Workwear Hall of Fame: Varina Flats

57 Comments

1. Crosspost! I left this in response to yesterday’s post but meant to put it on the newest post… Love the blog. Not quite understanding the very random comments under each post but I guess this is as good of a place as any to ask … can we talk about outerwear in a formal work environment? I work in a very cold city (-25C) and I have meetings outside of the office several times a week. I lean for the wool, but it doesn’t keep me warm and I feel somewhat crazy trying to pull it off. What are some examples of warm coats that I can wear to a very formal meeting? Thank you!

   1. Welcome :) Rarely do our comments have anything to do with the post – we just come here to chat with other like-minded professional women during the day.

      The official ‘Rette answer is that when it’s that cold, you forget looks and wear what’s warm. I don’t live anywhere that cold, but this jacket is my favorite for winter. Size up if you need to wear a suit jacket under it. https://www.macys.com/shop/product/cole-haan-layered-down-puffer-coat?ID=2813247

      1. +1 agreed this is ‘rette canon – warmth > fashion. Also any water bottle is fine and a birkin bag is difficult to pull off if you’re an intern. Ok you’re caught up. ;)

   2. Welcome, we’re usually kind :)
      Note: Many trolls here seem to use a female name only, so you might want to change your screen name. But so far you seem normal!
      You asked a good question, sorry I can’t help as I’m in Southeast USA, but feel free to post it in the morning on the first post and you’ll probably get a good response.
      Good luck!

   3. Welcome! If it’s -25, feel free to wear down. Really…it’s OK. I am a super-huge fan of the Eddie Bauer Sun Valley parka, which comes in tall, petite, regular and plus. It’s very windproof, waterproof and warm. And often on sale. GL!

      1. MJ, I looked it up. -25 Celsus = -13 Farenheit, so it is not that much worse then NYC. But irregardless, she should wear a DOWN coat; preferabley one that is knee length or below. I recomend Canadian Goose, b/c they are very sturdy, and Dad bought me one for NYC, so if she gets a heavy weight version, she will be fine. She should know that we look heavy in them, but at my age, I would rather be warm then fashionable, particularly b/c I must walk to work every day. Good luck to her and you for commenting! YAY!!!

   4. Sounds like you’re a fellow Ottawan and I promise people wear puffers even to the fanciest of meetings, just so long as they’re black or navy. No one is knocking you for dressing appropriately.

      1. Possibly a third Ottawan here. All puffer all the time this winter.

   5. Rule of thumb…once the 0 degree threshold is crossed, fashion is out and warmth is in. Whatever it takes–you might even have to crawl inside a tauntaun to survive.

      1. 0 degrees C or F? Because 32 F isn’t that cold, and I would look weirdly at somebody wearing, say, a full length down parka.

   6. Welcome!

   7. I have a very sedate puffer (oxymoron?) from Lands End. Straight column of navy. It also has a faux-fur edged hood, which I think makes it seem dressier. IIRC it’s their Winter Long Down Coat. I’d wear it to any meeting and not be worried about it, and it’s very warm without making me look like an absolute marshmallow. :)

   8. Marmot black women’s 3/4 puffer coat.

      1. I bought this coat earlier this year. It is the warmest coat I have ever owned.

2. Any tips for visiting Glacier National Park, especially places to stay? Meeting up with some friends this summer and we’re bringing our families.

3. I missed the commenting boat on yesterday’s post about where to donate lightly used makeup. There is a program called Wands for Wildlife where you can donate used and washed mascara wands. These are used in the care and rehabilitation of injured wildlife. Since mascara isn’t really something you want to use secondhand this is a good alternative.

   1. I’m the OP from that thread. Thank you!

4. Any tips from transition from iCal to GCal? I vastly prefer the iCal phone app, but not being able to access it on all my devices (iPhone is my only Apple device) has me seriously considering the switch. Has anyone else made the switch? I currently have a beautifully color-coded, accurate and helpful calendar and am dreading starting from scratch and learning a new app.

   1. I use iCal almost exclusively, but my calendars live on my Google account. I just sync my Google calendars with iCal.

      1. So how do you add an event? Via Gcal on your computer or via iCal on your phone? Forgive me if that’s obvious but tech is really not my strength.

         1. Either works. Mostly iCal on my phone because it’s more convenient. I just add them to a calendar that is stored on Google.

5. These look like something I’d brush my cat with. What the…?

   1. Seriously! And they’re almost $1,000 full price?!

   2. I assumed they were the jelly ones, but no :(

      OTOH, they make everything on my wish list seem reasonable. Hello, Rothys points . . .

   3. Haha! I think the color is cute but I do have a cat brush that bears a surprising resemblance to this.

   4. Bingo.

6. Can we talk about home safety? I just bought a house and learned from some neighbors that there has been some property crime in the neighborhood in the past, including a few burglaries. What do you do to keep your home safe? I’m leaning toward a security system like Simplisafe and some exterior motion lights. What products or services have you all found useful or not? (I’m not getting a dog or a gun. More worried about when I’m not home than when I am.)

   1. I live in a pretty safe, suburban area but we have a full security system through a local company. I like the peace of mind and the cost is not significant for us.

   2. I have an Arlo security camera and that’s it.

   3. I talked to a police officer at length about this one day when he was responding to my car being broken into outside my house. He told me that the best deterrents (other than a dog, which was his number 1 suggestion) were things like exterior motion lights and making sure that you don’t have bushes that obscure first-floor windows. I always had a security alarm because it made me feel safer in my house, but he told me they don’t tend to deter crime that much because burglars know that they can smash your window and grab a few things that are easy to sell before the police get there. I liked having it anyway because it would alert me if someone broke in while I was home.

      I also always had packages sent to my work when I could, and tried not to leave anything on the porch that I would be crushed to lose (including really nice planters, because those also had a tendency to walk off in my old neighborhood).

      1. Not the OP but this is a very helpful response–thanks!

      2. This. There were a few burglaries in my parents neighbourhood and the police advised dog, exterior lights, no shrubs.

      3. Also, he said for cars, it’s the stuff we hear over and over of making sure you park under a light, lock the doors, and don’t leave anything (including change) visible when you get out of the car. I guess some people in my neighborhood would leave their car doors unlocked to keep someone from smashing the windows. But then the neighborhood gets a reputation for having cars all over the place with unlocked doors, attracting more people who break into cars.

   4. We just started using SimpliSafe and I like it, though I didn’t have any prior security system experience. Whatever you end up with, I highly recommend being able to arm/disarm from your phone. We also have exterior motion lights – the former owners installed them, I don’t know that we would have done it on our own.

   5. We have a Vivint security system and it comes with a doorbell cam. It’s handy because when we travel we give the pet sitter their own pin code on the key pad and the system automatically arms and disarms as they come and go. And there is an app where you can set alerts and keep track of when doors are opened and closed.

      If you want extra security, you can get security cameras. Arlo works well for indoor cams, but we had an issue with the outdoor ones draining the batteries quickly.

      If you have a garage, don’t leave the door open for long periods of time. Keep your car locked and valuables out of sight. Our garage door opener even has an app where you can control the door and get alerts when it is opened. We had an issue with an old garage door opener malfunctioning and the door opened on it’s own while we were away and we didn’t know until we came home late that night.

   6. I agree with and have dogs, security system with cameras, a few motion detector lights (adding more), and no obstructions to viewing my house. In fact, I have left what I consider to be an ugly chain link fence and gate up instead of upgrading because it allows a lot more visibility into my yard from the street and from my neighbors’ homes. (It also saved me a lot of money.)

      Best additional safety upgrades, in order: reinforced door jambs, substantial deadbolts (the guy who reno’d my house used cheap deadbolts, so I switched them all out), and shatter-proof windows. The first two are pretty easy, the last one is a big upgrade if you don’t have it.

   7. Having bars on my ground-floor windows makes me feel safe, although granted I do live in the middle of Los Angeles where that’s a pretty common thing to have. You might not need bars everywhere but could consider them if you have windows that are aware from the street or are poorly lit – you can get ones that are somewhat decorative and don’t look like prison bars. I keep the curtains closed/blinds down whenever I’m not at home, or at night when people could easily see inside.

   8. This is a really late post, but the best home purchase I ever made was an automatic lightswitch for my outdoor lights. I set it for dawn to dusk (it’s programmed, so doesn’t rely on a sensor. I think it’s Honeywell) and my porch and garage lights turn on and off every day. I never come home to a dark house and my front door is fully visible from the street. I bought a motion sensor light for the side door to my garage, plus door alarms (since I never use that door or one of my back doors).

      I have dowels that prevent my windows from opening and a lab who (if she isn’t sleeping) will viciously bark and hurl herself at possible intruders.
      I’ve read that it’s very important to not have overgrown bushes and trees near the front door that are large enough for people to hide behind. Unfortunately I can’t bring myself to tear out the hardy and drought tolerant junipers lining my front walk, so I’m relying on my dog to pitch a fit if she saw anyone there. I do have deadbolts for all the outer doors, but feel like anyone who is determined can get inside your house. It’s just about making it more difficult. I live alone and though my neighborhood is pretty safe, I feel secure with my additional measures.

   9. We is installed a ring doorbell and a bunch of their other products (including the alarm system) and have been really happy with it.

7. Does anyone else’s phone randomly stop making sounds? I check the side button, the silence setting, the ringer volume… usually it starts making sounds if I restart it but I’m not sure WTF. iPhone.

   1. Is it specific apps that stop making sounds? Maybe some settings get reset when an app is updated. On mine, I can set notifications individually for each app.

   2. Yes, that happens to me and I restart it, too. No clue why it happens.

8. Thanks to everyone for the encouraging comments, words of wisdom and congratulations on my post this morning about making partner and now feeling totally burned out. You are all correct that making partner is a stressful, uphill battle, and once you make it you are suddenly faced with another big hill (the hill to equity partner) and new stressors. The prize for the pie eating contest is more pie, etc. I know I’m also definitely affected by seasonal affective disorder, so I’m sure that factors into it. I’d love to take a little time off, but not sure I really have time to. Husband and I are planning a big trip, but not until September. I have been spending a lot of time focusing on my fitness lately, just because I needed to and also in hopes that the endorphins would give me a boost. I may try to schedule an appointment with my doctor to talk about tweaking meds, but I’m very hesitant to do that because I’m on a mood stabilizer rather than an anti-depressant, and I don’t like messing with it unless absolutely necessary. For now, I’ll keep on keeping on, I guess, and see how things are a month or so down the road. Thank you again for the encouragement and for also letting me know I’m not crazy to be thinking these things or feeling this way!!

   1. I missed your morning post, but I can completely relate to what you’re feeling. I’m not in law, but I had a similar experience when I moved into a director’s role in my organization. I was simultaneously burned out and overwhelmed — a really terrible combination. To an extent, I think you have to force yourself to do the critical tasks each day, but don’t feel awful if you also feel like you’re just barely keeping it together and are low on energy. Your reserves are probably lower than you realize! TBH, it took about 12-15 months before I felt like I had any creative energy whatsoever. And, it’s a difficult transition when you can’t tell where your job begins and ends — the scope is nearly limitless, so where do you focus? That’s something I’m still dealing with, almost two years into my new position.

   2. Call your doc! (Said excitedly, not aggressively :).) I am the poster who’s doc recently added Wellbutr*n and am also on a mood stabilizer (and an antidepressant). I was honestly surprised it was such an easy fix to add a new med versus transitioning from my current med to another one. (As a side note, a therapist friend said if I’m not liking the Wellbutr*n for any reason I should ask my doc about ADD meds–I guess they have some similarity but a shorter active period?) They are getting better everyday with treating mental illness/deficiencies and I’m happy to live in the era where this sort of thing can be treated! Good luck and feel better!

      1. Makes sense – adult ADHD can be treated with Wellbutrin as well.

   3. Do you have access to a career coach? If so, this might be a good time to meet with him or her and come up with a manageable set of new goals. In terms of business development pick things you actually like doing and give yourself permission to do them. For example I attend a women lawyer’s event each year that is both great for networking and genuinely inspiring.

   4. As always follow dr orders, your mileage may vary…etc….however, I’m also affected seasonally and I’ve been shocked by how much difference using a SAD lamp (15 min every morning) + taking strong B+C+D vitamins (Jamieson “Stress Ease”+5000UI VitD) makes.

      When I start spiraling in de-motivation, anxiety, emotions – it almost always comes after missing a few days of the light/vitamin regime & levels back out once I get back on track.

      Note: It’s sunny all year round where I live, and I still need to do this.

      1. Rather than the SAD lamps, if you call a lighting supply store, they can order you full spectrum bulbs that fit in regular sockets. Before we moved, I had done the whole house except the bedrooms because I knew my life wasn’t stable enough to allow me to reliably sit by a particular lamp for half an hour every morning, but I knew I’d be in the kitchen or hallway for that time.

9. How do you build a relationship over email / phone?

   I’m in a email group for women in my field and private messaged someone who wrote about an opportunity I was interested in. By happy coincidence she went to the same university as me, and she expressed interest in being a mentor, helping bring women into this field.

   We went back and forth figuring out a time we were both free to talk, and just spoke on the phone. We talked about 20 minutes, not that long, and it was a bit awkward. At the end though she told me she would like to be a sounding board for me / to ask her if I have any questions about this field.

   I’m pretty good at networking, connecting with people, etc in person, but I’m terrible at it over the phone or over email. Part of it is because I feel like every email is such a formal way to contact someone – I’m fine building connections with people I can instant message, for example. At the same time, it would be stupid not to develop this connection. She seems nice, she’s so accomplished, she’s so open – there shouldn’t be anything intimidating about this. Any tips on how to develop this relationship over email?

   1. I would lean toward more phone contact. Use email to set up the calls so you’re not interrupting her, but try to speak directly if you can. Find a reason to reach out, send a short email “Hey, could I bend your ear about XYZ? I’m available today and all of Thurs and Fri if there is a good time to chat.” But do find a reason to reach out occasionally.

   2. Possibly you may be able to connect more easily by Zoom?

10. Does reporting robocalls on the Do Not Call Registry webpage do anything? I’ve been getting about 5 a day and reporting most of them but it’s beginning to seem like an exercise in futility. What, if anything, happens when I report the calls?

    1. Nope. Nothing happens.

    2. Not a thing. Many (if not most) are originating from outside the US and there is nothing the government can really do even if it was inclined to. Your best hope is to download a good blocker and diligently block calls.

       I just don’t answer my phone is I do not recognize the number. If it is a real call, they will leave a message.

11. To the legal ladies that responded yesterday- thank you!!
    The poster that is a lawyer in a non-lawyer role: I definitely do not want to be signing off on things that i do not know about, so thank you for the comments on being cautious.

    To the posters that said biz/tech people are fairly involved (and the examples where you send them sections to review) Thank you for helping me understand what i should be pushing for.

    Right now, all my interactions with legal are more along the lines of the GC asking me “How would this work with GDPR”(i can walk you through the data we collect, how we process it, PII/anonymized etc, but i don’t know GDPR) or “Where are we responsible with say,a user being unhappy “. (i dont know, WHY is the user unhappy)

    1. Yeah that doesn’t sound normal to me (and I do a lot of GDPR stuff). I mean each company has their own way of doing things, but in the GDPR example, I would review the DPA, then if necessary contact the relevant department and ask about data collection and storage. If anything raises a concern, I walk them through how GDPR works and discuss risks and alternative solutions. Unless you are the designated GDPR expert at your company I would not expect how to decide whether things are GDPR compliant. That’s definitely my job over here.

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