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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 163 Comments · by

Coffee Break: Purity Snow Wedge Pump

Coffee Break |

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indigo by Clarks Purity Snow Wedge PumpThese nice wedge pumps are available at a number of places, but Amazon seems to have the best prices: $49.95-$124.94, depending on color and size. The pictured “tan” pumps are $65 in most sizes, and eligible for Prime. They have 220 positive reviews, and a 4.5 star rating. For my $.02, I love the skinny wedge, and the rubber sole — and indigo by Clarks is one of the reader's (and my) favorites from our Guide to Comfortable Heels. indigo by Clarks Purity Snow Wedge Pump (L-3)

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. AIMS

    I’m not sure I like the wood wedge. If it’s just plastic or other synthetic, there’s a high probability of it looking cheap and if it’s real, it’s probably too heavy for me to be comfortable. Not to mention the noisiness if it’s anything like the wooden clogs I had as a teenager.

    • Cb

      I have a pair from a few years back and they’re wooden but relatively light. I find them super comfortable for casual days where I want a bit of height.

      • anon2

        I have an almost identical pair from Calvin Klein that I bought last year on sale and they are nude-for-me and very light. I don’t think they look frumpy and get compliments from a variety of ages/types of women whenever I wear them. They are very versatile for summer.

    • a passion for fashion

      yeah, i think these are hideous. i’m sure they are comfortable, but they look it!

    • Previous Optician

      If they are the same ones from last year, it’s real wood and it is very light. They are extremely comfortable with great padding, the one drawback is that they are very tall (close to 3″). They look much better in person than in this pic. I wear them as on casual days/the weekend because I find the round toe to read a little more casual.

    • Lynnet

      I absolutely love wooden heels. I feel like wood gives support that I don’t find often in synthetic materials. If these are real wood, I’m definitely interested.

  2. mintberrycrunch

    I always think wedges look so cute on other people, but I always feel like they turn me into a clydesdale.

    TJ: Has anyone tried the Beach Body 21-day fix program? My eating habits have gotten out of control lately, and I’ve been gaining weight. I know I need portion control, but I struggle with sticking to a self-imposed program (one cheat meal leads to a cheat day leads to…. where I am now). It looks like this program could be the motivation I need to snap myself back to reality, but it’s really hard to find an actual review that isn’t just a coach trying to sell the product. Any thoughts?

    • MJ

      Haven’t tried it. You can download Jillian Micheals 30 Day meal plan on her website though, for free. I’d try that first. Beachbody can be incessant about cross-selling and hounding you if you ever buy one thing form them. They are like cockroaches. Seriously.

    • Anon

      Try logging your food for a week on a site like myfitnesspal. For me, it’s easier to lose weight by keeping calories in check rather than excluding groups of food or trying new fad diets. Plus it’s free and the app is pretty easy to use.

      • Anon

        +1. myfitnesspal works for me, expecially because I am a type-A control freak. I like my numbers to add up correctly :)

    • Hollis Doyle

      Disclaimer: I am a Beachbody coach. But I will give you an honest review.

      I have it and did it in March. Now I’m currently following the meal plan while doing a different workout program. If you struggle with portion control or eating too much of something (i.e. carbs) and not enough of others (i.e. veggies), this program will help you. It’s nice that no foods are off limits, and once you decide what you want to put in the container (ex. cottage cheese), you don’t have to weigh/measure it to get the right portion size. I have used MyFitnessPal, and 21 Day Fix is nice because once I have all my food measured out, I don’t need to input it to figure out how many calories or whatever I’m eating. I found the meal planning to be a little overwhelming for me, however. As in, deciding which containers to eat for which meals and what to put in the containers takes a lot of planning. I did end up losing 7 lbs and several inches overall, so that was nice. Overall it’s a great program to teach you about portion control without being too complicated. I liked that the workouts were only 30 minutes and included a modifier for all fitness levels. Even though I was in good shape when I started, I was definitely sore the first week.

  3. Cb

    Any suggestions for bridesmaid dresses for an October garden wedding? I don’t want a traditional dresses, just something pretty, comfortable and with sleeves (for warmth and b/c my bridesmaid wears LDS garments so sleeveless is a no go).

    We’re getting married in a botanic garden, I’m wearing a fairly simple ballgown (ha, is there such a thing?) with a sheer polka dot overlay, my partner will be in a tweed suit with a vest so not super formal.

    • Clementine

      Two suggestions- one is a more traditional bridesmaid dress site shopjoielle dot c o m. You can select sleeves as an option and they specifically carry modest bridesmaid dresses- many may meet your needs.

      I might also start with Modcloth. There are many many fun dresses that would suit what you’re looking for.

    • anne-on

      Maybe try Boden or Nordstorm? You might be able to find sleeved dresses on sale now since stores are starting to stock their summer offerings.

    • Meg Murry

      Is she your only bridesmaid? If so, can she ask others at her temple where they have purchased bridesmaids dresses? Or maybe she can look at something more like a mother of the bride dress – they are more likely to have sleeves.
      I would avoid traditional bridal shops without doing lots of online research first – I haven’t been able to find much that has straps, let alone sleeves.
      Otherwise – clearance racks at department stores if you don’t want to wait until fall? Because I’m pretty sure most stores have their spring/summer dresses out now, and most don’t have sleeves. You can filter Nordstrom and Macy’s online to look for dresses with sleeves to see if anything strikes you.

      • Cb

        She is and I’d like to see her in something she could wear again versus satin or taffeta so have avoided traditional bridesmaid shops / dresses. She’s the most awesome person, works incredibly hard in some pretty dicey regions of the world, and has been a fantastic friend. I just want to take the opportunity to buy her a pretty dress.

        Boden, Modcloth, and Nordstrom are great starting points.

    • Marilla

      I have purchased dresses that would fit that description at Ann Taylor, Anthropologie, and Banana Republic (their Issa collaboration/knock-off Kate Middleton engagement dress is one of my favourites). I only wear dresses with sleeves, or with something over them to cover my arms, and what I usually do is just scour the online sites for pretty, festive dresses with sleeves (usually there is not more than 1 or 2) and then try them on. I send back more than I keep but you have time until October :) I think you’ll have better luck with regular stores than bridal stores. And since you’re in the UK, right?, I would definitely check Boden.

      • Anon

        I actually disagree that any of these places would have many options. I’m not LDS but I don’t like low necklines, and I have virtually no luck with any of these places (my preference is just below collarbone). My experience leads me to believe that none of these places would have many, if any, options that wouldn’t show the garment in the front.

        I think you’ll have better luck with Boden, Modcloth, or Shabby Apple.

        • Anon

          Oh, and to clarify – I’m not saying that all of Marilla’s dresses have low necklines! But given the example (the Issa knock-off) – that is both lower than I’m comfortable with and too low to wear with a garment.

        • Marilla

          Good point about necklines. The Issa knock-off is a bit low for my comfort but the other ones sit much higher – the AT dress is best as it sits just below the collarbone, which is perfect. Length can also be an issue. These places definitely don’t have LOTS of options, but they usually have one or two things that might work and are worth a try.

          Cb, try the Sophia Dress or the Columbia Road Dress at Boden!

          • Marilla

            (I have no problem wearing a matching cami under a dress if it’s low, by the way – some people might not like that look.)

        • tesyaa

          Bridesmaid-type dresses with sleeves are very hard to find :( There are all sorts of tricks that work with weekday dresses (wear a cami, wear a shell, wear a cardigan) but these rarely work for bridesmaids. I think David’s Bridal makes matching material shawls that a handy tailor can make a shrug or neckline insert with… but it’s a lot of trouble.

          • CKB

            I’m LDS and tesyaa speaks the truth. It’s unbelievably difficult to find a fancy dress with sleeves and a neckline that isn’t too low and a back that isn’t too low and has a knee length skirt.

            Unfortunately I don’t have any suggestions because I sew my own fancy dresses so I can get what I want. Maybe this is an option? Having dresses sewn by a local seamstress, or even on etsy?

      • Wildkitten

        Boden has some dresses that aren’t low cut and have sleeves. Not in their “bridesmaid” section, but in their regular dresses section.

    • Anon

      Boden has some dresses that aren’t low cut and have sleeves. Not in their “bridesmaid” section, but in their regular dresses section.

      • Marilla

        No sleeves, but Tadashi Shoji and Nordstrom are both great ideas. I always forget about them for shopping since I’m hesitant to deal with shipping to Canada.

        • Anon

          Ah, thanks – I’d forgotten that Cb asked for actual sleeves, not just enough of a cap to cover a garment.

          • Katie

            Try Shabby Apple! The company is based out of Salt Lake City and my understanding is that it’s run/designed by LDS women with the idea that all the dresses are modest enough that you don’t need a cami or any special undergarments under them (though they will accommodate LDS undergarments), nor does one need a cardigan over them to be workplace appropriate. All the designs have sleeves, though some are longer than others. They’re mainly vintage-inspired designs and I believe they also have a small bridesmaid collection. I’ve ordered from them before and been very pleased with the quality. Modest without being frumpy, reasonable prices and styles she could wear again, and the dresses come in lots of colors. They have a great website at Shabby Apple dot com.

          • tesyaa

            I can’t believe I’ve never heard of Shabby Apple! I just clicked over there and the Emily dress is drop-dead gorgeous!

          • cbackson

            Quality on Shabby Apple is really poor, in my experience. Which is a bummer because the designs are cute.

      • Cb

        It’s pretty fantastic (or will be, when I make it to the seamstress to have it made). I love polka dots and the lace patterns just felt a bit Duchess of Cambridge to me.

        • Meg Murry

          Could you ask the seamstress to make her something as well? If it isn’t traditional “bridesmaid” fabric, a dress made from a pattern may be comparable cost to the cost of a dress + alterations

    • hoola hoopa

      What about something like Diane von Furstenberg ‘Zarita’ Lace Sheath Dress or Adrianna Papell Scalloped Lace Dress? Both at Nordstroms. You may be able to line the sleeves if that’s an issue.

      Or something like the Tahari Seamed A-Line Dress or Eileen Fisher Bateau Neck Jersey Dress would be really versatile for her after the wedding.

      • Anon

        If she’s wearing garments, she needs a true knee-length dress as well (to cover her lower-body garments). All of these would be too short.

    • M

      I was in an orthodox Jewish wedding once. We wore kneelength Jcrew dresses with three quarter length cardigans to cover our elbows.

    • oil in houston

      how about eshakti.com? you can add sleeves, length, or change the neckline on pretty much any dress. and they have cute things that might be a good match

  4. Anonymous

    TJ – My bf’s married friends asked him to be a successor trustee to their trust. He think it’s fine, but I don’t like it (partially because I don’t like these friends and don’t want our lives to be entangled forever). My bias against them aside, any thoughts on being a trustee and/or advice on how to convince him to not agree to this?

    • Diana Barry

      If he is the successor trustee, it is probably after both of them die. Low likelihood that it will happen anytime soon or that you’ll have to deal with them in connection with it. Also, it is an indication that they find him to be a very good friend and also very responsible!

    • Anon

      Honestly, you’re not married to him and I don’t think this is any of your business. If he is fine and comfortable with it, it’s not your place to try to convince him to say no to his friends.

      • Bee

        Marriage is no longer (if it ever was) a barometer for how serious a relationship is. We don’t know anything about OP’s relationship or finances, so I don’t think it’s fair to say that this is none of her business.

        OP, I would avoid telling BF flat out that you don’t want him to do this. Instead, make sure both of you are educated about what is entailed in being a successor trustee. BF isn’t doing anyone any favors if he takes on this responsibility thinking nothing bad could ever happen. If he has any doubt that he’s the best person to handle their finances and the inevitable family drama if the worst happened, then he should politely decline.

    • Orangerie

      No experience with this, but my guess is they would update the trust documents after they have kids to name new successors. I don’t think your BF’s life will be entangled with theirs forever.

    • Ellen

      Yay! Coffee Break! I love this break b/c I have been in medieation all day. We have this cleint that require’s us to medieate even after a case is filed, so there is a stay in place while we medieate!

      This employee is not even hurt. Our investigeator has a video of him playeing softball and slideing into third base! OMG, we have him skewered, the manageing partner says, so we will not settel unless it is for less then 4 figure’s. This is a new cleint, so I am very lucky to have the video! YAY!!!!

      As for the OP, I checked with Madeline, and she agree’s not to be to pushy b/c it is not likely to occur unless some thing happens to the trustee’s. Beside’s I agree that he is ONLEY your boyfreind, and unless you get MARRIED to him, the chances of it effecteing your life is miminmal. Madeline doubt’s you will be abel to marry this guy if you are that bossy now. She think’s a guy will NOT want to marry someone who is to bossy, even if you are great sexueally. I agree. Best to NOT give him a hard time until you are already MARRIED and with child, b/c by then, you will be protected from divorce and he will be stuck. YAY!!!!

  5. Repost: Application question

    Reposting for more responses here. But thank you Wildkitten for your response earlier.

    I want to apply for a position that I know is open at Place A, but I’m concerned about my current employer (Place B) finding out. It’s a very small legal community and there are individuals at Place A that are related to or otherwise know people at Place B. Do I just risk it and apply? Do I send the hiring partner an email asking if my application can be kept confidential prior to sending my materials? Do I ask about confidentiality in the same email where I include my resume, etc.? Any help would be so greatly appreciated. TIA!

    • TNTT

      I think particularly in the legal field, it’s well-understood to everyone that your current employer doesn’t know you’re applying for jobs.

  6. k-padi

    So, I have a question for those who have decided to downsize their lives. I bought a house in the Bay Area when prices had cratered. It was a combination of rising rents, low prices, and a long-gone boyfriend who I was planning to have lots of fat babies with. I have been slowly renovating and making changes over the past three years.

    My life has changed and I swear this house is a noose around my neck and a drain on my finances. With the recent surge in home prices, I have probably at least 50% equity. I have a new position which has tripled my commute and cut my pay (along with my hours in the office). I want to downsize into a cr@ppy apartment closer to work and my social life.

    So questions…with my cat, I am looking at small, older apartments without a dishwasher or in-unit laundry. Am I going to regret this move?

    Also, keep the house and rent it out? I can see the headaches but I should break even or even profit $200-$300 per month. Long-term, housing in this area is going to be scarce. Is it a good idea to keep it just in case renting becomes unbearable? Or do I sell, take the profit and hope I never have to buy in this market again?

    • Anon

      In-laundry would be a tough one for me, but only you know if that is going to be a deal-breaker.

      As for the house– I would probably hold on to it and rent it out, if you see yourself moving back at some point. If it is an area where you will probably never want to live again, then try selling. Also consider whether right now is the best the market will get for your house? Would you be leaving money behind if you didn’t sell now? Are housing prices falling in your area? We have a rental house and use a management company and it is not a hassel at all. We don’t really make a profit on it, but we don’t lose money either. But we bought that stupid house at the height of the market and so would lose money if we were to sell. So we are trying to hang on to it until we can make a profit or break even selling it.

      • Blonde Lawyer

        Can you tell me more about your management company? I’m in your same boat and our house is currently vacant and off the market. We are reluctant to rent out again after having one round of awful tenants. We had good ones before that. Our rental is also in another state so dealing with issues is a pain. What does the management company actually do and for how much? Thanks.

        • k-padi

          Thanks. My real estate agent actually focuses on managing rentals now so I would probably use him. I don’t think housing prices will change much, except to keep going up and up and up. I am already approaching the capital gains exception for house profits (good problem) so I am not worried about missing a peak.

        • Anon

          Our management company screens/finds tenants, deals with all complaints and repairs (up to $200 without prior authorization, over $200 they talk to us first), re-keys the locks after each tenant, will initate eviction proceedings if necessary, renews leases, has the place cleaned/inspected at the end of each lease. Really they do everything. The fee for management on a month-to-month basis is 10% of rent. The fee to find new tenants is 20% of one month’s rent. I think there was an initial “set-up” fee too or something like that. They do not charge the management fee when the property is vacant. We have had great tenants through them. Much better than when we attempted to do it on our own (had a series of people just straight up abandon the place, sometimes leaving most of their stuff.)

        • Meg Murry

          We have friends that also used a realty company as a property management company for a condo they couldn’t sell when the market crashed. From what I understand, quite a few real estate companies went this route when the market went south and nothing was selling.

    • Wildkitten

      I live in a tiny older apartment without a dishwasher or in unit laundry. I look forward to the day I can afford those features but I perfer my affordable unit, pets, and short commute to in unit laundry.

      I would sell the house and take the money. Being a landlord is a pain.

    • Finance Q

      Can you sell, take the profits, and buy a condo somewhere outright (or mostly)? Being able to live housing-payment free is like hitting the lottery.

      And I remember the movie Pacific Heights, so I am not on Team San Francisco Landlord (although I have done this myself elsewhere, largely for the same reasons — keeping my options open in case I changed my mind).

      • hoola hoopa

        Whoa. Finance Q’s suggestion of paying 100% of a condo for the win. A friend did that about 10 years ago and gotta tell you, it’s amazing what a difference that makes to finances/lifestyle/etc. So jealous.

        • Finance Q

          Thanks!

          To judge P&L, you can get a 1040 Schedule E from the IRS website. You can generally deduct taxes, repairs, interest (not principal) and amortize a portion of the structure cost (not the total cost of the house — you can’t depreciate the land portion and in a high COL place, that can be the bulk of the value). It may be that you go negative on a rental (especially if you are paying 10% for a management company), at least for tax purposes, even if you are slightly positive on the cash side.

          The one plus of a good management company is tenant screening / credit checks / good form lease / good screening. Day-to-day management can be a crapshoot.

          Also: consider liability insurance if you rent out your place — an umbrella policy is cheap (and deductible).

      • k-padi

        Hahhah. Not with Bay Area real estate. Condos closer to work are twice as much as what I would get for my house. I would be able to cover a 25% down payment with my profit and be trading my mortgage for one three times as much! I wish, though. Sigh.

        • Orangerie

          Hah, yeah I giggled at that one. Only FB billionaires can afford to buy condos in cash around here.

          • Orangerie

            Way more if you want more than one bedroom in a decent neighborhood (aka not the Tenderloin). So depressing.

          • k-padi

            Yeah. Small, old townhouses in Mtn View are going for 1.2M. Condos walking distance to my office are renting for $3700 per month and there is nothing, nothing for sale for less than $3M.

          • Anon

            I laughed too (also in SF), the comments on losing money on your current house also made me chuckle. It’s such a different market here. Keep the house. You won’t be sorry.

    • hoola hoopa

      You won’t regret downsizing and even if you do, it’s not permanent. You can always buy a house or upgrade apartments later. It sounds like your current situation isn’t happy for you, so I think a change would only be an improvement.

      That said, I would personally never want to live without an in-unit laundry. I made due with lots of odd living spaces, but I always required a w/d. Personal preference. As a single person, I hardly ever filled my dishwasher and did a lot of handwashing anyway.

      As for keeping the house as a rental: If you don’t need the cash (and I’m not hearing a reason why you would), would turn a profit (after maintenance), and expect the price to increase or at least remain stable – then the only reason to not do it is if you really hate the idea of managing a rental property.

      • k-padi

        Thanks. Yeah. The laundry is a toughie. I will save $150 per month on gas alone so I am thinking about using a laundry service. I promised myself years ago that I would never collect quarters again!

        • BankrAtty

          You know, I went from in unit laundry to living in a building with a laundry room and I prefer the latter. My building has a laundry schedule–each person signs up for a slot during the week. It’s very civilized. Unlike when I had laundry in unit, now I have more space to fold–a whole table!–and a place to hang my drip dries that isn’t my bathroom. Given the cost of a W&D, water, and electricty, not to mention how much more expensive condos with an in unit W&D were in my market, I think the $1.50/load I pay for wash and dry is very reasonable.

        • Parfait

          I live in a small house-like apartment building and the laundry room is just a few steps from my front door. It’s only annoying if it’s raining, but I live in California so it’s not like that happens all the time. Like you, I would have once thought not having W/D in my unit was a dealbreaker but it’s honestly not that bad.

    • AIMS

      I, along with a large chunk of the rest of NYC, live in unit laundry free and it works out fine. I also don’t have a dishwasher or a microwave and don’t miss those at all (I would like a w&d, not going to lie, but that’s a bit of a white whale in most city apartments here). I don’t think you can overstate the value of a short commute to work and social life so I’d vote downsize. But chiming in with this additional thought: where the nearest laundry is can make a huge difference! I’ve lived in buildings where it was on the floor of my apartment vs. in basement vs. down the block. Having it on the floor was virtually like having it in the apartment, but down the block wasn’t too much fun. Of course you can also just send it out – so check those options too.

    • MJ

      Bay Area commutes are the worst. THE WORST. That said, have you looked at rents closer to where you work? Because you wouldn’t get a mortgage deduction if (i) it isn’t your primary residence or (ii) if you sell (obviously!). This is where “sound financial decisions” butt up against real life. Your commute and house maintenance are killing you. But building equity is great. And Bay Area housing prices will not go down long term. I would do my best to hold onto the house if the issue is more the commute than the home maintenance.

      Barring any major repairs, is there a way you could swing keeping the house so you could get the RE appreciation upside, have a backstop housing option (not immediately available, but there if you ever got laid off) and rent nearer your work? I would look into whether your life will get better but you’re not building wealth if you rent again…it’s a cash flow thing. You need to run the numbers and then decide how much commuting is killing you, and whether you’d mind being a landlord. I have a number of friends who rent to trusted friends, so you could find really great tenants…it’s unlikely the tenants would be the issue as much as home maintenance.

      Also, any way you could shift your hours a bit to avoid the worst of the commute? That might be a win-win…not sure if that’s possible given your office or clients, but worth a thought. I know a lot of Bay Area attys who log on from say, 7-930, drive in from 930-1015 and work until 7ish to avoid the worst of the commute, and still hit their hours.

      • k-padi

        Thanks! The commute is the worst and hasn’t gotten better in 6 months. I shift my hours but it still drags on me. I have done all of the major repairs that needed doing in the last three years so, aside from the water heater finally going, the house is finally mostly maintenance-free.

        Rents are crazy! With a cat, I am looking at either $5000+ per month houses or the cheapest apartments. No one wants to rent to pets if they don’t have to. But, the good part there is that, considering interest, taxes, commuting at the IRS rate, etc. I am kind of breaking even. If I didn’t have the cat, I would be looking at nicer places and spending a lot more on rent.

        • Blonde Lawyer

          I’m from the opposite coast but I have two friends (with cats) that took jobs in San Francisco and they both rented in Alameda. I’m pretty sure they both commuted on the ferry.

    • Anon

      If it helps with your decisions to sell/not sell:

      Assuming your gain on the sale would be $250k or less (assuming you file single), you’ve never rented out the house previously and you’ve owned the house for 2 years, you would be able to exclude 100% of the gain from your taxable income. Any amount over $250k would be taxed as long term capital gain.

      Gain = sales price less adjusted basis
      adjusted basis = purchase price + capital improvements (new driveway, carpet, etc., not new paint)

      • k-padi

        Thanks. I am actually approaching that limit. Real estate really went nuts in the last 16 months. I am not so much worried about maximizing profit at this point as I am about ever having to buy in this market again. The housing shortage out here is pretty drastic and only getting worse (see Google shuttle scandal in San Francisco) because cities won’t approve new high density housing. I am just afraid that if I sell the house, I may end up not being able to buy as decent a house again.

        • Anon

          Move to Colorado! Houses are affordable here and we have 300 days of sunshine per year! I might be biased…..because I live in Colorado.

    • Lorelai Gilmore

      For the love of all that is holy, DO NOT SELL YOUR HOUSE. Seriously. Real estate in this market is so, so awful. If you ever want to live in a house in the Bay Area again, I’d hang on to it and rent it out.

      • k-padi

        Thanks for the definitive answer! I am soooo afraid to sell and end up never having a yard here again.

        • Lorelai Gilmore

          We bought maybe a year ago and it was so, so awful. Don’t let that house go!

          It sounds like you live on the Peninsula and commute up to SF. If you do decide to make a change and rent, you might think about the East Bay – great weather, slightly cheaper apartments, and most importantly, much easier commutes via public transportation – ferry, BART, transbay bus, whatever. Much better for quality of life!

      • Anon

        +10000000000000000 (million billion), which is what a house will cost here soon.

    • Anon

      I’m in SF too, on question 1, no laundry or dishwasher would drive me mad, but I’d find laundry slightly easier as you can send it out for wash and fold. As for the house, I’d keep it and rent it out. Great investment here – historically prices just go up and if your life changes again you have a house. I know a lot of people who’ve done what you’re considering and they’ve all been happy they kept their homes.

  7. Golfballs

    Could someone point me in the direction of information on careers in finance post-MBA?

    • MJ

      Vault is probably your best bet.

      If you mean banking, the banks’ and business schools’ websites are a good resource. If you mean in-house finance, you don’t really need an MBA for that–I would suggest a Master’s in Finance or just working your way up. The other subjects in an MBA are not really necessary if you are doing straight in-house corporate finance.

    • West Coast

      There are a ton of options, I have a lot of friends that went into finance post-MBA. Some who were fiance-focused went into I-Banking, private equity, hedge funds, and other went the corporate finance route into international finance, planning, etc.

      I would suggest a 2 step a approach to learn more:
      1) Look at some companies’ websites and assessing what roles they are offering within finance for MBAs.
      2) Leverage LinkedIn to identify people currently holding those positions that seemed interesting to you, and work your connections to set up informational interviews to help you learn more.

      Although the Master in Finance referenced above is one option, there are a few big advantages to doing an MBA (and yes, I have one, so I understand there could be a confirmation bias here):
      1) They have a dedicated career center and student clubs that will help you figure out which area of finance interests you most–the clubs bring speakers onto campus that are very insightful and who share their experience in their function. This part of the program is very full; most people spend equal time on career focused activities as they do academics.
      2) The broad nature of an MBA is what will actually be valuable to you. A finance executive needs to be able to work with the marketing, ops, etc. department, and if you know their business, you will be much more effective.
      3) You will develop a very large, strong network that will prove invaluable as you grow your career. With my class, if a person needs some insight on a challenge at work, they post to our facebook group and within the day, sometimes the hour, someone with experience can lend some perspective.

  8. Anonymous

    True story. Just saw a woman in a Capri suit at Nordstrom. Not a “fashion” suit in terms of material/cut (well other than the Capri part).

    • Lace Shorts follow-up

      I was in Target today and noted lots of lace shorts in the girls section. Ivory only, with a matching top (no jacket).

    • Anonymous

      completely scandalous. It is totally reasonable that a strangers outfit choice impacted your life and Diana’s life yesterday so profoundly that you had to come on to a website and write about it. I don’t know how you go on. I will keep you in my thoughts.

      • Penny Proud

        Short suits have been a recurring joke on this site for years. I believe it was the basis of an April Fool’s post one year.

        Does anyone here wear short/capri suits on this site (including the offended people above)? To me they seem like the worst of both worlds. If it’s warm enough and casual enough to wear shorts or capris, the last thing I would want is a coordinating blazer. It would be highly inappropriate anywhere I need to wear a suit (e.g. court). I just don’t get it!

        • a passion for fashion

          i get the short suit comment, but didnt get the capri reference.

          shorts suits and capri suits are totally different though. I’d wear a capri suit to work in july or august — same time i would wear searsucker. not to court, but totally to work. I guess now my capris tend to me more ankle length than knee length, but still.

        • Anon

          Yes. They are a cute weekend alternative to a dress or jeans for going out. Many people do not only buy clothes for work.

      • Orangerie

        Yeah, there was a thread a couple days ago about some random chick wearing lace shorts & tights & oxfords. Idk why people care.

  9. Blair

    Does anyone have the name of a good CFP in DC (or Bethesda)?

    I’m going to be getting my MBA in the fall and want to talk to someone about how to best combine my own personal savings with student loan options. I was fortunate to not have to take out loans for undergrad so I’m new to all this and would rather spend $500 for an hour or two of a professional’s time now than waste $1000s in unnecessary interest payments later.

    • L in DC

      Skyler Heimark at Raymond James is fantastic! She’s extremely competent, down to earth, and is also just a really nice person. I just checked and if you google “Skyler Heimark Raymond James,” her info comes up.

  10. Breakdown

    Thanks to everyone for your helpful suggestions earlier. No thanks to those of you who give the “suck it up, this is your job” advice. I see that advice given so often on this site. It is so demoralizing and unhelpful. Maybe if people didn’t “suck it up” so much and bail these sloppy partners out of a bind, then the partners would learn to stop doing stuff like this. Or maybe I am just a crazy stressed out lawyer, what do I know.

    • Anon

      Just because you don’t like that advice doesn’t mean they didn’t have a point…

      • Orangerie

        +1. Not sure why people consistently expect a chorus of yes-men. If you don’t want the advice of internet strangers, don’t ask.

        • Anon

          In a community, it’s not beyond the pale to expect that people will disagree, or offer uncomfortable advice, without being disagreeable about. That’s not the same thing as wanting yes-men. You say that a lot. It’s not what the complaint is. Why do you equate a request for politeness and civility with wanting yes-men?

          • Anon

            I’m the Anon from 4:24pm. I don’t think that the earlier posters were saying “Suck it up, sweetheart” to Breakdown. They were telling her honestly that this is part of her type of job, and then giving her concrete and specific steps as to how to triage. It might not have been what she wanted to hear, but it was actually quite helpful.

            So since they weren’t being rude, I agree with Orangerie that the OP seemed to just want people to take her side.

          • Scout

            +1 agree. No one was rude. They were being helpful, with a strong- this isn’t the end of the world, lets re-frame the issue here- perspective.

            For a lot of lawyers and business professionals on this site people sure seem to back away from conflict a lot. Conflicts aren’t always a bad thing.

            Who better to knock sense into you than probably some anonymous partners who’ve been in your shoes before?

            Regardless- hope tomorrow is a much better day for the OP.

    • Ashley

      There seem to be several unhelpful (troll-like) posts on this site today. I am sorry you were slighted. I did not respond to your first post because I could think of nothing supportive and helpful to say. But I do want to say glib responses are not helpful and whatever the motivation (humor?) unwanted.

    • k-padi

      I am glad you followed my advice! These things happen to young associates. Take care of her clients and the rewards will come.

      I hate to say it, but one of the best ways to distinguish yourself as a young associate is to take over a senior persons work due to a maternity leave or medical emergency or extended vacation. Consider this a stretch assignment, do your best, and you will be rewarded in terms of your bonus, better assignments , more visibility to the partners, etc.

      • AnonInfinity

        This is so true. It happened to me — I was on a high-profile case with Partner A and Partner B. When Partner B left the firm, I moved up to fill the role that person was doing. The case wasn’t so huge at that point, and I could handle everything fairly well. Fast forward a couple of years, and that case has exploded, and now I am getting excellent visibility because I was willing to step up and do it rather than asking Partner A to find another senior person to replace Partner B.

    • mascot

      Eh, I think this has to be some of the stress causing you to panic. I personally didn’t see people being wholly insensitive. You got some solid advice on how to navigate it.
      Are you in a stressful situation? Sure. Is it worth quitting the job over? I doubt it. Being a lawyer is hard and stressful. You have to learn to cope with it sometimes. So yeah, there will be some tough times that you have to put on the proverbial big girls panties and figure out the best way through. As you get more experience under your belt, your confidence in your ability to triage these things will increase.

      • Scully

        Agreed, I saw no glib or unhelpful responses. You got a lot of “Breathe” responses because you were overreacting. You had a lot thrown at you unexpectedly, so you cried and thought about quitting. It happens. One of the best skills to develop as a lawyer is to stay cool and collected (even though you may be freaking out on the inside) when the you-know-what hits the fan. I think most people were trying to convey “keep calm and carry on”, rather than “suck it up”. Now that you know this is how you tend to react, get yourself a big red mental “Don’t Panic” button and give yourself permission to press it.

    • cbackson

      I’m surprised by this response. No one was rude to you. At all. There was one person who told you that this is part of the job (which was correct), and even that wasn’t rude (or even harshly) phrased.

      Frankly, the only thing that raised eyebrows for me were the number of people who argued that the partner was committing malpractice; it clearly wasn’t unless the partner went on vacation and refused to provide appropriate assistance to you or direct you to appropriate resources when you contacted her. Oddly, the thing that seemed to be missing from your post was any attempt to reach out to her, which would have been my first response in your position (which, incidentally is one I found myself in on more than once occasion as a junior).

      • JJ

        I’ll add that I didn’t think anyone was rude and that they were trying to give you some perspective and tough love.

        And I’ll (semi) defend my malpractice comment because it came from my perspective. I’m a litigator in a specialized area of law and it’s all I’ve ever done. If I had a client calling me about closing a real estate deal in a week, it would be the same thing as someone telling me “Go build a computer chip!” I would assume that no matter how well I tried to run the deal, there would be mistakes simply because I wouldn’t even know what I don’t know. So mine was probably projection more than anything. And fear of the unknown…what do transactional attorneys do?

        • cbackson

          So usually, when a transactional junior associate is baby-sitting a matter, they wouldn’t really be expected to do more than serve as a point of contact for incoming questions/issues. The missing piece for me in the OP’s previous post – which continued to be a weird hole as she followed up – is that she didn’t reach out to the partner who owns those matters. Any partner I’ve worked without would be livid if a client decided to accelerate a closing and the associate that was handling the file during the vacation didn’t immediately reach out to let the partner know. That’s a big deal, and the partner needs to know, stat.

          Generally, you receive incoming questions, you figure out who can answer them, you collect the answers, and you respond to the client. The most important part of doing this, typically, would be figuring out what could be answered without reaching out to the partner and what couldn’t be (so, for example, getting a paralegal lined up to help handle the closing documents shouldn’t need the partner’s input, but actual legal questions should).

    • anon-oh-no

      um . . . really? I didnt give that advice this morning, but I went back and read the thread and probably would have, as I suspect it was probably the right advice.

      It sounded like you were given a fantastic opportunity to shine and you instead spent your time having a virtual breakdown on the internets.

    • Bonnie

      Eh, suck it up is often genuine advice. We all hit rough patches at work and quitting after day one of difficulty isn’t a good strategy for a career.

  11. Texas Ex Pat

    Repost: I’ve got 1 day to spend with my parents in Austin, Texas. They’re not wild about hiking. What should we do?

    • anon in tejas

      live music? check out austin chronicle for calendar of who’s playing. Perhaps a jazz dinner or something like that.

      also, theatre? City Theatre has a play on Sunday night

      Sleeping Beauty the ballet is at the Long Center on Sunday night

    • SW

      Zilker Botanical Gardens and the Umlauf Sculpture Garden. Both beautiful, no hiking required!

    • Aggie

      Cypress Valley Canopy tours and Hamilton Pool do not require much hiking. I always suggest window shopping on South Congress with dinner at either Vespaio or South Congress Cafe (or Gueros if you want live music)

    • jeneja

      The LBJ Library is surprisingly interesting if you need an indoor activity.

      • tesyaa

        It is so UNFAIR that I went there when I was 8 years old, before I read the Robert Caro series about LBJ (to be fair, the books weren’t even written yet).

  12. InterviewAdvicePlease

    Hi all – please help with some advice! I will be going to an interview (to a city that is about 2 hours away from my current city). I am taking the train in the morning (with plenty of time to spare for the interview), and would like some advice. I will be wearing a full suit on the train and plan on carrying my heels in my bag and changing shoes in the bathroom there. Do you think suit wrinkling will present itself to be a big problem? I’ll be meeting with several people and pulling things in and out of my bag (portfolio, etc), and am concerned they’ll see the shoes and think it is somehow unprofessional (?? does anyone else’s brain go crazy before an interview? I think I may have gone off the deep end…) Should I bring a separate bag just for my shoes? Will that, then, make me look like a bag lady?

    • Anon

      You could put your shoes in a small cloth bag before putting them in your regular bag.

    • anon

      I’m sorry, but seriously, this is a question? Are you incapable of hiding your shoes within your bag? You shouldn’t be putting shoes in your bag without first putting them inside a shoe bag/plastic bag anyway- ew. If they’re so big that you can’t conceal them, then yes, you need another bag or just carry a bigger bag period.

    • Silver

      Yes you should bring a separate bag for your shoes and to contain the fragrance, but these should stay in your bigger bag. You need to be as hands-free to shake hands, give cards etc. You could wear on the train small shoes or foldable flats, which then won’t take up too much space in your bag.

    • Thistle

      A locker at the station? You could carry your suit and shoes and change at the destination station, then stash your travelling shoes and clothes in a locker for a few hours.

    • tk1

      I just shove my shoes in my bag, the thought of bagging them separately never even crossed my mind. Sometimes they’re even next to my lunch, which is generally bagged (leaks).

        • Orangerie

          Eh, it’s not that time consuming. I commute in flats daily and throw my heels into a drawstring shoe bag that came with a pair I purchased from J.Crew. Takes less than 15 seconds.

  13. Anon4This

    My husband and I are trying to decide legal guardians for our infant son. He’d like his brother to be one of them and I’d like my sister to be the second one. Problem is that my sister is not a US citizen and does not live here. Does that essentially nullify her role as legal guardian? Should I go with a first cousin instead who does live in the US?

    • tesyaa

      A few comments, though I don’t know about the non-citizen question so I’ll leave that to others:

      1) Why do you need 2 legal guardians?

      2) The guardian is NOT necessarily the person who would be the child’s caregiver. It can be, it often is, but it doesn’t have to be.

    • just Karen

      I do estate planning and would always recommend someone who lives in the U.S. unless there are no other options.

  14. Anonymous

    Does anyone have any tips on vulnerability, particularly in romantic relationships?

    • Anon

      Does anyone have any tips on vulnerability, particularly in romantic relationships?

  15. Gail the Goldfish

    In a somewhat follow up to the sponsored post earlier, I’m thinking about getting a tablet for when I travel so I either don’t have to bring a laptop or, if I have my work laptop with me, don’t have to use the work computer to surf the blogs and Tumblr. Ideally I think I’d want something like the Surface pro that runs a real operating system and can run multiple apps at a time, but they’re still pretty pricey compared to other tablets, so I’m not set on that. Does anyone particularly love or hate their tablet?

    • Bonnie

      My DH has a Surface and I have an Ipad Mini so have played with both. I like some of the features of the Surface (USB port, keyboard, word-processing) but don’t like that it is MUCH heavier than mine. If you’re just going to use it to surf, an Ipad Mini may serve your needs better.

    • Portia

      I came really close to buying a Surface Pro 2 a few months ago, but ended up getting an Asus Transformer instead to save money. I’m so happy with it. It’s not a power monster – I definitely wouldn’t try gaming on it – but I’ve never had any issues playing music, shopping online, working with spreadsheets, typing documents, watching videos, etc. (and often do two or three of those things at the same time).

      I really like that it 1) has real Windows and real Microsoft Office, 2) can have lots of stuff open at once, 3) has a full size USB port, 4) has great speakers (much better than my regular laptop), and 5) is functional as a tablet but has a real keyboard if I need one. The only things I dislike about it are 1) the lack of selection in the Windows app store compared to Apple and Google and 2) the keyboard is tiny and the right shift key (the only one I ever use) is in the wrong place, but because the keyboard is kind of a bonus anyways, I don’t let it bother me too much.

    • Lily student

      I have an iPad and I love it. If you have a smartphone (and intend to stay within that OS for the next few years) I’d go for a tablet running the same software, for familiarity and being able to use the same apps.

    • Double-Bingo

      I have a Surface 2 and the Type Cover keyboard, which I use both in the office, and for work and personal travel. The pros and cons are almost exactly the same as those described by Portia about her tablet – I like the USB port, good speakers, having real MS Office, touch screen & real keyboard, but dislike the lack of selection in the Windows app store. I will add that the Surface 2 doesn’t have 3G/4G capability, so if that’s important to you, look elsewhere. I find that there is wifi available enough places that it’s not a problem, but YMMV.

  16. buffybot

    You guys.

    I just got a totally insane job listing in my inbox, and it is so delightful, I wanted to share.

    A large cosmetics company is hiring in their legal department. The job actually sounds pretty interesting, but the final bullet point describing why this is a fantastic opportunity just really raised my eyebrows: “This position will offer a lifestyle departure from law firm hours, along with unusual, fun features (such as the requirement that all employees, including attorneys, wear black, white, red and gray Monday through Thursday to reflect the aesthetic and “concept” of our stores)”

    (Then again, probably 80% of my wardrobe, including what I am wearing today, already fits the bill….)

    • Aggie

      I worked at a department store makeup counter during my undergrad summer and I LOVED the black and gray only requirement. I see why this is listed as a perk – once you are given a color palette, it is incredibly fun to dress within the limits.

      And I could follow a Black-White-Red-Gray color palette with my current wardrobe for weeks.

    • Parfait

      You should see if you can negotiate a clotheing allowance from the manageing partner.

    • Miss Behaved

      I think this is the first time I’ve ever wanted to be a lawyer. I love that color palette. Oh, my god. Even my outerwear fits the bill.

  17. OCAssociate

    What is your favorite tinted BB cream? I’m very fair with slightly oily skin.
    (I know there are previous threads on this, but I didn’t have much success searching.)

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