Splurge Monday’s TPS Report: Inside-Out Jacket

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. akris punto inside out jacketWe're loving this gorgeous jacket from Akris Punto with “inside out” seams. It strikes us as cool and interesting but still polished; we also like the fitted, nipped-in look. It's $1,190 at Saks (sizes 4-14 still left). Inside-Out Jacket Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-2)

Sales of note for 2/7/25:

  • Nordstrom – Winter Sale, up to 60% off! 7850 new markdowns for women
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 25% off your $175+ purchase — and $30 of full-price pants and denim
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 15% off
  • Boden – 15% off new season styles
  • Eloquii – 60% off 100s of styles
  • J.Crew – Extra 50% off all sale styles
  • J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything including new arrivals + extra 20% off $125+
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 40% off one item + free shipping on $150+

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

88 Comments

  1. Love this.

    I found a gorgeous silk tweed jacket from Akris Punto at a consignment shop several months ago for only $40. I can’t stop wearing it. Professional, yet unstuffy clothes. And the fit is fantastic.

  2. Akris makes some of the most gorgeous clothing. Too bad I can’t afford any of it. *sigh*

  3. This is more about my frustration with designers, than it is with Kat for picking this (yes, I know it’s Splurge Monday), but what the what? $1,500 for “Italian viscose/nylon/elastane”? Oh, it’s ITALIAN viscose. Oh, I see. Viscose is rayon, a wood by-product/waste product. Elastane is Lycra. Nylon is well, Nylon—it’s plastic, right? Why can’t anyone use wool/cashmere/silk anymore? For that, yes, I can see paying $1,500 or perhaps more (if I had it). Are those materials even available these days? If they are, do the clothes cost twice this? I can just see this harboring sweaty smells under the arms. I had a viscose jacket once from Esprit (but it cost like $39) years ago, and it just hung on to every smell . Now, if this were wool (lightweight) . . . just my opinion, of course.

    1. Good point. I love this style, and Akris uses Swiss labor to produce its clothing, so I was justifying the cost until you analyzed the fabric content.

    2. And the $400 elastic waist skirt?

      I’m not complaining about the price of a Splurge Monday in general (I get it, its a “splurge”/inspiration to most of us) but top designers’ use of cheap fabrics really bugs me too.

      1. The Susie Faux blog Kat links to a few posts below actually has a post on this, titled exclusivity versus luxury, which notes, among other things, “Even at the top end, most brands today are trading on their brand names; lowering their spend on fabrics. Escalating marketing spends mean they cut corners on the cloth and the cut/design.” and “Not so very long ago, exclusivity in high fashion was valued as a combination of high quality (luxury fabric and beautiful cut) and a (usually) associated limited availability – reducing the chance that you’d look the same as someone else whether during the day or in the evening. That generally came at a price which not everyone could afford.”

        On an only tangentially related note, I think that the Esty dressmakers and Hong Kong tailors may be the wave of the future, as women rebel at paying high prices for boxy cuts and/or bad fabrics, and demand something a little closer to personally-made, which is what luxury/designer wear used to be about, as far as I understand it. I, for one, would not hesitate to pay $3,000 (once I’d saved it up) for three hand-made suits and one jacket and skirt (as my brother paid a Hong Kong tailor $3,000 for three hand-made, fully silk-lined suits, and one sports jacket and one pair of slacks), if I knew the manufacturing process was ethical (e.g., not being handed off to children to sew). It’s something I’m going to look into.

        1. “I, for one, would not hesitate to pay $3,000 (once I’d saved it up) for three hand-made suits and one jacket and skirt (as my brother paid a Hong Kong tailor $3,000 for three hand-made, fully silk-lined suits, and one sports jacket and one pair of slacks), if I knew the manufacturing process was ethical (e.g., not being handed off to children to sew). It’s something I’m going to look into.”

          Agree 1000 percent. I think custom-made is the way of the future. With computerized measurements and pattern-making, plus the ability to electronically connect with dressmakers/tailors, this will be a great way to get clothes that fit, in fabrics people want. The main thing that frustrates me with clothes is how poorly some of them are put together – with custom garments I think the “build quality” will be better to start with, but it will also be easier to get alterations/repairs done if they’re needed.

  4. Sounds like I’m in the minority, but I really don’t like this at all. Just not my style I guess, but the exposed seams bug me.

  5. Quick thread hijack here…

    I sprained my ankle pretty badly this past weekend. I’m a rising 3L interning at a state revenue department legal office, desperately seeking a permanent job. I’ve been networking like crazy, and have set up info interviews with tax partners (I want to do tax law and have the background for it) at every firm in my current town, my longtime boyfriend’s hometown, and the state I’ m originally from. My first one is tomorrow with a partner at a big firm here in town. Problem is that I’ll be on crutches – which I am nowhere near used to using – and a big ugly ankle brace. Obviously I can’t wear heels of any sort. How should I handle this? Do I try to hide the brace as much as possible? Make it visible so it’s obvious why I can’t wear heels? I’m supposed to meet him in the lobby of his building and presumably we’re walking to lunch, but I don’t want to inconvenience him by making him feel like we need to get a taxi to go 2 blocks or he needs to get his car. And I don’t want my injury, how I did it, etc. to become the focus rather than him giving me advice, nor do I want to look like some weak, fragile woman who can’t get by in the world without injuring herself. Any advice you can give me would be really helpful – I need to make as good an impression as possible, especially in this job market.

    1. I feel like I keep answering questions giving bits and bits of info about myself and someone is going to figure it out (not that it would be the end of the world) so I’m using a different moniker today. I broke part of my foot right before I started at my “real” job. I still wore heels the first day and limped sooooo obviously no matter how hard I tried not to. That led to all kinds of questions and leaving a totally vain bad impression that I was the dumb girl that wore heels w/ a broken foot.

      I would wear a skirt suit, so the brace is obvious and not some unsightly bulge. I would wear a flat on one foot and the boot on the other, with the crutches. You may want to call ahead and let reception know you are on crutches so they can put you in a different conference room if it avoids stairs. Also, she can give the partner a heads up and they can choose a nearby lunch venue. This is much much easier than having to figure it out on the spot.

      Deal with the questions up front. “Nice to meet you.” Sorry to meet like this but I managed to sprain my ankle over the weekend. Then move quickly on. It will be a great ice breaker. Every interview starts with chit chat anyway and people will like that they can talk to you easily.

      I also had to walk to lunch with my mentor the first day with my broken foot. Very painful, very embarrassing. It was a stress fracture from hiking too which I thought made me look extra weak.

      I am doing fine at my job now so it didn’t ruin me!

    2. I wouldn’t show up at his office on crutches and expect to try and hobble a few blocks to a restaurant. You’ll be in pain and he will feel like a total ass. Why don’t you call and give a brief explanation (sprained my ankle, the less walking the better), and ask which restaurant so you can meet him there? Much less awkward. No need to be too apologetic about having an injury. I don’t really think he is going to think that you are a weak, fragile woman for having a sprained ankle.

      1. I second jcb. You’re not going to be able to hide it, so make it a less awkward encounter all around. It’ll help your vibe as well if he’s not uncomfortable/surprised.

    3. So sorry about this piece of bad luck for you, and at such a time! The hubs was on crutches for a while. I think your best bet is to relax about it, stuff like this happens to everyone. Don’t think twice about the high heels. Ignore the brace unless someone mentions it, then explain briefly, perhaps with a wry smile, what happened. Accept help graciously, most people are very kind.

    4. I second the suggestion to contact the receptionist or his assistant – they probably made the lunch reservation and can tell you how far, etc. And the suggestion to meet at the restaurant; if you can be seated for most of the meeting, you’ll be in less pain and the injury will be less obvious.
      Also make sure you have your story ready about how the injury happened! Either a quick comment so it’s not hanging out there, or a fully story if it was a good story (for instance, making that perfect basketball shot or slipping on a wet dock at your family’s cabin). That way you can manage whether it becomes a talking point or not.
      And don’t worry about seeming weak; guys get sprained ankles too, often from doing mundane things like tripping on stairs or playing golf. If you got it playing sports, ham up your athletic side and you’ll seem like one of the guys.

      1. This.

        I showed up to the first day of my job on crutches with a full leg brace from a very not glorious athletic injury. The male attorneys loved it and it made me look very dedicated. Have your story ready, even if it was something retarded most people have been there and will like you for it – a little bit of being human will make you memorable.

    5. Seems like you’ve already received a lot of good advice (which I second wholeheartedly), but just wanted to share in case it put your mind at ease — I partially tore a tendon the first weekend of my summer associateship, and like you, I was worried how I would be perceived, that my wardrobe would be “off”, etc. It ended up not being as big of a deal as I thought it was going to be. I tried to keep a low profile by making my own cab arrangements for lunches (rather than making everyone get a cab with me), dressing nicely with the exception of my brace/somewhat ugly “athletic” flats, icing/elevating when I was sitting at my desk, etc. I avoided being labeled the “high maintenance” summer (the last thing I wanted) and people tended to ask once and move on — it was pretty much a non-issue, I was making a bigger deal of it than other people did.

      Oh, and I tore it in a really lame way (no good stories). Bonus points for you if you have a good story to tell :) Good luck!

      1. Ha, yeah, I rolled my ankle walking my beagles. Pretty lame. I wish I could tell him I was playing tackle football.

        Thanks for all the advice, everyone! I’m about to call the firm’s receptionist.

    6. These things happen to the best of us. Don’t stress over it. He’ll value your commitment to attend the meeting given your injured status. (I know I would!)

      If it were me, I’d call him directly, tell him the situation, and ask to meet at the restaurant to avoid the walk. No harm in that. It avoids all of the awkward huffing and puffing your going to do walking with crutches not to mention avoiding the “Can I help you?” comments. You might want to get to the venue early, so he can meet you at the table.

      Also, wear what makes you comfortable. Can you maneuver the crutches in a suit jacket? Not sure I could because suit jackets can be a bit constricting. Also, he’s not going to see your feet under the table. Flats are fine, but I would not be comfortable in flats unless they really stayed on my feet. Flats can fly off depending on the style. (I have several types that can fall off when I’m getting in or out of a car for instance.) That can spell disaster on crutches, not to mention how awkward it would be if your shoe fell off. Also, make sure your shoe has good traction. Lobbies and restaurant floors can be slippery. I would actually wear a simple sneaker (not running or athletic looking shoes.) I have a pair of black maryjane style Ked-like sneakers that I’d probably opt for.

      You also might want to dress up in your chosen outfit and shoes and practice with the crutches to figure out if it really works for you. Practice on tile flooring especially.

      Lastly, relax! The more relaxed you are, the more he’ll forget about your injury.

      Good luck!

    7. Don’t worry about the visible brace or your crutches. Wear whatever footwear is most practical. You absolutely do not want to stumble because you’re wearing impractical shoes while on crutches. I’d just wear a sneakers if they haven’t given you one of those boots you can walk on, or if you have a boot on the foot with the brace, wear a flat on the other foot.

      If it’s a problem to walk more than a couple blocks, you should call ahead and mention that you’re on crutches and will need to take a cab so he’s not surprised. Otherwise just go ahead and meet him at the office.

      I doubt he’ll ask much about your injury – most people are socially competent enough not to dig for embarrassing info. Just have a mostly accurate but brief story about how you hurt yourself that you can laugh at and move on without making yourself seem silly – something like, “ha, can you believe someone dropped a banana peel in the grocery store and if you step on it you go flying just like in a cartoon?” and leave out the part about how you were drunk and wearing four-inch heels or whatever.

      And hey, at least you’ll be memorable. I think showing up for an interview on crutches will gain you more points than you’ll lose.

  6. This is off-topic, but I’m a 2L who will be going through OCI at the end of the summer. Though I feel like my on-paper qualifications are strong, I’m worried that my personal appearance will hold me back. I’m young (and look even younger…strangers on the street have routinely guessed that I’m about 14) and lately the stress of law school has resulted in a dramatic increase in my acne. I’m seeing a dermatologist, but I’m really worried that these aspects will undermine my confidence in interviews. Any advice on accepting/concealing the acne and ways to look older without giving off the “little girl in mommy’s clothes” look? I own professional, well fitting suits, and always wear heels, but something about the structure of my face/petite size undermines the look. Or perhaps some of you can reassure me that this really doesn’t matter as much to interviewers as it does in my head?

    1. If you think that your acne will undermine your confidence, it will. Ignore it, and it will be ignored. Seriously. If you go into the interview thinking, “Wow, I hope they don’t see the giant zit I have in the middle of my forehead,” your speech patterns and your mannerisms will change. On the other hand, if you go into the interview thinking, “I’m so fabulous, I’m totally going to ace this interview, yeah!” then that will come through in your speech and your mannerisms.

      1. Absolutely agree. Also, watch your gestures/mannerisms (don’t touch your face, use your hair to hide portions of your face, etc).

    2. Go to a makeup counter and ask for help. Be specific that you need a professional look, and you don’t want to look caked in makeup. They’ll probably suggest highlighting one feature – maybe your eyes, maybe your lips. I notice that eye makeup (specifically, brown eye liner) makes me look instantly more professional.

      Also, do some practice interviews with professionals you know, and do them in front of a video camera. It will either show you what you need to work on, or give you confidence that you’ll be fine.

    3. I’ve always loved the saying “you wouldn’t worry what people thought of you if you knew how seldom they did.” How often has someone told you they’re having a terrible hair day and they look just fine?

      That said, I know how important it is to feel confident and project that confidence to others — especially potential employers. I too am petite. I also had bad acne that started mid-high school and, ever since then, I’ve had a bit here and there although it has improved a lot (I now only have 3-4 breakouts at a time and sometimes I am completely clear!). I have tried every product on the market to conceal the “bad stuff” on my face and have finally discovered the best routine for an airbrushed look:

      1. After washing your face with a washcloth to get rid of any dead skin (which can tend to happen if you have acne)….
      2. Use Aveeno face moisturizer (not their body lotions) — a good amount so that your face doesn’t feel dry. It is the best stuff — SPF, not greasy/sticky feeling, and leaves a GREAT glow. It can be expensive at drugstores ($13-$16 depending on where you go), but if you live near/belong to a Costco, they sell 2 for $20 (again, I’m sure this depends on location)
      3. Use L’Oreal nouveau True Match concealer. You can get this at any drugstore. It is PHENOMENAL. Make sure you get the correct one to match your skin tone. When in doubt, go one shade lighter… the last thing you want is for the coverup to make the acne areas darker. Take the wand and dab the tiniest bit on each acne pimple/dark spot on the face and blend with your finger. Depending on how much acne you have, this can be time consuming, but completely worth it! I do not believe in these tinted makeups/moisturizers that supposedly cover up acne — they have never worked for me.
      4. Brush on some blush very lightly so you don’t disturb the concealer…you may find that “dabbing” the blush with the brush will help.
      5. If any of the acne shows after putting on the blush, just touch it up with the concealer.

      This is what has worked for me and I have consistently gotten comments on my flawless face — no one knows what is underneath! I know it sounds a bit time consuming, but I have my routine down to slightly over 5 minutes in the morning (with much less acne now, of course, and it includes eye makeup too). Try it and let me know what you think!

      Other suggestions as to how to look older:
      1. A bit of eye makeup goes a LONG way. I don’t know why, but eyeliner (try a charcoal instead of a black or brown — I like to use the Cover Girl eye pencil that is in the skinny plastic tube and you can click it up — it is not a pencil that you have to sharpen) always takes me from looking 14 to looking 23.
      2. Make sure that your hair is neat, nails are well-groomed, hands are moisturized.
      3. Keep the clothing choices more traditional and classic vs. trendy.

      Good luck! If you try the makeup routine, let me know what you think! :)

    4. I could write a doctoral thesis on dealing with acne, but I’ll try to keep it short.
      Mineral makeup is the way to go. Drugstore and department store makeup have a lot of fillers that can exacerbate acne (at least in my case), and they tend to be pink which makes acne look more red than it needs to.

      Skip Bare Minerals because they’ve got an ingredient in there that irritates most women (it made me red like a tomato). You will have to get mineral makeup online through sampling, but once you hit the right brand and formula, your life will change.
      I like Lumiere http://www.lumierecosmetics.com/,
      Lucy http://annelangguth.vpweb.com/ and
      Silk Naturals http://www.silknaturals.com
      These brands are cheap and pretty natural so they don’t flare up anything on top of acne. Mineral makeup has amazing coverage, so you probably won’t even need a concealer.

      I second the suggestion for brown eyeliner, top lashline only. And no space between lashes and lid. This takes practice but you’ve got time so you can master it.

      If your derm puts you on any medication, especially Retin-A, skip it a few days before your interview. Zits are easier to hide than flaking skin.

      Good luck!

    5. Ask your dermatologist about Retin-A (or tretonin–I think it has a few different brands or trade names). It will make your acne worse for about 2 weeks (it draws all the deep oils up to the surface or something) and after that, your skin is clear. You have to stay out of the sun or use really good sunscreen while you use it, b/c it will make your skin sensitive and somewhat dry at first.

      Also, as an added bonus, it is basically the only thing out there that will actually prevent and lessen wrinkles. If you have insurance, you can really milk it by getting the prescription covered as an acne med and then continuing to use it for cosmetic reasons. I got the prescription for for an acne problem when I was about 27, and had to have my doctor explain to my insurance that it was for acne (which was covered), and not cosmetic (which is not covered). It resolved my acne problem, and now I am in my 30s, and the insurance keeps paying for my renewed prescription, which I now basically use as an ant-wrinkle cream. Bonus!

      Just remember, it makes your skin worse for the first two weeks, so summer, before OCI starts, may be a great time to get started on it–and don’t give up on the routine too soon.

      1. That would be “anti-wrinkle” cream—“ant-wrinkles” would be a whole ‘nother problem!

      2. I totally second this. Tretinoin is what my doctor prescribed and it solved my acne stress problem as well as has decreased my wrinkles so much that my face looks better at 31 than it did at 27!

        1. Be careful, though. I’ve been on Retin-A for six months now and my face actually looks worse than when I started. I would focus on covering it up with makeup, honestly – right before OCI is not the time to experiment with medications that may or may not work.

          1. You might want to get a prescription with less % of RetinA, mine is VERY low (I want to say 0.0125%) and it took longer for it to “take” but I never had flaky/dry skin (I also live in a humid climate and moisturize daily).

          2. It’s not the flakies – it’s actually made my skin oilier and given me more breakouts. I thought it was the infamous initial breakout at first, but after six months I doubt it.

    6. I am not sure about the maturity thing, but as far as the acne goes – I have had oily, break0ut-prone skin my whole life, and the breakouts do get worse with stress. I know it’s hard, but it’s critical to really watch your nutrition and get enough rest and hydration to control breakouts. Topical stuff can only do so much. I drink a fruit smoothie pretty much every day, with berries, banana, mango (and whatever else I happen to have around) with yogurt, protein powder, green tea powder, carrot-orange juice, and some fish oil or flax oil added in. I swear that has made a huge difference in my skin – I have a “glow” now that I never had, no matter what I used for skincare or makeup. If you don’t have time in the morning to make a smoothie, Odwalla and Naked Juice both make bottled smoothies that are pretty good – you can just keep them in your fridge so you can grab ‘n’ go in the morning. I’m also fanatic about drinking water, and if I have to go to bed at 8 or 9 to make sure I’ll get enough sleep, I do. I know you’re probably having to work some late nights, but on nights when you don’t, make an effort to catch up on sleep – go to bed earlier.

      I will say that the OTC chemical peels/exfoliants a lot of skincare lines have now do help a lot with acne and dull skin. Some of the ones I like a lot are: Kate Somerville ExfoliKate, Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel, Clinique Turnaround Radiance Peel, and the Boots No. 7 Glycolic Peel Kit you can get at Target. If I don’t peel/exfoliate regularly – like twice a week – my skin looks dull and I get a lot more breakouts. If you haven’t tried an at-home peel product, I would try that and see if it helps. Good luck!

    7. Looking young isn’t as much of a problem as you think (at a certain point, everyone looks young), but looking childish or unprofessional is. I also look young and had some of the same concerns as you are having now when I went through OCI. As I suspect is true for a lot of us, I look much younger without makeup and with my hair naturally curly. It’s amazing what a flat iron and some Bobbi Brown can do. And a suit. And shoes that fit you well (that you can walk in). You may think there is something missing when you put on professional clothes, but it may just be that you’re not used to seeing yourself that way. Good luck!

      1. “Looking young isn’t as much of a problem as you think (at a certain point, everyone looks young), but looking childish or unprofessional is.”
        This. 100%. I’m kind of in the same boat. Not with the acne, but with overall looking very young. I’m petite, have freckles, cubby cheeks, and long blonde hair. When I’m not dressed up, I carely look this side of 20 (and I’m 26). If you’re dressed in an appropriate well-fitted suit, conservative heels, and grown-up jewelry, you’ll look professional. Trust me, I highly doubt the interviewers are looking at you thinking, “what’s this teenager doing here in law school?”
        However, if you ACT young, then they will think you’re young. Avoid, hair-twirling, giggling, squeaking/squealing, etc.
        You’ve obviously thought about this. Good luck, girl. You’ll rock it.

    8. Go to the gym & swim laps for 1/2 hour most days of the week. Great exercise & the chlorine will clear you right up. My daughter has awful acne & once she started swimming it cleared up in a couple of weeks.

      1. If you’ve tried a number of different topical and oral antibiotics to no avail, why don’t you ask your dermatologist about accutane? I finally did this and am in the middle of testing (lots of blood tests required first at specific intervals). From what I hear, it is the only permanent solution to acne.

  7. I think I would call to confirm the lunch and give the heads up that you’ll be on crutches. If you’re lucky, the partner may suggest meeting at the restaurant. At the very least, he or she won’t be taken off guard about having to transport someone (I know I would appreciate the heads up so there aren’t papers on the passenger side or empty coffee cups, etc.)
    Wear a flat dress shoe with the brace. If you’re wearing a high heel on the “good” ankle with crutches, you’re going to look silly. Just my opinion.

  8. Hijack of the hijack:

    If you’re wearing a high heel on the “good” ankle with crutches, you’re going to look silly. Just my opinion.

    I have an ongoing problem with one of my legs/ankles that prevents me from wearing heels ordinarily – I simply cannot balance in them and unless they are incredibly chunky, my bad leg turns in on the heel. I have periodic surgery on the bad leg (unfortunately nothing that is ever expected to help me walk in heels!) but I am a pro on crutches. The times when I am on them are the only times I can wear heels (well, “heel” – on the good leg). Is consensus that this looks absurd and I should just wear my usual flats?

    1. This is my opinion only but if you’re wearing sky high stilettoes while on crutches, I’m going to think you’re nuts. If you’re wearing solid, stable shoes, whether they’re heeled or not, it wouldn’t catch my attention at all.

      1. No, not a sky high stiletto – more the classic 2-inch or so black pump that I long to wear the rest of the time.

        For those below who pointed out the importance of appropriate crutch-height — good point. When I’ve done this I’ve adjusted the crutches up/down depending upon footwear though I admit that gets annoying.

    2. I wouldn’t wear mismatched shoes like that on a day that you’re trying to make a particularly good impression on others, but if you like to wear a heel and you’re comfortable doing so, wear whatever the heck you like! If I saw you wearing one heel and on crutches and you were maneuvering adroitly, I’d probably think you were talented, not absurd.

    3. I had foot surgery and had to be on crutches for 7 weeks. I was miserable, but managed with more “dowdy” shoes than I ordinarily would sport. But I wanted stable footwear. Sometimes I would wear a (single) shoe with a little heel. Remember that your crutches should be adjusted depending upon the shoe you are wearing–they will be too short if you go from flats to heels! That can cause additional injury to your back!

    4. It definitely looks weird–someone in our office recently sprained her ankle, made a huge fuss (calling 911, etc.) and then showed up the next week on crutches and the same backless, heeled sandals she tripped in in the first place. The whole office was talking about how ridiculous she was. Stick to flats.

      1. That must have been some sprain that required a 911 call AND can be handled in backless heeled sandles.

      2. People like this make me so mad. I had a family member suffer a great detriment to their health because when they needed an ambulance none was available. A sprained ankle is not an emergency unless you sprained it falling into the Grand Canyon. Geesh.

  9. Happened to wear my own black blazer with exposed seams, which I picked up at the BCBG outlet for $50…I love when Corporette not only inspires me to seek out new pieces, but also reminds me to appreciate the clothes that I have!

  10. I broke my ankle while pregnant. It was pretty late in the pregnancy so I didn’t have to go too many places, but I told whoever I was meeting that I’d be on crutches. I had a semi funny story about it to put the person at ease. The idea of going more than from a car to destination was simply too much and I indicated I was limited. They will thank you for not making them feel like a brute for walking anywhere. Tell the assistant you’ll meet at __ place and will be the one with crutches and he/she will take care of it.

  11. Beautiful jacket, and it looks as though it’s worth every penny. I used to have a bias against these synthetic blends, but I got over it. Those European made fabrics containing synthetics can be quite fabulous. But….I must say – just bought a jacket for husband at Macy’s – their own brand “Alfani” lightweight summer jacket, beautiful quality, 100% wool and I only paid $45.00 for it on sale and with credit card discount. Soooo…. if they can do 100% wool for the boys….

    1. See, that 100% wool men’s blazer for $45 makes me so mad! My husband’s clothes always seem like they’re of such a higher quality than mine (even though we buy many of our clothes from the same stores and brands). The fabric is heavier, doesn’t pill, isn’t sheer, and his clothes last for years! And the price is similar, or sometimes lower, to what I pay for my clothes. Grr.

      1. YES. I don’t understand why men’s dress shirts in pale colors/white are opaque, and women’s are sheer. Why why WHY?

  12. Hijack. I need some sympathy.

    I’m studying for the bar exam right now, and my boyfriend and I have a 20 day trip planned for after the bar – camping and hiking and looking at Navajo ruins and mountain biking all over national parks in Arizona and Utah. I’ve been really excited about it for months and since I don’t have a solid job offer (I have one of those “maybe” ones) post bar it’s kind of all I have to get me through this completely miserable summer.

    He e-mailed me a few minutes ago to say that he messed up in figuring out the schedule. He told me his summer class got out on August 7th (when we planned on leaving) and it doesn’t get out until the 19th (the last Friday of our planned trip). He’s already gotten the leave approved at work and we’ve made (and paid for) the camping reservations. All of my law friends have already made their plans and bought tickets, and the places they are going are out of my budget.

    I want to kill him. (Not really. But kind of.)

    1. Since you don’t have a firm job offer, is it possible for you to switch the dates until after he gets out? A lot of schools go back in session the week of the 21st, so the campgrounds are likely to be less crowded.

      1. Yes, but he only has a week off before he has to go back to school again at then end of August. I’m annoyed at myself for wasting so much time planning it when I should have been studying.

    2. Can you change the dates so he can go? Or you have other people coming with too?

      It totally sucks, I am so sorry this happened. I think if others are going, you could go along without your BF, or if others aren’t going, you could probably get the reservations changed. Good luck.

    3. That really sucks, and I’m sure that he feels really badly about it too. What about seeing if a non-law school friend or family member wanted to go for the first part of the trip? I know it’s not the same as going with a SO, but it could be fun and a chance to reconnect with a friend/family member who probably hasn’t gotten to see you that much this summer.

  13. Love this, love lots of Akris, can’t afford any of it. Best thing about Sarah Palin, in my opinion, was her Akris wardrobe

    1. Thanks for the tip … but can I just say that the Shabby Apple website is absolutely maddening? You can’t find anything! I’d prefer descriptive category titles to their artsy generic things. Especially when everything takes so long to load. End rant, still using the coupon :)

    2. Thanks for the link, if I wasn’t on a no-spending freeze I’d be jumping all over it! Schucks!

      1. Anon – Groupon is kind of like living social. They have a limited number of offers every day on items/ services at a deeply discounted rate from certain suppliers (in your area but also nationwide). You sign up for email alerts and receive information on “deals of the day” – my friend bought a swimming boot camp package (with a Navy Seal) valued at $160 for $60 and you can get sports tickets, gift certificates for shopping (all at discounted rates), etc. It’s definitely worth it to sign up though you may end up spending money on deals you hadn’t originally thought about budgeting for! That said, I’ve been lusting after some Shabby Apple dresses and this allows me to save some money – right place right time scenario I suppose.

    3. Oh thanks! I had a dress in my cart for ages, and then just saved me $60!

  14. Thread hijack: what are the rules on calling in sick in biglaw? I finally did so for the first time today after running a 101-103 degree fever all weekend and still not feeling fully recovered, but I’d like your thoughts re who you tell, how sick you have to be, and whether you work at home in bed. Thanks!

    1. I was sick last week with a fever. I ended up staying home but working once my fever abated. Everyone was really understanding at work. If you’re sick, definitely take leave. I just told my secretary and the person who I was working with on a project.

    2. Don’t really know the “rules” persay, but if you have a 101-103 fever, you probably shouldn’t do anything more substantive than flip channels/drink cough medicine until it breaks… health-wise, that is. :-)

    3. A bit off topic, but I’d really love to see Kat post a thread about this (maybe in the fall when it’s cold and flu season). It seems from past comments so many feel forced to go into work when sick – does anyone have tips on how to do that? I was reminded of it while dragging my butt to class while I had a 101 fever last month.

      I hope you feel better soon LwyerChk!

    4. I ended up feeling better and managed to work from home this afternoon enough to bill 6 hours. Still not sure how I’m going to make my deadlines this week, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

    5. I would tell my secretary and anyone I was working with on projects, and whether I tried to work would depend on my deadlines for the week, appointments for the day, etc. and what I could get others to cover. My colleagues are pretty good about helping each other out (and of course I help them and have lots of favor equity!)

      1. Anyone see the email that ATL put up a few months ago where the managing partner of *unnamed* behemoth firm emailed the whole firm with a big rant on not coming to work with swine flu (which some poor associate had done, probably just trying to make a deadline…). Bad delivery, good message.

        People should be able to stay home if they are sick. If you can get a few things done by remote, great, if not, just stay in bed and keep your germs to yourself (not a snark, just reality).

        1. I’m not advocating for going to the office with any serious illness, but in fairness to that associate, the system incentivizes you to come in when you are sick. If you don’t, you risk aggravating partners who just aren’t sympathetic to taking ANY sick time unless you are hospitalized, and you may have to deal with backlash from failing to meet deadlines and/or falling behind in hours (more relevant in the case of swine flu where you may have to miss a week or more of work).

          In my office, even if you email partners to tell them you are throwing up or have an extremely high fever, they will call you at home when they need something and expect you to take care of it.

    6. If I’m sick enough to stay home, I do not work – I sleep, hydrate, eat chicken soup, watch TV in between bouts of sleeping, and focus all my energies on getting well. Once I’m better, I’ll get back to work.

      Then again, I also have the luxury of my own office with a door I can close, so if I have a bad head cold or similar, I can still come to work and just shut myself in my office. I know that some people are super sensitive to anyone who dares to come to work with even a slight cold, but seriously, unless these same people are also avoiding grocery stores, the mall, public transportation, and anywhere else where they’ll come into contact with other people, me being holed up in my office should not be a huge problem.

  15. Love it! Love the structure, love the femininity provided by the built-in curves. Now, if only I weren’t a government lawyer, with a government salary. Sign.

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