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Thursday’s Workwear Report: Knit Pique Blazer

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A woman wearing blue jeans, a white top, and navy blazer

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

You know you’ve spent too many years in business casual when you have designated sections of your closet for “formal” blazers and “fun” blazers. My fun blazer section was in need of a refresh, and I’ve been looking for something with a slightly unusual collar or texture, just to liven things up a bit. This knit pique blazer from Banana Republic Factory is a win on both fronts.

I’m thinking about grabbing it in navy to wear with denim on casual Fridays this fall, but it also comes in black, white, and pewter gray.

The blazer is $84 at Banana Republic Factory — with 20% off at checkout — and comes in sizes XXS-XXL and XXSP-XLP.

Sales of note for 8/10:

182 Comments

  1. I’ve been having issues with my feet and tried PT. The exercises have not worked. My personal trainer has helped me with calf exercises that work well and has me doing more hip flexor stretches and told me to get back to the doctor.

    I’m still struggling with walking down stairs. My doctor said to go to a podiatrist. I went and was told to go back to PT. I know this is a whole host of issues (high stress in my life, lack of exercise following running using shoes with too many miles which originally hurt the metatarsal area). I can see the blood flow isn’t good either as I’m starting to get blood pooling in my feet.

    I’m in Hudson county, North Jersey. Can anyone recommend a good specialist for this type of problem?

    1. I’ve had good experiences with supplementing benfotiamine and magnesium for nerve issues and recovery when stress was a factor. The explanation I was given was that stress and any kind of blood sugar issues use a ton of those nutrients but that they’re also needed for healing. If you already take a multi you may have that covered, but it made a big difference for me personally.

      I don’t know orthopedists near you, but I wonder if that is the next specialist to see?

      I would also go back to the primary care doctor about the blood pooling just in case it’s a separate issue.

      1. I take the chewable high potency multivitamin from Trader Joe’s and 1200mg of EPA a day for my vitamin D. I know there are different forms of magnesium but not sure which to take! I’ll check out benfotiamine. Never heard of it. Thank you!

    2. How is your blood pressure?

      Short-term, I’d go to a running store and get zero-drop shoes like Hoka Stinsons (trail runners, so not completely mushy) and wear inside and out. Elevate your legs when sitting. Cut out excell salt. Avoid standing for too long, especially in hard surfaces.

      Has your doctor mentioned adding compression socks?
      And how old are you?

      1. I switched shoes 3 times trying Saucony hurricanes, Altra that were zero drop and ASICS kayano.

        I’m 46. I feel like the pooling is worse because I sit for too long.

        Doctor didn’t mention compression socks. I was thinking to try that once the temperature drops a bit.

        1. New Balance 880s with a prescription orthotic helped my feet. Wore them all. the. time.

      2. Blood pressure is fine. If anything on the low side. Pulse was commented on as being low at 48 but easily explained by the running.

        1. 48 is pretty low for many runners – can be totally healthy, and can be normal but that sounds more like someone training for ultras than eg. a typical “I want to run a marathon for my 40th birthday” serious-but-recreational runner. Any chance you have smart watch data or some other sense of your baseline from when you were running a lot but before the blood pooling started?

          1. My Garmin has been consistently 42-55 at rest over the past 3 years. 42-45 at night is typical and 45-55 walking around or resting during the day. Right now typing this my watch is saying 47bpm.

            I was running 40-50 miles a week for a long time. This issue started because I threw out the new shoes I bought to replace my two pairs of shoes with 750 miles on them. I then ran in the old shoes for another 750 miles. This is where my problems started.

            I don’t run marathons or ultras per se but if I’m stressed, at the weekend I would go out and run from Jersey City over the GWB, down the west side hwy, stopping for lunch, followed by a run to the ferry to get back to JC to swim to cool off and chill out. That circuit is about 23 miles and I stopped for soup dumplings in Fort Lee and lunch by the Lincoln center.

        2. I sense as a woman with low blood pressure is that gravity explains the pooling, especially in hot weather (everything dilates to help cool you, veins aren’t under pressure like arteries, so everything just collects at the lowest point). Elevate your feet. Get a stool for under your desk or a box or something. Avoid excess salt because you will just retail fluid. I also avoid standing and if I’m up, I need to be moving. The muscles in your leg counteract the pooling of you are actively using them. Not if you just stand.

      3. Agree with the compression socks suggestion. I love compression socks. My feet and lower legs feel great in them. Alas they are not fashionable

    3. I was having ankle issues and my doctor recommended reformer Pilates. It made a huge difference. I might give that a try. You do a fair number of feet stretches and work outs, but it won’t be as intense as running.

    4. Hello from New Jersey as well! I’m sorry this is happening, it sounds frustrating. I don’t have a particular specialist to recommend, but some of what you have overlaps with what I have, so I wanted to ask: Do you have, or have you been screened for, POTS? I was recently diagnosed, and it was the answer to a lot of the questions about my body that no one could answer. I hope you find the specialist you need, I know this can be terribly frustrating. Thinking of you!

      1. I agree it’s helpful to know if we have POTS, but we still need answers (what is causing the POTS!).

        1. Yes!! 100%, I would honestly do anything to know what has caused by POTS and why I feel this way everyday!

          1. They can test for all the antibodies that can cause neuropathic POTS by directly damaging nerves, as well as for Sjogren’s (since dysautonomia can appear before sicca syndrome), and relevant deficiencies (which can be autoimmune, like Celiac or PA, and not diet related; some do not have sensitive labs so it can take some real work to figure out). They tested me for a bunch of genetic conditions too.

            I felt like it was a huge uphill battle to access anything more than symptom management, but last time I saw my cardiologist, he agreed I no longer test as having POTS at all, so it was worth it.

        2. Fwiw to level set, I have POTS and what ’caused’ the POTS is hypermobile EDS. It was a bit of a gut punch to get a diagnosis but qualified with ‘there isn’t a cure, just treatments to address symptoms’.
          That being said – I have done treatments that have made a huge difference so I do encourage getting a diagnosis!

    5. If you want an orthopaedic surgeon, try Dr. Stuart Levine. Podiatrists often aren’t the right people for this; their training is too specific.

    6. Not a doctor, just a middle aged runner. You seem to have two issues going on – the mechanical issue with walking down the stairs, but also some heart/circulatory related issues (low BP, resting heart rate, pooling). If you were my friend, I’d really be encouraging you to get a physical (minimum) and consider seeing a cardiologist.

      1. +1 to a cardiologist, but I’d encourage seeing a vascular surgeon at one of those ‘vein clinics’. They were able to qualify/quantify how well (or in my case badly) my veins were working and propose lots of options to treat (behavioral, medication, and surgical).

      2. Thank for this. I did my annual physical and my blood work was all normal.

        I mentioned the feet and that’s when I was directed back to PT. A vein clinic sounds like a great idea.

        I’ve been tested for the low blood pressure and low pulse many times over the years and it’s always ‘it’s fine’. The vein clinic sounds better suited to the issues.

  2. I’m a mid-level manager in big tech that is under a lot of stress from low stock price, AI, saaspocalyse, etc. The truth is my household is basically at FIRE as long as we move out of VHCOL, which we will if we lose our jobs in tech. I don’t need another promotion. I think I’m done with career progression, just not done done with actually working. I want to stack my cheese for a little longer. So I want to change my mindset about this job. I want to have fun with it. How do I do that?

    1. start re-invigorating your network, using it as an opportunity to learn and explore. If your company allows for any kind of professional development, take adavantage of it.

    2. I’m a bit older but in a similar situation. My new mindset is that I’m doing my employer a favor by being there. Sure, they could replace me, but it would be a pain for them to do it quickly and the role can’t sit unfilled for regulatory reasons. I WFH full time and I take full advantage of that – lunchtime swims in the pool, chores during breaks in the day so evenings are relaxing. I also tryto give my direct reports more career development, which gives me personal satisfaction. I wouldn’t call it fun, exactly, but these changes are keeping me going a few more years.

      2. I love this. I am in a very similar situation and I never thought of it this way, but you’re right. I’m trying to find personal satisfaction in the parts of work I enjoy, like team building, mentoring, and leaning into the elements of my craft that brought me to this job in the first place.

    3. Find your identity in things other than work. Hobbies, volunteering, exercise, whatever you like. If you may FIRE, knowing how to exist without work being the central focus of your time will be valuable.

      When at the office, meet the expectations but don’t push yourself to go beyond that. Build relationships with those around you and focus your extra energy on making a pleasant environment around you.

      1. This. Took me way to long the importance of “find your identity in things other than work.”

      2. This is what I did. One unexpected upside is that it made the transition to retirement really easy because I already had a lot going on besides work.

    4. What does any of this gobbledygook even mean? Stack my cheese? Explore English. Read a real book.

      2. You are a pill, Anonymous. But yes, I’ve never heard the term “stack my cheese” and also give it the side eye.

          1. If you are going to be a mean girl, then at least google first. It is not tech speak. It is hip-hop street slang. None of your bs was necessary here.

        2. They were obviously referring to”stack my cheese” as being street slang, as indicated by it being directly quoted above.

    5. Can you consider moving to a lower stress, possibly lower paying job (I think they call this coast FIRE)? I’m in a similar situation. My current job is incredibly stressful, but I still love my field of work. I’ve started exploring downshifting to other positions that will be less stressful but let me do the portions of my job I actually enjoy.

      1. +1 coast FIRE (= you’re not financially ready to stop working completely but you no longer need to save aggressively for retirement, so you can get by on a much lower salary) is where I’m at, and it’s really great. I would encourage you to explore leaned out options as an intermediate step.

    6. I use the suggestion I got here to view weird work situations like an anthropologist observing a phenomena. Distant, just observing, not impacted

    7. Some of the comments here are so nasty sometimes. I understood everything you wrote and most people at my work use similar terminology (I’m not in SaaS though).

      It helped me recently to reframe work in light of the potential obsolescence of projects I’m working on. The pace of change has been so fast that projects I’m on become obsolete sometimes before they’re even done lately. Some projects I worked on last year have been replaced by new features or functionalities. What I am trying to sustain in this work environment is my vitality, health and happiness. I’m taking real vacations so that I can stay fresh for the next round of changes. I find myself engaging more with coworkers who have a good sense of humor through all of this.

      1. I love this approach! Going to try to use some of that mindset in my own work. Thanks!

    8. As someone who has diligently amassed a healthy retirement fund, but one that isn’t quite big enough to retire on yet, I’ve gotten far more comfortable saying no to things at work I don’t want to do and this has reduced my stress levels. Obviously you still need to do your job, but cutting out crap you don’t want to do or have to do helps.

    9. I’m guessing you’re a bit jaded and burned out, and no longer motivated by the money.

      If you haven’t already, get really detailed about your finances. Then look at your de-accumulation plan. Having exact numbers will provide some motivation to keep working a few more years. Or maybe you’ll realize you should leave now.

      Christine Benz is great.

    10. Find out what you make each day. Vestings only count on the day they vest; benefits (including, like, development funds) only count on the day they accrue. Make a little calendar that has each day’s pay on it.

      Commit to actually spending any personal development budget, tech budget, etc., you are given. Don’t leave money on the table.

      Anyway, being able to glance over during an interminable virtual meeting and see that next Thursday was worth $15k was always what got me through each quarter. I was like “yep, I can do one more week of this idiocy for $15k extra.” Or we got $100 quarterly for personal development, and I would spend it on books I was genuinely interested in or a virtual class that taught a skill I genuinely wanted to learn.

      If you’re in person, commit to trying each of the free snacks.

  3. Since we’re doing medical complaints, I have one. My left shoulder has been killing me for weeks. But it also goes away sometimes for days at a time. I went on a week long trip and it didn’t bother me once. OTC meds help.

    1. Have you tried PT already? I’d be wondering if I needed a more ergonomic set up at work or at home (or even while sleeping) if it went away when traveling.

    2. My friend has this. For her it’s a menopause thing. She went to PT and then decided she was going to swim 3x a week instead. The swimming helped her and eventually it just disappeared one day.

      1. I am 43. I will consider PT and swimming. Or at least going back to the gym again.

        1. I would hesitate to go back to gym and perhaps doing whatever you might have been doing when you hurt it. Either see a PT or an ortho that specializes in the shoulder to at least get a diagnosis.

          It is so easy to screw up your shoulder and have it never be the same again.

    3. Might want to get a diagnosis so you know what you are dealing with. I have had frozen shoulder for two years and it is just starting to resolve. PT helped immensely, but the final 10% was pretty painful. Both the ortho and the PT said it is a menopause thing.

    4. Go to a sports doctor. They will have a better referral network than a GP and the PT they recommend is more likely to actually be helpful.

      1. +1 It felt funny to me going to a sports doctor when I am not at all sporty or athletic, but they had the right connections.

        For some reason a good PT is many times better than an okay one.

      2. Yes this. A sports-focused PT will be more efficient and effective than one of the local neighborhood ones. My kid is an athlete and we have learned only to go to the PT clinic where faculty from the local university’s PT school treats the university’s D1 athletes.

    5. Probably 1-2 PT sessions would fix this. It sounds minor, they can help ID the issue and give you tips to manage.

    6. I just finished PT for this exact issue! My shoulder hurt off and on for months. It turns out my upper trap (shoulder) muscles were doing all the work and compensating for weaker lower trap muscles. This was caused by a combination of working out and not being cognizant of my form and sitting hunched at a desk job. A couple of weeks of exercises to strengthen my lower muscles, plus one session of dry needling to loosen my upper muscles, were all it took!

    7. Before PT, you could also try sports massage or a theragun type massager. It could be menopause frozen shoulder if you’re the right age because of estrogen decline. I also have had shoulder surgery and been to many specialists for it. You want someone who has experience with shoulders too if you’re going to see a specialist. Even post surgery, I get a lot of relief from massaging the muscles around the shoulder vs PT exercises.

    9. Any other pattern about when it comes and goes? If it’s consistently gone when you are traveling, that points to something about your home setup aggravating it. Mattress, desk ergonomics, seat adjustments in your car, your daily carry bag is too heavy or worn wrong, etc.

      1. When I had a frozen shoulder, it felt much better when I was active. I could barely function at home, but a vacation in Miami that involved a lot of walking and activity improved things quite a bit. Somehow letting the arm swing while walking made it feel a lot better than trying to sit and work in my office chair.

        1. PS – the vacation changes didn’t last once I got home. But I did have a very successful, noninvasive treatment that even my orthopedist was surprised by its effectiveness.

  4. Went to the ER yesterday thinking I had appendicitis. Turns out I have a large ovarian cyst instead. Now I’m waiting to find out what, if anything, can be done about it. Guys … I have had so many surgeries on my reproductive organs already. I really do not want another one. But let me tell you, the pain was very real. Is anyone willing to share their treatment plans? Size-wise, it’s a candidate for removal.

    1. Had one removed as part of a robotic myomectomy. Incisions were minor.

      Also had one that then burst. It was SOOOO PAINFUL. I thought it was appendicitis but it was the wrong side. Then, it just went away. But validating that the pain is REAL.

    2. Hysterectomy/ oophrectomy was the best thing I ever did. Between the cysts and the endometriosis, it was way more trouble than it was worth. Good riddance.

      1. We could really use more research on who is likely to have an amazing experience (many women!) and who will regret this a lot (also a lot of women!).

      2. Here’s the deal. I have had a hysterectomy but kept my ovaries because of my age (early 40s at the time) and doctor wanting me to have the hormones. I think that was the right call but I am so freaking tired of this!

        1. Did much the same when I was 43, except I did ask the surgeon to take my left ovary (had an ectopic pregnancy that involved the left ovary and that sucker just hurt all the time).

          Best decision I ever made. I covered the deductible in the first year after surgery by not having to buy so many tampons (not even kidding). And I was finally, finally barely anemic rather than full-blown, a vampire just took all my blood kind of anemia.

    3. I’ve got PCOS so ovarian cysts are a regular occurence. I’m on continuous birth control to manage the cysts as removing your ovaries is very much a last resort.
      I’m sorry, the pain is real and I was previously at the ER at least 1-2x/yr because the urgent care near me doesn’t have an ultrasound machine to rule out torsion. I joked that after my appendectomy at least now I know for sure it’s ‘just’ my cysts.

        1. There are – but if you’re prone to cysts because of PCOS, those interventions have to be done over and over. I also have PCOS, and was also put on continuous birth control to manage/discourage cyst growth.

          1. I was put on a special diet. The side effects of BC were absolutely not worth it for me. I wish they’d trial GLP1s for PCOS already.

    4. I had a decent-sized (10-12cm) cyst removed a few years ago and had a bisalp at the same time. The ovary itself also had to be removed – doc said it was “pretty much all cyst.” It was a straightforward laparoscopic procedure; the first couple days of recovery sucked but things improved quickly.

      2. I’ve seen a lot of info popping up around the benefits of bisalps recently for ovarian cancer prevention. Haven’t verified, but if I were going to have surgery in that area I’d be exploring whether tacking that on would be a good idea/available. hugs to OP.

    5. I’ve had 8 of these. They are super, super painful. I’ve never needed surgery for one, even one that was larger than my bladder. They subside. You’ll be counseled to take it easy and let it reabsorb.

        1. I took the movement restrictions seriously and wasn’t worried as a result. Agree that generally that’s always lurking in the back of your mind when one of these crop up though! They are painful/annoying/scary for sure.

      2. The largest cyst I’ve ever had was the size of my bladder and was only removed because I was about to fly internationally. Otherwise even my specialist OB (who is a woman btw) thinks that it’s easier to let them re-absorb and ‘treat’ with continuous birth control. In my case I don’t have any endo so the ovaries and uterus are ‘healthy’.

  5. I’ve had this jacket in red for a couple of years, and I love it. It’s held up well with frequent wearings.

    1. Good to hear! I thought it was a great pick and have ordered it in Pewter Gray, which in the picture sure looks more beige than gray. With the automatically applied discount it was $67.20.

      1. I was going to ask if my computer’s color settings were just way off or if the pewter grey is actually a light tan/beige.

    2. I have it in my navy and reach for it often. It is especially good for jeans in the office Fridays, but I wear it more formally, too. Holds up well to washing at home.

    3. Good to hear! I’m eyeing this one because I need a couple more informal blazers. I wish it came in actual colors, though.

    4. I have it in black. I find the high collar a little hard to style; it seems more coat-like than a cardigan or blazer when I try to wear it open like in the photo. It works better for me if I wear it mostly buttoned.

      It is easy to care for, and the black hasn’t faded too much through a few seasons of being washed.

    5. I have it in three colors (wine red, olive and black) and love it. I agree that the high collar limits some styling options.

  6. Anyone work remote and get dressed up? I’m in year 4 of fully remote and suddenly I enjoy getting dressed up for work. It was nice to decompress and be comfortable and I appreciated the rest. I literally wore sweatpants/loungewear 90% of the tim during the first 3 years. But now I’m in year 4, I find myself getting fully dressed up, hair, makeup, outfit, shoes, and loving the energy it gives me. Maybe I’m ready to go back in office? Maybe I’m just recovered from in-office burnout before going remote. Not sure. Anyone else have this happen?

    1. I never wore sweatpants/loungewear but I always got dressed and put make up on. It just never occurred to me not to. I need to feel like I’m going to work. I think its good for adults to get dressed up on a regular basis.

      1. I refuse to spend money on WFH clothes that I can mess up eating cleaning at home. I like to walk during the day as well. Every wash and wear takes a toll over time so I wear Walmart capris every single day and a tee shirt. If I have zoom, I have a few easy tops to throw on.

        I have a home/errand make up face that includes a tinted moisterizer, concealer, mascara, blush and lipgloss.

      2. My firms have always been camera on, so I’ve always worn at least a little makeup and put on generally nice looking tops/sweaters. Nothing crazy, all maching washable items as I walk during the day and have pets that climb on me (silks, dry clean only items, and jackets are for in office days!).
        Wearing schlubby clothes on camera doesn’t make me feel comfy, it just makes me feel schlubby and not great.

      3. When you say it never occurred to you, is this a genuine lack of imagination, or it occurred to you and you dismissed it as not something you were willing to consider?

      4. +1. I WFH one day a week. I still get up, do my hair, wear some makeup, and wear something that is comfortable but not sloppy. I do NOT feel good when I’m wearing sweatpants and athleisure everywhere.

    2. Hasn’t happened to me yet but I never stay in the night’s pajamas and didn’t from day 1 of the pandemic. I’ll be wearing sweats or athletic shorts but they’ll be fresh, clean ones and I’ll always have brushed hair and teeth by the time I sit down. I didn’t realize how uncomfortable I was until I got to wear comfortable clothes to work again. I had normalized the discomfort of underwire bras, structured pants, etc. when my body type and health conditions mean that I’m so much more comfortable in loose items.

    3. Not me, I’m full loungewear/activewear even on camera (though I’ll throw on a hoodie or similar jacket if needed. Business casual in the 9 days a year I go into the office.

    4. I WFH and have at least one on-camera meeting most days, so I tend to have real clothes on. But I did recently purchase some jumpsuits that look camera-appropriate to streamline my day and my spending.

    5. I’ve also been fully remote for 4 years and don’t do this consistenly, but if there’s a day where I know I really need to buckle into work, I will. It’s helps create a mind shift for me around it.

    6. No. I am hybrid and dress casually while working from home; if I have a virtual meeting, I change into the type of top I would wear in the office. I also bought casual clothes specifically for WFH, so that when I am wearing them, I mentally know that means I am in work mode (then I remove them at the end of the day and change into my personal casual clothes :)

    7. No, but I work in a cameras off environment so it would make no sense to do that. I also like to structure my day so I can easily run to the gym. I have never been a stay in my pajamas person, but definitely no makeup unless I’m giving a presentation.

  7. Petty complaint. The facilities in my building washes the main door of the building every single day at noon. It causes such a disruption for those trying to come/go for lunch. It’s also just very performative to clean something during peak traffic. I know this isn’t a scheduling thing, he doesn’t have a whole lot to do most days and he spends 1:30-4 most days sitting in the supply closet on my floor watching videos on his phone.

    1. I know it’s a pita, but it’s also sort of funny. Clearly he has a supervisor who nagged him about not washing the door enough, so he’s decided to bring peak petty to his job.

    2. Ha! I’d chalk this up to his boss and not him. Maybe strike up a conversation with him about it? Perhaps he would be willing to shift the activity slightly to make it more pleasant for everyone.

    3. At our very bougie corporate building the cleaning lady has to vacuum the lobby carpet when people are coming in in the morning. She looks pissed off at the people traipsing across the clean carpet. Totally stupid. Should be done daily before 8:00 AM, and then again at the end of the day. HNW clients aren’t inspecting the lobby carpet. Or maybe they are. I think they would be more turned off by the totally overdone, slightly dated “fancy lobby smell” that they pipe in.

  8. I was recently promoted so that I now manage managers. I have 5 direct reports and they each manage 3-4 staff. This is my first time managing managers . . . does anyone have any recommended readings that can help me navigate this? I know that at least one of these managers is not well liked and her team has complained about her in the past so I want to address that, of course. But I also want to respect chain of command and hear her side of the story. Any overall advice, or book recommendations, is welcome!

    1. You need to articulate what makes you a good manager and then teach that to your direct reports. My management philosophy is that my #1 job is to ensure that my people have what they need in order to do their jobs. This is the approach that I try to instill in my direct reports. To coach a direct report who is struggling with anything, including management, I like to ask a lot of questions that encourage them to clarify their own thoughts and consider others’ perspectives.

    2. Congratulations and good wishes! Go to Ask A Manager (askamanager dot org) and search the site archives. IIRC Alison Green, creator of this workplace blog, also sells a book about managing. There are also many wise commenters.

      1. This seems like a misguided and remedial suggestion, particularly for someone who has enough experience to be managing managers.

        1. I think I agree. I found the site useful back in ~2013 when I was pretty junior. OP’s needs are going to be higher-level and more nuanced.

          As far as books – I’m working my way through Adaptive Leadership and it’s decent so far.

    3. Congratulations and good wishes! Alison Green and commenters exchange wisdom at her workplace blog Ask A Manager (askamanager dot org). IIRC Alison Green’s book on management is also available for purchase.

      2. OP, take this with a big grain of salt. While there are some useful tidbits, AAM is known for a lot of outdated, problematic advice, in addition to the author having some incredibly toxic and misogynistic values while pretending to herself that she is supportive of women. The commentariat over there was also quite out of touch with professional office norms for grown adults in white collar workplaces, at least last time I visited.

        1. This. Most of the advice on AAM would absolutely not work for my run-of-the-mill large global corporate environment.

        2. The commenters at AAM are absolutely batsxxx insane. Not all of them, I’m sure, but a shockingly large or vocal number of them.

        3. agree on the out of touch commenters. But I believe Alison has been pretty open about her past role in enabling a crazy toxic workplace and the lessons she learned from that. Her current advice is pushing towards reasonable workplace conduct and if anything, would be a bit too woke for a conservative field like law.

    4. I highly recommend you do individual check ins/skip levels and ask questions to understand how things are going in teams. Do this with full transparency to your direct reports so it’s established as a standard once or twice a year. Here are hugely helpful when you manage managers.

    5. Manager Tools and Executive Tools podcasts. Manager Tools is more about managing individual contributors but some of the content covers managing managers. Executive Tools covers more about managing managers and other executive topics.

  9. Hope somebody can use this Garnet Hill code for 25% off (with exclusions) and free shipping. Expires midnight on 8/31.

    1321153982

    1. Thank you so much for this! I love their bedding and just bought the two items I have had my eye on for awhile!

  10. Was anyone here in a sorority at an SEC school? Is it as unhinged as it seems now when you did it? I went to a SLAC and had such a positive experience (that continues), but just seems overwhelming now. Or is just more hype garbage that social media keeps sending me because I follow my sorority.

    1. No personal experience with SEC or other state schools but my impression is that sororities at big state schools have always been a VERY different experience than sororities at SLACs and the Ivy+ schools. I think it’s getting more unhinged with social media but the general culture is not new, imo. I was in a sorority at my small, academics-focused alma mater and am confident I would not have been Greek at a big State U.

      1. My niece is in a sorority at an SEC school. The prep was insane. I felt like I was rushing because I was the only Greek relative and had to coordinate her reference letters through my network of judges, army colonels, doctors, and such.

        I’m glad she got in because it will keep her in housing (otherwise a struggle) and give her connections as an OOS student who gets no parental visits and only goes home at semester breaks.

        The one thing I’ve gleaned is that it may be the sharper students doing this. They had so many kids with 4.0s that they had a dinner for them (not the case at my small college, we were just happy that the Greek and sorority gpa were higher than the all-student gpa).

        I’m short and brunette, so I’m concerned I’d have been cut on looks and geekiness alone, but it’s not all fluff. It could be substantially less vapid IMO and I envy how fun and effortless fraternity rush is in comparison.

    2. No, but the sorority administration person who visited our (northern, very low key) chapter 20 years ago was a recent grad from an SEC chapter and it was very much Elle Woods encounters Harvard vibes, minus the pluck.

    3. I was….I rushed & was initiated 25 years ago, so definitely a different time! It was super competitive back then, and high-pressure. But I think social media, especially TikTok, have ramped things up a notch.
      For example, Work Week – I remember that being almost as hellacious as rush week itself. 4-5 days of practicing for rush, singing, crafting, cleaning the house, all in the heat and on little sleep. And now they have content hour (That’s when they film the cute videos you see)?! I would have been miserable (and I loved my sorority days!)>

    4. I wasn’t at an SEC school, but I was a national volunteer and advised at some. I stopped advising before the TikTok era, but it is crazier than other places. Even getting recommendations is more involved. That being said, the mothers were always the worst part to me. Even the tamer ones who wanted to set up a full meeting to discuss their daughter with me. Ma’am I have a job and it won’t make any difference. Follow the process like everyone else.

      But when they’re rejected…

      1. Spill!

        I guess helicopter parents and lawnmower parents have been a thing since Carmela Soprano and her pie.

      2. rec letters should not be needed. it’s absurd! and now they have corporate sponsors. i was in a sorority but at my ivy league school. i think the SEC rush process looks like a huge waste of $

        1. The social media keep feeding me these posts by random girls and their mothers asking for recommendations from total strangers. What even is the point of recommendations if the recommender doesn’t know the person she is recommending?

    5. My boomer-era mom was in a sorority that features prominently in the rush tok videos. I enjoy asking her if she can do back handsprings and complex choreography. Also if they did “what I’m wearing” demonstrations using film cameras.

  11. I’ve gone down the Lindsey Clancy rabbit hole and am wondering if people, particularly witnesses, get coached on what to wear for court? Half of these doctors are being sued and the array of attire is interesting to see.

    My takeaways: I never realized that emergency mental health and inpatient mental health treatment was so patchy and hard to access. It’s really eye-opening. And also a can of worms because it seems that offering it and performing it well when needed in a crisis are two very different things. I’ve love to see how in house counsel is dealing with all this.

    Also, one of the SICU nurses was awesome.

    1. You guys need to stop. This isn’t the place to bring this up day after day. There are countless Redd1t threats that will scratch the voyeuristic itch for you. I collapsed the first six threads but Jesus, the fashion?

        1. +1, I always think fashion/visual presentation for court is fascinating. There are a lot of really interesting thought processes.

          FWIw, I’m in-house for a medical org and sometimes coach people before testifying, but only as 3rd party witnesses who aren’t at risk of liability (not usually doctors, though occasionally). I always tell people to wear what you would wear to work, or what you would wear to church. But these are low-profile and not relevant to them, so I’m mainly just trying to make sure they’re generally respectful of the court and (more importantly) feel comfortable with the process, which is usually something they’re completely unfamiliar with, so different stakes.

      3. I remember the OJ trial and the constant comments on Marcia Clark’s clothing and appearance, especially when she changed her hair. Nothing new today unfortunately except for social media making it even more unbearable.

      4. Fashion in court is much more relevant than some previous threads.

        I felt relieved to hear that someone was learning something true about accessing mental healthcare can be like.

      6. I’m assuming you’re the person from the other thread who knows the family. I’m sorry it is upsetting for you to hear everyone talk about it. But this comment actually was relevant to a fashion blog for lawyers and other corporate types. We’ve had similar discussions with other high profile trials.

        2. FYI, I’m the original poster from the other day who knows someone who knows the family (I think there was someone else who commented who knew the family personally) and this wasn’t me. But I also understand that this is a deeply upsetting topic that is inescapable these days and the original few threads about it were extremely conspiratorial and voyeuristic. I’m glad this one didn’t devolve into that again.

          1. Every post that spreads awareness about mental health treatment is a good one. Please demand more from you elected officials in terms of community care. I don’t want another client who was kicked out of the crisis unit within the standard 72 hours with no meds, no follow up, and no court order to take his guns, 30 days before he committed murder.

    2. People should be coached on what to wear to court. Not all of them are. I once saw a criminal defendant appear in court–a scheduled appearance, so it wasn’t like he’d been arrested off the street–in a Scarface t-shirt. To be fair, the defense attorneys were wearing ratty sweaters and yoga pants.

      1. I’m in house counsel. We hired an (expensive) corporate lawyer who kept showing up on Zoom calls in a ratty t-shirt. I get that workplace norms have relaxed, but dude, you are billing $1k/h, maybe look the part a bit?

        1. I am always amazed that people complain about how hard women have it and than men are never policed. I was a supervisor of a young public defender who, I think, grabbed his suit out of the hamper everyday and came to court with the dirty orange backpack from college. I have coached young male and female investigators on how to dress for court. Most of my experts have come to court looking professional. This idea that it is okay for us to dress how we want and then complain when court personnel don’t think we are lawyers is ridiculous.

      2. I find it fascinating that to get fair treatment (not just in the legal system, but also medical etc) you need to ‘look’ acceptable.

        1. I am Anonymous at 12:26. The Scarface t-shirt guy was in a type of court where it’s especially important to perform contrition/recovery/rehabilitation. Whether or not you agree with this, dressing professionally is part of that performance, and his lawyer should have advised him accordingly.

      3. I remember a witness in a jury trial who wore what looked like neat, plain work clothes – from the front. When he left the witness box, you could see the back of his t-shirt had a huge drawing of a mostly-not-clothed lady on the back of his shirt. It was so, so hard not to burst out laughing.

  12. Help me with decision fatigue! Need a “personal item” travel bag that could also work as a daytime bag. Under $150. I am going between the Sherpani Eclipse and one of the Baggallini totes which have great organization but are a little meh (eg Everywhere Bagg). I am short and don’t want the bag to be too big/wide/look like a gym bag for the daytime usage. However, I also need to fit just slightly more than bare essentials for the travel part – book, possibly folded sweater, tablet. I like the looks of the Eclipse but unsure if really enough room. (My carry on will be a rolling backpack. I am trying to be a minimalist but with maximalist tendencies so possibly this is my mental hurdle). What are some of your suggestions for that second bag that hits the sweet spot?

    1. I had to look that first one up. The eclipse looks like a glorified lunch box to me, FWIW.

    2. I’d take a look at Lululemon bags, I don’t have any of the large ones but my festival bag is my go-to for a travel handbag and is impervious to wear and damage. I have some Baggalini bags and even though I am very much into internal organization they are almost too organized for me – I find myself unzipping or rooting through multiple pockets all the time to find what I need.

    3. Have you looked at Kipling? Their bags are so lightweight and strong, and there are a million sizes, colors, and styles.

    5. I have a “notag” brand crossbody from Am*Zon that’s great for this. I got the large size. Easily fits cardigan & noise canceling headphones, but is still definitely within normal crossbody size range. Lots of organizational pockets , and it’s lightweight. It was super cheap too.

  13. This time of summer always makes me very antsy (in a good way), which I have attributed to the “back to school” feeling even though I graduated college a decade ago and don’t have kids yet. But, I like a fun end-of-summer fresh start or treat! Any ideas?

    Can’t be a trip, I have already taken 3.5 weeks off this summer. I also did a big hair chop in July. I don’t have any need for office/school supplies or a new wardrobe. What else could scratch this “new year/back to school” itch?

    2. Do you wear makeup? New eye shadow, lipstick, blush, to change up your look a little?

      I’m very pale and spend a lot of time outside, so I get excited about buying new sunscrrens to try.

      I also love trying out new shampoo, conditioner, styling products. I just bought the Pureology sheer hydrate line, and my hair looks the best it’s looked in years. It seems crazy expensive, but my hair… I was in line for a show last night, and someone commented on how shiny and healthy my hair was.

    4. Getting your car detailed/closet clean out/replace your mismatched coffee mugs with a complete set — something that feels you feel prepared/organized/competent

    5. Start a smallish project – learn to ferment sauerkraut, knit something, research a museum or national park to get a memebership to or give your bicycle an overhaul.

    6. If you’re interested in giving, you could find a teacher’s wishlist for a local school. One of my dearest friends from high school is a special education teacher and while she’s not in the classroom this year, she posted a bunch of lists for local special education teachers. It was really fun to buy paper and other stuff for kids!

  14. I am a salary partner at a midsize firm. I have a job offer for a director legal role. It would be to run a small practice area and have multiple direct reports. Hybrid, great benefits and PTO. 10 min commute. But it’s a $200k pay cut and no bonuses, just small merit increases. I can technically afford it. We have no debt and cost of living is low ish here. Kids in middle school. Should I take it as a career opportunity and a step in house or continue looking? I’m in a smallish size market so not a ton of huge companies here. I’ve been more or less dissatisfied with my job for a while but nothing major. I have flexibility, nice coworkers, small book. A lot of pressure for business development and a lot of travel. I’m a litigator billing around 2000 per year. HHI would be around $350k plus the benefits and stuff. I’ve been practicing 14 years. What should I be considering?

    1. Former Big Law and former in-house. 16 years practicing and my current HHI is what yours would be if you made the switch. My prior HHI and work intensity sounds similar to what yours is currently. Here’s what I would be considering:
      – flexibility and nice coworkers are worth a lot right now. Most lawyers I know in-house right now have neither of those things.
      – $200k is a major pay cut. I took it to go from in-house to legal adjacent. COL generally has been going up and up but if you’re only getting very modest increases in-house and no bonus, you’re likely facing salary erosion.
      – How easy will it be to adjust lifestyles for the new HHI? For us, it was surprisingly difficult. We ended up moving to a lower cost of living area, which helped a lot.
      – How much will you benefit from some of the non-financial aspects of the new job such as hybrid, benefits, and PTO? I ask because there were several soft benefits for my current role that I thought I would benefit from that I wasn’t able to at all (e.g. I thought I could eliminate school aftercare but we ended up having to keep it because my oldest does not supervise his siblings well; I have unlimited PTO but my husband does not so I take some me time now and again, but realistically I’m on the same PTO schedule as before moving to unlimited PTO); on paper the dental benefits looked better but we didn’t end up making a switch because of some hiccups with the kids orthodontics coverage).

    2. Coast FIRE, like above. Could you live off a lower salary (because your retirement/college savings are mostly set) while also enjoying the benefits of a less stressful job? (I’m assuming the in-house role would be less stressful. If not, that’s a different calculus).

    3. What has been the source of your general dissatisfaction with your current job? Will any (most) of that be fixed at the new job? What prompted you to look for a new job? Does the new job tick those boxes?

      A $200K pay cut is nothing to sneeze at, especially since it sounds like you’re the primary breadwinner in your HH. I assume the hours will be significantly more regular in house, which is obviously a huge plus though.

    4. Your dissatisfaction doesn’t sound worth 200k. That’s a very big hit and I wouldn’t do it.

      2. Agree. If you were saying something like “I just can’t take 70 hours a week, always on call, big law demands and want to move to a standard 45 hours M-F job at that pay cut,” I’d say that sounds like it makes a lot of sense, but just a sort of general dissatisfaction and this job sounds nice-ish is a lot harder to justify.

    5. I personally wouldn’t lean out to the tune of such a large pay cut with college and retirement still years away. These are typically women’s highest earning years (35-50) and I’m heavily biased towards earning as much as I can before my kids hit college. Downshifting is always easier than finding a higher paying job, so this likely won’t be your last opportunity.

    6. Are you excited about in-house lawyering, or just wanting to escape firm life? If Will in-house ameliorate things you dislike? (If it’s annoying clients, the answer is probably no.) Are you excited about the company and the role? All in-house roles are not created equal. On the other hand, I think it’s easier to get in-house jobs once you’ve made the jump (esp. for litigators), so if that’s your ultimate goal, then it could be worth it even if this isn’t your long-term landing spot.

    7. No bonus is a red flag for me on company culture, especially for a director level role. Is there other comp out there (e.g., IPO, equity, pension) that makes up for it?

      I’d treat this job offer as a wake up call that you are looking for something different and take the time to define what it is. Mention that you are thinking about something else to your network. When I did, several opportunities fell in my lap over about an 18 month period. I turned down a couple offers before finding the one that was a good fit for me at the time (and, ultimately, only a 100k pay cut). You have time to be picky.

    8. In case you’re still reading, director level is middle management. You will be taking a step down as well as a big pay cut.

    9. As someone who is about to go back from in-house to a firm…in-house life can be nutty, with counterparties who are not nearly as sharp as your law firm colleagues. You may be on an island, in terms of your practice area, with little backup (meaning you can’t take real holiday). And at least in tech, the pace is RELENTLESS. I would stay at a firm, and, as other commenters said, figure out what you think is missing. IN house is NOT always greener grass. GL!

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