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Updated: Sep 3, 2020 127 Comments · by

Coffee Break: Medium AI Patchwork Leather Tote

Coffee Break

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Oh. My. Goodness. If ever there were a “bag made for Kat,” it might be this one from Akris — these are soooo my colors. (Ask me how many hours I spent going through Samplize for a nice dark blue paint color for some built-in bookshelves! I think Caribbean Azure will win, but let's see… ) 

I like that this has a unique triangular look when the flaps are down, but it's really just a big tote bag. It comes in a ton of different colorways if you're interested — all around the price of this one ($2,190).

The bag has already sold out at Nordstrom and Saks, but it's still in stock at Neiman Marcus. There's also a clutch/crossbody option for $1,390 at Nordstrom. Pictured: Medium AI Patchwork Leather Tote

A few interesting patchwork bags that are on the more affordable side are this tote from Radley London for $160 (was $268) and this Radley London tote for $154 (was $258), both at Zappos, as well as this small bucket bag from Anne Klein that is $55 at Amazon. 

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Sales of note for 9.30.24

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Kat

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

Comments

  1. Hate this

    I don’t think I’ve ever hated a bag more. The patches, the mismatching colors and textures, the true triangle shape, the price?! It reminds me of the mismatching patchwork denim jean trend from the late 90s/early 2000s. If this bag were around then, Britney Spears would have taken it on her jean on jean look with Justin Timberlake.

    • Elegant Giraffe

      I’m sure it wouldn’t appear so in person, but it looks cheap to me – like it won’t hold its shape. To each her own.

      • Anonymous

        I have a few Akris items (eBay) and I bet it would be much better in person. When so many items are throw-aways, their fabric and craftsmanship have been noticeably impressive (my mother sews and used to make her own suits). It is often a bit too “Sprockets” to work for me (lumpy former office worker now WFH), but the quality is generally stellar.

    • Pink

      Interesting. I love it – aesthetically. I would never actually spend two thousand dollars on a handbag.

    • Anon

      I feel about this like the (i think LV) bag Sarah Jessica Parker gave Jennifer Hudson at the end of the sex and the city movie. I was thinking, the girl is probably going to have one designer bag for the rest of her life, and that patchwork thing is the one you give her??

    • LaurenB

      If I’m going to spend that kind of money on a handbag (which seems obscene in Covid times, but in any case), it’s going to be for something classic that will stand the test of time. Not something trendy, with an odd shape, that will clash with everything. At least I would not spend $20 for this, let alone $2,000. I agree with the other posters that it looks cheap. I do not understand Kat’s taste at times.

      • Anon

        That’s really unnecessary and inaccurate. She didn’t clutch pearls at a museum exhibit; she made valid points about sex toys.

        • Anonymous

          Her point was that no one should talk about it outside of their bedrooms in any fashion — and by her standards, you’ve just violated that point. So I don’t think your defense stands.

          What do you think about her approach to race?

    • BB

      I have an Akris bag, not this one but I think it’s called “Alex” and it’s a cobalt blue. It was 50%+ off several years ago but still like $800, and I bought it somewhat on a whim. It’s…not really been worth it honestly. Part of it is I ended up not really having a use for a bag of its size and utility (it’s sort of medium-sized tote – too big for a clutch, too small to fit laptops). It looks sturdy and well made, but also kind of simplistic and I feel like I would expect more for a $2000 list price bag? Anyway, I’m not a huge fan of their bags after this. I keep meaning to consign it somewhere to get a couple of hundred bucks for it, but keep forgetting.

    • Opal

      Thank goodness it’s not just me. It reminds me of cheap 70s leather or rabbit fur jackets. That patchwork look is too, too….Ick!

  2. Anon

    There have been some interesting conversations lately about things that employees/candidates will and won’t tolerate (e.g., pre-recorded interviews, unnecessary butt-in-seat cultures). I’m definitely curious how things are going to shake out with the pandemic. Will employers retain power because so many people are looking for jobs or will non-service jobs have to adapt to suit the talent that no longer wants to deal with long commutes and unnecessary exposure to coworkers (to say nothing of onerous interview processes)? I know that for me personally, I would have done almost anything to get a job when I was early in my career, but now I’m at the (very privileged) point where I can be more selective. Curious what the overall trends will be.

    • Anon

      When I was fresh out of school I was very tolerant of BS. Now I’m in a position where my skills are sought after and companies need to act professionally for me to be interested. I pretty routinely withdrawal from a job process if something alarming happens, like gossiping about other employees.

      • Anon

        +1 I’m the anti butt-in-seat poster and I agree. My skills are unique and in demand. Workplace culture is as important, if not more important, than the actual work.

        • Airplane.

          +1. I do feel very bad for the early-incareer- folks and those graduating into this pandemic. If I could wave a magic wand take that away utter interview and workplace culture BS I would. I hate for an entire generation of workers to normalize shitty treatment because of a pandemic/recession.

    • Anon

      I think this has always been a thing and will be a thing. The most highly sought after candidates who have lots of options can afford to be choosy and will continue to do so. Companies that want top talent will accommodate those demands, others won’t (this will also vary greatly within the same company). I’m sure certain things like flexibility to work from home will become more popular demands that highly sought after candidates can make and that companies seeking top talent will market as a benefit of their positions, but I don’t think the negotiation power will alter much, just the things those who are in the position to negotiate will negotiate about.

    • Anonymous

      I think it’s going to exacerbate the wealth divide and worsen things in the workforce even for those with special skills.

  3. Ribena

    I went to check out the uniqlo joggers that get mentioned here a lot, and found that Uniqlo also make a pair of joggers that are fleece lined – the FLEECE TIGHTS of 2020???

  4. Abby

    Send me any and all recipes for mint! For the first time in the last ~5 years, my mint plant took off! (safely in a pot) A girl can only drink so many mojitos, so please share your ideas and recipes!

      • Katie

        I make a honeydew-cucumber-mint smoothie – super refreshing. You can add a dollop of greek yogurt or some honey too.

          • Anon

            Honeydew is also great for anyone who regularly suffers from heartburn. It’s among the lowest acid things in the produce aisle.

    • Senior Attorney

      I made this the other night and it was delish (I used turkey sausage to keep the calories down a bit): https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spicy-sausage-pasta-tomatoes-and-squash

      This one uses a ton of mint and is easy and FAB: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016634-pasta-with-burst-cherry-tomatoes?

      This salad is very impressive and delicious:
      1 cup creme fraiche
      kosher salt
      small handful of mint leaves
      12 black Mission figs
      12 Adriatic figs
      3 cups arugula
      1 Tbsp red wine vinaigrette
      1 6-oz piece honeycomb
      olive oil
      crunchy sea salt
      ground black pepper, preferably Tasmanian
      Whisk the creme fraiche with a pinch of salt in a medium bowl until the consistency of whipped cream. Put the mint leaves in a bowl of ice water to crisp, then drain on a paper towel. Cut the figs into round, wedges, or other shapes as you like. Spoon some creme fresh onto each serving plate and drag the bottom of the spoon through it to form an elongated teardrop. Toss the arugula with just enough vinaigrette to coat and stack some leaves on each plate. Arrange the figs, mint leaves, and honeycomb on the plate. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over each fig and sprinkle with crunchy sea salt and pepper.

    • Anonyz

      I make my own Greek seasoning, since hubby is on a low-salt diet. Store in a re-used spice jar.

      1/4 cup dried chopped onions
      3 TBSP dried mint
      2 TBSP dried basil
      2TBSP dried oregano
      1 TBSP dried minced garlic
      (can alter ratios to taste, makes 96 servings)

      • Abby

        how do you properly dry the mint? and for the dried chopped onion, do you buy them like that, or also dry them yourself?

        • Anon

          Not Anonyz, but tie any herbs you’d like to dry in bundles (string around the stems) and hang them upside down somewhere airy.

        • Anonyz

          I dry the mint by hanging bunches upside down in my spare bedroom closet, with the sliding doors cracked. I tie them with garden twine to the rod. It’s dry, dark, and pet-proof. I also put a kitchen trash bag on the floor underneath to catch any fall.

          I buy the dried chopped onion, but I have made it myself in the past when I kept a backyard garden. It gets fine in a food dehydrator, it’s just a lot of fussing to turn and sort everything. I got lazier as I got older.

      • Abby

        I thought I’d be entertaining this summer and would be making pitchers and pitchers…not so much!

    • Anon

      My mint is not, unfortunately, safely in a pot so we have LOTS. We like mint juleps (make the simple syrup including a mint sprig + add mint to the drink) and we love Indian food. This cilantro mint chutney is like the green stuff you get in the squeezy bottle at Indian restaurants, but better.

      https://ministryofcurry.com/cilantro-mint-chutney/

    • anonshmanon

      I dry the mint for tea, and you can also chop up a good amount of mint, with green onions, parsley, basil or whatever I have (cilantro would probably work, but no thanks), and throw it all into sour cream for an awesome dip for grilled veggies.

      • Anon

        Not mint related but I need to add the martini I made yesterday.

        Cut 2 thin slices of cucumber
        Muddle one slide in the bottom of a cocktail shaker until bruised but still intact
        Add ice, 2 Oz Hendrick’s gin, a little less than 1/2 Oz Dolin vermouth (white)

        Shake and strain into smallish chilled martini glass. Garnish with second cucumber slice.

        This is the most refreshing drink ever. Make sure it’s super cold, which means shaking until your hands can’t stand it.

    • Marise

      Watermelon/mint/feta salad! Combine 2 cups of watermelon chunks with 1/4 diced red onion, chopped mint and feta chunks. Toss. Squeeze generous amounts of lime juice over it to bring it together. Toss again. Enjoy!

  5. anon

    A “close” relation just lost her husband suddenly, and I am trying to figure out the right response. Unfortunately I am nearly estranged from my family, and we just don’t have the sort of relationship that can provide any real comfort or support. I know the greiving widow doesn’t actually want to hear from me, but I also expect to be judged & punished if I don’t recognize the occasion correctly.

    There will probably be a big funeral with family flying in from several covid hotspots, so I will have to make a difficult decision about that soon. But in the meantime, is there anything I can do? My family isn’t big on cards or food that’s not homemade, but should I do that anyway?

    • Anon

      Send a card because it’s about the most low effort response you can have that will (hopefully) appease your relatives. Don’t go to the funeral, use the pandemic as an excuse if you have to.

    • potato

      I’d send a card with my return address written in big letters. Probably won’t be opened but you’ve done your duty.

    • Anonymous

      Oof. Sorry you’re in a tough position, but I think the grieving widow’s preferences matter more than yours – if she doesn’t want to hear from you due to estrangement, I would not add to her grief right now. You can always explain this later.

    • Flats Only

      If you’re damned if you do / damned if you don’t, send a restrained flower arrangement to the church and call it a day. You can’t win, so don’t waste time trying.

    • Pink

      It sounds like your family is going to criticize you regardless of your actions, so I would focus on reaching out to the widow, if you want to, in a way that feels meaningful to you. That could simply mean sending a card. When my dad died, I appreciated the people who said “Gosh that seems so hard. I have no idea what you’re going through, but I’m here if you want to talk.” I also appreciated people who brought food to my parents’ house and then left without asking how I was doing or looking to me to comfort them over my loss. Those are the two scenarios that I think could serve you well, but again it’s your choice. If you’re truly estranged, you can also do nothing and not attend the funeral. I think that’s a perfectly acceptable boundary, particularly during Covid. I’m sorry for your loss.

    • eertmeert

      If she doesn’t want to hear from you, I would go with a small-medium flower arrangement with a message “from anon” or equally simple. The relation can throw it away if she chooses to, but you will know you made a gesture in a terrible time.

      .

      • Anon

        I would send flowers. It’s traditional enough to feel like old fashioned etiquette (and less like it has some special meaning or message), and the card can be extremely minimal in a way that a card on its own probably wouldn’t be. Sometimes “numbers” alone can be comforting in a strange, probably not rational way, so I think I’d want to join the aggregate of people who sent something.

    • Anon

      Different situation but I had a friend whose wedding I attended, and I attended hers, and she ghosted me out of the blue. I never knew why, despite following up with her regularly several times over the course of a year.

      A few years later I heard through mutual friends that her husband had cancer. Then I heard he had died. All of our mutual friends were going to the funeral but I decided that I didn’t want to add any distress to her day (still not knowing why she had dropped me but assuming she was mad at me or didn’t like me) so I didn’t go. Instead I sent her a card along the lines of (i was so sorry to hear. I know you loved him so much. You are in my thoughts) without bringing up any of the past stuff.

      About a week later she friended next on Facebook. She has never sent me a message or commented on one of my (rare) posts but I think of it as a sign that the card was Ok and she is Ok with a Facebook level friendship.

      So after all of that, my tip is, send a card, make it about the person you’re sending it to and don’t try to accomplish anything else with it, and move on.

    • Anonymous

      You aren’t close to this person. Send a condolence card. Her grief is not about you and your drama. You know she doesn’t want you involved. So don’t be.

    • Anon

      I vote do nothing if you are truly estranged. My relation isn’t close but my godfather’s sister died recently and my mom repeatedly mentioned that I should send a card. I am estranged from him, his wife (my Aunt) and their son (my cousin). I don’t want them knowing where I live so any card would not have a return address and I would not want it postmarked from my town. Also, we have been no contact for years and I don’t want the card to look like an invitation to have contact. So I went with doing nothing.

    • Senior Attorney

      It’s not about you. Figure out what would be kindest for the widow and do that. Which sounds like it’s nothing so there you have it.

    • The Original ...

      Late to the party but disagree with much… you said you know widow doesn’t want to hear from you, you’re estranged from family, and they will judge you regardless. I vote that you do/say nothing. Widow doesn’t want something = widow gets her way. estranged from family and you’re judged regardless = no reason to make an effort or initiate communication.

      Estrangements don’t just happen, they’re a choice. Whatever happened here that led to it doesn’t need to be reinvigorated with flowers or cards that they either won’t appreciate or will become angered by. You don’t need to deal with buying a card or having flowers go ignored.

      Do nothing. Estrangement means no more obligations. Respecting the widow means not doing something that will upset her. In either “side,” the answer requires nothing on your part. If you’re feeling sad about not being included or participating in the process, talk with friends or a therapist about why you feel this way about estranged relationships. Don’t kick up dust unnecessarily or when neither side would benefit.

      Sending love

  6. anon a mouse

    The other day people posted about wifi boosters/mesh (?)/extenders. Is this the sort of thing that could help my connection hold better? Our plan (100 mbps) mostly seems to be fine, but sometimes my laptop has trouble holding a video connection if both DH and I are on a call. Is this something I should look into? I literally know nothing here. Thanks!

    • Aunt Jamesina

      Vinegar and dish soap. And then use a daily shower spray to help prevent it from building up again (I like Method’s).

    • Anonymous

      Ooh! Ooh! I just figured this out (housecleaners until the pandemic) – it’s vinegar plus microfiber cloths. The microfiber is really the key, I think. It’s also great for dusting and cleaning glass generally.

    • Anon

      We have water that causes serious build-up on glass doors. Our housekeeper uses toilet cleaner. Yep. Wild to me, but that’s what she uses and it really works.

    • Anonymous

      Is it soap scum? Or hard water? We have the latter and CLR works like magic.

    • mascot

      Once you get it removed, using a squeegee after every shower to dry the door can help. We have a glass shower that we religiously squeegee and our housekeeper has commented what a difference it makes.

    • BB

      Is it definitely soap scum or just the hard water buildup? If it’s the latter or you’re not sure…dryer sheets! Surprised no one has mentioned this yet, but get some Bounce sheets (don’t get the all natural brown ones, just regular ones), wet them, and use to clean the glass. It gets the water buildup off like magic, seriously!

    • Senior Attorney

      And going forward, it literally takes 30 seconds to squeegee the shower door and it’s totally worth it.

  8. Anon

    I just had a virtual video appointment with a registered dietician who owns her own practice (and is also a fitness instructor). I’m a little…put off. My insurance is supposed to cover it, but it otherwise would have been $270. She is going to give me a personalized meal plan and exercise routine, so I’m looking forward to that, but…
    A) the hour long appointment was taken from her moving car, and she wasn’t wearing headphones, so everything I said was heard by whoever was driving the car (and I talked about sensitive things like a recent breakup, my stress triggers, and my embarrassing-to-me nutrition and lack of fitness habits)
    B) the moving background made me feel sick and gave me a horrible headache
    C) the connection on her end was horrible and the camera often froze and we lost connection completely three different times

    Am I overreacting? She had glowing reviews but I really expected more privacy and professionalism. I’m just so shocked that she took an appointment from her car like that.

      • Anon

        Oh, just realized you said insurance was paying. Then not sure what to do other than decide not to continuing to work with her or at the very least provide this constructive feedback and see what she says.

      • Anonymous

        I’m just wondering, what would have been professional?
        — Just doing a call (no video)?
        — Just doing a call at home (you still don’t know who else is home (my spouse has a sensitive call to make today and he is so loud that I will hear him no matter where he is in the house; whether he is also on our kids’ school zooms is another matter; trying to get him to do it in his parked car with the engine on b/c I truly believe that it is the quietest place and most noise-proof)).
        — Video call from home?
        — Any of the above + visible headset?

        I honestly don’t know. I take a lot of calls from my closet (I have one wall where it’s not obviously a closet if video needs to be on). Others I prefer to take in my car. I feel like if I want professionalism and privacy, I could go into my office (legally) but can’t leave my kids now that schools are closed.

        • Anonymous

          A call from the unmoving car in which there was not obviously a driver!

          A call from home from something that looks like an office.
          Ie not sitting in her bed.

          • Monday

            Between four walls in a non-moving space, with closed doors, alone, anywhere.

            If she can’t provide a minimum standard of service right now, she shouldn’t be offering and charging for it.

        • Anon

          OP here. I’m not sure about those who WFH, but I do know she has a stand alone office where she is the only occupant, because she used it recently to do lunch and learn presentations for my employer.

        • Elegant Giraffe

          Seems entirely possible she had an emergency and for whatever reason had to be in the car. No problem -cancel the appointment and do it at a time when you are stationary and not obviously sitting in bed. Pretty minimum expectation.

        • Anon

          I get that with the pandemic we are all having to do what we have to do to survive but the key is to at least make it look like you are doing what you are supposed to do.

          Occasionally, my husband has to walk into my office to grab something if he’s called into work. It is the only safe place to store his gear in our house. If that happens and I’m on a video call, I turn the video so no one can see him walk in and walk out.

          His desk is in my open plan living room. If I walk downstairs to get something from the kitchen and hear him on a sensitive call, I make little to no noise and stay out of the camera frame.

          One of my coworkers has kids that pass behind her video often and I’ve thought in the past that we all know you are home with your kids but why remind everyone by having them on video too. Our boss is curmudgeonly about that kind of stuff which is why I say don’t remind him.

          • Batgirl

            You’re expecting too much of people who are taking care of their children at home during a pandemic. No one is choosing this, and kids aren’t as predictable or cooperative as a spouse. I personally think it’s nice that people don’t feel forced to pretend that any of this is normal.

    • Monday

      I’d be totally put off by this, and would seek a different provider immediately. This is so sloppy and unprofessional. You could even have ended the call immediately, asking her to reschedule for a time when she was actually available and could offer confidentiality!

      • Airplane.

        Yes! This is not OK. And if she presented for lunch & learns at your employer I would contact benefits and let them know of this bad experience. Your workplace probably doesn’t want to associate with a provider that would act this unprofessionally and without confidentiality. It’s basic healthcare professionalism here.

        • Anonymous

          +1. Find a new provider and complain. Consider asking for a refund unless you prefer to just cut your losses and start over.

          I actually did receive a refund that went back to insurance after a terrible appointment. I requested it to make a point. It may not come out of your pocket, but why should she make a profit from this visit when you did not get anything out of it and your privacy was violated? After all, you’re going to have to go to a new provider who will bill insurance again and is insurance going to cover it a second time?

    • Anon

      Yeah, she was clearly busy and should have rescheduled to a time she could appropriately meet you.

    • AFT

      This is super uncool and unprofessional of her. I know it’s hard in the moment, but I think you could have signed off in the middle of it after telling her the connection was bad and tell her to let you know a time when she’s in the office to reschedule. I know hindsight is 2020 so it’s easier to say now as an outsider!
      I’m going to be an outlier and say, since the ball is firmly in her court and insurance paid, you might as well wait and see what she provides. It may be what she sends you is actually helpful and of value, and if you complain or tell her you don’t want to work with her, you may not get it. I think it would be different if you hadn’t paid yet.

  9. Elevator rules

    In my city, the downtown core is a lot of very tall (30+ stories) buildings, some used by companies that cram people in cube farms or ledges into giant floor plans (my company is to the other extreme — tons of barely used conference rooms, wide hallways, tons of private office for very few actual workers (much fewer now). Our city seems to have settled on a 3-people per elevator rule, which means that a lot of businesses are WFH indefinitely, which is destroying many downtown businesses who relied on office worker foot traffic that will likely be gone for 9 months out of the year.

    1. Are your cities similar?
    2. If masked, does the number really matter (esp. with smart elevators that only to go certain floors, so theoretically more speedy)?
    3. Is 3 not the right number? 6? 15 would pack us in like sardines.

    FWIW, I rarely had even one person in an elevator with me in prior times, but I staggered my hours due to when my kids’ schools were in/out (ha! remember schools?!), so 8-4ish. I’m just wondering how these poor businesses will hang on or if people will just lose everything (e.g., a restaurant may lose its chef b/c chef is worried about his/her future; wine inventory has long since been sold off to try to keep things going, etc.).

    Also, FWIW, I have been an essential worker from the first day of our shutdown and we have only closed the office to do 2 deep cleanings when people tested positive. I go in alternating with spouse, who is also an essential worker. Many people are WFH largely due to childcare / school issues, so the office is still lightly populated. I could do 95% of my work from home, but it is hard and makes an 8 hour day take 12-15 hours to make happen, which I just cannot do on a forever basis.

      • Anonymous

        Ours, too. Big SEUS city. Is that just what 6 feet works out to be? Or is it landlord or city-specific?

        It seems like employers were all “We can’t get everyone up/down in time if they all show up or go to lunch at once.” That may be true, but if schools can make us have A days and B days and my kids’ schools have lunches going from 10am to 1pm to spread people out, can business not even try to think creatively on this?

        My city is one where no one used to be downtown at night, to the point where it was dangerous because you were alone, there was no foot traffic, and the typical city dangers multiplied (more muggings, more needles on the street, etc.). It started to change when I started working in the late 1990s and has gotten so much better as a city and now I am worried that the pandemic will hollow out the city center again. I remember we used to have security just to walk people working late to their cars to make sure they weren’t attacked in the parking garage or nearby surface lots.

        • Anonymous

          My office has A days and B days but it’s entirely voluntary. I feel like they can’t force us back because they’re afraid of becoming a COVID-19 hotspot and in the news. They clearly are unhappy we are working from home. My area also has the added layer that for me to go to the office I’d have to take mass transit (driving is not a viable option), so until they can convince us to get on a bus or train, we have largely opted out of the voluntary office.

        • Anonymous

          No, nobody can think so creatively as to outwit the pandemic. We can do all the wishful thinking in the world, but that doesn’t make crowded elevators or any environments without good air circulation safe.

          • Anonymous

            I haven’t even shared an elevator since some time in February and I am in a car commuting city. We are killing our downtown. We are nowhere near “crowded elevators.”

          • Anonymous

            Actually people can think creatively to find ways to live and work during a pandemic. This virus isn’t going away anytime soon, no matter what we do. You realize the 1918 flu is still going around? It’s mutated, and we get immunized, but it still exists.

            It’s not wishful thinking, it’s coming up with pragmatic ideas so society can continue to function and people can live. If you aren’t interested in the conversation then scroll down instead of being dismissive of other people.

          • Anonymous

            I hate the argument that since COVID will be around in one form or another forever, we might as well just adapt to it now but not adhering to basic public safety measures. I’m sorry that some businesses will close, but I’m more concerned about people spreading the pandemic and other dying. The 1918 flu analogy is ridiculous because a) there’s a vaccine for the flu, and b) it’s become SIGNIFICANTLY less deadly. When and if that happens for COVID, which frankly all reports seem to indicate will be within the next 6-12 months (in terms of a vaccine and better treatments, not in terms of it weakening on its own, though it will do that too in a few years), then it’ll be time to loosen up restrictions. This fatalistic approach to COVID is why we have such an insanely high infection and death rate, and it’s not supported by reports from the scientific community.

        • Anon

          We all have antibodies to the 1918 flu just living in the world. It’s not a novel virus like the current one

          • Anonymous

            Doesn’t change the point that if the poster doesn’t want to discuss ideas about how we can find ways to live with the virus they should just scroll past instead of doomsday comments.

          • Anonymous

            Insisting on pushing for pre-pandemic normalcy isn’t the same thing as finding ways to live with it. It lacks reason.

    • Anonymous

      My office building is only 14 floors, and there is a system. A maximum of four people are allowed per elevator, and there are circles in each corner to stand. There is a guard in the lobby who assists in loading elevators in the morning, and I think this is key to speeding up the process. It eliminates people milling around, or pressing the up button before a full elevator has started to move, or people holding the door. It also ensures everyone is wearing a mask. Once in the building, it’s the honor system for only four people per car, and everyone is doing it. They also opened up the staircases and people use those.

      I live in the suburbs and we are starting to see companies open satellite offices, which is a creative solution. No idea how long this will last, but it gives office space to x% of people who then don’t have to go to NYC. Most of these people live in the suburbs anyways, so it’s good for them.

      I take the train everyday, and it doesn’t bother me. Everyone is wearing masks, and the doors open all the time.

  10. Anon

    Ok, yall, I have a haircut tomorrow, and my last few haircuts have been awful. I swear I’ve been explicit about what I want…and the stylists just do their own thing. I’ve said “no shorter than my shoulders,” and I walk out with chin-length; I’ve said layers, and I get a blunt cut. I haven’t had a good cut in…a couple years probably? This is different stylists at different nice salons. I speak publicly for work and I’m good at it, so I’m at a loss as to why this keeps happening to me!

    • Anon

      Find a highly rated stylist and insist she take the time to listen to your past experiences. I’m sure you’re clear but say something like “I want to be very clear – shoulder length to me means touching my shoulders”

      • Anonymous

        I would add: shoulder length means touching my shoulders when my hair is dry. (My hair is a lot shorter when dry.)

    • Monday

      In my experience, upscale hairdressers take more leeway than budget ones do. They understandably consider themselves artists/designers and want to assert their expert opinions on your hair. If you want someone to adhere strictly to what you say, and check often for your approval, go down-market.

      • Anonyz

        Agree with this. The best cuts I’ve gotten have been from student stylists, because they constantly ask for feedback throughout the process (from both you and from their instructor).

    • Anonymous

      I always say how many inches and also show them with a gesture on my hair, unless it’s just a trim. I think you should also speak up during/after your haircut if you can see it’s not what you want — for example, the stylist could have easily added layers to the blunt cut before you left the salon if you just said something at the time.

    • anonshmanon

      I used to bring photos of celebrities with the kind of cut I want. Worth a try.

    • Marie

      Find a picture with a cut that you would like the stylist to emulate and show that to the stylist. That probably is the least open to interpretation.

    • eertmeert

      I bring photos of what I want (“I want this long bob that ends at my shoulders) and what I don’t want (this bob is too short, I don’t want that”). You are probably also touching your hair to demonstrate the length you want. But keep doing that.
      Ask that they show you what they are going to do before they do it. My stylist gives me a quick summary of our plan after we talk about it first.
      Finally, if it ends up too short again tell them right then, before you get out of the chair. “This is not what I asked for, I said and showed you 1/2 inch below my shoulder and it is 1 inch above my shoulder. I am not happy with this.”
      If you ask for layers and get a blunt cut, “This is not what I asked for. Please cut in the layers we discussed.” or “Where are my layers? Can you please add them in now?”
      Good luck!
      I once had a stylist give me a pixie when I was growing out my hair to shoulder length. I told her to add shape to my chin length hair. Her first move was to cut a piece from the crown of my head to about 1.5″ from the scalp. There was no going back after that, and I sat in horrified shock throughout the cut. And it was a terrible cut, something between a Bowie mullet and a grandma cut – not flattering. My hair grows so slowly and it had taken me 6 months to grow out what I had. I was traumatized for years after that. It is so frustrating to have your wishes disregarded!

      • Anonymous

        What’s the point of saying it’s too short after the fact? You gotta do this at the beginning.

        • eertmeert

          That’s what I said – state it up front. Then, if they cut it too short, tell them “too short” instead of saying “oh, thanks, looks good” and being upset.
          Basically, state your complaint if they don’t listen and it isn’t fixable in the moment.

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