

        • Shayna

          My very first-time-ever pair of Stuart Weitzman shoes!! They are a GORGEOUS pair of heels… my gift to me, to arrive right after I take the last section of the CPA exam 8/28 — as in, good job on surviving the last six months w/out going nuts!

          • Louise

            Woo hoo! That’s great. My husband’s aunt works for Stuart Weitzman and I love their shoes. Good luck with the CPA exam; it’s getting close.

  5. anonymiss

    Threadjack:
    I’m a rising 2L, who has OCI next week. I’m going to be getting braces in the week after OCI but before (hopefully!) call-backs will start. Any advice on how to navigate interviews while adjusting to a mouth full of metal? And lunches at interviews? I’m a bit nervous about food getting stuck in them. Also, any makeup advice?

    Thanks!

    • CJ

      Is there any way at all you can delay getting the braces until after call-backs? It just seems like incredibly tough timing to have to adapt to braces amid one of the more draining and confidence-shaking phases of your professional life.

    • anon

      agree, this is the worst time to do this. you’ll have headaches, food issues, questions about them. i vote try to delay

    • Another Sarah

      If you can’t delay, here are some tips:
      * No salad at lunch. Too many leafy things that could get caught up in there. Ditto for soft, bready sandwiches. The soft bread gets stuck in every little crevice in the braces, and if you smile, it won’t be pretty.
      * Bring floss/flosspick with you so you can pick stuff out in the bathroom if you need to.
      * Don’t schedule a tightening any less than 48 hours before a call-back. If it can’t be helped, reschedule your ortho appt. Unless you really need a good reason to have only ice cream at lunch and think you can get away with it. :-)
      * Step up the brushing of the teeth. If you are getting the clear plastic braces, it’s really super gross when they start to turn yellow. You can slow this down immensely by brushing like you’ve never brushed before! Start carrying a travel toothbrush and toothpaste with you, even if you’re getting the metal braces.
      * If you’re getting the metal braces, resist your inner child and just go for the straight gray rubber bands. I know it’s festive to get red and green for christmas or blue and silver for Hannukah, and since it’s so small, you may think “Meh, who cares?” But your teeth are very easily seen, and they will be noticed anyway.
      * Generally, start carrying some painkillers.
      * If you have to get the rubber bands that attach your top and bottom sets of teeth, take them out before you get to the interview.

      Good Luck!

    • Emily

      Avoid the clear plastic bands – they turn yellow and it’s so much grosser than just getting white or gray.

      Avoid popcorn, or any food that you bite pieces off of (apples, sandwiches, brownies) – pastas are generally good, as are foods you cut up and chew with your back teeth.

      Advil will be your friend, and practice using the little wax bits to cover brackets that rub against the inside of your mouth. You’ll be doing a lot of talking, and you don’t want to be in pain every time you open your mouth.

      Practice talking in front of a mirror, and maybe have a friend videotape you while you’re not watching. A lot of people with braces constantly adjust and readjust their upper lip to avoid the brackets on front teeth – if you’re one of them, try to spend a day or two being conscious of not doing it.

    • Anon

      I’ve had braces three different times (don’t even ask). I personally think the pain is usually completely gone and you are fully adjusted in about a week. If you have to get them now, get them as soon as OCI is over to give yourself the greatest chance to adjust. I second all the other comments about brushing and bands. I didn’t have as much of a problem with salad, but thought meat was what got caught easiest. I’d recommend drinking a lot of water while eating — it helps to flush things away right away. Try to avoid playing with the brackets while you’re either eating or talking.

    • Eponine

      I don’t think you need to worry about being judged just for having braces. But braces hurt, and you can get food stuck in them, and they feel really awkward at first. I mean, your mouth might swell and you might not be able to talk normally. Unless you are the charmingest person in the world who can play something like that off as hilarious while still appearing competent, you really need to delay this until after the OCI season is through.

      • anonymiss

        Wow! Thanks for all the great replies and advice! I don’t think I can delay them any longer; in order not to have them when I graduate I need to get them on in early fall. I’ll check with my dentist, but don’t want to delay getting them any longer than necessary.

        • JessC

          Do you know how long you have to wear them (I never had braces, so I’m a little ignorant about the whole thing)? It might be worth it to actually wait until AFTER graduation (if you can). You’ll be studying for the bar and may or may not be working immediately after the test or you get your results.

        • Eponine

          Yeah, I agree with divalicious above that you’ll probably have them for longer than you plan. Also, it doesn’t really matter if you have them when you graduate. It’s 1000x more important to be on your game for OCI and callbacks than to be able to have a metal-free smile at graduation. I’m serious; I had braces for almost 5 years, and they hurt a lot and really tear up your mouth at the beginning. I’d never want to be dealing with that during interview season. Once you’ve had them for a month or two it’s not so bad.

    • mille

      I bought a travel water pik and used that all the time. Also, the little brushes that you will use to clean your braces and wax are both really handy to have around. I bought out all the wax at the local drugstores many, many times.

      I didn’t have too much trouble with the braces. Not too much pain, mostly from the rubbing of the braces or the ends of the wires being too sharp (my ortho had trouble getting far enough back in my mouth to cut them properly.)

      I had the white brackets at the front of my mouth and metal in the back. I used clear rubber bands but they do turn yellow pretty fast.

      Don’t be embarrassed to have them. I had them through law school and had no problems. Just carry a little mirror and a little brush and you will be fine.

      • mille

        And just to add, please wear your retainer once you are done. I wore mine for a few months, lost it in a move, and now have to get braces again because my teeth crowded together in the front again. I feel so stupid for doing 3 years of braces and not keeping up with the maintenance.

        • Bonnie

          I wore my retainer for 2 years then stopped wearing it because it didn’t fit after I had a filling. My teeth shifted a bit even after 2 years of wearing the retainer. Ugh.

          I’d definitely recommend using gray bands because they don’t yellow like the clear ones.

        • anon

          Ten years out of braces and I’m still wearing my damn retainer 5-6 nights a week. I didn’t realize that braces would set me up for a lifetime of retainer. It’s great having straight teeth, but another six decades of retainer wear is really frustrating. I’m in a long term committed relationship and I still feel juvenile and unattractive putting it in every night, even though he doesn’t care.

          • cat

            I know, having to wear a retainer for the rest of your life? Ick. I wore mine for about 10 years too, then wore it less and less until it became so painful to wear that I just gave up. My teeth have moved, but they still look straight. It’s been about 3 years now. Wondering if they’re going to move completely back. I hope not!

    • Ru

      Speak to your orthodontist about what kind of hardware they’re actually going to put in there. Granted, I was a preteen when I got my braces but they put in this expansion palate for my upper teeth – apparently, my upper palate/jaw wasn’t big enough for all of my teeth. Had this metal bridge in the roof of my mouth and I could not speak properly for a loooong time. To this day, have problems with the letter “r” (which is hilarious, because my name starts with the letter “r”).

      • Eponine

        I had to go to speech therapy as a child to learn how to pronounce my own name. :)

    • cda

      Lunches at interviews are often optional. Sure, they can be delicious, but if you don’t want to have to eat in front of others while trying to answer questions, feel free to mention to the HR person setting up the interviews that it is okay with you if there is no lunch because you have class, travel, whatever. Quite often the HR person will be delighted to not have to wrangle enough attorneys to go to lunch with you.

      • CJ

        I respectfully disagree with this — I would not do anything that could in any way be construed as your being unaccommodating, high-maintenance, or disinterested in spending more time with the firm. Each employer should be made to feel like your #1 priority, even over class. Plus, from your perspective, the lunch is the best way to get a sense of firm culture, and to convey your personality.

      • kcaco

        I would not recommend “opting out” of the lunch interview. Your priority that day is your interview with that firm, and if it includes lunch, it includes lunch. I can’t imagine telling an HR person that I had something better to do than to meet an addition 2-3 attorneys who would also be evaluating me.

    • Kit

      I’m a 28 year old attorney and I just finished 6 months with braces on my bottom teeth and now I have Invisalign top and bottom. I was really anxious about getting braces and was afraid it would make me look younger and less experienced than I already am. I have been pleasantly surprised by the reaction from co-workers and friends. A large majority of people have had braces and will understand what you are dealing with. I found that most people want to talk about it, ask how long I have to wear them, and tell me about their own orthodontic experiences.

      In order to break the ice at your interview and show that you have a good sense of humor, I suggest making a casual remark about how you just had them put on with the hopes that your treatment would be complete by the time you are ready to enter into the workforce. I don’t think this should be the first thing you say in the interview, but try to fit it in at some point. By acknowledging the braces, you’ll feel more comfortable and they will understand any sort of speech awkwardness is temporary.

      If you are invited to lunch, order something you eat with a fork. I would avoid eating anything that you bite or tear with your front teeth as this is more likely to result in food stuck around the brackets. When the meal is finished politely excuse yourself for a quick trip to the restroom and make sure you don’t have embarrassing food bits stuck in your teeth.

      I believe people over-think interviews too often. After having been on the hiring side of interviews in my firm, I can safely say that we are more interested in the person’s education, experience, and general attitude than we are in their physical appearance. Additionally, if you don’t get a job solely because you have braces, you don’t want to work for that firm anyway!

  6. Housecounsel

    Chicago K mentioned gray nail polish. I love the “greige” that was big last season but never wore it. Do you think we can get away with it in the office)? Actually, I am obsessed with the color of Lay Gaga’s nails on the cover of Vanity Fair this month and want to try it.

    Wait a minute . . . did I just ask whether something Lady Gaga wore was office-appropriate? Does one ever need to ask that question, ever? I think I need to go back and read the Corporette archives . . .

    • EE

      This gave me a good laugh! I think nail polish might possibly be the only office appropriate thing Lady Gaga has ever worn.

    • Ru

      I’ve worn greige to the office (and I cringe at wearing nail polish to the office, being one of three females in a group of 50 engineers) and I was totally comfortable with it. It’s a really nice and understated “nude” color.

  7. ST

    Lovely bag and the grey is such a fresh alternative to black.

    I know this is off topic, but I have to ask. When will Kat post an article entitled “Nice Don’t Get the Corner Office, But They Do Get Their Own Cooking Show”? Congrats to Aarti! She was my fave from the beginning. I am dying to know if she has any food tips for all of the busy Corporettes out there. I would also love to know how she gets her hair so perfectly bouncy and where she gets all of her hair accessories.

  8. Julie H.

    On a slightly related (to the grey totebag) topic — I’m returning to work as a public sector attorney (after few years at home w/kids) & wonder if designer bag is really necessary? I’ve avoided all the bags w/designer initials splashed on them, but friends now tell me that a designer bag is part of the professional ‘package.’ Corporette ladies seem to be in the know. Will wearing a decent, $35 leather bag be glaringly downscale? I’ve invested in nice suits, shoes & scarves. A Coach or D&B bag worth it? Thanks!

    • E

      Oh Lord, other people can chime in, butI in NO WAY think that a designer bag is necessary. I know people who haul things back and forth in LL Bean totes, Target knockoffs, Macy’s brand bags. Really, as long as it somewhat presentable, I do not think it’s necessary. Unless it something you want as a return to work gift to yourself, I wouldn’t bother.

      • kcaco

        I agree with E. My guidelines for a work-appropriate bag is that it should be practical in size (not a clutch, not a duffle), clean, well-maintained, and minimal doo-dads (one tassel on a zipper pull is fine, fringe all along the edges is a bit much, and hardware should be the accent, not the focus). Whether it cost you $20 or $2000 is not really relevant.

    • Shayna

      As long as your bag isn’t bedazzled or be-glittered, or looks suspiciously like your kid’s gym bag, you should be fine… where I live there’s so much Coach/Dooney & Bourke, that to have one of their more recognizable bags is almost to declare yourself as social climbing

    • TennADA

      As a public sector attorney of 15 years, albeit in a rural area where everyone minds your business, it’s my opinion that the public wants to see us looking professional and appropriate, but they don’t want to see those of us whose salary is tax dollar based dressed in such a matter that it looks like we’re living “high on the hog”. Ditto automobiles.

    • Eponine

      Well, the bag is worth it because it will last forever and be beautiful. But if you don’t care about bags, there’s no reason to get one. Probably about half my women coworkers haul their stuff to work in some sort of canvas tote (myself included). A cheaper tote or briefcase is fine so long as it generally looks nice/nondescript.

      Having said all that, though, if you’ve invested in your clothing and shoes I do think it’s worth it to invest in a nice handbag or tote to complete your look. A cheap canvas bag definitely looks less polished than a well-made leather one.

      • Julie H.

        Thanks! I’m def going for nice leather, just hoping to keep the name-brand aspect (& price) at bay, if I can get away with it!

  10. 75

    I can find great handbags for work at Marshall’s for under $25.

    I used to go out with a member of the Magid family – the nicest person – seeing that name brings back great memories.

    • Louise

      Love, love, love Marshall’s for bags. They carry some very nice leather goods at reasonable prices. Of course, they are from previous seasons, but that is unimportant to me as I am not the type to get this year’s must-have anything.

      Sometimes I walk through Marshall’s and just touch the nice leather bags, all carefully arranged by color.

      Marshall’s also goes through phases where they carry an expensive brand of shoes at deep discount. That’s my opportunity to try high-end brands to see if my plantar-fasciitis orthotics will fit inside. It can take me a week or so to determine if a shoe will work, and having to get rid of them is easier to swallow if I only paid 30% of retail.

      On the other hand, I rarely find clothing I like at Marshall’s and am more likely to find a nice piece or two at Ross. Go figure.

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