Coffee Break: Pixel Floral Cashmere Scarf

Comments

1. Mella

   01/25/2011 at 4:16 pm

   Mayyyyyyyyyyyyybe on a Friday, and that’s because I have co-workers who would appreciate the pixelation. (There are other people in the office who wouldn’t get it, though.) But I don’t really wear scarves (isn’t that more of a shawl?) in that fashion unless I’m flying.

   And absolutely not for $110.

2. fresh jd

   01/25/2011 at 4:20 pm

   Like it for $25, hate it for $110. But I do like how it could potentially work with many different outfits (in my head).

3. E

   01/25/2011 at 4:29 pm

   Space Quest 2: my introduction to computers!

   I like the pixellated effect.

4. Noner

   01/25/2011 at 4:32 pm

   It kind of looks like the instructions to a cross stitch project… take that how you will.

   • Dorcas Swindle

     01/25/2011 at 4:51 pm

     my thoughts exactly. It’s a cross stitch pattern.

   • lawstudent

     01/26/2011 at 12:56 am

     That is what I thought, too. It’s interesting that old handiwork could look so similar to technology.

5. Christine

   01/25/2011 at 4:43 pm

   I really like this shawl although I probably will wait for it to go on sale even further.

   King’s Quest was THE computer game I played when I was younger. LOVE that you referenced it.

6. Anon

   01/25/2011 at 5:39 pm

   Have a threadjack (first time posting), and need help. I am a 3rd year assoc, and have worked really well with one particular partner (who is known for being tough) for the past three years. In the last few weeks – and especially the last week – his attitude has changed considerably around me, he’s become much, much colder and extremely critical of my work. As a result, I find myself unusually nervous around him, which leads me to make verbal errors when speaking to him. I have walked away from all of our interactions this week feeling incredibly dumb after incorrectly explaining something and being called on it.

   I want to talk to another associate that frequently works with him to find out if she is also experiencing this harsher attitude, or if it is specific to me. I really, really hate office gossip and do not speak with the other associates about the partners, so it feels very wrong to me. But, I’m starting to come into work everyday with a pit in my stomach, and need to find out if I need to address the situation directly with him. Up until now, I’ve just focused on going into every interaction as well prepared as possible and with a positive attitude, but it’s not working. Any suggestions?

   • Anon2

     01/25/2011 at 6:17 pm

     Are you comfortable approaching him and asking directly but tactfully that you’ve noticed a change in your interactions and want to know what it’s attributed to? Keep it in first person and non-accusatory.

     I wouldn’t go to anyone but him at this point especially if you’re worried about office gossip (it will inevitably get out). He may be struggling through a personal situation and be treating everyone the same. If he has a problem specifically with you, all the better to keep the conversation between the two of you so you can rectify the situation.

   • nony mouse

     01/25/2011 at 7:15 pm

     I had a very similar situation when I was a 2nd year associate. I was in biglaw and got lots of positive feedback and praise (that I heard about only through the grapevine – red flag for bad mentor) from a notoriously crotchety alcoholic partner. He would not work with any other young associates. I wondered what the big deal was. Then he gave me an assignment that was a bit out of the ordinary (unlike the usual briefs and research memoranda I was working on at the time), and he apparently did not like the work product and had the only other non-partner he ever worked with, a senior associate with about 10 years experience, edit it. Of course the partner never spoke to me about what he did not like about the product, I heard it from the senior associate/editor. Things just went downhill from there. He hardly ever even spoke to me after that. I would not have known why if the senior associate hadn’t told me about it. He never gave me another assignment. I began to see why no one ever worked with him. I ended up leaving the firm after a few years and he did send me a nice email wishing good luck when he found out I was leaving – that was out of the blue.

     In my situation, I think the #1 problem was the partner’s personality, and I wasn’t the first one to encounter the problem. I moved on and worked with other partners, but the whole experience really did sour me on the place. I hope the partner at your firm is more flexible/willing to mentor and explain expectations that the one I encountered. I would speak directly to him. It may get back to him if you speak to someone else about it. You never know who people have relationships with.

     • anon

       01/25/2011 at 8:04 pm

       A few thoughts spring to mind:

       You mention that he is known for being tough – perhaps you have been lucky to keep on the good side of him for so long.

       Perhaps he has been giving you feedback through hints, subtle or polite feedback and he feels that you have not taken these on board.

       Have you said or done anything that he might have heard on the grapevine and miscontrued? If you have been negative then that will inevitably cause problems, but even overly positive comments ‘I love working with X’ can be an embarrassment and cause speculation and rumour.

       He may have his own personal or professional problems which are causing him to behave out of character at work.

       Finally, from personal experience, I had a great working relationship with a colleague, until I received a LOT of complaints about them (there was cause for complaint, but I felt that some of the complaints were unnecessary). I was in a difficult position because I was not directly responsible for their work, but their performance impacted on my work and reputation. I did my best to uncover the issues and to support the individual but she took everything I said as criticism and complaint and got extremely flustered about it.

       To give you an example of the level of the issue, she was briefed to write a two page plain english overview of an issue for inclusion in a handout that was to be given out to an audeince with no legal knowledge. What she produced was 4 pages long, contained jargon, unexplained acronyms and long qualified sentences. This clearly did not meet the brief but there was good information in it. I went through the issues and reiterated the brief, pointed out the good stuff and she complained to all and sundry that I was interefering in her area of expertise.

       Our relationship deteriorated.
       I found out that she had gone on to complain and talk about me very negatively with other people, yet had never told me how she felt, or that she had taken the guidance and support I had given her as direct criticism. I felt quite betrayed.

       So I would approach him directly, and try to pin point what has happened, and also reflect on whether there could be any cause for complaint / issues.

       Good luck, and I hope you get this sorted.

   • divaliscious11

     01/26/2011 at 12:01 am

     I’d ask him if you did something wrong….. he may not be very good at communicating and is just being snarky….

     • Lawgirl

       01/26/2011 at 10:09 am

       Yup. Ive found that lawyers can be notoriously passive aggressive and snarky when they’ve perceived that a colleague has messed up. Total bummer. I agree, woman up and ask what’s up.

7. Anon

   01/25/2011 at 6:31 pm

   Agreed; thank you for your response.

   • surrounded by lawyers

     01/25/2011 at 7:00 pm

     One additional thought: sometimes when superiors become more critical or get nasty, it’s because they’ve decided you’re an up-and-comer, and you’re being groomed and/or tested for the next level. I’m not saying it’s a great thing, but it just might be a possibility to keep in mind in this situation. It sounds like this partner has always been happy with your work in the past. He may have decided you’re at some kind of threshold now.

     • non

       01/26/2011 at 11:27 am

       She’s a third year, I highly doubt that’s the case at the moment. I think he probably did not like your work product of late and is trying to get you to notice that he is not pleased. Maybe you are ignoring his hints and think that since he’s been nice to you before that this is out of the blue. But maybe he thinks you are too comfortable and not really trying hard enough.

       I would not ask the other associate. It sounds like you are being nosy or it could end up gossipy/you are complaining.

8. Designer Tastes, Not the Budget

   01/25/2011 at 6:44 pm

   Threadjack. Anyone ever used http://www.renttherunway.com? I find them to have an intriguing business model and am just looking for endorsements before I give them a shot for an upcoming fancy wedding I’m going to…. thoughts?

   • meme

     01/25/2011 at 7:17 pm

     A partner at my firm used the company and had good things to say, but I have no personal experience with them.

   • E.E.

     01/25/2011 at 8:52 pm

     I have a friend who uses them all the time and is quite happy though I know she’s had to swap dresses from time to time when she hasn’t liked a particular one. However, we’ve shown up to events together where she’s spent ~$150 at renttherunway for a dress for the night and I’ve spent about $75 for a dress (to keep) from Nordstrom Rack and we’ve both been perfectly appropriate. Just doesn’t strike me as any sort of great value, unless of course you were otherwise actually going to spend at least several hundred dollars and the type of item you need would not be something you could potentially re-wear.

     • Callie

       01/26/2011 at 1:00 pm

       Sort of funny that this popped up here this week. I have a giftcard to Renttherunway which I posted on ebay this week in order to raise money for a cause near and dear to my heart–Batten Disease Research. I wonder if Designer Tastes, Not the Budget was prompted to write this post because of my ebay auction (the only one right now for Renttherunway to my knowledge). I can only hope so! And in the interest of a shameless plug, as well offering up a great opportunity to save some money if you were thinking about checking out Renttherunway anyhow, check out the auction (no bids so far!):
       http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150554150437

   • K

     01/26/2011 at 7:04 pm

     I’ve used this service twice and have had no problems. I ordered a dress for a holiday party in December and 2 for NYE in Vegas and loved them both. Great customer service and my dresses looked fabulous (and allowed me to wear something WAY out of my price range).

9. Anon Blackacre

   01/25/2011 at 7:04 pm

   No, sorry, can’t get behind this. It looks a little cheap and kind of frumpy.

10. houda

    01/26/2011 at 6:24 am

    Tonight, I am going to this cocktail held by my company at the most upscale hotel in the city. The least I can say is that I am intimidated. The event itself is only 90 minutes and there will be mostly management and journalists. The venue is what makes me nervous.
    I have a LBD, 3-4 dentelle sleeve and high neckline. I plan to wear it with black pattern hose and black suede peeptoes with a black bow.
    I know this is a lot of black but it is an upgrade from my previous attempts.

    I do not have jewelry, I only have a dark brown clutch and I do not have a classy coat.

    My thoughts:
    – Can I wear just my tiny (faux) pearl studs and no necklace, no watch no nothing?
    – I only have a tailored down coat which is not very puffy, can get into the hotel wearing that and then take it off at coat register or would it be better to leave it in a friend’s car before even I step into the building. It will be chilly, but if the down coat is a no-no I am willing to walk the 3 minutes outside.
    – Is it OK to wear my brown clutch with an all black outfit or should I just go clutch-less, or buy a cheap one ?

    • anon

      01/26/2011 at 12:04 pm

      I think its fine to wear the down coat into the hotel and leave it at coat check. People will understand, especially if you are from a cold climate.

      Skip the brown clutch, it will look like you didn’t realize it clashes. Either bring nothing, or get an inexpensive clutch that goes. It doesn’t have to be black, could be a contrasting color like eggplant or red, so long as it looks intentional. Metallic could also be a good idea.

      Pearl studs sound fine, or also possibly small metal hoops or cubic zirconia studs. Keep it small and tasteful.

      Finally, relax. It might be at a fancy venue, but these parties are much the same. If you are nervous, it will show. Remember, you belong there, and everyone else is apprehensive too.

    • anon in chicago

      01/26/2011 at 12:10 pm

      re: the clutch i think it depends on what kind of brown it is? if it’s a dark brown (close to black) i would opt for using something else as a handbag, but if it’s a lighter brown (closer to camel) i think it would be a-ok to wear with an all-black outfit.

    • Ru

      01/26/2011 at 12:27 pm

      -Wear the earrings.
      -Wear your coat, there’s going to be a coat check, so not a big deal.
      -Ask to borrow a friend’s clutch. If your brown bag is very fancy, then I’d say wear it with your outfit. From your previous posts, it sounds like they’re really trying to expose you at work, so maybe it’s time for you to buy yourself a clutch that you can use at multiple occasions?

11. kaydee

    01/26/2011 at 12:43 pm

    LOVE this! Switched from a law firm to a business casual software company… this would be so perfect to wear at my office! Too bad it’s so much money….