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Updated: Oct 31, 2018 79 Comments · by

Tuesday’s TPS Report: ‘Lolo’ Stretch Sheath Dress

The Personal Shopper (TPS)

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French Connection 'Lolo' Stretch Sheath Dress | CorporetteOur daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. (Gaaaah, I thought this posted hours ago, my apologies!) This sheath dress has been around for years (we included it in our 2014 sheath dress roundup), but I don't think we've ever featured it as a separate TPS report. I like the high but deep V-neck, the work-appropriate length, and the fact that it can be machine-washed cold if necessary. If between sizes, all of the reviewers note to size up; the model is wearing it a bit too tight for work IMHO. The dress is $188. French Connection ‘Lolo' Stretch Sheath Dress Here's a lower-priced alternative and a plus-size option. Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-4)

Sales of note for 10.10.24

  • Nordstrom – Extra 25% off clearance (through 10/14); there's a lot from reader favorites like Boss, FARM Rio, Marc Fisher LTD, AGL, and more. Plus: free 2-day shipping, and cardmembers earn 6x points per dollar (3X the points on beauty).
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off sale (ends 10/12)
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything plus extra 25% off your $125+ purchase
  • Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
  • Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
  • J.Crew – 40% off sitewide
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site, plus extra 25% off orders $150+
  • Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
  • M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
  • Neiman Marcus – Sale on sale, up to 85% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 50% off 2+ markdowns
  • Target – Circle week, deals on 1000s of items
  • White House Black Market – Buy one, get one – 50% off full price styles

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Kat

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

Comments

  1. Emma

    I have a question: how is “biglaw” defined? What attributes does a firm / office need to qualify? I hear that term all the time, and I’m not sure exactly what it refers to.

    • Anonymous

      I think it depends. In my city (bit enough to have an NFL team, but not on a coast or a great lake), that is true.

      In much bigger cities, somewhere where law firms run ads for third shift clerical support (e.g., Skadden) on site (not in some data center or a global support center place). Places where you eat lunch and dinner at your desk routinely.

      It’s hard lifestyle v. ultra hard lifestyle. I can do the former and ran from the latter.

      • Senior Attorney

        Yeah, I define BigLaw as the ultra hard lifestyle where the firm owns you and pays accordingly. Basically, BigLaw never sleeps.

    • Anonymous

      My definition is: Market pay ($160K starting in major cities) and a national presence (e.g. a California-based IP boutique might pay market but I wouldn’t think of it as Big Law unless it has offices outside of CA).

      • CountC

        I agree with this. I worked for a firm with a national presence (although mostly east coast), paid a touch below market, with around 500 attorneys. I would consider them almost BigLaw but not quite because they aren’t a household name in the large cities (NYC, DC, etc.).

        • cbackson

          Let’s be honest: no law firm is a household name, unless your household is full of lawyers in large firms or big-firm accountants/finance folks.

          • CountC

            Okay, I meant among BigLaw firms. If another BL firm doesn’t recognize you, you aren’t a BL firm regardless of how many lawyers you are or how much you pay.

        • Anon

          I think this is where the term “regional Big Law” is useful. 500 attorneys is not a “mid-size firm.”

    • Anonymous

      Maybe this is a function of the level of snobbery at the law school I attended, but BigLaw was pretty much exclusively defined as “AmLaw100”.

  2. Revamping

    Resume question: A friend has been helping with my resume and she insists that I don’t appear confident on paper or rather in the way that I describe my experience. So now I am revamping it. I don’t want to sell myself short but at the same time I don’t want to paint a false picture of my skill-set.
    For example I have alot of experience with Excel, so I would list it as “extensive experience with Excel”. But there is another program commonly used in my field, while I’m not completely green, I don’t want it to come across that I am at expert level because I’m not.

    • Revamping

      OP here, couldn’t find the edit button: I should add that right now all the programs are listed on one line with no details on experience level which I suppose could be read in different ways. Right now I’m assuming that one would assume that I have the same level of comfort with each one.

    • Amelia Earhart

      Make sure you’re listing your accomplishments rather than just skills. There is a lot of information available on the Ask A Manager blog.

    • LAnon

      I would leave any reference to basic software (like Excel) off your resume. I have seen resumes that list things like “familiar with Microsoft Office, e-mail, Powerpoint…” and I feel like they may as well list “capable of reading and basic arithmetic”. If you have advanced skills in Excel like VBA coding / macros, maybe list those. You can probably list the other software under “experience with”, even if you’re not an expert. Industry-specific, specialty software is much more valuable to list, not because you are necessarily an expert but because it shows what areas you have experience working in.

      Better yet would be to list some results of your expertise and proficiency. If your Excel skills led to automation of certain tasks, catching errors that others missed, or better organization, then list an item under a specific job that says something like, “Created tool to calculate expense thresholds for enterprise projects, saving $XXK/year” or something like that.

    • Ellen

      Yay! The sight is back up in busness! Yay Kay and CAT!!!!

      As for the OP, put down you’re skills! I did and I was hired b/c I knew excel and word and powerpont. The managing partner said I was perfect B/C he did NOT want to pay for another assistant just for me. I SHARE Lynn with Mason (who also has sex with her)and the manageing partner. It is because I know these programs that I can do breifs and bill the cleints! Yay!

  3. Anonymous

    I love the dress, but this seems a little bit too short/tight for work. If you sat at a meeting, you’d have to put a folder over your thighs.

  4. Shopaholic

    Any advice on pencil skirts that are good quality and fit someone hippy? I realized this morning while getting ready for work that all my skirts are way too tight. I’m trying to lose some weight but haven’t been making much progress. My extra weight is sitting on my tummy and my upper hips and as a result, most of my clothes don’t really fit/look inappropriate.

    I’m asking here because I hate trying on a ton of clothes that don’t fit – it’s super discouraging and makes me hate myself which I’m trying to avoid because as someone very wise said here, “you can’t hate yourself thin”.

    thanks!

    • Halogen skirt

      I haven’t tried it but I have seen multiple recommendations for the Halogen skirt. Usually referred to here as “the skirt”. You can check on the Nordstrom website for Halogen and look at the pencil skirts. They come in different colors.

      • BB

        These are good if you don’t need super formal. They’re a heavy material with some give, so good for days when I’m more bloated than others. Search for “Halogen seamed pencil skirt,” although they always go on sales during the NAS, so I’d wait until then.

    • Anonymous

      I really like White House Black Market pencil skirts. I’m all hips and booty, and the majority of them fit nicely. I especially like the ones in ponte fabric – they stretch to accommodate curves without looking like saran wrap.

      • Gail the Goldfish

        I usually buy the LOFT vesion of these, but yes, the Curvy fit is about the only thing that works for me.

  5. Bites

    Ugh. There is some insect biting me in my apartment, and I can’t figure out what it is or how to get rid of it. I’ve narrowed it down to the bed or the sofa – although it could be flying and just gets me when I’m immobile. Was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to what it is.

    So far, I’ve ruled a few things out. Not a mosquito because I swell up like crazy from those and these are single bites around my joints that create a small swelling with a tiny blister. Not fleas because it’s only one at a time. Probably not bed bugs because single bite and also nothing on my husband. Maybe spider? I tried washing all the sheets and vacuuming the couch to get rid of hidden spiders, but to no avail. Previously, I would spray the areas like crazy with Raid, but now I have a kitty and don’t want to accidentally poison her. Help! It’s been a week and get 1-2 bites per day :(

    • Emma

      If there’s a chance that it’s on a pair of clothes (like jeans), make sure to launder those and — most importantly — to run them through a HOT cycle in the dryer. (Make sure that you did that with your sheets, too.) I had a similar situation once, where I had bites on the back of one of my legs. I never found the culprit, but using the heavy heat did the trick.

    • L

      Honestly, it sounds like bedbugs to me. We got them and my husband didn’t show up with any bites. I however blew up like a balloon. When you say one at a time, do you mean like one per knuckle or one per night? Particularly if they are on your hands/feet/ankles. I had the somewhat single bites (not a cluster) at first and then when it got worse it looked like more ‘traditional’ bed bug bite patterns. I’d consider bringing a pest company if you can.

      Also, consider steaming your bed/couch.

      • BB

        Ugh. That’s terrifying! One at a time means I get like one a night (and possibly one when I’m sitting on the couch…but I’m not 100% on the timing). Like I will wake up with one on my bicep, then this morning it was one under my knee. I thought bed bugs acted more like fleas where you get at least 2-3 per area.

        • L

          To my uneducated self, the different locations sound odd, but I wouldn’t rule it out. I’d call a pest company just to be safe only because in my situation I wished I had done it sooner. But I could be projecting (to armchair therapist myself!)

    • Gail the Goldfish

      Sounds like what an ant bite looks like on me. Those usually aren’t one at a time, but it’s possible.

    • N.C. anon

      Another possibility if you haven’t seen any bugs could be a fungal parasite. One of my cats broke out in what looked like small bites near his ear and the top of his head. The vet thought it might have been ringworm, but tests were negative, so they say it was probably a non-contagious fungus. Same treatment applies as to bedbugs: wash everything you can in hot water and vacuum anything you can’t wash.

    • BuggyQuestion

      I posted on this site few weeks ago about advice. Your symptoms with bites sound very similar to mine and my apartment was diagnosed with very early stages of bed bugs (about 4-6 weeks) by the pest control guys. Every morning I will get 1-2 new small red blister on my ankles, legs, elbows (wherever I had exposed skin) that would itch a lot during the day and turn red. My mom who was visiting for a few weeks and sharing the bed had no symptoms. I believe only some people actually react and get the bites.
      I would highly recommend checking with any local pest control company, see if they will do an initial check up. Did you travel recently? I think I got it from one of the hotels. Make sure to wipe down all your luggage with rubbing alcohol and run clothes through the dryer on HOT cycle. I went through two cycles of treatment by pest control over 3 weeks and my whole life was upside down living out of plastic bags, packing everything up and doing endless laundry/dryer loads. I really hope this is not a beg bug situation for you but get it checked out and addressed sooner before they spread further out. It’s been two weeks since our final treatment and so far I did not get any more bites.

      • BB

        Thanks! Will think about getting a pest control company in. We’re also moving in 2 weeks and it would suck to still have this in the new place. No hotels for me since early July though, so not sure where it would come from.

    • tkm

      I wouldn’t rule out bedbugs either. I’ve had them twice (I live in downtown L.A. where it’s become an epidemic) and while I am not an expert, I can pass on some things I’ve learned. First, if it’s bedbugs, it might start with only one or two, so just an occasional bite would be par for the course, especially if it’s a younger smaller bedbug. It gets full from one bite, then it’s done. Second, they have bedbug mattress covers that you can invest in (sorry I don’t have a link but it’s easily googled) so that if your mattress (especially the box spring, where they love to hide) has a few, you can put that over it and keep it on for 6 months or a year until the bug dies inside. Nothing will get in or out. Third, take off all the bed linens and inspect along all the creases of your mattress. Any pinpoint-sized dark spots? That could be your dried blood or bedbug feces. Also check behind the headboard, etc. and do the same search on your sofa.

      Diatomaceous earth will kill bedbugs by abrading their bodies and I think desiccating them; it is safe to eat but not safe to inhale, so there might be some areas you could set that out in where your cat wouldn’t breath it.

      These things do travel with you so…if I were you I’d try to rule this out before moving. Hope that helps somewhat. Good luck!

    • lost academic

      Where are you located? This could be mites. Launder everything in hot, vacuum mattress daily. Happened to me this summer.

    • Anonymous

      It could be a bedbug even if it’s a single bite. It’s uncommon, but if one bedbug hitched a ride home with you and it wasn’t a female who’d recently mated it really could just be one. I dealt with this twice in college. Try stripping the bed and thoroughly inspecting the sheets, and put some Buggy Beds bedbug traps in the corners of your bed.

  6. Anonymous

    I just read Marisa Mayer is having twins! I am so curious about how this will pan out…I would love to see some executive women talk more about realistic expectations following the birth of a child. I wonder if she will change her views at all with twins at home (or in the nursery next door to her office, as the case may be). Thoughts? Posted about this on the Mom’s site too, but am curious about more viewpoints…

    • Terry

      She’s been on this road before… This will be her second and third child. She had the first in 2012 while at Yahoo and took two weeks of maternity leave.

      • LSC

        Yes, that is why I am curious if twins will shift her worldview or if she will keep on the same path as she did before.

        • Anonymous

          I actually don’t find discussions and perspectives on issues like this from ultra-wealthy and successful folks like Mayer helpful. She has so much $$ and lifestyle options that aren’t available to the rest of us that inevitably affect her perspective.

          I’m not in Big Law.

          • bridget

            I couldn’t agree more. Mayer will certainly feel the same as other women do, but the resources she has at her disposal are simply beyond compare. She is paid extraordinarily well to do things like get back from maternity leave after six weeks and hire an army of nannies. And “extraordinarily well” isn’t “low six figures at age 25;” she’s hauling in millions of dollars.

          • shayla

            I was in Big Law and still didn’t have those lifestyle options. I agree, Mayer’s thoughts on work/life balance is not helpful. Especially because I’m confident she’s just going to hire double (triple?) the staff and expand her office nursery.

        • Wildkitten

          I assume she will hire twice as much home help with her millions. (That’s what I would do.)

      • Brunette Elle Woods

        A toddler and 2 newborns while managing a major corporation? Either there’s no way or she’s throwing a lot of money at hired help, which she can certainly afford.

        • Anonymous

          Obviously she is spending money (not throwing it away) on all kinds of domestic help. Like all rich people everywhere always.

          • Brunette Elle Woods

            I didn’t say throwing it away. I said “throwing a lot of money at hire help.” As in the figure of speech where you “throw money at the problem”. Here, the problem is not enough hours in the day. My point is that she can only have 3 kids and sustain a high level, demanding job long term because she is not doing everything that 99% of the population does. She’s not regularly cooking meals for her family, going to the cleaners, going food shopping, cleaning, doing laundry, etc. Cut out those chores and you have a lot more time to focus and excel at your career.

    • cbackson

      I think that expectations after the birth of a child are really different for the CEO of Yahoo than they are for other women, even those at the executive level. I don’t really think you can be the CEO of a company like that (or any C-level exec at a company like that) and have work-life balance, whether you’re male or female.

      • Alana

        I think one of the barriers to family -friendly policies is for several reasons, including that most CEOs and politicians are wealthy men with SAHM as wives, so they do not need these policies. Also, there are plenty of women who would love to be SAHM but cannot afford to do so.

        • Annon

          This is so true ! Childcare implicitly becomes a women’s issue and impacts women’s career only for the most part. I work in a very male dominated field (even big law or i-banking has more females than my industry) and most senior level men I know have SAHM wives only. There is not a single other employee at my level or higher up who even has to worry about picking up kids from day care, stay home due to sick kid or take more than 2-3 days off after a new born so no one even talks/complains/raises such concerns. These are non-issues for almost all of my co-workers, they will proudly declare they only see their kids on the weekend. But these men still get to have high power careers and picture perfect family of 3+ kids and a pretty wife that are posted on internal website over Christmas time (everyone is encouraged to send their holidays cards for internal sharing).

          I am terrified to think what will happen when I will inevitably have babies in a few years. Can’t imagine taking more than 3-4 weeks off for maternity, all my projects and responsibilities will be doled off to someone else months in advance and I will be left with scraps.

          • But...

            Do you really want the lives those men with SAHM have? We have the same choice they do (when you remove the time spent for last stages of pregnancy/childbirth)… we could work crazy hours, make all the money, and have a SAHD. You could only see your kids on the weekends and have a picture-perfect family of 3+ kids and a pretty husband (although perhaps handsome is the better word ;)). Just marry someone who is okay being a SAHD (you’d be surprised how many men find this appealing…I’m in BigLaw and several guys I’ve dated over the past few years have suggested this set up for down the road; that I should make partner and then they’d quit and raise the kids).

            I’m single now so I am not close to making these decisions yet, but thinking abstractly, working in a stressful job where I never see my kids and have a SAHD as a husband sounds awful to me. I like cooking. I like spending time with children. I like making decisions about decorating/etc. I want to be able to do those things. I don’t want to be 100% hands-off in running my own house. I want to have a spouse who has an intellectually challenging, interesting job outside the home. And I don’t want to work insane hours. Or have the entire household income on my shoulders. I don’t envy their lives. Not one bit. Honestly. Now here’s an interesting question… is it because (1) I’m socially or biologically programmed not to want that, or (2) it’s my own inherent desire without any outside influence?

        • cbackson

          Honestly, no matter what your company offers, you can’t take extensive maternity leave if you’re the CEO of Yahoo. You just can’t. That is an entirely different situation that even that of a CEO of a smaller company. It’s not about family-friendly policies for someone like MM – it’s about the enormous responsibility borne by someone who is the CEO of a company of that nature. That’s why I don’t find it particularly helpful to discuss her choices – they’re not relevant to the majority of working parents, even those with high-powered jobs. Because there’s high-powered, and then there’s CEO of Yahoo, and they’re different.

          • ITDS

            This. MM’s “responsibility” is to her shareholders, and not to set an example of work/life balance. If that concerns her, she’s in the wrong job.

    • Need to Improve

      She is lucky enough to be able to afford a lot of help. It makes a huge difference. When you have around the clock help, it’s really a question of how often you want to see your kids.

      I have 2 kids and am in BigLaw. I rarely spend more than an hour and a half a day with my baby during the week–sometimes less–and MM may have even less than that. But to me, the weekends are pretty sacred. Life improved for me once I made partner, because when you have people working for you, you have a lot more freedom to run the schedule. Sheryl S. has a piece on always going home at 5 pm. She can do that because she is in charge. MM probably has a lot of flexibility too. You are never really “off,” but I imagine you can carve out time that is sacred barring emergencies.

      • Anonymous

        I don’t know if it’s so much she can do it because she is “in charge” but because she prioritizes that.

        • Senior Attorney

          You can prioritize all you want, but if you have a boss above you who expects you to work late, you are not going to be able to go home at 5 p.m. That’s why being is charge is key.

          • Anonymous

            Then you prioritize being able to go home at 5 pm, and find a job that lets you do so. And stick to your boundaries on that topic, which may mean prioritizing going home at 5 pm over a promotion.

    • ?

      I really don’t understand questions like this. I swear I’m not being snarky — but no one ever, EVER asks questions like this when men have children, twins or otherwise. Isn’t she going to do it the same way male executives have always done it? (Even those with working spouses).

      • Anonymous

        Well I have read she is planning a two week leave, so there are issues that affect her that wouldn’t affect a man–like her body’s actual physical recovery. Whether we like it or not, there are differences. If she had a surrogate carrying the babies I could see your point more. But I also think it would be unreasonable and crazy difficult for a man to go back to work two weeks after the birth of twins, or even just one baby. I guess that’s part of what the huge salary is for.

      • anon

        What irritates me about this type of question is the strong undercurrent in some responses that she *should* take more time off, or that she’s not doing enough for women everywhere in setting such “unrealistic” standards. She’s done this before, therefore, it’s clearly realistic. Maybe not for everyone else, but why does that matter?

  7. Coworker question

    I have a coworker who I have always considered a friend, but she gets “mad” at me frequently for what feels like no reason. Most recently she is upset with me about a miscommunication that I tried to clarify (apparently unsuccessfully!) She is now being hostile and I can’t decide whether to confront her to try to work things out. I have done this in the past, but she always seems to find some new issue. I am leaving my job in the next week and won’t have any more interaction with her professionally, but I’d like to leave on good terms. On the other hand, I am so tired of her dramatics. Would you try to apologize and smooth things over, or just forget about it and move on?

    • Anonymous

      Sounds easy… let it go. Leave. Wish her well.

      She could be extra sensitive because of your leaving, but that doesn’t excuse her behavior.

    • Brunette Elle Woods

      She doesn’t sound like someone you would want as a friend. As far as a professional contact, don’t burn your bridges!

  8. Need to Improve

    This seems way too s*xy for my taste in the office. Great for a date night.

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