Splurge Monday’s TPS Report: Double Face Crepe Dress

133 Comments

1. Absolutely stunning! I’d love to pair this with a white blazer and some raffia wedges for when the weather in NYC gets a teensy bit warmer.

2. Love the idea of it – but I have to say the poor fit on the model makes me question the “impeccable tailoring” part.

   1. I had the same reaction. Esp being of smaller bust (like the model), I’d be worried about gaping at the bust and inadvertent flashing when turning/bending down to pick up something/talking to someone taller than me.

      My button down shirts are even boring to me sometimes, but at least I’m not stressing about what I’m accidentally revealing (I do put a safety pin, invisibly from the inside, in between the two boob-bracketing buttons to prevent gaping).

   2. It looks pretty shapeless to me.

   3. St. John typically runs large. I’m willing to bet the size 2 did not fit the model.

3. Sorry to threadjack so early, but need shoe advice! Bought this sheath: http://buzzstyle.justjared.com/store/similar/37e13b83e3/theory-almeria-tailor-sheath-dress/. Need shoes for an evening event. No idea where to start. Thought about black patent leather wedges for a minute… (And it’s not that short on me! Model has LOOOOONNNG legs.)

   1. Nude heels, long necklace or fabulous scarf.

   2. I LOVE that dress. I would go with something in a gold. If that seems too daring, I would go with a nude (for you) color.

      (And if you ever have a daytime luncheon or such, I think yellow would be amazing.)

      1. Thank you, Corporettes. Hadn’t thought about gold OR yellow OR nude and really like all those ideas. (See? This is why I needed you!) It’s a lovely dress–easy to dress up for evening and dress “down” for work.

         1. My comments aren’t showing up, so if there are suddenly 3 comments from me, I apologize. I think the problem with the previous 2 comments were the links, so I am leaving them out of this comment.

            The dress is beautiful. I love nude, especially in the evening. I have Steve Madden and BCBG nude shoes with about 4” heels, and I always receive compliments on them if you are looking for specific brands recommendations. I have had some of them for 3 years, so they are good quality.

4. Oh man – the site still doesn’t load from my work computer! I guess it means I will be more productive, but have got to say it’s kind of a bummer. Checking in on my phone is just not as fun. Pretty dress. Lame 403 error :(

   1. Don’t get TOO productive, AIMS! We’d miss you here too much! :)

      1. Agreed! I’m an unemployed bum now so I’m looking forward to your entertaining posts to make me laugh!

   2. Have you tried it on a different browser? I am still having issues on Firefox, but Chrome and IE seem to be working. Maybe that will help you get your fix? :)

   3. Have you tried clearing out your cache?

      1. I tried clearing cookies. I tried restarting. I don’t have mozilla or firefox on the work PC — so can’t use those. But luckily, no issues (yet) on the home mac!

         Thanks for the good thoughts, everyone! :)

5. yay, no more 403 error on my work computer!

   1. I do not get this — some people got them last week, for some people the error goes away by itself — and still more people are getting them. Did you do anything to your work computer, kz?

      1. no. I tried clearing the cache friday, but that didn’t work. I shut it down for the weekend–maybe the IT people updated something on the system or shutting it down completely reset something (as opposed to logging off)? I know it can’t be a blocked site issue from our software, because we don’t block anything.

      2. I can’t view the site in any browser; tried chrome, firefox & explorer. Cleared my cache. Nothing works except my iPhone, and the mobile version is very slow.

6. I love it, though don’t think I would spend 700 for a dress, even one as beautiful as that one. Also, I was worried about the scoop neck and cleavage, but as I was perusing the Nordstroms web site, found this one:

   http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/st-john-collection-caviar-knit-dress/3022821?origin=related-3022821-0-0-1

   That seems to solve that problem.

   1. Beautiful! Just shorten to the knee.

7. For anyone else endlessly frustrated by lipstick woes, I thought I’d share a good recent finding: Clinique “Almost Lipstick” and “Butter Shine” lipstick. I decided that my approach was “I know you are going to fall off, but please fall off evenly so that I don’t have deposits of color around the outline of my mouth, or in the creases of my lips.” Also “If you are going to call attention to my lips, please don’t also make them look grossly parched and flaky.” Success with these ones! They are sheer and slick, and therefore to maintain the true color you have to reapply regularly. But in the meantime, they fade gracefully. Reapplication is also easy to do even sans mirror, and evenly, because they are so creamy. At around $14 each, I’m sold.

   Almost Lipstick only comes in one color, “black honey.” It looks a bit intimidatingly dark for someone fair (as I am), but as promised, it’s a really unique color and for me (and anyone else not into light pink or light bronze) is an ideal MLBB.

   1. Let me add a review as well. I was looking for new foundation so I schlepped over to the Bobbi Brown counter since I’ve heard so much about Bobbi. They put the creamy compact on me – major bust. The color was all wrong but I tried to give a second try on my own, just to see how it would last the day (it always takes me 2-3 tries with a particular brand to get the correct foundation color). Put it on Saturday morning and it was sliding off my face within an hour! Not cool. Especially since I used primer and set the makeup with powder (just for reference, I have combination skin, oily T-zone with dry cheeks). Bobbi’s blush is nice but I don’t like it $42 worth.

      What I did discover was Bobbi’s Oil Control Lotion SPF 15. That stuff is magical. It smells great and even though it’s really liquidy, it actually moisturizes my face very well. I’m a hardcore Olay Regenerist in a red jar fan, which I’ve been using for ~3 years but this lotion is really great. I’ve been using it night and day to see if it actually can moisturize my combination skin and it’s holding up admirably. This is the first SPF product I’ve tried that hasn’t caused me to break out. Being allergic to sunscreen really sucks but I think I may keep this moisturizer, even though it’s $45!!!! When I wear any type of suncreen, it makes my skin really rough – it gets really gritty with tons of little bumps but this lotion makes my skin nice and smooth.

      Meanwhile, I’ll be sticking to my Bare Minerals foundation. It’s great that I can get the coverage I want with different types of brushes.

      1. Oh and they used a toner on me that was really good, too. No alcohol, very gentle and cleansed my skin very nicely.

      2. I’m a long time Bare Minerals user but I am starting to look elsewhere because I am tired of the end of the day look – meaning it looks like have absolutely no make-up on at all and I look horrid. Does anyone have any suggestions?

         1. like *I* have

         2. The lack of staying power was the only reason I was looking for a different type of foundation. 6 hours is just not enough and it’s too messy to apply in the middle of the day. What I started doing is applying tinted moisturizer in the middle of the day on top of whatever I’m wearing. So far, so good. I’m using MAC’s Studio Moisture Tint and it’s working out pretty well – it gives a subtle polished look with a matte finish.

         3. I use Bare Minerals in the morning and have found that it generally lasts throughout the day on me. However, on the days when I have an evening event or need additional help during the day, I use Inner LightTM Mineral Dual Foundation by Aveda. It is a heavier powder (has foundation in the powder), but it does not look heavy, and it wears well.

         4. If you want to keep going with mineral makeup, I like Jane Iredale’s pressed mineral foundation – and it’s not as messy as BE/BM.

         5. I stopped using Bare Minerals for this reason. Now I use Philosophy’s “the supernatural airbrushed canvas foundation”. I’m much happier with it, and I don’t get the weird foundation creases between my eyebrows that I was getting with Bare Minerals by the end of the day.

   2. I love Almost Lipstick. Once upon a time, it came in many colors. The red was excellent – I think it was called Almost Ruby. I still have an old tube of it, and it is the perfect sheer red. The Black Honey is great, though.

      1. I know, I was so sad to find that they discontinued all the other colors, especially since I need a good red! But that is how I discovered Butter Shine–someone from Clinique told me it’s a similar formula, and indeed it is.

         1. Has anyone tried the Clinique Chubby Sticks? They look like a hybrid of gloss and lipstick. I’m curious as to how pigmented they are and what the texture is like (haven’t had a chance to hit a Clinique counter recently).

            I like the Buttershine Pink Goddess. Also recently resurrected a pot of L’Oreal (I think) High Intensity Pigment line lipgloss, it looks very dark, like Black Honey, in the pot, but goes on sheerly. Not as sticky as some glosses, either.

            1. Yes!! I just got a Chubby Stick in fuller fig. It is GREAT. I hate lip gloss (too sticky) and the stick is a really nice texture, very smooth. As far as pigment, it’s basically a sheer-ish lipstick. I got one of the darker colors bc I like it to look like I’m wearing something, and the lighter one that I tried didn’t look like anything. I have skin that is pale with olive undertones – I tan, then burn, if I go out without sunscreen (which I never do any more, thus the paleness!).

   3. I LOVE black honey almost lipstick – it’s definitely a my-lips-but-better shade on me – very natural and lovely.

      1. Black Honey is a magic shade that works on everyone. Not sure how they do it, but I have some sort of weird coloring that makes almost all lipstick look terrible on me, and this one is amazing.

         1. I love Black Honey…but the taste is awful. MAC lipstick such a lovely flavor that I guess I got used to those.

            If you’re worried about lipstick fading evenly, I highly recommend Avon Glazewear lip colors. Liquid lipstick doesn’t fade in patches or chap your lips the same way regular lipsticks do.

      2. Black Honey is some sort of miracle. I was recently doing a lipstick inventory (part of my purse clearout following Kat’s recent bag organization post) and realized that since I’d gotten Black Honey I’d basically stopped using all my other lipstick (even my much-loved MAC) and it is practically all gone! Time to buy more.

         1. I’ve had a Black Honey Almost Lipstick since college! Still right here in my purse.

8. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good shampoo for colored hair. My dark brunette hair has quite a few greys and I need to color. I color about every 6 weeks, but lately I’ve been noticing that it only lasts about 3-4 weeks and by the time my appointment rolls around, I have greys showing all over my roots. I think my [cheap, Dove] shampoo may be to blame. I’m willing to spend $$ to make the color last longer.

   1. My colorist HATES Dove and Pantene. She says she can tell right away of someone uses it.

      I use the Moroccan Oil stuff from Sally and love it. I also love the Kerastase (sp?) stuff (wow, it’s pricey though).

      Also remember that olive oil removes hair color.

      Good luck, HTH.

      1. I love Kerastase products! Although I don’t color my hair I imagine their collection for dyed hair would be great. Also, because it is so expensive I alternate between cheap drugstore stuff and then use the Kerastase as a deep conditioner once a week along with their shampoo and styling products. If you are spending a lot of money to dye your hair, you might as well make sure you keep it as long as possible even if it means more expensive hair products.

   2. I too am brunette with color to cover gray, coloring every 6 -8 weeks. I use: Aveda, Frederick Fekkai, and Kiehl’s shampoos. I keep two of these at any given time in the line’s “for colored hair” variety, and then a regular one from the third. I’m told that any of the Frederick Fekkai or Aveda shampoos are safe for preserving color. I presently have as my “regular” shampoo Frederick Fekkai glossing shampoo. There’s something about color-safe shampoos that just don’t quite cut it, day in and day out, on my not quite oily coarse hair, so I use that one a couple of times a week. The Fekkai is sold at my local Target store, the Aveda and Kiehl’s I get from either their stores or online. Hope this helps! And yes, the right color preserving shampoo will do wonders for extending the life of your color. I can’t remember if it was Dove, but I tried to economize once with a drugstore “color safe” shampoo and the blasted stuff just flat stripped my color – so much so that I was making the “you’ve got to fit me and fix this please” call to my stylist.

   3. I use a brand called Halo. The entire line of products is specifically tailored to use on colored hair. I actually used a brunette semi-permanent color on my hair around Christmas, and I’m just now starting to see tiny bits of blonde coming back through.

      It can be a little difficult to find, but I’ve found it at random beauty supply stores in NYC and outside of NYC I’ve found it at Trade Secret.

      1. I’m pretty sure that Ulta carries this line.

   4. How often do you wash your hair? The more you wash your hair, the faster the color will come out. If you currently wash every day, I’d try and see if you can go to every 2-3 days; your color will last a lot longer.

      1. This. It was hard at first but my hair has gotten used to shampoo every other day now.

   5. A few weeks ago I read that any sulfate-free shampoo will conserve color, and my own experience does reflect that. I was already in love with my own organic shampoo when I dyed my hair a few months ago, and my color has lasted very well without my switching to anything specifically advertised to protect color. You may have more options than you think!

      1. Thanks for all the helpful replies. I try to go as long as I can between washings, but I [try to] run 4-5 times a week, so I have to wash after a run. I will ditch the Dove and try a sulfate free shampoo.

         1. It’s ok to rinse without shampooing. Your hair doesn’t get as dirty after working out as some may think.

            1. Second this. Sometimes I’ll use a little bit of conditioner if I’m just rinsing my hair, but I try to avoid shampoo if at all possible.

            2. I’m not the OP, but if she’s like me, shampooing after a run is, unfortunately, a necessity. My hair is usually soaked through with sweat and very salty; plain water won’t cut it.

   6. I use Frederik Fekkai Technician for Colored Hair. My colorist has oftened commented on how well my color lasts, even after 2-3 months between coloring.

      1. I like the L’Oreal sulfate free line. It’s inexpensive and works great.

9. Still cannot see website at work on IE or firefox :(. Same 403 error.

10. Looking for some support. I just endured a terrible phone interview for an internship. I had very prestigious recommendations, Grandad is a former VP, and I hold a scholarship from the organization. I really couldn’t ask for anything better. The interview, however, was disastrous. The call came when I was on the treadmill – hence a terrible winded voice, cliche answers, and void silences as I panicked for ANYthing to say. Interviews aren’t usually a huge issue, but today, I have no idea where my brain was. Any better interview stories than mine?

    1. I don’t have a story, but I’m curious: why did you pick up the phone when you were on the treadmill?

    2. No, I think you win.

       I had one while on the log slide ride at a fun park, but yours is still better.

       Hugs.

    3. Don’t feel bad. I was once going to an interview in Brooklyn, and I was running a bit late. So I am on the 5 train to Borough Hall when some guy gets on at City Hall stop. He bumps into me and I drop my Dayplanner (yes, it was a few years ago) on the ground, it opens and goes all over the place and I am justifiably very angry. It turns out this guy was my second interview at the firm that day, and I was mortified after I recognized him as the oaf who had bumped into me. I did not get the job, but I did much better at a lower Manhattan firm where I also met my husband. So there can be a sliver lining for you!

    4. “The call came when I was on the treadmill – hence a terrible winded voice, cliche answers, and void silences as I panicked for ANYthing to say”

       I’m not certain why you didn’t say “I’m delighted to hear from you, but unfortunately I’m in a place where I cannot speak right now, is it possible for me to call you back in 2 minutes?” and then get off the treadmill, find a quiet spot and take the call. As a work from home consultant, my clients and I do this with one another all the time – it’s sort of a don’t-ask-don’t-tell, whether it’s that someone is working out, picking up the kids from preschool, driving and wanting to pull over to have the conversation, or just going into a known dead-cell-phone-zone.

       Did you really stay on the treadmill while the call was taking place, or am I not understanding properly?

       1. Yeah, this…I need more information from the OP. I work from home a lot, and also take a lot of calls from people outside my time zone that come in after my work hours are over. I’ve gotten calls when I was in the car, at the gym, giving my son a bath, washing dishes, canoodling with the hubs, etc. I pretty much let everything coming in go to voicemail, then get to a quiet spot and return the call. If I do pick up and I’m in the middle of something, I say “You know what, I really want to give this call my full attention, so can I call you back in five minutes?” No one ever says “no.” Especially if I say I’m driving with my son in the car – everyone gets it.

          If the OP is saying what I think she’s saying, then here’s the teachable moment, which I realize younger women may not know. You do not have to take the call when it comes in, even if you know it is the Dream Job Employer or Powerful New Boss. Don’t think that if you have to call someone back they will say “forget it” and decline to even interview you. It is not a waste of their time for you to stop what you’re doing, get to a quiet place, and call them back. It is a waste of everyone’s time if you are so flustered you can’t collect your thoughts, and you have a bad interview. I would much rather have someone call me back than flounder around on the phone with me. I have called people before who I am pretty sure were in the middle of having sex when they picked up the phone – believe me, I had no.problem. with them telling me they needed to call me back. When in doubt, put off the call!

          1. I think “teachable moment” is a good point. It seems that the ubiquity of cell phones, blackberrys, etc. have lead people to believe they must be contactable at ALL times. I just don’t buy this. I think very few of us (although I’m sure there are some) really can’t wait 5 minutes or 20 minutes or even an hour or so to respond to an email or voice message.

             Also, perhaps I am showing my age, but I think it is very rude to take a cellphone call or respond to a text when you are interacting with a real live person. I can understand if you are waiting for a really important call or text (like lives or millions of dollars are on the line) or you have reason to believe it’s an emergency, but otherwise, rude. I was at lunch with a colleague recently who was checking text messages while we were eating lunch. We have the same job and are at the same level – I’m 98% sure nothing was coming through that needed responding to immediately (also, no kids, so it wasn’t a kid-related emergency). Worse, she drove and checked her messages WHILE DRIVING! I will probably go out to lunch with her again, but I think I will drive. I just can’t tolerate texting and driving, even if you are “only” checking texts at red lights.

             1. Wow, what life-threatening situation would have someone checking texts while driving? Seriously, people who find it necessary to do that should have their driver’s licenses revoked. What is so important that it can’t wait five minutes? PollyD, glad you made it to your destination safely and didn’t get in an accident! Sheesh.

             2. I’ve noticed the same thing. I know people who won’t get a cell phone because they don’t like the idea people being able to contact them 24 hours a day. I personally have no problem not picking up the phone if it’s not a good time for me. I also refuse to answer the phone while I’m driving, and I haven’t ever had anyone act like that’s not a valid excuse for letting it go to voicemail.

          2. Agreed 100% with Ann’s teachable moment. I had this similar conversation last week with a non-attorney friend whose job mysteriously disappeared while she was on maternity leave, and whose (female!) boss said she didn’t merit severance like every terminated employee had received in the past because my friend had been on maternity leave. She called me in an utter panic and we started working on a negotiation plan when the CEO called. My friend wanted to immediately pick up the call because this was her “one chance” to get the severance she needs for her family. I convinced her it was ok to let the call roll to voicemail so we could spend a few more minutes finishing her negotiation plan and getting her ready for this important conversation. We also used the information in his voicemail to rework our plan a bit to better to respond to him. She practiced saying her ‘elevator severance speech’ and answering mock questions a few times until she felt confident. When she called the CEO back about 10 minutes later, she calmly negotiated her way to getting a fair severance. I’m sure that had she answered his first call when she was scattered and very emotional, it would not have turned out as well.

    5. Why were you on the treadmill? Had you forgotten about the call?

    6. You are probably thinking it was worse than it really was. I often feel like this when I’m suddenly called on to speak in a big meeting where I’m not expecting it. I’ve apologized profusely a couple of times where I’ve feel I’ve “blown it” with a potential customer only to have my boss look at me strangely and say things seemed to go fantastic. Those painful few seconds of searching for something to say can feel like years–but often are minimall– if at all–noticed by the listener. Anyway, here’s hoping you’re experience is the same and it goes well.

       And yes, I once got a job after a phone interview in nothing more than a towel (fresh from the shower pre-caller ID days). I’ve seen my husband speak to judges by phone in his underpants and socks. I also have almost smothered my dog mistakenly trying to prevent him from barking while breathlessly racing him to the basement so I could chime in on an important conference call. It happens. ;)

       Use this experience to laugh a bit and help relax for any other interviews you have in the future. (I STILL do!)

       1. EEK! I didn’t check spelling or proofread. (Clearly!)

    7. As far as interview stories: I had a set of callback interviews that included lunch – the two women who took me to lunch were very pleasant and informal. I said I wanted to use the restroom before leaving the restaurant. The two women agreed, followed me into the restroom, and commenced asking a bunch of very difficult, office-politics type questions WHILE WE WERE ALL PEEING. I actually had to ask one of them to repeat a question because I couldn’t hear it over the sound of pee…most awkward interview moment I’ve ever had. Didn’t get the job, and didn’t really want it.

       1. Oh my.

       2. Talking while peeing is my pet peeve. I.Freaking.Hate.It. I don’t even like personal hee-hee-hee types of comments. I.Am.Going.To.The.Bathroom. Please shut up, for the love of God!! Whatever you have to say can wait TWO MINUTES until we’re at the sink, or better yet, out of the bathroom. Redacted, I am sure you handled that better than I would have. :)

          1. Agreed. I hate it so much. How do you handle it? Just ignore the person until everyone is finished? Answer despite the awkwardness?

          2. Ditto. Some women can be so weird.

          3. I hate this too! Why do people think this is OK? It is SO. NOT. OKAY.

          4. I’m soooooo glad that people out there agree with me! All my friends say I’m weird because of my “don’t talk to me when I’m in the stall” rule!

          5. Related gripe: I hate it when I’m in the bathroom and realize that someone else is on their cell phone IN THE BATHROOM. I always have this moment when I wonder if I should flush, or if that would be rude, and then I think, my gosh, this is a BATHROOM. We have stairwells if you needed privacy for a call.

             1. Sometimes I flush extra times when I hear someone is on the phone in the john. But I guess I’m just mean that way.

             2. Haha, go Polly!

       3. Oh, dreadful!!! And yet I can’t stop laughing.

    8. I really don’t think it matters why she picked up the phone. She picked it up when she shouldn’t have and I’m sure now she realizes. It was a mistake, but we shouldn’t make her feel any worse about it. We all make stupid mistakes and take it as a learning lesson. She already feels bad about it, and I wouldn’t want to make her feel any worse.

       1. I don’t get/like the surprise phone interview thing. The vast majority of the firms I’ve interviewed with have arranged phone interview times in advance. My one ‘surprise’ phone interview did not go well – I was asleep when the phone rang, and spent about 2 minutes trying to find my glasses/figure out what the call was about. I just think the most professional route is to arrange an interview time in advance. That way someone can be in a quite place and ready to take the call. It’s all very well to say you’ll call someone five minutes later, but what if you’re…say…at the mall? It’s hard to find a quite place at short notice, especially if you want to be somewhere sat at a table such that you can jot down notes, etc.

          1. Agreed. Who on earth would phone for an interview with no notice?

             1. In a prior (large org) internship, one person assigned to interview a group of intern-candidates was on a long trial and did exactly that. Called people up out of the blue at 7:30am, talked to them for about 10 minutes, and offered them the internship on the spot. Two of my fellow interns got their offers that way.

             2. I got an internship like that one time.

                But I still wouldn’t recommend it as a way to hire interns.

    9. Probably not better, but in my last job hunt I interviewed with a panel. When I got there I realised one of the panel members was someone who had gotten really drunk at a conference we both attended and spent the rest of the night hitting on me through rather imaginative metaphors involving trains. From the look on his face, I could tell he remembered me, too. I didn’t get the job, but I was kind of ok with that.

       1. Wow. This just made me laugh out loud!

    10. I’ll explain! When we scheduled the interview, I agreed to 10:00. The interviewer, however, is an hour ahead of me in D.C. Assuming I had an entire hour to put myself into “interview mode,” I burned off some nervous energy on the treadmill. Then, my phone rang (at 9:02). Recognizing the number, I slammed the emergency stop button and answered. Mistake 1 of 194759374… After the panic, my perfectly prepared spill was long forgotten.

        1. I did almost the same thing once…except it was three hours difference, and I was still asleep in a place with terrible phone service (I was planning to drive somewhere with better reception). It went terrible, but it’s all for the best. I never made that mistake again, and for jobs I cared much more about.

11. Law School Admission Fall, Scoop in Slate
    http://www.slate.com/id/2288751/

12. $695 divided by 25 wears = $27.80 per wear.

    1. I think she meant wear it five times a season, for all four seasons a year, for five years (5 x 4 x 5)

       PS- Chicago- I’m heading your way in April, any tips for where to shop/eat?

       1. Where will you be staying? LTH forum is a good resource if you’re interesting in finding more neighborhood-y restaurants (they do Great Neighborhood Restaurants awards each year). As for shopping, I think Michigan Ave is overrated unless you’re looking for Filene’s/Nordstrom Rack. There are some boutiques off the Damen stop on the Blue Line (Nanette Lepore, etc.) and some cute stores off the Armitage stop on the Brown Line.

    2. 5 times per season = 4×5=20 times per year
       for 5 years = 100 times

       So, $695/100 = $6.95 per wear

    3. At the same time, I’d rather spend $69.50 (or less) on a navy sheath dress that would be 69.5 cents per wear. . .

       1. And hopefully be washable.

13. Help Ladies! I have an interview for my dream state government job next week. I have been reading this blog a lot this semester to get great advice on how to not look like a clueless intern when I start working. I love the sense of community here.

    My question is: I bought a conservative black skirt suit from Brooks Brothers (on clearance!) for this interview. What do I wear underneath the jacket? I don’t really feel comfortable in button-downs, but I still want to look professional. I think there was a recent discussion about what to wear under suits, but I remember that being more of an “everyday” thread. Any tips on what I should be looking for? (Links greatly appreciated!)

    1. I generally wear a basic shell in any (relatively muted) color. Most of mine are sleeveless because I know I won’t take my jacket off during the interview, but if you think you will be going to lunch or there’s a chance you’ll take off your jacket, you should wear something short sleeved.

       For accessories, I usually wear my pearls, but I am in the South. I’d go with something pretty conservative and not flashy.

       The MOST important thing — wear something that makes you feel comfortable and fabulous. If you know you look great, you will give off an air of confidence, which is always essential in a job interview. I’m like you — I don’t like wearing button ups on interviews. It makes me feel like I’m playing dress up or something.

       1. Oh, and good luck!!!

       2. Where do you all find basic silk shells in all colors? I have been scouring the internet but cannot find any other than a couple on eBay. I am looking for 100% silk charmeuse scoop neck cap sleeve or sleeveless shells. Nobody seems to make basics like this anymore!

          1. I always look at the sale rack at Ann Taylor or any department store I happen to walk into, and that’s where I’ve gotten mine. I also do a lot of shopping at outlet malls. I’ve collected them one shell at a time because I can’t see to find a place that has all the colors at once in a shell that I like.

             1. Then I’ll be patient and keep looking, which goes totally against my must-acquire-now impulse!

       3. I prefer to wear plain silk sweaters (sleeveless or short sleeve) under my suits, and I also have trouble finding them.

          If you live near a Barney’s outlet store, here is a secret: Barney’s makes its own Barney’s brand sweaters. 78% silk, 20% nylon, 2% spandex. They are sold as separates, but they make a sleeveless shell and a long sleeve cardigan in each color (both round neck). I don’t recall the exact prices, but a set is roughly $85. They are always available in black and cream, and then they make them in other basic colors each season. I have black, cream, slate blue and eggplant.

          I wear the shells under suits and I wear them as a set (with a skirt) on business casual days. They are comfy, travel well, dry clean well, last, etc,

          The Barney’s real store near me always tells me, when I walk in and ask, we don’t make anything like that (even when I am wearing a set and show the sales girls — yes, they are girls). The Barney’s outlet near me has had them consistently for the last 3 1/2 years. Last time I was at the outlet, the sales woman told me that I can call and ask what colors they have and she will mail them to me; if I don’t like them, I can return them by mail. Haven’t yet tried this.

          I am a 4, and I wear a S in both the shell and the cardigan. They come S, M and L.

          Also (this may belong on the “what do I wear with a suit” post the other day, but I’m here now), I think proper jewelry is critical. My fallback is a 16-18 inch string of 8mm white pearls and matching earrings. But sets of short necklaces and matching earrings of any stone work great. I like the ones at the Metropolitan Museum, Chicago Art Institute and Smithsonian stores. (I think I saw a photo of Gabrielle Giffords wearing one from the Met.)

          1. They probably make them specifically for the outlet – sometimes people think outlets sell the same product as the regular stores but quite often there are special buys or custom makes for outlet only; most big name retailer outlets sell mostly outlet-specific product and not excess full price store inventory these days. That would explain why the full-price store clerk wouldn’t know about them.

          2. I agree with Anonymous’ recommendation about accessories; they can be critical. I generally wear my wedding band (I don’t have an engagement ring, so I get to skip that debate), watch, my diamond stud earrings and a string of sterling silver beads (looks like pearls). I don’t like jewelry sets on me, though they can look very nice on other people. Whatever you are comfortable in will be great.

             Good luck.

    2. I like to wear silk shells or silk blouses underneath suits. They tend to be thin enough that I don’t feel too bulky or overheat in an office. Something like this might be nice with an all-black suit. Just an FYI – the back zipper is exposed, but you’re probably not taking off your jacket in an interview so you could be ok.
       http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=31297&N=1200005&pCategoryId=3939&categoryId=183&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_183&loc=TN&gridSize=sm&showAll=true&defaultColor=Black&defaultSizeType=Regular

    3. I think a plain shell along the lines of http://bit.ly/fMWNZz in subdued colors (neutrals such as cream, or colors like light blue or other traditional men’s shirt colors) should be fine. Or any sort of not-too-flashy blouse.

    4. I too wear a basic silk shell but usually in a bright jewel tone. Then pearl necklace and earings. That way its conservative but you still get a pop of color/style. :)

       I cant wear a button down under a suit jacket for the life of me. Dont know how other women do it. It makes me look 20lbs heavier and the collar issue drives me insane. I never look polished.

       1. Ditto. Plus annoying gaps between buttons or extra layer of cami problem.

       2. Ditto, although I had a fight with a saleslady at Bloomingdales about this over the weekend. She tried to get me to try on a suit with a pleated, A-line skirt which I said was not conservative enough for an interview. So then when it came time to pick a top to wear underneath, she kept pointing me to cream or beige colored tops. I’m incredibly pale, and pairing black and white/ivory makes me look totally washed out, so I said I needed a color. She told me that wasn’t conservative enough. So I ignored her and picked a very pretty light-to-medium turquoise silk short-sleeved sweater which gives just enough color around my face so I look alive and awake.

    5. I think a button down looks good for your most conservative look, but you could also wear a nice colored shell (as long as not too low cut) under the jacket instead. Sometimes I think those lie better anyway. Less fidgeting. Honestly, when you’re comfortable, you’ll act less nervous so I’d do that.

    6. I bought this blouse at Macys (it was even cheaper in store, I think I paid $13 for it) and it is just lovely. I’m wearing it with a black skirt suit for an oral argument today. It is comfortable and looks really nice, even if it is polyester. Thinking about getting it other colors too.
       Good luck on the interview!

       1. Whoops, should probably post the link:

          http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=526056&CategoryID=255&LinkType=#fn=BRAND%3DCharter Club%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D33

    7. Don’t wear a button-down if you don’t feel comfortable in it – you will spend way too much time worrying about gaping buttons when you should be focusing on the interview itself.

       I’d wear any sort of muted solid shell that does not show any cleavage and has sleeves (while you probably won’t take the jacket off, its always better to be prepared for a casual lunch or coffee where everyone else takes their jacket off, looks at you, and says “get comfortable – take off that jacket.”).

       1. No one has ever said this to me or a collegue in my life. It’s not peer pressure wher eyou have to do as the others say? And Ive never even heard of anyone telling somoen to “get comfortable – take that jacket off”

    8. I tend to wear short-sleeved cotton/silk sweaters under suits because I don’t feel comfortable in button-downs. I usually choose a brighter color since neutrals tend to wash me out. I think it’s better to choose a color that flatters your complexion as opposed to picking something muted/neutral just because you’ve heard it’s more conservative. For my current (state government) job, I wore a bright green sweater under my suit.

    9. I go the sleeveless (would love more with sleeves, but so hard to find) shell route also. Personally, I feel really uncomfortable in button-downs under a suit jacket, too bulky. This is my most recent purchase: http://www.extrapetite.com/2011/02/ann-taylor-chiffon-ruffle-shell-is-back.html … I saw this one on her website, followed her advice and ordered from the AT outlet over the phone. If you’re taller than me, I’m sure they have it in regular version also! I got the blue and the teal, and both are lovely. Even the dark blue would work under black I think.

       1. Thanks for all the great tips, ladies!

14. How do you deal with jerk attorneys? I’m talking the kind that scream personal attacks at the top of their lungs in open court instead of making a legal arugment to the judge. For context, the judge did nothing to control his courtroom. It’s not the first time I’ve run into this situation, but I wanted to get thoughts/war stories on your responses to these situations. I keep my cool in court, but what do you do when you see the people later on? I guess I’m trying to find the balance between professionalism and not being a pushover.

    1. I assume they’re not your co-counsel! I have dealt with this in the past by trying to take the high road while still responding to the underlying point they were trying to make–or getting it on the record that they were avoiding the real issues or launching personal attacks that officers of the court should not throw around lightly.

       When you see them later, just nod hello. No need to be friendly if they aren’t professional.

    2. The best thing that you can usually do is ignore it. They’re trying to get a rise out of you and throw you off your game- pretend that they’ve been nothing but polite and it will throw them off, instead.
       Another option is to politely appeal to the judge- “Your Honor, can we agree not to give in to personal attacks or yelling?”

       In my experience (as a former clerk), the judge will usually only intervene if one attorney complains, although the judge is certainly noticing the bad behavior.

    3. He is yelling because he doesn’t know what to say on the merits. This happened to me ALL the time when I started practicing law. I was 30 but looked 12. One day, as opposing counsel was yelling at me in a deposition so hard that his face was red and the veins were popping out of his neck, I was getting really angry that he was preventing me from reading into the record the case citation and the little speechlette that I had prepared the night before. (I knew a controversial issue would come up that day, and it did.)

       Then it hit me: he is yelling so that I won’t be able to make my record! So I let him scream and scream until he stopped, just making notes on my paper, not looking at him, until he ran out of steam. When I responded, I said, “NAME HERE, first, please stop yelling. Second, please take your seat. Third, please don’t point at me. [Yes, I started videotaping every deposition with him after this.] Finally,” and then I read my speech and made my record.

       My takeaway is that the best way to deal with it is to: (1) not take the bait, (2) remain professional but not friendly, and (3) continue to be the most prepared person in the room. That will get their goat every day, AND it is best for your client.

       Maybe someone who clerked for a district court judge can comment on what to do/say if the judge is not controlling someone in the courtroom?

       1. kick ass!

15. For you ladies looking to purchase the Clarisonic, it’s available for 20% off on drugstore.com http://www.drugstore.com/user/promo.asp?code=152AEE1A&trx=BCRP-18778&trxp1=135441&trxp2=108641&trxp3=4&trxp4=1&btrx=BUY-BCRP-18778.

    1. thank you!!

    2. So tempted to buy one! I was thinking about the original or the plus, but I just had to drop about $300 on a bridesmaid dress and alterations…maybe I can justify it by looking good in wedding pictures!

       1. I’m tempted, too! Plus, drugstore.com is giving $10 if you spend over $100, so it’s 20% off plus $10 off.

          1. Thanks for making me more tempted haha! Do you know when the 20% discount ends? hmmm the original or the plus?

             1. Both offers end March 31st. So you have a week to think it over =).

             2. Yay! :) My poor bank account!

16. The cost per wear is not $6.95 unless you do not pay any shipping or tax and most disturbingly, never dry clean it.
    (And given how it is cut, it would need frequent cleaning.)

17. Practice remembering the club on the right side of your head and dont get frustrated if you touch the club. In fact, core strength is probably just as important as leg strength when it comes to increasing swing speed. First, go and buy hybrid golf clubs to replace your long irons.

Comments are closed.