ByKat Hours Updated
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Wednesday’s TPS Report: Sylvana Printed Pencil Skirt

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Lafayette 148 New York Priscilla Printed Pencil Skirt | CorporetteOur daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Neiman Marcus has some great sales going on by way of pencil skirts. I don't have a ton of brown clothing, but this brown “Masala” print looks lovely — I'd wear it with a white or cream sweater (turtleneck, perhaps) and maybe pick up the bits of gray in the skirt with a blazer or cardigan. The skirt was $398, then was marked to $170, but if you act fast enough (through 9 AM CT), you can get another 20% off, bringing it down to $136. Nice. Other nice skirts in the sale: this second Lafayette 148 New York skirt, and this Halston Heritage skirt. The pictured skirt is $128, and available in sizes 0-18. Lafayette 148 New York Priscilla Printed Pencil Skirt Here's a plus-size option. Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-all)

Sales of note for 1/22/25:

  • Nordstrom – Cashmere on sale; AllSaints, Free People, Nike, Tory Burch, and Vince up to 60%; beauty deals up to 25% off
  • AllSaints – Clearance event, now up to 70% off (some of the best leather jackets!)
  • Ann Taylor – All sale dresses $40 (ends 1/23)
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything
  • Boden – Clearance, up to 60% off!
  • DeMellier – Final reductions now on, free shipping and returns — includes select options like Montreal, Vancouver, and Venice
  • Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; extra 50% off all clearance, plus ELOQUII X kate spade new york collab just dropped
  • Everlane – Sale of the year, up to 70% off; new markdowns just added
  • J.Crew – Up to 40% off select styles; up to 50% off cashmere
  • J.Crew Factory – End of season sale, extra 60-70% off clearance, online only
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale – extra 50% off

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

193 Comments

  2. What kind of background should a headshot have? I’m accustomed to seeing them with plain, single color backgrounds, but my photographer wants to meet outside, and I have seen a couple with trees or whatever in the background. Any recommendations?

    1. Depends on purpose. If it’s for work, speaking/writing in a traditional professional circle, or LinkedIn I would opt for solid or office window vs. trees. If it’s for a business where you’re trying to look approachable (wedding planning) or some sort of social use, outdoor is ok. But don’t let someone sway you just because they may be used to shooting a lot of engagement photos.

      1. My law firm does them outside and they look awesome and very professional. I totally disagree that outside headshots are just for warm, fuzzy professions like wedding planning.

        1. It’s a lot more modern to shoot outside these days. The light is also better so your photos turn out better. The indoor shoot is “mass corporate” and not something most people are interested in anymore because people want their own brand. The indoor-Sears background is something your employer buys you. If you hire a photographer to do head shots for you, they should take you outside.

        2. Yes. My firm just re-did all of our headshots outside. Our old studio shots looked very dated.

    2. There’s a wide variety. I had some done outside and they looked good. The natural lighting was pretty. It was a nice change of pace from typical law firm conference room shots or plain portrait backdrop. Ask your photographer for some samples and see what you like.

    3. I’ve heard/read somewhere that an outside setting is more for “executive” headshots, whereas inside, plain background is more appropriate for “normal”/not high-ranking people. Is this a thing? Or does seniority not matter at all?

      1. I think people make up rules for everything that are based on nothing, including this one. Totally doesn’t matter – what matters is the composition of the photograph (if outdoors, good lighting, don’t be squinting, no wind-blown hair, have appropriate level of “blur” of background so that you’re the focus, etc).

    4. Nicer headshots now are not doing the single color thing unless it is a very formal corporate thing. I know some people that do outdoors. My firm tends to do office environment shots.

    5. Either a plain background or outside is pretty normal. My guess is if it’s outside the photographer will use a small depth of field, which means only you will be sharp and the background will be blurred. So I wouldn’t worry too much about the background – unless you’re posing in front of a construction site or something it should look fine.

    6. My old firm did a mix of indoor and outdoor headshots, but the outdoor ones didn’t have trees in the background – more like the outside of a pretty office building. In either scenario, the background was blurry anyway. I like the outdoor ones if you get a day with good light.

      1. +1 – this is what my office did but the outdoor background is other (nicer) office buildings, not trees. They look great I think.

    7. My company does studio shoots, with a background that makes it look like we’re outside or in an indoor building lobby. I think it looks much more modern than the plain background headshots. My previous headshot was outdoors with the outside wall of a building in the background, and I really liked it.

    8. I have an outdoor headshot; the background felt weird at the time – I’m standing next to a wall – but in the actual pictures, the background faded to a nice neutral blend of tones and the lighting looks fantastic. It doesn’t look soft or fluffy at all, just very modern and flattering.

  3. Interested in advice as I write a memo to my bosses. Begin with the premise that they’re good people with good intentions, and I have a lot of credibility and goodwill in the organization.

    My bosses have asked me to identify ways that they could work more efficiently. It’s a compliment to get this assignment, and I want to make the most of it as I do indeed see a lot of places where we could tighten up. However, as I started writing, I notice it’s taking the form of “Ways I See You Wasting Time,” and more specifically, since I can only speak to areas I know about, “Ways You’ve Been Wasting My Time.” I’m trying to keep a very kind tone and use lots of qualifiers, but this is still the essential message.

    Is there any way around this, other than the tone and qualifiers? Has anyone done something similar and managed not to sound like they’re suffering fools? For what it’s worth, sounding like I’m suffering fools is a pattern I can slip into easily when I’m not careful. Thanks for any input.

    1. How about adding a section on strengths and areas that are working well? This overlaps with qualifiers, but may allow you to be more direct in your constructive criticism.

    2. I would focus on maintaining a tone of positivity – not so much “you do X which wastes Y time per day” but more of a description of the process and where it breaks down and takes longer than it needs to – focusing on positive behaviors/changes rather than “don’t do X” – it’s generally more efficient to create an action/behavior/situation that by its nature prevents the action/behavior/situation that is time consuming. I think your list IS a valuable starting point for you to examine the individual occurrences, look for patterns and root causes, and suggest solutions that are team oriented when possible.

      Then the other thing I’d be sure to do is lead with those solutions in your memo – don’t lead with the problem.

    3. Can you include citations to Harvard Business Review as like “To 10 ways to be more efficient” rather than “Ways you specifically waste time Mr. Boss.”

    4. I would look at the tasks which are wasting time and determine the following:
      1) Is this a task which needs to be done?
      2) If it needs to be done, can it be done by a less expensive resource? Does that resource currently exist, or is it a new position?
      3) If it doesn’t need to be done, how can it be closed out?

      Basically, you’re identifying inefficiencies and offering solutions. Are there weekly meetings which could be replaced by biweekly meetings? Are there multiple similar meetings which could be combined? Is a director or VP opening the mail? Identify the problem, offer the solution.

      1. I would try to phrase things in the positive versus the negative. Instead of talking about how things are bad right now, re-frame those problems into positive solutions. That way, you’re not directly calling out the way things are done right now, you’re just identifying how things could be done more efficiently.

        For example, rather than saying “having 4 decision-makers takes too long,” say “the process would move more quickly if approval was only required from 2 people.”

      2. Yes, look at the process as a whole. For instance, for a project to start, how many times does it go back and forth between different people? Is that necessary? How much are you creating things from scratch vs using templates or standard language as a starting point? How much time is wasting doing things like formatting that could be automated using templates or styles?
        -Is work being passed back and forth on paper or electronically? What about edits, on paper or electronically with ‘track changes’
        -Is there a way for everyone to know what the status is of things that are in process and where they are in the process? Would that help, or would you spend more time tracking work and updating statuses than just doing it? What about things that are currently waiting on something, like a client signature or input from another group? How are these tracked so no balls are dropped?
        -Is there a way to shorten a process that usually involves going through a stage 1 and then stage 2 by doing parts of these stages simultaneously (parallel process rather than series)?
        -Is there a standardized naming system so you can find previous work quickly and file things quickly?
        -What is the process when something is done? For instance, right now my company has a complicated, stupid process involving filing paper copies in 2 different binders and then electronic copies in 2 different places, and the admin mails a paper copy to the client (and has to keep track of the dates sent, tracking numbers if sent via FedEx, etc).
        -What things seem like they shouldn’t be very complicated (ex: send this to the client) but actually take longer (figuring out whether to mail or FedEx, finding packing supplies where someone put the tape gun when they used it last, using convoluted FedEx software that wants info I don’t have like our account number and the client’s phone number, making copies of the tracking numbers, etc)

        If you really want to get into the weeds of this, look up “spaghetti diagrams” or “process flow diagrams”. Most of the examples you’ll see are manufacturing based with examples of widget assembly lines, but you can use the same tools for paperwork – basically any process that has a number of steps and/or people it has to pass through.

        There are a couple of different ways of looking at this type of thing, such as:
        -minimizing the amount of time higher-ups spend on routine tasks, by automating more and pushing more down to admins/lower level, lower cost workers
        -minimizing the overall man-hours a project would take
        -minimizing the time it would take from start to finish, even if that means getting MORE manpower involved overall (is it more important to get the results done in 1 week to get to market or customer faster, or is it better to take 2 weeks but not have to involve as much overlapping manpower?)

    5. This is all really helpful, folks! Thanks and keep ’em coming if there are any more ideas.

    6. No qualifiers! I see this as a forward looking exercise. You don’t need to spend anytime on the past.

      So not “I understand that you have many things pulling on your focus so sometimes tasks get dropped but if you could check in more the rest of us could be more efficient.”

      Instead: “establish project management best practices including interim deadlines and regular check ins to ensure all team members are optimally utilized.”

        1. On the other hand, jargon is very helpful for appearing to say something while actually saying nothing. ;)

    7. My thought would be to focus on process rather than time, that is if you’re saying things like “people talk too much or spend too much time on the Internet”, I’d axe that and look for things like “too many people need to approve a decision, which slows down the process of making one, empower more decision makers”.

    8. Yay, Kat! I love this Pencil Skirt and the price, but it is to tight for me personaly b/c of my tuchus. But for the skinny ‘rettes in the HIVE that can wear this, more power to them!!!

      As for the OP, I had to write a memo on efficency in the firm. I started out by showeing how the use of the word processor was better then haveing Lynn retype all pleading’s and I showed how the use of find/replace can do pleading’s VERY quickley.

      Then I said that we could be more effeicient if Frank did NOT stand outside our door’s stareing at us while we worked, and he should NOT storm into the toilet while were were changeing in there. The manageing partner said he would talk to Frank about that, and it has NOT stopped, tho he does NOT do it like clockwork any more. FOOEY on Frank.

      Finalley, I said we could be more efficent if Mason would NOT hang around Lynn’s desk all day, b/c he is sleepeing with her all night any way, and Lynn needs to open the mail and do other stuff for us, NOT Mason. The manageing partner told me (secretley) that Mason’s days here are limited, and that he will probabley be lookeing for a new job by 2016. I said that I needed a replacement, and the manageing partner is talking to the judge about useing one of his clerk’s who want’s to leave goverment. I hope that work’s out b/c the clerk cannot LEGALLY appear in front of the judge for about 6 month’s I think. But that does NOT mean the clerk cannot COME to court and carry my breif’s and pump’s! YAY!!!

    9. Some quick notes:
      -make sure to check the scope with your bosses. They may be asking you to go beyond ‘wasting your time’ and consider efficiencies that are not directly related to you.
      -I would use a framework that included strengths and opportunities, and then describe current and future state, with actions to get to future state.
      -I would use qualifiers to avoid potential political issues with regards to current state. E.g., there are limited processes vs. there are no processes, there are some instances where xx vs. xx happens frequently. These qualifiers will not impact your ability to make recommendations, which should be worded very clearly and directly.
      -quantify the benefits if possible, i.e., how much time is saved.

      1. +1 on check the scope. That was my thought when I read “ways they could work more efficiently.” Did they truly ask that and not ways the team could work more efficiently? If so, bravo to them for being open to feedback. In any event, I think considering inefficiencies that affect the team as a whole will make your report more valuable. How your boss wastes time is irrelevant unless it affects the team.

        Stay far away from anything that could be perceived as personal–to you or them. My boss does tons of things that drive me nuts, but are they really inefficient? Don’t use this as the time to tell your bosses what you really think about them. And I wouldn’t use individual names unless necessary. It sounds like you’re writing one report for multiple bosses, so you don’t want to make one feel embarrassed that her peers are reading something about her personally.

    10. Three words: “Leverage our strengths.”

      How can we take what we’re already good at and do more of it. This approach sells easy.

      Good luck!

  4. Speaking of skirts, horde- I found this great flared sweater skirt at TJ Maxx about a month ago and foolishly waited too long to buy it. Any recommendations for that style skirt?

    1. Ann Taylor has a straight marled one and a full solid one. They don’t appear to have coupons today, but I’m sure they will this weekend.

          1. It is! I don’t know if it really looks like a sweater skirt in person. I was visiting Susedna (former denizen of this group) and she said she tried it on and it didn’t work on her, but it’s so pretty, she really *wanted* it to work.

          2. I ordered that yesterday! (When it was 40% off and an additional 10% for using AT card)

    2. Talbots’ knife-pleat knit skirt. It’s 100% merino wool. I have one and I love it.

    2. Like it. May go for it myself. A nd I am not a lost —or any other sort—of academic.

    3. I do like that skirt especially given that it would be a better length for my very long legs, but sad that it only comes as a set because a) don’t need that top and b) really don’t like it. Thanks!

  6. What programs do you use to track prices on an item? The websites I’ve seen only track prices for specific sites – so they can track Amazon but not obscure-site-I-want-to-track.

  7. My mancat needs a new messenger bag – under $400, ideally under $200. He works in a business casual environment but I’d like him to have a bag he could wear with a suit or with jeans and a blazer. Where should I look? I didn’t love what was at Tumi.

    1. Years ago my husband bought a Jack Spade messenger bag that looked nice with a suit. The quality was very good. Their bags still look nice, but holy cow have the prices increased! (But looks like there are some on sale for under $200.)

      1. The quality on Saddleback leather is amazing – I bought my fiance a simple wallet from them two years ago and its held up fantastically well and has a great patina

    4. Timbuk2 has a lot of nice messenger bags that have a sleek look, and a lot of them can be customized (choose colors, patterns, etc). Lo & Sons has a men’s version of the Brookline called The Cambridge (comes with a shoulder strap). It’s not a messenger, but it looks really nice and professional. Additionally, Ona Bags, while geared for cameras, have laptop slots and could easily be adapted for other uses. I can see how the separators used to protect and divide camera pieces could be nice for separating lunches from other things, and it has a luggage sleeve as well. The only caveat is that they are at the upper end of your price range.

      1. I got my husband a Fossil bag. He works in IT/construction, and it worked well until he started needing to carry more than just his laptop.

    6. Rhett, who is a stylin gent who likes smaller labels, is a big fan of Duluth Pack (I think their website is their name as one word) for such man accessories.

      1. In moderation for links (grr) so check out Knomo. Kobe, Bungo, Kinsale.

        (No knomo affiliation, but my knomo tote is holding up SO WELL and I’m a big fan).

    8. I bought my husband a Rickshaw Commuter bag 2 years ago, and he uses it every day. When I needed to replace my bag, I bought one of their Zero Messenger bags. They are nicely made and you can pick the colors, although I don’t know how well they go with a suit.

    10. My Waterfield bag is 12 years old and looks new. Sfbags.com
      Made in San Francisco, I think.

    11. Check the Ben Minkoff offerings at Nordstrom. I can speak to durability of the fabric bag. I’ve been over stuffing mine for two years. Not only is it still in one piece, but does not even show signs of wear.

    12. Not sure if you are still reading for suggestions, but in my office, a lot of the men have Filson bags and they look great with business casual wear and they come with a great warranty. They have several styles and they are made in the USA to boot.

    2. Second the Timbuk2… mancat has had one for years in all black and it still looks brand new after heavy use. The strap hook broke once about 2 years in and they overnighted us a new one.

    3. My husband has the command laptop bag in two colors! So it must be good. He never wears suits, though.

  9. I’m being deposed as a witness in an employment case (I conducted the investigation and wrote a report). I’ve taken plenty of depositions in my former life as a litigator, but have never been the subject of one. I hear (maybe from the Good Wife, so, not necessarily the most reliable source) that lawyers make terrible deponents. Is that generally true, if so and what can I do to downplay or avoid whatever lawyer qualities could make this go poorly?

    1. I have deposed a number of attorneys over the course of my career. They are no better or worse than any other deponent with a similar level of education. Really depends on the individual.

      1. this. basically all I do is defend lawyers. best advice is to listen to your lawyer and don’t try to be your own lawyer.

    2. In my experience, the worst thing a fact deponent can do is talk to much and/or try to testify as an expert on the subject matter. I imagine lawyers might try to argue or nuance the facts in a way that they think will be helpful to the case, which usually ends up backfiring. Your testimony should be as controlled as any other witness – yes, no, I don’t know, I don’t remember. Is there an attorney prepping you for the deposition?

      1. +1. And I’ve seen lawyers do very well as deponents. Just feel comfortable taking your time to answer, especially if you need to think through any privilege issues.

      2. ETA: Talk “too” much, not “to” much. My third grade teacher is shaking her head at me.

    3. Follow your lawyer’s instructions, give concise answers to the questions given, and focus on the facts versus strategy. I’ve also heard that lawyers make bad deponents — and friends who been deposed have expressed how hard it is to be the deponent versus defending a deposition. Remember you as the witness can’t “win” the case for your employer.

      Good luck!

      1. I have been on both sides & esp if you were the supervisor or worked with the person involved it is SO very hard to not try and say more.
        1 think that we did when we were deposing people was to have a sort of hand signal to tell the person slow down (like a foot tap).

        1. just realized hand signal does not equal foot tap, but you get what I mean. :)

  10. I walked into the (empty) bathroom just now and caught a whiff of either Twilight Woods from Bath and Body Works or Noir Tease from Victoria’s Secret. I’ve worn both, but it’s been a while since I’ve worn either one; although I’d say that if a fragrance comes from Victoria’s Secret it’s probably not work appropriate.

    But the fact is, I shouldn’t be smelling someone’s perfume in the bathroom, because it means someone is spraying it on so heavily that their scent lingers everywhere they go (not good) or they’re spraying it on at work, which is also not good. I’m all for scented hand lotions as long as it doesn’t bother anyone, and I’d even be okay with people using a roll-on to touch up in the afternoon (but it’s not even 10AM), but I’m not a fan of people spraying stuff at work.

    Reminds me of when I’d go to the bathroom at my old job and feel like I was inhaling residual droplets of Bombshell. I like that smell, although again, I don’t think it’s a work-appropriate perfume, and I really didn’t enjoy breathing it in every time I had to pee.

    1. I went to college with someone who left a cloud of Opium (which I like) in her wake. I imagine that that continued post-college into the workplace.

    2. Oh good lord. Someone probably had a stinky poop and wanted to freshen up. Get a grip.

      2. Do people really spray perfume on themselves after a stinky poop? No, they don’t. The poop smell doesn’t linger on you after you go to the bathroom. And perfume doesn’t hide the smell of a stinky poop in the bathroom. I don’t understand the vehemence behind your comment.

      3. Coming here to say that Poopourri really does work for that purpose, as opposed to other air fresheners or scents! (http://www.poopourri.com/)

        Husband often leaves very foul smelling environments. Last weeklong cruise we took he brought this – like magic.

    3. is it possible the person just sprayed it on in the bathroom? Perhaps they don’t smell as strongly?

      1. Yes, I offered that as a possibility in my post. My point is that people shouldn’t be spraying stuff in the bathroom. It’s an enclosed space with little to no ventilation, that stuff that’s sprayed tends to linger for a while. I know people do it, I know some people feel like they have to, but what I am saying is that it shouldn’t be done and people should find alternatives to spraying stuff.

          1. How? First of all, no one needs to be spraying anything on themselves after they leave the house. Second, any time I’ve ever sprayed anything outside my own living space, the reaction has pretty much been that of panic and disgust. “Did you spray something??” “Did someone spray something??” “Oh my God, someone sprayed something!” “Ugh, that’s awful!” Followed by coughing, gagging, and people moving to cleaner air. Even outside! Only time I can think of where that wasn’t the case was cheerleading competitions where hairspray was expected to be everywhere. Even sharing a bedroom with my sister at Christmas, I learned to be careful spraying my Vanilla Bean Noelle body spray because my sister often complained when I used it.

            My point is, I don’t think it’s “out there” to think it’s inconsiderate to spray stuff in shared/public spaces, it seems like a pretty common sentiment.

        2. The bathroom is for doing private things privately. Spraying of things onto one’s body is the sort of thing that one shouldn’t do anywhere but a bathroom.

        3. I’m with OP. That’s why every workplace I’ve been at has a no-perfume policy. The bathroom is a shared space. Strong-smelling perfume is offensive to many and some people are even allergic. It’s also dated, in my opinion, and not work-appropriate.

          If I saw a younger woman in my office spraying perfume on herself in the bathroom, I’d consider it a mentoring opportunity and tell her to cut it out.

          1. THIS. Perfume is dated in general IMO at work. I think most people recognize that it should be worn lightly if at all because of how many people have allergy or other concerns that make scents a real issue in the workplace. I love smelling wonderful as much as the next person, but I leave wearing scents to the weekend. If I feel the need to wear anything at all it is one burst of a body splash.

          2. I only wear body splash for the most part as well, and since I wear scented lotion too sometimes I let that be my only scent. I only wear perfume when I’m getting really dressed up, like when I’m going to a nice restaurant. And even then, the only perfume I spend money on is the rollerball kind because I’m terrible at aiming the spray at that sweet spot on my neck, and often end up getting a face-full of the stuff. Blegh.

            My workplace isn’t scent-free, but I grew up understanding that it’s generally inconsiderate to spray something anywhere other than your own house. Big exception is aerosol sunscreen, but even then, I was taught to only spray it outside and away from people.

          4. For perspective, I’ve never worked in an office with a no-scent or no-perfume policy, so I think it’s inaccurate to call perfume “not work-appropriate”.

          5. @lawsuited – it may be a regional thing. I’m in the PNW and none of the female lawyers I know wear noticeable perfume. None. The only time I smell perfume in my workplace is when older female clients come into the office. Also, for clarification, I meant to say that “in my opinion” perfume isn’t work-appropriate. My opinion may very likely be wrong. :)

    4. One of the secretaries at my office still has giant 80s hair and does a touch up on her hair spray after lunch in the office bathroom. She holds the nozzle down and sprays for a solid 30 seconds. Woe unto the person who is in the bathroom when that happens and anyone else she talks to for the rest of the afternoon. I have started asking her to stand by the door to my office if she is asking me anything because I am really scent sensitive and start coughing immediately if she gets any closer.

    5. A man who works at my company just walked into my office and the amount of cologne he was wearing caused me to gag. I have a fan on facing out to get rid of the stink. THE WORST.

    6. Your reasoning is a bit odd, but I really wish people wouldn’t spray stuff in the bathroom because I have a terrible perfume allergy. This would make me unable to use the bathroom.

      1. YES! I travel to a lot of offices for work, and 1 in particular I went to had scent-overload in the bathroom. Someone put a glad plug in in EVERY plug, a flowery can of bathroom spray in each stall & loads of other stuff all over the place. This triggered a migraine nearly every single day I was there (not to mention, I was newly pregnant & nearly lost my lunch every time I had to pee– good thing I was already in the bathroom). Also, at my work, we use a lot of small conference rooms– and to be stuck in a small, unventilated conference room for any amount of time with anyone that has any sort of smell (perfume, BO, food or otherwise) is hell to me. I’d never say anything to those people– but I wish I could beam down a memo to them so that they could be more cognizant of the fact that some people are extremely sensitive to scents.

    7. I actually like when I smell pretty perfumes. So I would be pleasantly surprised if I went into a bathroom and was able to enjoy a little beautiful air!

    8. I find the concept that a particular type of perfume, such as Victoria’s Secret, could be non-work appropriate for reasons other than simply being too strong. Are people actually smelling it and finding it too sexually engaging, based purely on the scent? Are many people so familiar with perfume branding and smells that they can’t help but be transported to a world of pretty underthings when catching a whiff of something from Victoria’s Secret?

      2. Right! My first thought when I read OP’s message was to roll my eyes. I am very confused by the original comment and many of those following. Wearing perfume is dated? Spraying it at work is inappropriate? Is this a joke?

        2. Do you think wearing so much perfume or cologne that you leave a cloud of scent trailing behind you is appropriate for the office? That’s what I’m talking about. Not discrete dabs on your wrists. I find it extremely distracting and unpleasant and, therefore, inappropriate for work.

  11. How do you dress business formal in the winter? My warm weather uniform is sheath dresses made of a suiting fabric and a blazer but somehow it seems little weird to put tights with that outfit? At my previous business casual firm I wore a lot of sweater dresses and ponte dresses (with tights) in winter, but even when paired with a blazer I’m not sure those would be sufficiently formal.

    Also dressy, flat knee high boots are out for business formal offices, right? :/ Are they ok on business casual Friday (which is more formal than M-Thurs at my previous bus casual office)? Not only do I love the look, they’re sooo much warmer than pumps or flats in our (very cold) winters.

    1. I think that tights are fine but they can make for some odd visual color-blocking and result in wearing all-black shoes for half of the year. I also layer on the Uniqlo heattech undergarmets and any indoor scarf I can get away with. It winds up looking a bit . . . artsy? Cold weather + cold office = hate winter.

    2. I think suits and separates in bulkier fabrics – like boucle, tweeds, thick jacquards, thick weaves with metallic threads, etc – look better with tights and heels than the finer weaves do. Also, I like pant suits with heels and fish-net-like socks. Personally, I’m wearing dressy flat boots with suits when the weather is bad regardless. I think suede boots with heels are also an option with suits. But, some will frown on the boots I’m sure. (I don’t go to court.)

    3. I wear dressy, flat knee high leather boots with a sheath dress made of suiting fabric and a matching fabric blazer for business formal work in Toronto winters (including board meetings at a financial services company, so formal formal), and I think it works just fine. If you’re really concerned, keep a pair of shoes (flats, pumps, whatever) at your desk and change when you need to.

      I will either wear tights or sheer hose with the above-described outfit, but because my dress comes to the bottom of my knee cap, there is almost no leg exposed so it doesn’t really matter which hosiery option I go with.

      1. This.

        Slightly colder city than Toronto. Tights (as long as they are not pill-y) with flat boots are fine with sheath dresses and blazers. Wearing this right now.

        I usually switch to pumps or shooties while in the office, because I like a heel, but sometimes I forget, or know I’ve got to go out again soon.

        I do get bored of wearing black tights and black footwear so much though! I have one pair of gray shooties and some gray tights but otherwise it is black black black from Oct through March :(

    4. I wear knee-high boots almost every day to work in the winter and wear tights with sheath dresses. I get tired of wearing black tights and boots everyday but it keeps me warm. Just because boots can get uncomfortable after a while, I often switch to other shoes in the office.

    6. My summer and winter wardrobes aren’t very different. I just swap out the cotton jackets for wool tweed and add pantyhose or tights. So in winter (regardless of weather) I wear skirt suits, sheath dresses with jackets, and pencil skirts with coordinating tweed jackets with either tights (if it’s not a super formal day — e.g., no meetings on Capitol Hill) or pantyhose and the same pumps I wear all summer.

  12. This happens at my office all the time – perfume is generally touched up post-smoke break in the bathroom for a couple individuals. We have a small, three-stall bathroom so the scent really takes over the whole bathroom. We also get the hairspray reapplication smell too. It’s really frustrating to walk into the bathroom and immediately begin coughing because the scent is so strong.

    Years ago, I also used to be able to know when a specific man had recently walked through an area of the office based on the scent he left behind.

      1. Understandable, I knew what you were referring to! I guess I kinda get the smoke break touchups, because smokers reek after they smoke (and sometimes always, if they smoke a lot), but like any strong smell, perfume isn’t gonna neutralize it, it’s just gonna change the way you smell and usually not for the better.

        Man, if someone made a spray that actually neutralized the smell of cigarette smoke they’d make a killing.

  13. I work for a staffing agency, and corporate clients call me to start the process of running a search for the type of employee they are looking for, and then I conduct the search. A new client called me yesterday, this client being an exec-level staffing/recruiting agency looking for a recruitment support position. This position they are looking for falls in line with a previous job I held that I love (current job is one I took simply because I moved to a new city). Is it out of bounds to recommend myself for this position? How would I go about this? Thanks in advance!

    1. For job boundaries question – I’m sure it’s happened before at a staffing agency. I think it makes a difference how long you have worked there. Less than 6 months might require a different approach than more than a year’s tenure. Are you on good terms with your boss? I think your first action would be to talk with your boss, explain your interest and reinforce your dedication to the current employer. Your current company’s management might welcome a way to cement better relations with a good client, they might be happy to get a referral fee/commission, they might be very helpful. Or they might not want to loose you and be unhappy or they might be concerned about fallout if you don’t get the job.

  14. Anyone want to share impressions of last night’s U.S. Democratic primary debate? I’m working from home today and jonesing for the water cooler chatter.

    1. My $0.02: I was a little surprised this morning by all the headlines proclaiming a clear Clinton win in the debates, though I did think she did very, very well. I appreciate how determinedly she pivots to issues like pay equity, children’s advocacy, and healthcare; a little surprising to see that the other candidates didn’t do this nearly as much. There is no denying that Clinton is very, very smart and a very, very hard worker, and I think her performance in the debate emphasized both.

      I also thought Sanders had a good performance–his debate prep has clearly paid off, as he was less ranty and a little more soundbyte-y than what I’m used to. I do like him a lot but I confess that the way he articulates his position on gun control rubs me the wrong way; his distinction between “urban” and “rural” guns always comes off sounding like a distinction between “black” and “white” gun owners. I also thought he floundered a bit when the conversation turned to foreign policy, which is obviously a tough subject on which to challenge Clinton.

      A small part of me felt really badly for Martin O’Malley, remembering how he used to be seen as a rising star within the party. No part of me feels badly for Lincoln Chafee or Jim Webb.

      Overall, I don’t feel as though I necessarily learned anything new from the debate, and I’m not sure the race has clarified hugely–other than, as many others have pointed out, to make it clear that Joe Biden would have a tough race ahead if he decided to jump in now.

    2. Hilary did better than I thought she would.
      I dig Bernie.
      O’Malley needs to stop talking.
      And maybe give some of his time to Webb, so Webb can stop complaining that he didn’t get as much as the others.
      Do you think Chafee’s team collectively smacked their heads into a brick wall when he essentially said that his dad died and he had to assume office quickly and so he didn’t really know what he was voting for?

      I still wish Biden was in the race. If he runs (and ESPECIALLY if he picks up Elizabeth Warren or Kirsten Gillebrand as his VP candidate), I’m all in on that.

      1. Both Bernie and Hillary did much better than I thought they would. Bernie especially brought the fervor needed to sway my vote in his direction but there is a lot of time between now and the election so we shall see. I thought it was way more civilized that the other debates and I’m proud of my party for the most part. Webb’s whining made me chuckle and I loved Bernie’s statement about shutting up about the d*mn emails and get to the issues. I also loved O’Malley’s closing statement.

        Most importantly I want to remind people to PLEASE VOTE. This is not a joke. If Trump wins I’m fully prepared to make my pilgrimage to Europe or Canada but lets prevent that if we can.

      2. If Biden runs, it will prove he’s an arrogant tool. The only the he has to offer Clinton doesn’t is a dick

        She nailed the debate.

        1. Yes! Love me some Hillary. So excited she did well last night and thrilled that the conversation is coming back to her. Think Biden is a blow-hard.

        2. Well, I agree with your statement to the extent that it infers that HRC is an arrogant tool.

          2. Snap! I caught my own mistake and wish we had EDIT abilities! Ah well – I don’t feel too bad, especially given the typo in Anonymous@10:49’s post. None of us are perfect, whether we’re HRC supporters or not!

    3. I loved what Hillary wore- I thought it was a very interesting and effective choice (don’t like media focusing on what women wear but since this is a fashion s!te); and to give equal time, thought Webb and Chafee made bad choices in ties – not that much choice intend clothes, how do you get that wrong?!
      I’m a Hillary fan, thought she did great…

    4. Did Hillary have some work done or just a lot of blush or something else going on? I found myself really distracted by the lines that you could amost see running from her ears to the corners of her mouth. I don’t recall them from before. I liked her better with slighly longer hair (but not from the headband era).

      Webb’s hair is not as dark as I recall. I really liked some of his books — I thought he would be more interesting than that. Had sort of forgotten he was running. Would LOVE to see a debate b/w him and The Donald. Or just a cage match.

      Not a Bernie fan personally, but I like that he took a stand for how rural America sees the second amendment differently than urban America (and not wanting to start a debate here). I like to see some room for a diversity of opinion and not a strict adherence to orthodoxy.

      1. See, I just think rural gun owners are wrong, delusional, responsible for gun violence, and racist. And Bernie has been pandering to them for years.

          1. Oh, I also think they’re dangerous idiots. But Bernie was talking as though being rural is some magical panacea to being soft on guns. Which, nope.

          3. Very consistent. And I don’t find anything :) about hundreds of easily preventable deaths every year because of people like you.

          4. Ugh. Can we stop with the name calling? Is it too much for people to disagree without being disagreeable?

          5. Srsly? Nope. Children are dying, and you’re concerned about accurately labeling people in support of that. No. There is no way for me to politely disagree.

          6. You realize that this attitude is part of the problem right? When two people with opposing viewpoints can’t even be civil enough for an exchange of ideas, I don’t think that’s helping anyone, including the causes that each side supports.

            You don’t actually know anything about the commenter who asked a question and praised you for your consistency. Nothing about that meaningfully informs you of her viewpoint. You’re doing a lot of assuming, and that’s not helping anything either.

          7. I know she identifies herself as an urban gun owner and find a :) an appropriate way to communicate about this. And that’s enough for me.

          8. I’m willing to bet that the :) was to communicate goodwill or something of the sort to you, whom I’d imagine she expected to be hostile toward her.

          9. Anon at 12:10 brings up an interesting point. Not about these particular candidates or the commenters here but the issue in general. It seems like the two ends of this debate are very polar opposite. No guns for anybody! or No restrictions on guns at all – Bill of Rights!! It’s kind of like that Simpson’s episode when the aliens come to town and pretend to be politicians in a debate. Abortions for nobody. Crowd Boos. Abortions for all. Crowd boos. Abortions for some and tiny little American flags for everyone? Crowd cheers. I could be misquoting.

            We really could make some progress here if one side admitted there is such a thing as safer gun ownership but our country’s laws don’t do anything near reasonable to require it. The other side could admit that our country’s laws with very few restrictions on gun ownership are completely crazy pants. Maybe we could meet in the middle with some steps towards safer gun ownership – even if you personally believe that there is no such thing as safe gun ownership or you believe that any restriction on your gun ownership infringes on your rights.

            Maybe we could agree that you have to pass a written test on gun safety, local gun laws, how to take apart, clean and reassemble and reload your gun, etc. Then, pass a qualifications exam to show you can actually hit a target. That would at least be a step in the right direction.

            Rather one side fears that this would legitimize gun ownership and the other would be afraid allowing one restriction opens the door to others. We need to all push our legislatures to take the baby steps because safer gun ownership is better than what we have now.

          10. Also, you’d have a lot more success in changing people’s minds if you were willing to engage them without all the vitriol. See TBK’s comment below.

          11. To Anon for This at 12:37: I think that there are lots and lots of people on the side of “safer gun ownership.” Moms Demand Action and Everytown both focus on “common sense” gun reforms that would entirely preserve Second Amendment rights. The problem is that the NRA opposes all of these kinds of “common sense” reforms. This is exactly what happened after Sandy Hook – we almost got to a common sense reform of background checks, which are supported by the vast majority of Americans and would not strip guns from law-abiding owners, and it got torpedoed by the NRA. I’m sure that there are gun control groups fighting for the elimination of gun ownership, but I think the vast majority of Americans and gun control groups are asking for the same kind of “baby steps” you describe. The problem is that the NRA and its supporters categorically reject any reforms, even common sense reforms like background checks or safer gun technology or liability reform.

        2. I didn’t watch the debate but having personally lived in both a very rural and very urban environment I want to add one distinction between gun ownership in the two parts. In my very rural town we did not have a police department. Our next neighbor was far enough away that no one would ever hear a scream and possibly not even a gun shot. If we needed law enforcement assistance, it was coming from state or county and could be over an hour away. We were effectively on our own. In that circumstance, I could really understand having a gun because you couldn’t rely on the police to get there in time if someone broke in and you were home.

          In the urban life, most cities have a police department with patrol that is less than 10 minutes from your home. I’m personally more of the opinion that when seconds count, the police are minutes away but minutes away is a world of difference from an hour away, or non-existent.

          I’m guessing the rural/urban debate had more to do with hunting or killing vermin in crops or something and less to do with my point but I still wanted to add it for consideration.

          1. Also, just to be clear, if someone broke in my home I wouldn’t just shoot them. I would still do all the usual responsible things. Lock every door between us, barricade myself, call the police or hit my alarm panic button and hide. But I would be hiding with my gun. And if someone started working there way into my locked and barricaded space I would inform them that I was armed and if they proceeded they would be shot. Only if they made it to me before the cops got there would I shoot them. It would be a very last case very worst case scenario and not something I ever want to do but something I am prepared to do should I have to do it.

          2. Except, in reality, you’re more likely to be shot with your own gun by a man in your life. The scenario you described is merely a particularly compelling fantasy.

          3. Living near police and having them respond promptly (and appropriately) are two different things. I’m fairly ambivalent on the gun debate and really struggle with a lot of the issues, but I’m sympathetic to people who live in high-crime areas, especially if they feel the police view the violence in their neighborhood as just [expletive] killing [expletive]. Sorry if that’s an offensive way to put it, but events in the last year or so have really highlighted how your ability to rely on police protection depends on things other than whether you live in an urban or rural environment.

          4. Agree TBK. Also to 12:28, you are also right but we each have to analyze our individual risk factors. The average Jane is more at risk of dying from domestic violence than random stranger crime. Some of us work in dangerous jobs or have family that work in dangerous jobs where we receive threats or could easily become a target. Those people have a different risk level than average Jane and have to weigh their current relationship, whether they have children (to either protect from the threat or protect from the gun) and decide which is the lesser of two evils. As an example (but not my personal situation) I think a woman who works as a social worker advising a court that a violent abusive father should not have access to his children has a much higher risk than your local stock broker.

          5. I think that the real average Jane is likely to die in a car crash and then of heart disease. But the government is going to have to pry my car keys and butter from my cold, dead hands.

          6. I live near but not in the rural south (think: Atlanta area). I am amazed that anyone robs an independent gas station at gunpoint. ALL of those people are armed and will shoot. And yet they are preyed on all the time. The real sitting ducks are the people at named stations, who seem to be prohibited from arming themselves.

            I thank g-d that I have not had to work by myself, alone, at night at these peoples and are thankful that they are open for when I need them. But I would not want to trade places. Hard job, hard lives, hard choices.

      2. Re orthodoxy, I think that the country is moving towards balkanization, where people live hours away from anyone with a different view. That makes me sad. Soon we will be people who just demonize The Other, because The Other is someone we’ve never encountered as a friend, co-worker, or neighbor. We will just be yelling past each other (unless we’re there already).

        1. Soon? More like already been there 10 years at least. One thing I like about DC is that, if you’re open to looking for them, there are smart people from the “other side” all around you and so you can actually engage on the issues in an honest way. I’ve definitely had my mind changed since I’ve lived here on some issues, moderated my position on others, and fine-tuned my understanding and arguments in favor of the stuff I’ve stuck by (and feel very confident in my position on those since those viewpoints have really gone through the crucible). So valuable.

          1. I have a bunch of views on things that don’t fit neatly into a box. Many, many times, I feel like I’m in the closet b/c an otherwise-friendly crowd doesn’t know that my views on X don’t fit in well with a crowd that assumes that everyone is very ~X.

            Small DC dinner parties can be intersting (interesting good v. interesting OMG drama). Neighborhoods, too, when some one who works at 501c4 on Y moves in next door to people who want to ban Y and are all “y’all come by for some guacamole and watch the game with us.”

            But I love, love to see people make an effort to get along. Come one, people, smile on your brother.

      3. I appreciate Bernie Sander’s position on gun control because I think he is authentic and consistent. It is unlikely there will be any candidates whose views match mine 100%, and in the absence of that, I want a candidate where I know what to expect.

        1. I actually agree with this. I disagree with Bernie’s position, but I appreciate his sincerity.

      4. I thought HRC’s hair and makeup looked phenomenal. I don’t think she had work done – I think she just had her did by several professionals and her makeup done by several professionals and so it was on fleek, compared to since she left the Cabinet she’d been more relaxed and YOLO on the hair and make-up.

    5. Hillary was by far the most presidential. Sanders had his moments, but overall seemed like an angry old man. O’Malley was present and was really laying it on at the end, I suppose to try to get a VP nomination. I learned that there were two more candidates in the race and that one of them hates affirmative action.

      1. Gotta love the arrogance of old white men deciding to run outside their own party. Like, mmmhhhhmmm sure kthanxsbai we actually have our own talent pool?

        1. Gotta love the arrogance of commenters who decide that their party is too good for you and then actually write in upspeak.

          1. Sucks to realize your party has no viable candidates left because you’ve wasted 8 years on hardcore racism and misogyny doesn’t it?

          2. What? I’m a Republican? That’s news to me. I can be a D and still not agree with everything that other Ds say — particularly given that this is the primary season!

            But thanks – you just illustrated exactly why certain factions of our party are extremist and hypocritical. If you don’t want Rs to stereotype groups and dump on them categorically, don’t do it to them.

  15. I’m relatively younger than others on this site (24) but would like some insight. One of my best friends works for one of the biggest banks in the country (its not her endgame though) and shes starting to adopt the culture of the industry and her specific firm (becoming more materialistic, more calculating with other people to get what she wants in her personal life, etc.) but she’s still there for me when I have an issue/our dynamics havent changed too much. But I’m noticing these smaller changes and I’m worried that our lives and values will be so different in the next few years if she continues working in this industry. I’ve talked to her about it before but its awkward because I dont want to seem like I’m making judgments on her when she has told me how unhappy she has been even though her life seems glamorous on the outside. We life on opposite sides of the coast but talk regularly and see each other every few months.

    Any advice or insight on how to deal with this?

    1. Don’t borrow problems. You and your friends will grow and change in ways you can’t possibly predict. Assess your relationships where they are, and leave room for ebb and flow.

      2. Yep, let the relationship change over time. I found people got “extreme”‘in a way in their 20s (part of finding your adult identity) and I wasn’t an exception. You get into your career and tend to bond with people doing what you’re doing. It’s natural to grow apart from some friends in this process. I second not making this an issue, and I’d recommend staying in touch. You might become really different people, or in 10 years you might laugh about your respective approaches to life in your 20s and end up close than ever. There’s no way to predict that, but old friends are great to have.

    2. I would third not making this an issue.

      Also, I’m not sure if you meant to come across this way, but I sense a bit of stereotyping or generalization in your descriptions of your friend’s behavior. There’s a very wide range of cultures in the financial services industry and I would probably caution against finding some pattern of causation between your friend’s job and her new personality.

      1. OP here, thanks for everyone’s input to not make it an issue and let our friendship grow and change as time moves on. I’ll be following that advice for sure.

        I definitely didn’t mean to generalize about the industry as a whole even though that was what I wrote. I was referring to the cultures that a small number (albeit powerful) of banks, hedge funds, etc. have (it would be easier if I could just say where she works but obviously I’m trying to be anonymous here), and that has been her social circle the past three years/she works 14 hour days and shes becoming increasingly depressed about it, which is why I saw the pattern with her work environment and her newish behavior. However, I do understand people change and grow so it might have a smaller impact than I think and just people changing in general.

        1. To add to people who said to let it ride for a bit, I’ll say that when I worked in Big Law I definitely found myself becoming a person I didn’t like. I had become impatient, arrogant, snobby, and generally was a b—-ch. I had no time for anything but work, and work was eroding my sense of self-worth in a very scary way. So if you knew me when I was about 28 or 29, I probably wasn’t someone you’d like very much. But I got out, mostly because I didn’t like who I was becoming. And I think I’m very different now. I’m more patient, forgiving, empathetic, etc. than I was before Big Law got me (which I think we all become with age, if we’re lucky). So see what happens. You’re all so young she’s still probably just trying to fit in and try on this persona to see how it fits.

    3. She might be like me, so here’s how I feel about working for a large, top law firm. My relationships with my pre-law firm friends are sometimes strained bc they can’t relate. They don’t understand the pressure, esp the hours I work and why I basically can never plan for vacations or activities with them. They’ll never understand (esp the school teachers, stay at home moms, etc.), so I try to just not talk about my work when I hang out with them and make an effort not to talk about money or the things that I can afford on my current salary or traveling first class on someone else’s dime (when is rather be at home anyway!). I plan to get out of high pressure jobs when I’m financially secure and I hope those friends will still be around and we can pick back up. In the meantime, comments or their thoughts/ judgements on my work life balance only drive a wedge. If she’s hurting your feelings or diminishing your job/finances, I’d raise that issue without raising any issue about how you think she’s changing.

    4. I’m 27 and I feel you. I can’t tell you how many of my friends (including me!) are struggling with variations on this theme. A lot of us find it harder than romantic relationships, because we’ve had practice with breakups but not practice with “oh crud my friendship is changing what do I do.” I think it’s cool that you’re asking.

      For what it’s worth, I can tell you what I’ve had happen since I was 24. I’ve had a friend “break up” with me. I’ve let other friendships fade, some after big arguments, some just… gently, for reasons I can’t totally explain. Those were losses. They’re hard. Some of those people helped me figure out who I am. I miss them.

      And yet — despite those losses, I’m somehow still surrounded by people I love and who love me. I actually feel like my friendships are even better than they were at 24. It’s crazy, too, because my friends today are totally not who I expected to still be my friends. We have pretty different lifestyles. We don’t always agree with each other’s choices about money and relationships and jobs. And yet somehow the arguments and awkward moments and disagreements didn’t end these particular friendships. Maybe it’s because even when we made each other feel bad, it was because we were arguing about important stuff and having conversations that helped us understand who we were. They helped us grow. And because of that, or maybe just because we’re stubborn, we still wanted to be in each other’s lives. But honestly, I’ve had friendships where we argued about important stuff, and it made me a better person, and we still couldn’t stay friends. So. It’s messy. But it’s worth having those conversations. Because seriously, if you can’t, you never get to talk about the most important things!

      Sending a hug :)

      1. Honestly, friendships and people change over time. I read that the average person replaces half of their friends every 7 years. In different phases of life emotional needs, and what you can get out of and put into friendships, changes. It’s tough the first few times you go through it, but (at age 38) I try to treasure old friendships for what they were without being bitter about their ending.

    5. This almost reminds me of my relationship with my college BFF. Five years after graduation, she’s a married SAHM with a four year old daughter, still living in the same city. I’m halfway across the country, working in banking. Our relationship has definitely changed – we don’t have as much time to talk, our interests have diverged, our lives are very different than they were when we were in school and saw each other four times a week for choir and lunch. She’s still the closest thing I have to a sister, and it’s kinda fun when we get to use our different strengths for each other’s benefit – last time I visited home/her, she asked me for some advice re: savings for her little girl, and then taught me how to make homemade jam. :P

      For what it’s worth, though, she’s pretty much the only college-era relationship that I’ve held on to. Most of the others have just fizzled out, mostly through lack of contact – when you’re all in different timezones it can be kind of difficult. Most of my friendships right now are either in the area I live/work in, or online with people on different continents.

  16. Anyone use jojoba oil? I just bought some and it’s completely odorless and absorbs quickly. I use it to remove makeup and to moisturize – I really like ti so far.

    Any other skin-care oils to recommend (beside olive or coconut, which I have tried using on my skin)?

    1. I love the Weleda Almond Oil – it is mainly almond oil but has one other oil (prune? Maybe?) and a flower extract in too.

    2. Rosehip oil is nice, and I believe it has Vitamin A, like retinol. I like to use that at night. During the day I use argan oil.

    3. I like Vitamin E from Trader Joes. I don’t use on my face, but I do on my hands.

    4. I like jojoba oil. I’ve also used avocado oil in the same way. I used to do face massages with it, but now I mostly use it to shave with.

  17. Any recommendations for getting rid of hyperpigmentation on my face? I used to have really bad acne, and while it’s under control now, the dark spots are just killing me. I’ve been using Retin-A for a while. Anything else I should do?

    1. Use a chemical exfoliant (AHA) and a vitamin C serum. Also, make sure you wear sunscreen with these products and retin-a!

    2. Talk to a dermatologist (I specify a derm, not an aesthetician or other spa-type facility because of my personal research and experiences, however ymmv) about a chemical peel or a series of chemical peels.

      I had this impression that they were horribly dangerous, gross procedures that only vain old women had. Imagine my surprise when my (very reputable and helpful) dermatologist suggested a series of chemical peels, done in office, to help reduce my acne scarring and associated hyperpigmentation. I have never had to miss a day of work because I looked ‘scary’, I have just used coconut oil as a cleanser/moisturizer while the new baby skin healed, and have been thrilled with just what a difference these peels made.

      Also, because mine are corrective and part of my overall dermatologic regimen, they were covered by my insurance company (much to my surprise). It ended up being SO MUCH CHEAPER and more effective than the $$$ I’ve spent at Sephora over the years trying to help the same issue.

    3. If you’re not wearing a heavy duty sunscreen, you need to be. Retin-A/tretoinin makes your skin thinner and more susceptible to sun damage and pretty photosensitive, which in turns darkens those spots faster than you can lighten them. On top of that, a vitamin C serum and something with niacinimide should help. Both have been shown to lighten up hyperpigmentation.

    4. I’ve been using L’Oreal’s dark spot corrector for a while for precisely this issue, and it has made all the difference!

  18. I’m trying to write a nomination for a co-worker’s work on a project that was exceptionally difficult. She did an amazing job and deserves the recognition. I’m usually so good at this but I’m having writers block just starting the nomination form….any advice?

    1. I usually start with “It is my pleasure to nominate X for [recognition] for outstanding work on Y project”, then continue with how important the project was to the organization, then what X’s role was.

    2. “This project was exceptionally challenging due to X, y, z. However, Coworker rose to the challenge and did an outstanding job, accomplishing not only A but also b & C. Coworker deserves credit and recognition for all of her efforts, but in particular, [X} stands out becuase…”

      Not sure the context where you are writing this recommendation, but I think you probably don’t have to worry about writing award-winning prose here. Just list what coworker did, why it is exceptional/impressive. In other words, list factual evidence of why she deserves to be recognized.

      1. Perhaps write as if you are explaining to a friend who doesn’t speak the project lingo why co-worker did this great thing. That way, you can get the feelings and soft skills down on paper. Then revise to add in the technical skills that also matter in your work place.

  19. I have a pair of Clarks black dress flats I picked up about six months ago. They’ve stretched out in spite of otherwise looking brand new. Any reliable methods for returning them to a better fit, or a product that will help them fit better? I’m tired of shuffling around to keep them on my feet and new shoes aren’t in the budget.

    1. If you mainly wear them with bare legs/ nude tights, try G Minden invisible pointe shoe elastic. Unfortunately it only comes in pale peach so it depends on your skin tone whether it works.

    2. Insoles will take up some of the room in there, and might help – even if you don’t need them for cushion.

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