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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 109 Comments · by

Tuesday’s TPS Report: Gathered Printed Skirt

The Personal Shopper (TPS)

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. DKNY Gathered Printed SkirtI've been admiring this skirt for weeks now — I love the romantic but sedate colors, and I think it would look gorgeous with a less voluminous top — a shrunken blazer, a fitted sweater like a turtleneck. It's $235 at Bloomingdale's. DKNY Gathered Printed Skirt Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-2)

Sales of note for 9.10.24

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

Comments

  1. Anon for this

    PSA: I bought that beautiful Philosophy di Alberta Ferrarti dress featured here last week in a size 6. It’s a smidge too small. The Outnet charges a ridiculous restocking fee for returns, so I decided to try selling it on eBay before returning it. I’m selling it for what I paid ($140); I just don’t want to pay that silly fee.

    Anyway, just wanted to let you ladies know since everyone loved it when Kat featured it.

    So, if you’re interested in that dress in a size 6, look for it on eBay. Let me know if you have any questions!

  2. Ellen

    I totaly LOVE this skirt, but I live to close to Bloomie’s that if I start going there, I will need another raise!

    My dad gave David my number and he called me. He wanted me to help him decoreate his apartement this weekend, but I told him I already had to do something (with the manageing partner). So he said mabye next weekend, and I said mabye. He lives in Brooklyn near the Barcleay’s Center. Is that OK to go to by Subway? I hope so, b/c I do NOT want to get in for another long smelly cab ride. FOOEY!

  3. cfm

    I feel like more than one person here loved the dobby striped trench at loft. PSA its 50% off today!

  4. Cat

    Ok, now that some time has passed, revised thoughts on the “re-format.”

    – I still don’t like Arial, but if that is staying, the home page feels a little cluttered with 4 different fonts (the two from the logo, Arial for the content, and then the old one (Georgia?) in the post titles and above the “subscribe” box and at the top of the comments when expanded.

    – I really, really miss the old commenting format. Ask A Manager uses the same/similar (old) version, and I find it so much easier to follow threads (the thin line in between new threads, the short vertical lines next to each post, and the clean feeling of mostly white space). The thick gray headers and large Reply links also take up a lot of vertical space, making scrolling harder (particularly when mobile) – is there a way to keep the timestamp in the same line as the poster’s name? The colon following each poster’s name is also distracting IMO.

    – The content and community, as always, remain most appreciated :)

    • AN

      I don’t like the fonts, but I can live with them.

      What I really dislike is the new format for the threads. The old one was great.

      • zora

        I understand people liked the old comment format better, but Kat moved the blog to a new platform, probably for some other very good reasons, and the same options aren’t always available in a new platform. I’m sure she’s doing her best to find the best options available in this platform. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to go back to an old format.

    • Diana Barry

      I agree totally. If there is any way to make bigger indents, it would make the comments much easier to read.

    • DC Jenny

      I like the new fonts. And the commenting format is fine for me too except that I have a hard time seeing where a new thread begins. Other than that, I like it.

    • harriet the spy

      I agree that the commenting format is very difficult to read. I also think it’s ironic that the blog moved to a new platform and yet I still get that “commenting too fast” error! It seriously drives me nuts.

      • Lalo

        Me too! I have gotten it probably 7/10 times I have tried to post and rarely got it previously.

    • violet

      Please bring back the serif! I have read before that serif fonts are easier on your eyes because each letter leads your eyes into the next w/ the serifs.

      I agree about the threads being harder to differentiate. Although the darker grey that was used on a new post wasn’t that much help, I think it was some help. Maybe try that again.

      • Alanna of Trebond

        Actually, sans serif fonts are preferable for computer screens. Serif fonts are only easier to read on printed paper.

    • Bluejay

      I just find it really difficult to tell where a new thread starts with this format. I hope Kat can improve it. I also prefer serif fonts, and I think the combination of Arial + lack of differentiation between threads makes the comments much harder to read.

      • Yup

        I agree that the most jarring thing is thinking I’m following a thread, and then the next comment is totally random. It takes me a while to realize that I’m seeing a new subject start.

        I find the font ok to read on my laptops, but really difficult on my desk-top monitor which is much larger and has a higher resolution. It’s a relief to my eyes to stop reading a thread. I guess that means I’ll get more work done at my desk!

    • Herbie

      Something about the new format (the Arial font maybe?) really makes my eyes hurt. No idea what the precise problem is.

  5. Anon for this

    Has anybody bought any jewelry from Bauble Bar? I’m curious about the quality.

  6. Anon for this

    Tj – My skin has gotten incredibly dry and has started to flake. The usual remedies I usually turn to aren’t hydrating enough at this point. What would you recommend for someone with dry and sensitive skin prone to acne? Thanks in advance.

    • DC Jenny

      I get this sometimes. My remedy is to exfoliate with an AHA product, use a moisturizing mask (not sure if this really does anything, but it feels nice), and then slather on a good moisturizer. Links to recommended products to follow.

    • KC

      When I was on Accutane for acne, my skin dried up (surprise, surprise). I loved CeraVe lotion. It has a light consistency, so you almost feel like you’re putting water on your face, but I think that helped my skin “soak” it in. Because it was so light, I could reapply as needed and it never felt oily.

      For hands and feet, I swear by Eucerin (the kind in the tub). You can also apply it to larger areas before bed when you have extra dryness.

      Also, if your skin gets dry seasonally, perhaps consider a humidifier? There are many winters where I think I’d completely shrivel up without one.

    • Odessa

      I have dry skin and live in a very dry climate. During the winter, I work a little rosehip oil into my regular moinsturizer (Lush Vanishing Cream) or sometimes I just use the straight rosehip oil as a moisturizer. It has worked WONDERS for my skin, it’s reasonably priced, and it’s chemical and additive free. I highly recommend it.

    • MJ

      REN ClearCalm 3 Replenishing Night Serum…I have oily (but also dry), acne-prone, sensitive skin, and my skin loves this. I wear it during the day on certain parts of my face. You can get it at S E P H O R A and a bottle last me a long time. Hope that helps.

  7. Using a Recruiter (Law Firm)

    I have a legal recruiter that I’ve been using regulary since April. I think she is decent , if spacey (and I have gotten some interviews through her). Yesterday I was doing some job hunting on my own. I saw a position with the firm that the recruiter reached out to on my behalf 4-5 months ago- at the time they were not hiring, and I asked the recruiter to follow up with the firm (which she agreed to do).

    I also came accross an opportunity with a different firm that I want to pursue. My question is, should I apply through the recruiter? Any insight on whether applying directly would help or hurt my chances? (Would the firm rather get my resume directly to avoid paying the recruiter fee? Would it reflect badly on me not to use a recruiter?) Outside of wanting to be loyal to my recruiter, I really just want to put myself in the best position possible. Thoughts?

    • SoCal Gator

      I would apply directly. The fee you save the firm is quite significant. We interviewed someone that we reached out to through mutual contacts and my firm was annoyed when his recruiter horned in and insisted on sending the résumé so she could get her fee. Of course, I work for a medium sized firm. Perhaps a Big Law firm would not care about the fee and would rather see resumes that come from approved head hunters. It may depend on how big the firm is and how they hire.

    • TNT

      I’ve been told that at least in engineering, anything coming through a recruiter automatically gets round filed because they do not want to pay the fee. To make matters worse, some companies will actually track who came through the recruiter, and even if you apply on your own, if it’s within a time frame where they feel a recruiter could claim credit for making the introduction, they will just black list your name as un-interviewable.

      This could be an old wives tale, and if it’s true, I don’t know if the same applies in law. But I’ve always steered clear of going through an agency unless there was no other way.

      Do you have some sort of a contract with her?

      • TBK

        The point re blacklisting if you come on your own and through a recruiter in the same time frame definitely applies in law.

  9. zora

    ooooooooooo, up close i LOVE the print on this skirt… but this is one of my problems: i am drawn to pretty and big prints, so i end up buying bottoms with prints, and tops with prints and then…. OOPS i can’t wear any of these together and I’m in “I don’t have anything to wear!!!” land. … must. force. myself. to. buy. more. solids. gah.

    • Terry

      Hah! We should trade half of our closets. I always buy solids and then feel boring.

      • zora

        Yes, that’s perfect!! ;o)

        On a more “A for improvement” note: I am so proud of myself folks, I managed to wear an outfit today that does not include a single Blue item OR a single Grey item!! And, i am actually wearing a true red/white floral shirt that has been in my closet forever, but i never wear. I am wearing it with a soft green cardigan and a white linen skirt. Does that sound totally crazy? I didnt want to have red/white/blue, and i didnt want a red/green christmassy look, but i thought the true red and the soft, light green kind of worked together. Color mavens: please tell me if I am totally off base! ;o)

    • hellskitchen

      I realized recently that in my quest to bring more color and prints into my closet, I had gone overboard and ended up in the same situation. Too many fun things, not enough basics to pair them with. Recently, I couldn’t find a good black shirt in what used to be a primarily black wardrobe. So now I am on a restricted shopping ban – I can only buy things if they are good quality neutral basics.

    • DC Jenny

      If I had a bazillion dollars, I would wear nothing but gorgeous St. John’s suits to work (at the DC Jenny Foundation), and brands like Vince in my off hours

    • Kontraktor

      Dior and Chanel. If I even fit into anything from them. St. John would be okay too. And just all the clothes in general.

      • DC Jenny

        In this fantasy world, I am using my vast wealth to force my favorite brands to custom-make clothes that fit me.

    • Sydney Bristow

      Carolina Herrera. Of course, I’m assuming that if I had a gazillion dollars, I’d also be a size 4. :-)

    • KC

      Mary Katrantzou, Ferragamo, Oscar de la Renta, Lanvin, Celine, and Chloe (sort of an ecclectic mix…).

      Oh gosh, there are so many more. Really, I’d just want ALL THE PRETTY CLOTHES.

      • DC Jenny

        Oh man, that laser-cut red leather dress that was in all the September issues….[insert Homer Simpson drooling noise here]

    • Dr. Cox

      Helmut Lang, Haider Ackermann, Rick Owens… (Of course, finding work-appropriate clothing might be difficult, but if I have a gazillion dollars I must be some sort of rockstar, right?)

  11. Infra

    I am looking for a gift for a friend. I was hoping to spend under $40 and to get her an accessory, like a scarf or a cute clutch. Jewel tones look really good on her. Any suggestions?

  12. roses

    Question for the biglaw ladies: How do you handle events that you have to plan/RSVP for way in advance? I’m about to start as a first year, and not only am I getting married this year, but so are about 3 close friends, and all are out of town. If I RSVP’ed yes to everything I have been invited to/ events others have offered to host in my honor, I’ll be out of town about 2 weekends every month. That seems like an excessive amount of time to not be available for work, but then again, I’d hate to say no and then be free for that weekend. I feel like obviously I need to prioritize the events for my own wedding, but what do I tell everyone else? “Maybe”? “Yes, but I might cancel later?” I just can’t figure out a way to not be rude. It doesn’t help that none of my friends or family really understand the amount of work and the urgency of work that comes with Biglaw….

    • Susan

      Make all your friends and family watch “Suits”, and tell them that your firm is filled with people like Harvey, Louis, and Jessica, who expect you to work whatever hours and make whatever personal sacrifices it takes to get the job done. :-)

      • Kanye East

        Great advice, actually. You’ll never be able to control your schedule, so the best you can hope for is to manage the expectations of your friends and family.

      • SF Bay Associate

        I wish that show had been on when I first started. I caught a bit of an episode on the elliptical the other day and was like YES I KNOW THAT GUY.

    • cfm

      this is why biglaw people lose a lot of friends, unfortunately. Its a hard thing for others to understand. I’ve been out of that life for a bit but I remember hating that feeling of canceling for dinners etc so you have my sympathy. My first year I got about one free weekend every 5 weeks, if that helps you put it in context. but some of those I was working from home/ the road.

      • Susan

        Ditto for people who work in investment banking and consulting.

        I think I-bankers lose friends for the following reasons:

        (1) demanding workplace/bosses edging out personal commitments at the last minute
        (2) making a lot more money than your friends who didn’t go IB/consulting/biglaw means some lifestyle differences even if you don’t suffer from
        (3) braggadocio syndrome. Consultant: I’m not at liberty to name my clients at this point or ever, or say what I did for them.” I-Banker: “My deal team spunoff of Kraft from Philip Morris; I helped XYZ company do its IPO, blahbity blahbity me me me me blahbity”

        I was definitely guilty of 1. Someone (who went to work for a huge software corporation himself, oh the hypocrisy) accused me of being in collusion with THE MAN, just for a paycheck, so I’ve experienced 2 as well.

        I didn’t see the point of 3. The truth in my case would be, “I stayed up till 2:30am doing 4 different versions of this very complex LBO model, and the @sshole managing director didn’t use any of them, because he decided to redo his entire approach to the company and we had to start from scratch. I haven’t done laundry in weeks and am seriously contemplating sneaking out during lunch to go buy more underwear and socks.”

        • LadyEnginerd

          Hahaha. My favorite symptom of (3) is “I’m not at liberty to name my client, but I’m working on a project in X (sometimes small) city in Y sector”, in order to to successfully name drop the client with plausible deniability about breaking confidentiality. Example: “I’m on a project based in Chicago for a major legacy airline.” Congratulations – you’ve successfully name-dropped United Airlines! “I’m doing due diligence for a chemical company in Midland, MI.” Yup, that’s Dow.

          Once my friends have left consulting, they just name-drop without us having to dance around the subject (or have me whip out google maps and figure it out on the fly). Much more efficient :)

    • LeChouette

      I don’t know about your firm / practice area, so take with the proverbial grain of salt, but generally my firm tries to be flexible about these sorts of commitments. My firm has a great remote-access system, so I have gone to many a baby shower for the 3 hours and then worked the rest of the weekend when I was out of town.

      I wouldn’t preemptively decline unless you have reason to suspect the event will be during a very busy time. If you need to book flights or something that’s tougher, but I would just RSVP yes and leave it at that. If you have to cancel later you have to cancel later. Sucks but you can figure out ways to make it up to your best friends, who will understand.

    • Anne Shirley

      I RSVP yes for things I want to go to, and cancel if there’s an emergency. Usually even if I need to work most of a weekend, I can work around a shower. However, that’s a lot of travel! It makes a big diff if we’re talking 2.5 hours on the Acela or a 3 plus hour drive. And there’s nothing rude about RSVP-ing No to some of this stuff, and saying thanks-but-no-thanks to parties for you.

    • Cat

      1. Once you’re integrated into your firm, you may not have the mental energy to even WANT to attend every single event. I cherish my weekends because, Miranda SATC-style, if I don’t get my laundry, dry cleaning run, grocery shopping, cleaning and manicures in on the weekends, it just kind of doesn’t happen that week. Being out of town 2x a month would make me feel unacceptably out of control on the home front.

      2. Are the events close enough that you’d only be on the road Saturday and Sunday? It is much less stressful when you don’t have to worry about getting out late on a Friday (and, to be honest, then you don’t even need to tell anyone at the firm you have plans, unless there is a looming threat of being required to come in… which brings me to #3).

      3. You’ll have to know your firm / practice group / workload on this one, but at mine, first years were not looked well upon for being openly unavailable at a frequency less than what you’re mentioning. If you planned and took a weekend trip, good for you, but if you brought it up as a response why you couldn’t take an assignment… not the best impression. If you’re talking airfare for some of these events, I’d stick with Southwest and their lack of change fees. (So as not to freak you out, a planned actual weeklong vacation was OK – as is, you know, your own wedding and a few associated events – but on a day to day basis all plans were subject to override).

      Bottom line: be choosy in what you commit to attend, and welcome to the major downside of junior associatehood. Other luckier ladies may disagree, though.

      • Cornellian

        I agree. I think you may be overestimating how much energy you’ll even have on the weekends. Travelling more than one weekend a month would not be sustainable in my biglaw job.

      • SF Bay Associate

        Spot on, Cat.

        +1 on not having the energy to take many weekend trips. I had three wedding events this past month and am so tired. Dry cleaning and laundry are in massive piles, and I’m eating cereal for dinner because we’re out of groceries.

        +1 on not trying to get out early on Friday. It’s so much easier and better to not have to mention the event and just be semi-out-of-pocket on Saturday, but working normally on Friday and Sunday.

        +1 on first years having a lot less leeway to take weekends off for all but Important Life Events i.e. the funerals of close family members, your wedding and honeymoon (and maaaaybe your sibling’s wedding), you giving birth. I also fly only on Southwest if at all possible because of no change fees. People will cover for you if it’s an Important Life Event, even if they resent it a little. The weddings/showers/b-tte parties of your friends are not Important Life Events, not for first years, and not for me as a mid-level either, so you may be/will probably be evaluated harshly for going if you are ducking work to do so.

    • Bluejay

      At my job, so long as you were willing to work remotely if needed (except during the hours of the reception and ceremony) it would be fine. Probably it would be tough to make it to the shower, and the bachelorette, and the rehearsal dinner, and the next-day luncheon, but just the wedding and reception over a Saturday and Sunday should be fine.

      • anon

        Agreed. I could probably even make it to all of the weekend activities, including taking off on Friday, unless something unexpected came up (which it never really does). I often have to work over the weekend because I’m really busy, but not because someone is demanding it or wants to see me in the office. I have a lot of flexibility to work late, work remotely, etc., and I’m in big law.

    • MaggieLizer

      It’s not rude to say you might have to work, it’s honest. Start managing expectations that other people have of your time sooner rather than later. “I am about to start working in a very demanding field that will require a lot of late nights and weekends, so I will attend if possible but hope you will understand when sometimes I can’t make it.” Or simply, “I will attend work permitting.” Be consistent and let people know ASAP if you might not be able to make it.

      You should probably assume that you will have to cancel on at least some of the events. You can safely beg out of assignments for something important that happens once in a blue moon, but 3 out of town weddings + your own wedding/honeymoon + all of the events that go along with them is pushing it, especially as a first year. Also, try to avoid planning things that require your presence until you know the work preferences of your group – some people prefer to work late Friday nights so they don’t have to work over the weekend, some work all day Saturday and take Sunday off, etc. It really varies a lot and you’ll need to be flexible. Plus once you learn those preferences it’ll be a lot easier to avoid conflicts. Good luck!

      • Cornellian

        Also good advice. Depending on which partners I’m working with, I know I’ll need to be in constant e-mail contact, or come in at 7, or stay until 11, or whatever. Each group is different. Especially as a junior associate, you bend to the group’s needs, not the other way around.

    • A

      I definitely echo most of what the other ladies have already said.

      One other thing to think about… I am not sure when these events are, but if they are shortly after you start working, there is a chance that you won’t be SUPER busy yet and may have no problem going away for the weekend. It sometimes takes a couple months to get a new person fully integrated into the firm and work flow.

      I would RSVP yes to the events you want to attend and hope for the best. Assuming that the travel doesn’t require you to take Friday and/or Monday off every time, you will probably be fine.

      • anon small law

        Reading all of these comments reminds me why I would have only lasted about 15 seconds in BigLaw (not that I had the grades anyway). I’ll work until midnight Monday-Thursday with no problem, but I only do weekends if it is a real emergency – not a “partner or senior associate felt like it” emergency.

    • NOLA

      It’s beautiful! Have you tried it with a blazer and some jewelry that will give it a little less of a cute look? I think you could make it work.

    • KC

      Oh my gosh. That is a beautiful, beautiful dress.

      I agree with NOLA. A blazer and a pair of simple pumps should do the trick. The model is styled in a very 50s way which makes the dress look a bit more cute. I think if you wore your hair in a more contemporary style it would tone that down.

    • L

      I’d personally do brown tights with a brown suede wedge and maybe an eggplant or navy blazer? I think the trick is to find something on top that isn’t too voluminous but not so tight that the full skirt looks like a party skirt.

    • Kontraktor

      It seems to me this should be paired with a luxe, rich fabric to compliment the very rich fabric of the dress. I think a light colored cashmere cardigan would look really nice (a bright, almost white ivory or baby pink come to mind). I also think a velvet blazer in a dark, rich color would work well. I think a black velvet blazer with some black patent heels and gold jewelry would look sharp. I really like the look of n*de/tan/beige/cream with black.

    • hellskitchen

      I would wear it with edgier jewelry to make it more daytime appropriate. Perhaps a couple of blackish-silver chain link necklaces in varying widths with a charcoal gray or black blazer.

  14. TBK

    This is a response to roses (the site isn’t letting me reply — it just takes me to the Ann Taylor post). How close together are these weddings and how far into your first year are they? If they’re clumped together and/or they’re early in your year, that’s going to be really tough. I’d advise you to not have too many events for your own wedding (how many are we talking? besides the wedding, I’d pick one — like a shower or a bachelor–te party) so you can be more available for friends. Overall, I might suggest you pick one or two other people’s weddings to go to and decline the other invite(s) (it goes without saying that this means you’ll likely be a no-show for other festivities like engagement parties, showers, etc.). This might be tricky, but if you have a more senior associate you feel comfortable with, you might ask her for advice. This can backfire, though, because senior associates are often worse than partners in judging juniors who aren’t available (because they’re left picking up the slack and, hey, they had to be first years with no life once so why don’t you have to, too?).

  15. Life fail

    I am on the west coast, it is just before 9 am. I have an interview out of town today. Last night when I packed up all my stuff to catch my flight I realized I put a charcoal jacket and black skirt in my suitcase. I went and got the charcoal skirt. Apparently I did not actually put it in the bag and am now left with a charcoal suit jacket and black skirt. I’m praying this isn’t too noticeable but there’s not much I can do, since stores open past the time the interview starts. Ladies, if you interview me today, please don’t judge. I’m already so anxious about this. I’m making sure to leave the hair tie in the car and have no chipped nails. But seriously life? Why do you have to suck sometimes?

    • MaggieLizer

      It’s still a professional outfit, you’ll be fine, don’t even worry about it. I once had an out of town interview where I forgot my pumps, and the interview was first thing in the morning before any of the local shops opened. I had to choose between flip flops or tattered black flats. I wore the flats and got an offer. I didn’t take the job, but I stay in touch with some of the attorneys who interviewed me. I mentioned it to one of the associates once and she said she didn’t even notice, or if she did she didn’t remember it. Good luck on the interview!

    • Blonde Lawyer

      I interviewed for my first year position in suit separates at a mid-size firm and got the job. That meant, I wore a gray pencil skirt w/ a blue shell and a black jacket for round one and I wore a dark gray a-line with tan specks with a black shell and a tan jacket for round two. This was pre [this-site] days otherwise I probably would have worn a full suit. Anyway, point being, I wore just what you are going to wear and I got the job. Fret not. Women also have a lot more leeway regarding what constitutes a “suit.” As long as you are in a jacket and otherwise conservative you should be fine.

    • Research, Not Law

      If you’re on the west coast, you should be fine with separates. Break a leg!

  16. Gail the Goldfish

    Reminder: Hart of Dixie season 2 starts tonight. I look forward to all the hot neighbor Wade comments tomorrow.

  17. 2/3 attorney

    Just venting…

    I got my daily email bank account balance this morning and realized the balance was several thousand dollars less than what it should be. Checked my account online and, yep, dozens of fraudulent charges in NY and NJ (inlcuding ~600 at All Saints and 3 Dunkin Donuts charges…what?). Filed disputed charges claim with bank, who say they’ll “investigate” while I wait for a new card.

    What a freaking hassle. I can’t wait for this day to be over, wine and cookies here I come.

    • Sydney Bristow

      What a nightmare! Pull your credit reports (I think you can do it for free even if you’ve pulled them within the past year since you are a victim of fraud) and make sure this hasn’t happened anywhere else. I’d probably also change passwords, PINs, etc. If there is more than just this bank affected, I think the FBI website has some good information on dealing with identity theft.

      I’m so sorry you have to deal with this! It happened to me twice back before Washngton Mutual became Chase (neither time was my fault) and was such a hassle to deal with.

      • 2/3 attorney

        Thanks, will check out FBI site. I have Chase and it is seriously infuritating that they didn’t even attempt to discern whether there could be fraud going on, while I am in DC using my debit card and someone else is in NY using the same card (there is only one on my account). I’ve been meaning to change banks for a while, guess this is the push I needed.

        • Sydney Bristow

          The people at Washington Mutual couldn’t understand why I wanted to switch after being a customer for so long. They caught the fraud the first time and alerted me, but then took 1 year to fix my account. The second time I saw an article in the newspaper saying that their system had been hacked and that fraudulent activity was tied to ATMs in the Ukraine. When I logged on to view my account, there was a $200 fee for something that wasn’t in English, so I contacted them about it. They fixed it faster that time, but enough was enough.

          …..until I moved from the west coast to the east coast and Chase was the only bank nearby me in both places so I had to switch back. I desperately miss US Bank.

    • lucy stone

      Try contacting your local police department as well. I am in a much smaller city than the ones you mention, but our PD will often help people in this situation.

    • Blonde Lawyer

      Ugh, that is awful. If this will cause any checks to bounce, you might want to call those parties and give them a heads up. Given the situation, they should be less likely to charge you late fees and report it to the credit agencies. If you need that money liquid, be vocal with your bank about why you need the disputed funds available NOW. This makes me nervous b/c I don’t check my balance daily. Maybe I should.

    • TCFKAG

      The FTC website has lots of helpful tips on what to do on what to do if your identity is stolen (and what your credit card company is required to do and what you can require the credit agencies to do.)

      I’d start there for at least some initial tips. Your local AG’s office may also have a help line.

  18. Start-up Land

    Random question, mostly for the MBAs but others feel free to chime in. I’m looking for a basic reading list of business/management books. So if you wanted to put together 5-10 books that are the staples of an MBA course or that you feel are especially useful, what books would be on the list? I’m co-founding a small (may soon be medium) start-up and feel like I need a crash course on business (I’m a lawyer). I’ve looked in the career section of bookstores, but half the authors seem like charlatans. Who’s worth reading and who isn’t? Thanks!

    • Susan

      Getting an MBA does nothing in directly helping someone be entrepreneurial. It is a great place to relaunch if you are a career-switcher, it’s a great place to network and meet people you want to form a company with or meet people you want to hire for your company. It’s also a good place to get a credential if your company won’t promote you to the next level up the ladder without one.

      I would say actual books from MBA curricula are pretty useless to what you want. Some of the really important stuff in leadership, strategy, etc. are written up in terrible fuzzy, vague books. Or, on the flipside, there are many very narrowly focused MBA books for specific career tracks, like: Valuing Equity Options, or stuff on forensic accounting.

      The case studies are much more interesting, in that you learn from the real situations of real companies. I’d recommend looking at: http://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/cases
      You can buy the cases and get other course materials.

      There was one book that’s on most B-school reading lists: The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement – Eliyahu M. Goldratt. It’s about identifying bottlenecks, and philosophically, is generally spot-on, but the writing style is clunky, and overall the book is dated. Thankfully, someone summarized it on Wikipedia, so you can glean from that and not bother with the book or the courses that assign this book. Much more interesting would be case studies about say, how Amazon or Zara handle their inventory management if that’s an area of concern or interest to you.

    • LadyEnginerd

      Off the top of my head:
      Marketing: Kellogg on Marketing.
      Statistics/Understanding data: Cartoon guide to statistics.

      I can post more when I actually go home and look at my SO’s bookshelf. He hoards them and has strong opinions about which books were worth his time (he’s a slow reader and is annoyed if the slog through a book isn’t worth it).

    • ChinaRette

      Haven’t gotten an MBA, but a good list comes from the website Personal MBA (website to follow to avoid filter). I think the guy started reading on his own, and has come up with a list of ~99 business books, broken down by category. He includes reviews and summaries. Of course, he has his own book that he’s selling…but it’s a good list overall.

    • MJ

      Hi– I work in the Valley with a lot of entrepreneurs (but my group’s practice is not seed-stage co’s).

      The Goal is a great book if you are doing any sort of manufacturing, but at my b-school, we generally used it for a Spring Break photo contest (The Goal goes to the Caribbean, The Goal goes skiing, The Goal gets read in India by a snake charmer, etc–it was a joke to see where in the world you took it and how funny your photo could be.) Worth a read, but not my first stop if I were founding an enterprise.

      I realize that your query is more like how to get a crash course in what an MBA offers, but I would be more focused on e-ship first. You first need to secure funding before you can worry a ton about your business model and growth. If you want MBA basics, there is a “Pocket MBA” guide series by a certain publisher (name escapes me), and also the Economist publishes a series of specific subject matter books. But without knowing more about what type of business you’re founding, I am hesitant to recommend any one book.

      e-ship is not taught well at most business schools. I am not sure where you are located, but most of the time, in-person events are very helpful–whether it’s joining an incubator-led office space, attending Angel panels, speaking with fellow founders…there’s a lot to learn from people who know, and having a mentor is super-important–it’s great to piggyback of people who have gone through what you are facing.

      Here are some good resources:

      Y Combinator’s Startup Library (excellent resources):
      http://ycombinator.com/lib.html

      Canaan Ventures’ Resources page (including a VC pitch guidebook, links to other great resources:
      http://www.canaan.com/resources

      Stanford’s VC teaching guide (and links to eCorner, which is awesome):
      http://ecorner.stanford.edu/teachingGuide/venture_capital/1/

      Founder’s Fund Perspectives (good, thought-provoking articles on VC industry):
      http://www.foundersfund.com/#/perspectives

      A few of the Valley law firms have term sheet generators too, for routine financings or bridges.

      I also think it’s important to read the dailies–TechCrunch, GigaOm, PandoDaily, etc. and join LinkedIn groups that are relevant. I like the Women 2.0 group on LinkedIn a lot.

      SF Magazine has a fun issue this month (10/12) on the Tech scene is SF and mentions a lot of things in passing that might be worth checking out.

      Last, in case you have oodles of free time, here’s a list of the 100 Best Business Books of All Time:
      http://100bestbiz.com/more-on-the-100-best/

      Good luck with your new venture!

      • Startup Land

        Funding isn’t a problem for us. As for what we do, our business is more of a professional service than anything else. I think I’m mostly interested in management (lawyers are notoriously bad at this — I’ve managed teams before but I’m likely to be heading up a division of at least a few dozen employees, which is a bigger proposition than I’ve dealt with in the past), marketing, creating corporate culture, etc.

      • Startup Land

        Actually, just looked at the list you linked to and that’s exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!

    • LF

      Check out Coursera, the free online class platform. I think they’re offering a number of free entrepreneurial classes.

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