Corporette.com

Updated: Nov 1, 2018 112 Comments · by

Frugal Friday’s TPS Report: Sleek Fit Silk Shirt

The Personal Shopper (TPS) | · · ·

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Sleek Fit Silk ShirtIf you're a fan of Express's fit, note that they have lots of blouses marked down right now — including this simple silk blouse. Love this color (“Fantasia blue”), but it also comes in ivory, black, and a super pale pink. It was $79.90, but is now marked to $47.94. Sleek Fit Silk Shirt Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-2)

Sales of note for 9.30.24

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. Bunkster

    I really like the skirt this is paired with, but it’s not on sale and I’m not buying myself gifts before xmas.

    Counting the minutes until I can leave at 11:30. I’m going to go have lunch at the bar at my favorite restaurant. Then I’m meeting all the ladies in my family (ranging in age from 5 to 68) at the Nutcracker. And after that we’re headed to the Teddy Bear Tea at the Four Seasons. Fingers crossed that either Tom or Gisele shows up to do the celebrity reading. She did one last year, but hasn’t done one yet this year.

    What are your holiday plans?

    • eaopm3

      That sounds like a lovely afternoon and evening! I look forward to having some little ones in the family to do such things with. We always used to go to the Nutcracker and have lunch at Neiman Marcus when I was little. Mmmmm popovers.

      We are having our traditional Christmas Eve eve dinner out with a couple H and I are close friends with, then heading to our hometown to celebrate with the family. I look most forward to eggs benedict and mimosas on Christmas morning.

      I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!

    • Emily I

      I’m headed to play tennis with my dad and three of my four sisters this afternoon. After about an hour, my kids and my nieces and nephews will join us at the courts. My dad plays a lot, and he loves it when he can get his daughters and grandkids together to do this.

      Later, my sisters and I are going shopping to buy an anonymous gift for a woman we know who is going to have a rough holiday. I’m really looking forward to spending all the time with family!

    • Bonnie

      Cooking like a mad woman to get traditional dishes on the table tomorrow night then relaxing with family.

    • Monday

      Holiday Season 2011: Contact your most toxic ex, whom you swear will never break your heart again. Meet up, get swept up in his BS, go home with him. Call your friend “Monday” to manage the fallout when, once again, he demonstrates that he will never come through for you and you realize you’ve just backslid 5 years or so in personal growth.

      I’d say it was something in the water, but this trend is bi-coastal. Once I’m done with triage (truly, HOURS on the phone over the past few days) I am going to get back to my own, pretty un-dramatic life and fabulous family and SO.

    • NOLA

      Lots and lots of singing! I’m a church soloist (on the side – mostly fun, a little mad money) so three services tomorrow night with a little time with my honey in between the 7 and the 11. Not really even time for dinner so we’re doing snacks with the choir. Then because Christmas is a Sunday, church again at 11 on Christmas morning then I’m inviting a bunch of friends over for brunch after church. Should be fun when we can finally relax and enjoy! I’m making three different breakfast casseroles and brandy milk punch.

    • EC MD

      I’m on call for the holiday weekend — our small town swells from 30K people to over 100K for busy holiday weekends, so I know that part of my weekend will be spent in the hospital.

      It’s the fourth night of Hannukah. Our three year old is loving lighting the menorah, and saying prayers. Our nanny tried her hand at latkes last night and they were fabulous!!

      I’m hoping for a not too busy weekend, time for phone calls to the family and skyping some candle lighting to the grandparents. I’m hoping to help a few people out with non-lifethreatening problems, to walk the dog at the creek and to spend time with my son and husband.

      • Annie

        My town does the same. I’m going to get some skiing with the family in and try to avoid having to park anywhere it town… it turns into a disaster.

    • anonette

      Bunkster that sounds like a great day!

      We are closing at 2 — I’m doing a bit of shopping (for myself…), meeting a friend to give him his gift, and then going out for pizza with a friend. I’m going to go to bed on the early side so I can wake up and do a nice long run tomorrow morning to welcome in the holidays!

    • Bunkster

      Update. Apparently, no Teddy Bear Tea today. The confirmation email was sent to the wrong address and when my sister-in-law did not respond, the tickets were given away. Guess I’ll be having my drinks at my brother’s house. And hoping to meet Tom Brady some other time.

      • meara

        Oh no, that sucks when you’re all excited for something! Boo.

        I am working from home today, and have things I need to do…and really should just start in and get them DONE already, but am so unmotivated…

    • ERP

      Bunkster – that is an awesome day, have fun! I <3 the Four Seasons Boston and hope to make it to a Teddy Bear Tea someday. Let us know if you see Gisele!

      • Not telling

        Off at noon today, run a few errands, make some food for tomorrow and Sunday, do laundry and clean.
        Tomorrow morning – run, then bike then relax all day until we go to a friend’s for early dinner, then home to put the tiny one to bed and exchange our gifts. After Santa on Sunday morning we begin our marathon of driving, eating, opening presents with family until about 7:00 Monday evening. (With the exception of the traditional day-after-Christmas morning run with my BFF from high school in our hometown!)

    • Frustrated Academic

      Leave office at 12, finish up last minute errands, button up house, pick up fiance at 4, and head to airport for flight to East Coast. Hopefully arrive in Manchester at 11, then drive north for three plus hours, arriving in fiance’s Maine hometown around 3 AM. Wake up tomorrow afternoon and spend a week celebrating, napping, eating, and wedding planning

      Wishing all my fellow ‘rettes, a very happy holiday season and the very best in 2012!

    • Latkes and Candles

      My office is closed today through January 3.

      Fiance and I are preparing for our Hanukkah party (latkes, candles and dreidel for 50 guests) tonight.

      Quiet XMas weekend, then we’re off for a few days to a warm clime for books, pool, drinks with umbrellas with his kids.

    • Nonny

      Working all day in hopes of not working at all next week. But we all know how *that* will turn out. (Honestly, not being pessimistic, I’ve just been in the biz too long to think otherwise.)

      Did not get my list of stuff done at home last night so am in catch-up mode, but very excited because my BF, who lives in nearby Big City, is arriving this afternoon for Christmas. Yay!

      I am hosting Christmas Eve for the whole fam tomorrow night (so spending tomorrow cooking and cleaning) and Christmas will be at my parents’ house. Yay!

      (I now realize I’ve used Yay! twice in this post but I think that’s me trying to get motivated at a time when I am mostly just stressing about getting everything done in time. I’m Type A that way.)

    • Research, Not Law

      Leaving at noon to pack up the family and presents, pick up daughter at daycare, and meeting siblings/cousins at a major light display before heading back to their house for the next few days.

      Husband is home today, hopefully running the last errands (groceries). Otherwise, that will be on my post-work to-do as well.

    • Anon

      I am working today, and then running some last minute errands, including getting stuff to bake cookies. Then I am going to spend the evening with my kids baking and decorating cookies for Santa. Tomorrow we are headed 2 hours out of town to visit family, just for the day. Christmas we are waking up early, opening presents, then out to visit my mom and husband’s mom.

      It will be nice not to cook anything this year, except french toast on Christmas morning–and I am going to use cookie cutters to make it in cute shapes for my kids, like trees, snowmen, etc.

      Then I am off work until Jan. 3rd. Yay!

    • Ekaterin Nile

      My firm is closed today, but I am several others working on a particular case are in because expert reports are due today. So we are (hopefully) going to serve them soon and get the heck out of here. DH and I are going to Boston next week. Yay!

      • Ekaterin Nile

        Er, “I and several others.” I am not “several others.” Although some days I wish I were…

    • Tired Squared

      Bunkster, that sounds like a great day!

      I’m doing some bar prep to get it out of the way today (since I know this weekend will be a waste!) and then enjoying some classic Wii games with the family. Mom’s making some excellent dinners tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday!

  2. JessC

    While not a huge of Express, generally speaking, their button front shirts fit me very well. I’m rather busty and the shirts have a good amount of stretch in them. I also sew the plackets closed to prevent pulling/gaping.

    In other Friday-before-a-Holiday news, I’m playing Pandora’s Swingin’ Christmas in my office. I think the staff outside my office are enjoying it. Half the staff and nearly all the attorneys took the day off and I just had the best exchange with my new-ish assistant (he’s only been with me for about 6 weeks).

    Me: “So are you gonna tell on me if I bug out of here a few hours early?”
    Him: “Not if you don’t tell on me…”

    I like this guy.

    • anon

      Just a friendly reminder that not everyone celebrates Christmas and/or likes Christmas music. I get being in the holiday spirit, but I don’t think that’s an excuse to play your office music loud enough for everyone to hear it, especially if that music might be particularly annoying to some people.

      • JessC

        I’m aware of what you’re saying – which is why after I turned on, I went outside and told them I’d turn it down if it was a bother. They actually said they liked.

      • Lindsay

        I agree. It is what one of our secretaries does (the one who also puts up little Christmas decorations outside everyone’s offices). It really irritates me, as someone who feels “meh” about Christmas, but I am junior enough that I don’t feel comfortable taking down the decorations outside my office or asking her to turn down the gosh-darn music, which has been playing inside every store I have visited since at least Thanksgiving, possibly Halloween, in my bible-belt ‘hood.

      • Pam

        Meh. In the weeks leading up to Christmas I would tend to agree, but… and I know this won’t make me popular … but, it’s the last work day before Christmas. I think people can suck it up and listen to some Christmas tunes today. Consider it a trade off for the likely slack-work-day today, and upcoming stat holiday, you have coming to you. (Sorry, but every year it seems to be increasingly more acceptable to whine about Christmas and it really bothers me.)

        • anon

          The only (well, major) thing that annoys me about Christmas music is that it prompts one of my coworkers to whistle along. Whistling in general just puts me on edge – huge pet peeve. Harder to whistle along to pop songs. :)

        • Anonymous

          Really, Pam? Because what I think is that every year it has become more acceptable to force your religious celebration down our throats. It used to be that people were actually sensitive to the feelings of other and had consideratin. Now, its like, if you’re not Christian and don’t feel like celebrating a Christian holiday, then you don’t belong in this country. I’ve seen a backlash in the other direction. Frankly, I think its close-minded and bigotted to be insensitive to non-Christians by saying that they can “suck-it up” and celebtate a religious holiday that’s not theirs.

          • anon

            Whoa – someone is making you go to Mass? Or some other church service to hear about the birth of Jesus Christ?

            Because that’s the true celebration of the religious nature of the holiday – not listening to music or even buying presents or having dinner with your family. And not everyone who “celebrates” Christmas is celebrating this religious attachment to the date. Most are treating as the modern celebration of the winter solstice.

            I’m sorry you feel marginalized, though.

          • Anonymous

            It would be so sad to work with someone who whines about music being loud the day before a holiday unless they had some pressing brief to get out. :( Saying suck it up is fine!

          • Pam

            Excuse me? When did I say non-Christians have to celebrate Christmas? In fact, I am a non-Christian. All I said was that people – Christians and non-Christians alike – can suck it up and listen to some Christmas music at work today. Eat some Christmas cookies, take it easy today, and enjoy the stat holiday(s) you’re getting thanks to someone else’s religion. Unless you’re going to work on the stat in protest against your bigoted employers for giving you the day off?

            And calling me bigoted in response to my comment was totally uncalled for. And doing it anonymously is, well… forget it, I’m just going to quit while I am ahead here.

    • Emily I

      I’ve got the Nutcracker Radio on Pandora (with my door closed), but close to lunchtime I am totally switching to Swingin’ Christmas!

      • Anonymous

        This is absurd. It is not bigotted for employers to give the day off. It is, however, close-minded and yes, intolerable of other’s differences to tell people to “suck it up” when it bothers them that you celebrate your religious holiday in a public space.

        That’s all. No need to get out of control (I don’t know what a stat holiday, is, btw) and equate your comments about sucking it up to a protest about having the day off.

        I was also commenting on your comment that people seem to be more whiny about Christmas and I was remarking that I’ve heard way more of a “let’s get back to saying Merry Christmas instead of this pc-Happy Holidays crap” lately.

    • AIMS

      I don’t particularly celebrate christmas but it doesn’t/wouldn’t bother me. I have it up there with ceremonial deism (not going to get upset every time I take out a dollar). I get that it’s good to be sensitive to others, but I also think its important not to be oversensitive ourselves, you know? (Not trying to start a big heated debate over this, but saying this all with the kindest and best intentions imaginable).

      My work computer has incredibly low speakers so my Pandora music can’t be heard on the other side of my office, much less in the hallway, but I’ve been playing the xmas and chanukah stations on pandora on and off the last few days just because I got bored with regular choices and I have avoided most shops with xmas music this year so not yet sick of it all … Now going to investigate this Nutcracker station … Sounds promising!

      • Anonymous

        It doesn’t bother me, but it does bother me when someone says to “suck it up.” And, yes, all Christmas is religious. Not just church. Songs, trees, gifts, decorations. It is a holiday about the birth of Jesus Christ. So, not everyone may not celebrate it by attending church, but it is a religious holiday. Its not a political holiday (4th of July) or a national holiday; its a religious holiday, deeply rooted in and unseperatable from Christianity. And, I think telling non-Christians that live in your community and work with you to “suck-it up” so you can listen to your Christmas music in your workplace is insensitive and bigotted.

        For the record, I have no problem with Christmas. The problem I have is the people that think its their “right” to force it down people’s throats because they outnumber others.

        • anon

          You don’t think it’s bigoted to require others to celebrate their holiday quietly and secretly so as not to be accused of “shoving it down your throat”? Like say you don’t give a crap about football, but get really annoyed because during the playoffs and Super Bowl week, all anyone wants to talk about is football. Is it reasonable to demand that they STFU about just because you personally don’t care? In my opinion, it is not. Sometimes you just aren’t in the majority and that’s all there is to it. No one is forcing you to celebrate Christmas (or care about football), but you don’t have the right to demand that everyone else be covert about their celebration just because you personally don’t care. And it’s a Christian-based holiday for sure, but its also a cultural event. Plenty of American non-christians celebrate Christmas in some manner.

          – athiest who celebrates christmas married to a hindu who also celebrates christmas.

          • Kate

            I come from a culture where christmas trees are totally not about christmas, but are about celebrating winter and new years. Same with gifts and decorations. If you look at origins, the tree is totally a pagan thing, and has zilch to do with Jesus. So a little perspective would benefit everyone, I think. Maybe saying “suck it up” is not the best way to put it, but there’s no reason to take things so personally either.

          • another anon

            Really? There’s a difference between saying that you shouldn’t play Christmas music at a volume that others can hear when you’re at work as opposed to you have to be covert about your observance or celebration. I’d feel the same about someone that was listening to a football game in their office (although I would not feel that a religious holiday that I celebrated could be equated with football and would not equate Christmas with football for that reason).

          • noner

            Hmm – I can think of a few places that would equate football with religion…

          • another anon

            Haha, definitely true, noner. I personally just would not tell someone to shut it because I could care less about Christmas out of respect for their religious beliefs, whereas I wouldn’t have a problem if it were football. Point taken, though.

          • ATC

            I’m not a Christian but love Christmas – presents, lights, sparkly, tree, fun music (okay, so I prefer the un-Jesus stuff – Let It Snow, All I Want For Christmas, etc.). I also like Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, etc. They’re all reasons to have a party. Maybe it is undercover proselytizing, but I’m secure in my own beliefs. As long as I’m not going to be forced to listen to any scripture or say a prayer, I’ll take the fun part of the holiday.

        • MeliaraofTlanth

          Well, if it makes you feel better, Christians kind of stole/borrowed a lot of the traditions from the Roman holiday of Saturnalia (and a couple of other pagan holidays–Yule, various solstice festivals, whatever else ancient scandinavians and germans had). So really, just consider them Saturnalia decorations. Or “wow winter is long and bleak, let’s have some lights!” decorations.

          -signed, haven’t set foot in a church since I was a child and yet greatly enjoy “Christmas in the Caribbean” and “Christmas on Christmas Island” (can you tell where I would rather be?)

          • Anonymous Poser

            Yes to all who are pointing out the number of “Christmas” traditions that are actually pagan in origin. So…much of “Christmas” is actually *pagan* at its roots (down to, as I’m sure someone else noted, the time of year in which it is celebrated).

            I exchanged gifts and spent time with friends and family and enjoyed singing Christmas carols (maybe I just find them catch and easy to sing?) for many years with no particular religious affiliation or affinity. I knew that the songs meant different things to folks who were Christians than they did to me, but that didn’t factor into/detract from my enjoyment of singing them.

            I do get sick of hearing about the “War on Christmas”. Please.

            If it were early- or mid- December, or maybe any day other than December 23, AND if the holiday were not a culturally celebrated one (with many participants like me) as well as being a religious celebration for some, I’d be with you.

        • Lyssa

          There’s a contingent of social conservatives who will say that gays have a right to live their lives, just don’t “shove it down other people’s throats.” They then go on to define (and complain about) shoving it down people’s throats such things as holding hands in public, announcing their weddings or commitment ceremonies, or commenting on their relationship with their partner in the same way that any straight person would without thinking about it.

          Anonymous at 12:50, you sound a lot like them.

          • Anonymous

            I am rolling my eyes at this comparison.

            Playing Christmas music in an office setting and saying that people that don’t celebrate Christmas and/or like Christmas music can “suck-it up” is the same people are random people holding hands on the street?

            This is absurd. This only thing I jumped on was the idea of “sucking it up” rather than simply being respectful of the idea that not all people are “OMG CHRISTMAS IS AMAZING AND WONDERFUL AND ALL PEOPLE SHOULD CELEBRATE AND ENJOY IT BECAUSE OMG ITS CHRISTMAS.” And Pam said that lately she has seen a recent trend of more people being “whiny about Christmas.” I have seen the opposite trend. It used to be common for people to recognize that not all people celebrate Christmas. Now there’s a backlash against saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” or against being inclusive or understanding. I find this anti-inclusive sentiment (“suck-it up”) to be small-minded.

          • KK

            I actually think that’s a pretty good analogy. It would be one thing if they were inundating you with christmas music in October, but it is December 23. It’s just part of the culture. Raining on their christmas parade is intolerant of you. They aren’t asking you to sing along. And it seems pretty clear that it was the Christmasness of the the music, not the volume, that bothered anonymous.

            If it really bothers you, Anon, it might be best to just plan a tropical vacation for this time of year and avoid the worst of it.

        • Em

          Uh, way to erase those of us who are non-Christian but celebrate Christmas secularly (as this culture’s equivalent of the Winter Solstice, as someone said). Just because you don’t celebrate it doesn’t mean you get to tell other people their holiday is invalid.

        • Vegas Baby

          Upon reading this, I immediately began singing “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch…” in my head.

          • Alanna of Trebond

            That song is AMAZING.

            I am not Christian and I love Christmas songs! They are definitely ceremonial deism — I think I wrote a longer post about this some weeks back, but I don’t think it’s such a big deal.

    • JessC

      Wow. Totally didn’t mean to start a big debate about this! I think Christmas music is just fun. And with the rather light-hearted mood around the office, it didn’t seem like a big deal (and every other day of the year when I listen to music in my office, I do so with my door closed and the volume down a touch more).
      And standing out by the desk of the two assistants I talked to, you can barely hear it.
      Oh well.

      Happy holidays everyone!!

      • nona

        You know your office and what’s appropriate. Don’t let strangers on the internet get you down. :)

      • Anonymous

        JessC: You are all good! This whole thing about Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas is petty and sad. First, if you are truly a Christian then you know that NO ONE can take Christ out of Christmas. As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure that Jesus is hanging out in the prisons and the hospitals while all the pretend Christians are at the mall protecting his name. As for those of you who don’t celebrate Christmas, listening to Christmas music or having someone say Merry Christmas is not shoving religion down your throat for Godsake! Get over yourself, please. Seriously, most people who are decorating for Christmas or singing Christmas songs aren’t going to church any more than you are. So, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanakkah, Happy Winter Solstice, and Happy New Year.

      • Unsub

        Promise me you’ll play Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” on full blast. Nothing Christian about that one so who could object? ;)

    • Tired Squared

      I’m on the bustier side as well (32DDD, which is a little disproportionate to the rest of me) and I like Express shirts as well. They’re one of the few brands that don’t cause bust-gaping issues for me.

  3. Bonnie

    I’ve had luck in the past with Express button-down shirts. They don’t seem to gape as much at the bust. They do run small though.

    • Midwest

      My favorite button-downs are from Express. I have a long torso and have a terrible time finding shirts like this with tails long enough to STAY tucked in.

      • Anooner

        Ironically enough, tucking shirts in looks really good on the long waisted folks but it’s hard to find shirts long enough to tuck in when you have a long waist.

    • Kelly

      I like express generally (jeans, editor pants, sweaters, going out tops) but I hate their button downs. They’re difficult to iron and start to loook old quick. I’m short and busty. I like brooks brothers non iron, I buy them at the outlet and they usually work out to about $45 each, but they stay crisp and fresh looking after 2 years of frequent wear.

      How do the lands end ones fit? I usually wear petite suit jackets but the petite bb shirts did not fit.

      • RK

        I am a fan of the Land Ends non-iron as my less-expensive/work-appropriate patterns alterntive to BB. also short/busty. I wear a size 14P in Lands End and have no issues. Think they have a sale going on now too.

  4. SAlit-a-gator

    Just wanted to put a plug in for Lands End no-iron button downs: I almost never wear button downs because of the “bust gaping issue,” but I took a chance and ordered some becuase they were on a major sale (usually $54, now $19.99). I got a petite size, and it fits perfectly on me. No gaping, sleeves are the right lengh, and best of all…no-iron. I think I’m in love.

    • Research, Not Law

      Since we’re talking bust gap-age, mind sharing your bra size?

  5. Feeling Grinchy

    So we’ve talked a lot about not “gifting up” at work…I agree in principle. But I am currently at a very small firm, so when my coworkers asked me to pitch in $20 (!!!) for a gift card for my boss I grudgingly agreed. (Please note, I am paid about 30k per year, with no benefits, just graduated law school, and budgeted $20 per person for my FAMILY this year). Our boss took us all out to lunch for a holiday party. Other than that, no bonuses or gifts for any of us. But just now I see that he gave a very nice bottle of scotch as a gift to our messenger service guy. I know it’s small-minded of me but I feel a little irked about the whole thing. thanks for reading my vent!

    • anon

      Well. I definitely don’t think you should have gifted up. And definitely should not have been “forced” to do so.

      As to the boss’ gift to the messenger services guy… you definitely want to grease those skids. That guy can make or break your firm. And it’s nice to appreciate the service industry folks during the holidays. So I see nothing wrong with it.

      I just think maybe the problem is that you didn’t get something besides a nice holiday lunch from the boss… so you are feeling a little rejected. Is a bonus structure in your compensation package? At some places bonuses just aren’t the norm. Maybe this is the case where you work? And also, maybe your boss isn’t comfortable gifting to employees?

      At my firm, there’s bonuses, which are part of the compensation structure. Support staff get also get gifts. There is no gift exchange up or down the chain with attorneys.

      • AIMS

        I don’t know that I agree. I think that you generally shouldn’t gift up the chain, but if everyone in the office does a $20 contribution and you don’t, regardless of your reasons, it may reflect poorly on you.

        I think this is very much a know your office situation. Yes, in theory, you should get a bonus and better compensation and you shouldn’t have to give $20 towards your boss’s gift card. But if that’s not the case in your situation, you can look for another job, but you shouldn’t make it more difficult on yourself in the current one by not participating. So, Feeling Grinchy, I totally understand your frustration but I think you did what you had to do.

        • Feeling Grinchy

          Yeah, that’s why i went along with it…didn’t want to be the only one of six people who didn’t participate.

      • Feeling Grinchy

        You definitely have a point about the messenger guy. Thanks for reminding me – I feel a bit better about that issue.

        Part of the reason I am grumpy today is that I met up with a few other young lawyers in the area, and we decided to compare salaries. (which on one hand feels a tacky, but on the other hand is important information for me to have). I found out that even people working at firms as small as mine with just a couple years more experience, are making 3x what I do, plus bonuses and benefits. I’ve discussed this with my boss in the past and he is not interested in giving me any kind of raise or additional compensation. Hopefully a new job offer comes through for me soon!

    • Anon

      I’ve been going through a bit of this myself. My mother came to visit me in my big city about a month ago. The entire time she complained about how broke she is and I picked up the check for everything, without her ever even saying “thank you”.

      I learned a few days ago that she spent over $400 on presents for one of my nieces for Christmas. Mind you, I have 5 nieces and nephews. She’s always clearly favored my sister’s kids to my brother’s. But this year it was quite ridiculous as she spent literally $10 on my brother’s daughter and $400 on my sister’s daughter, both of which are the same age.

      She sent me and my SO a check for $50 with a very generic card. This morning I found myself wishing I had kept the Kate Spade wallet and restaurant gift certificate I gave her.

      I hate that I still feel childishly hurt by these things, but I do. I’m going to listen to some Christmas music now to try to get me out of my crabby mood. On the upside, at least I didn’t spend the $500 for a plane ticket home and instead will be spending a quite Christmas with SO, far away from family drama.

    • Bunkster

      I worked for a firm in Providence. We all had to contribute to a gift card to a nice restaurant to our boss and he turned around and gave us very small ($5 max) gifts in return.

      I hate having to give gifts to someone who makes a lot more money that I do. Thankfully, that’s one treat I’m not subjected to at my current company. Although, everyone else’s boss gives them gifts, but not mine.

        • Midwest

          And even if you think it’s insane and unnecessary, it’s tough to back out without looking grinchy. My last office did this and I hated.it. Can’t we just have a holiday potluck and call it good?

        • Annie

          We used to do this, but several years ago one of the staff members suggested we do one of those charity santa programs. Instead of giving to each other, we each give whatever amount we feel comfortable with to the pool and then we divvy up the pool and buy the presents we can afford out of the pool It’s great. You might suggest that instead.

    • jr

      Between the gifting up and the expected minimum contribution, I would not be happy about that…definitely more than a little irked.

      I think that taking you out to lunch was generous and not required of your boss, unless the bonus issue was not clear to you from the start (were you expecting a bonus?). The bigger boss issue is that he should have put a stop to the gift card tradition.

    • Gift for Boss?

      You do not *have* to contribute. It is your choice to do so or not. While you didn’t get anything from boss, you chose to contribute to his/her gift.

    • Alana

      I have been in similar shoes regarding pay. My former boss bought us lunch on our birthdays, but our pay was low and he cut our hours and pay in half 3 times over a 7 month period, including during the holidays, so i couldn’t buy gifts for anyone.

      You can and WILL find a better paying job!

    • EC MD

      Quick (positive) story about gifting up:

      As many of you know, I’m a physician. For the holidays, my husband and I gave our office staffs and many hospital departments large Harry & David gift baskets (we do not directly employ our office staffs, so we have no control over compensation, bonuses, etc). I have a medical assistant and an office manager/receptionist/case manager/generally awesome human being.

      Yesterday I came in, and their was a present on my desk. The first thing I thought was “oh crap! Gifting up” (which BTW, was a phrase I didn’t know existed until a few weeks ago). But! Inside was a tupperware cupcake holder and a mix for gourmet cupcakes. A month or so ago, during chitchat, I had mentioned that with a 3 year old, I had suddenly become someone who needed a cupcake carrier. They had remembered, which was so sweet and thoughtful. Plus, I know the general price of such things, and don’t feel as though they spent a ton of their hard earned money on it. It really touched me, and I didn’t feel the least bit guilty. I would have felt incredibly awkward if they’d given me something spendy.

      • anon

        also a decent story: my boss (who is super, and got me a promotion recently) and i have settled into a chocolate exchange at xmas. he has a chocolate jar which we all know i eat from every afternoon, so i frame it as ‘reciprocity chocolate’ though then he always gets me a thing of holiday chocolates too. it’s just a nice gesture and we both enjoy eating them- for him this year I got trader joe’s ’round the world’ bundle of little square bars- colorful and interesting. he went nuts. he got me truffles from a local seattle place- i ate them all in 48 hrs. not a big deal, i don’t worry too much about the up/down thing, it’s just tasty chocolate.

    • Blonde Lawyer

      I’ve dealt with wonky gift giving issues in the past. During law school I worked for a small firm where each lawyer would get each staff a gift and the staff pooled their money together to get a gift for EACH lawyer. One year my expected contribution was $25. Their had been a snafu w/ my loans and I literally had no money. I told the lady running the pool and she said “oh, no worries, I’ll throw in your $25 and you can pay me back when your loan comes in.” Geez – thanks.

      I then worked for a medium sized firm where some lawyers bought staff big gifts, others bought small gifts, some gave nothing. It was really disparate. I always gave a nice gift. My AA gave me something small too but we had a great relationship and I appreciated it.

      New firm is small. We do a yankee swap. Guy I replaced told me no individual gifts. Luckily, I ran it by the partner I worked for, mentioning that I wanted to get the three assistants that work for me (no, I’m not that special – one is mine, one is his, and one is reception/data entry), and he was thrilled, commenting how he always gets presents for the staff but some “cheap bastards” that used to work here didn’t. Oy. Then partner got me a small gift (a book he read that I mentioned I wanted to read) and my assistant got me a small gift too. Then his assistant got him a gift that he was so excited about he showed the whole office. Now I’m worried I should have got him something but it is the last working day before Christmas and I worked till 9:00 pm last night so I’m not going to worry about it!

    • Tiffany

      Ugh, that is annoying! I feel even more appreciative that my judge’s assistant informed us that our office has always had a policy of not exchanging holiday gifts. I realize now what a good policy that is and I wish more offices implemented it. Before law school I worked in an office where our gift exchange was basically to benefit a toy drive. Each person drew a name of a coworker and bought that coworker what he or she would think the coworker would have enjoyed as a child. We then opened them, had a good laugh at what we thought each other might want, and then sent the gifts to a charity. And I don’t think we were allowed to spend more than $10 or so on the gift.

  6. Louise

    Coupon code for shoes dot com:

    TPPT1211AARDUXGP

    Has to be used through this link that came to me in an email:

    http://www.trialpay.com/z/c/WDFW6UFCn/

    This is for $15 off $75 or more, expires December 25th. I think it is a one-time use code, but I’m not going to use it. Perhaps someone here can? If you use it, please comment back here so that another Corporetter knows it probably won’t work for them.

  7. LA

    Happy Friday all! This website has become my new favorite. Super excited about the long weekend. Also waiting for the weekend open thread so I can get some advice from everyone.

  8. SoHo

    Threadjack – Has anyone ever ordered something from flannelsfashion.com (looks like it’s UK-based, so would especially love input from the ladies on the board from Britain / Europe)? They have a miu miu bag that I have been dying for in a gorgeous deep purple color I cannot find anywhere else! Can anyone speak to the legitimacy of the site? It doesn’t seem like a discounter / seller of fakes or anything, and looks professional (similar to net-a-porter maybe), but I’ve never heard of it. Any reviews? If anyone has ordered in the US, have you had trouble with returns?

    Thanks in advance for any advice and happy holidays to all the corporettes!!!

  10. Snarky In House

    Just waiting for the moment when my boss walks around and tells everyone to go home. That’s right, no pre-determined early let go but a when-he-feels-like-telling-us thing. Every year. It’s the same.

    I CANNOT concentrate! AH!

    • eaopm3

      Same here. One of the partners mentioned yesterday that if I was “going home” for the holidays that I could probably leave early… but no one else has left yet and I am not REALLY going home until tomorrow. I think I better just leave for lunch and say “Merry Christmas” on the way out.

    • L

      Lawyers at my firm come and go as they please, but I know my assistant is anxiously awaiting for my boss to send out word that everyone can go home early! I happen to be in the office today, and I’m the only attorney in the office, and even though I could leave already, I’m riding it out with her (out of holiday spirit?). Now I’m anxiously awaiting for that email myself!

  11. anon too

    I recently lateralled to a firm in Chicago. Previously, I had worked at two “prestigous” firms on the East Coast. At both of my previous firms, gift giving to secretaries was considered important. So, a couple of weeks ago, I polled a couple of associates to figure out what was expected at my new firm.

    Generally, people seem to give their secretaries a $75 gift card or check, which was less than what I have been used to in the firms in which I was previously employed. One associate (Jewish), who shares my secretary, indicated that he gives her a $75 Macy’s gift card every year at this time, and he believed that it was always well received.

    So, I gave my secretary a $75 Visa gift card, a truffle, and a card. I left it on her desk today. She just stopped by to thank me, and then she indicated that she is not much of a Christmas person. She would prefer that I just give a gift to charity in the future in lieu of giving her a holiday gift.

    I appreciate the fact that she told me this so that I know in the future, but I am a bit taken back by this. I feel as though I did something wrong, and I feel like the $80 + dollars I spent trying to show my appreciation was unwanted. Ughhhhh….

    • jr

      Was it a holiday-specific card, or a general happy new year/thanks for all that you do card?

      • anon too

        It was secular Christmas card, but I did not say anything Christmas-related in the note that I wrote. “Thank you for all of your help and support since I joined the firm. I hope you have a nice holiday season, and I look forward to working with you in the new year.”

        • jr

          Did she seem offended? It’s just weird that she has seemingly been fine with the other gifts in the past. Maybe she’s more comfortable saying something to you?

          If it hasn’t been so much time that this would be awkward, I might talk to her about it. Something like, “The gift was to thank you for all that you’ve done for me so that you could get something for yourself. I would be happy to do a charitable donation to express my thanks in the future, if you’d prefer that. Do you have any charities that you like to support?” So many charities are in some way controversial, it might be good to ask her.

          • anon too

            She is a really awkward person. For example, during her lunch hour, she goes into an unoccupied interior office and turns off all the lights except the desk light. She might be reading???

            Also, when the firm has parties or celebrations, she always opts not to participate.

            The two guys that she works for other than me are kind of difficult, and I am guessing that most secretaries would think they are jerks. I know the male associate (who gives her the Macy’s gift card) does not have much of a relationship with her.

            An associate who is in the office next to me overheard the whole exchange, and he said that he felt awkward just listening to it.

          • eaopm3

            Is she a Jehova’s Witness? Is that is the case, she may feel uncomfortable celebrating any type of event.

          • Anon

            I thought perhaps she was JW too. Maybe next year you can ask whether there’s a charity that she cares about and donate in her name, as she suggested.

  12. last minute gift hunting in SoHo

    Does anyone know where in Manhattan I can find a nice flask?

    • AIMS

      Check any nice cigar store? Bloomingdales mens section sometimes has em for the holidays. If you want a “fun” one, Pylones has colorful funky ones (Spring St., off Bdway, towards Lafayette; 64th and Lex).

  13. Supra

    Just lost my mind and bought myself bright orange courdroys from Anthropologie’s 50% off sale. I need to get out of here; I’m obviously bored.

  14. a

    This seems like the most active thread of the day… so I’ll see if I can get any advice.

    I’m finishing an 8-month internship in a fairly large office. During the internship, I passed the bar and received a very nice gift certificate ($100) from someone I was going to be working with. That person ended up getting sick and spending a lot of time out.. and then there was some awkwardness between that person and my direct supervisor… Long story short: we ended up doing zero work together. Now that I’m leaving, I’m not sure what to do about the very generous gift I received. (Literally no one else in the office was that generous, nor did I expect them to be.) So… Do I return it? Do I get the person something nice? I’m doing thank you cards for everyone, but I hadn’t planned to get gifts because there’s just way too many people to gift if I go that route.

    Anyway, advice appreciated!

    • jr

      I would just write nice thank you notes and leave it at that. I think it’s usually pretty rude to return a gift, even if your intentions are good, and I don’t really see how the purpose of this person’s gift could have been somehow contingent on working with you.

  15. fitted

    love the blue shirt and express tops often fit really nicely. most recently i’ve been trying custom clothing…i bought my last top from a new affordable, custom-made clothing line called, tailored trends. check them out: signup.tailored-trends.com

Back to Top

About

Work with Corporette®

Serious Stuff

work fashion blog press mentions