ByKat Hours Updated
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Splurge Monday’s TPS Report: Ruffled Trench Coat

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Diane von Furstenberg Ruffled Trench CoatI always feel like outerwear is a good place to invest because a) you can wear it every day during the season, and b) if you invest well, you'll have it for years. Today I'm liking this slightly different take on the classic trench from Diane von Furstenberg — the ruffle is interesting, yet not too frilly or clown-like. I also like the way the jacket looks different depending on whether it's worn open or closed, as well as when the top button is closed. It's $565 at Bergdorf Goodman (and at Bloomingdale's as well). Ruffled Trench Coat Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-3)

Sales of note for 12.5

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

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110 Comments

  1. Sorry, but I hate it. Don’t destroy a classic with some trendy little add-on. Also, I feel that in one year the ruffle will totally date the jacket and make it irrevelent.

  2. This is a gorgeous trench but a little too distinctive and trendy for me to label it something I could wear day in and day out over multiple years.

    IMHO, an investment piece is something that is classic and timeless, i.e., the stand-by Burberry trench (“chav” issue notwithstanding) or a Kelly bag.

    1. I agree – I think of a classic as something without any of the of-the-moment details (eg ruffles) that will make it look dated soon. Great coat though!

      Does anyone have any suggestions for a single-breasted version of the trench? I don’t like “classic” trenches on me bc of the double-breasted thing, it looks wrong and makes my generous bust look more generous!

          1. If you like it, they usually have tons of promotions. If you sign up for their email, they often do “all outerwear 30% off from 1-3 on day X,” etc.

    2. I agree. I like this a lot, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing it all the time as it is quite distinctive (though beautiful).

      1. Agreed – if only this were a fraction of the price! I do love that it’s a classic color with a trendy twist.

    3. I have a DVF trench in khaki from a few years ago, also with an of the moment stylish “twist”. (mine has a huge sash and very full skirt but otherwise classic) It never gets worn! Since it’s so stylish looking, I never feel comfortable wearing it to school or work, so it’s essentially gotten worn at the few spring/fall formal events I’ve had where one needs a coat but nothing warm. Expensive fail. Maybe someone with more flair than I have could pull it off on a more regular basis, but not me.

  3. Super early threadjack,

    Anyone out there have liposuction? If so, what was your experience before, during, and after the procedure? Where did you have the procedure? Did you get the results you wanted? Also, can you recommend a good surgeon in the Bay Area?

    I’d like to get rid of love handles and the dreaded stomach pouch, but I realize that I have some weight to lose before getting a procedure because overall I’m overweight. Also I’d like to get some fat removed from my upper arms. I worry that if I don’t lose enough weight beforehand I won’t have the results I want, or that if I gain some weight after it will look strange.

    1. Haven’t had lipo but considered it when I was heavier. Then I lost 60 pounds using Weight Watchers and got almost a flat stomach. My girlfriend who’s always been smaller than me never had a flat stomach so apparently it’s just my body type which was a pleasant surprise for me (I’d never been below the max weight for my height). Now I’ve regained some of the weight back and I’m having a hard time focusing to lose it but I know that I can do it if I just actually get on track.

      I would recommend losing the weight first and maintaining for at least a year if not two (I maintained for 3 and never thought I would regain the weight and yet here I am, 25 pounds higher). It takes about a year for your skin to “retract” fully.

      I know another WW person who went the lipo rought (she had lost 105 pounds) and saw her post op pictures (OMG don’t ever want to look at that again, can’t imagine feeling the pain of it). Anyway she’s now regained 30+ pounds and it’s not good (still got the scars and yet she’s got the handles back and now the skin has been stretch and won’t “return” as quickly as before).

    2. My mom had it done after she was done having babies and she thinks she was put back funny (like the skin lays in a funny way). She’s very unhappy with the result (tho I’m not sure the surgery in general, just the result she had).

    3. Honestly, I really really really want that Zerona laser fat removal. If it’s just for fat, I’d rather try it than liposuction since it seems less likely to result in disfigurement. I’d rather get a tummy tuck than lipo if it’s to get rid of a pouch/love handles/loose skin.

    4. I do not have weight issues so I am not speaking out of experience.
      However, several of my colleagues had lipo (especially post partum) and I got to hear a lot about it during lunch breaks.
      The procedure looks scary if you are watching someone else do it, but is not as traumatic as it appears. You would recover very fast but depending on how much fat you took out, it will take more time for your skin to be toned.
      Most of my collegaues were advised to lose weight through diet and exercise before attempting the lipo. I have a male colleague whose doctor refused the procedure until he drops a considerable amount of weight.
      My humble opinion: if you do not have health issues or an urgent need to lose weight, try working out and dieting for a few weeks. If you still feel the need for the medical help then do it and results willl be much better since you would already be more toned.
      Good luck with that.

      1. I agree that diet and exercise are the ideal way to go, but I also think that some people have a really difficult time losing weight in certain areas no matter how much they exercise. I’m a size 2/4, work out regularly, and still have considerable love handles. Unless I lose 20 pounds (which would be very unhealthy for me), I don’t see how I can lose those love handles. If anyone has recommended exercises, please let me know!

        1. Totally agree. That’s why I advised anon to try for a few weeks and if she needs the medical help then go for it.

          For your question, I highly recommend Body Combat. It is a non impact sport, so you are punching air instead of hitting a bag.
          It does wonders to love handles because you tend to sollicit the lateral ab muscles during the punches and jabs. Actually, one of the catch phrases of this traning is :”Love doesn’t need handles”.

          If you do not have this at your gym, you can try some form of cardio kickboxing.

        2. One thing that has been helping me with my love handles and saddlebags are “skaters.” Stand on one leg. Bring your other leg up to a 90 degree angle. Then extend your leg back to the ground (but don’t put your foot down) and “skate” it out to the side, making sure to lead with your heel. Bring your leg back up to the 90 degree angle and continue. For a little more intensity, put a resistance band on. Hope I explained that effectively. Good luck!

    5. Ugh, I feel your pain. I’m only about 5-10 lbs over what I’d like to be, but all my weight is in my belly! Even when I’m at a good weight, I’ve got a total pooch! It makes it impossible to buy pants and just makes me feel like a grandma. And i haven’t even had kids yet! This is only going to get worse. I’ve considered (though admittedly not that seriously) lipo b/c they say it’s good for the stubborn last 3-5 lbs. That seems like it could do the trick, but I’m not sure I’m willing to undergo the risk of surgery for my vanity (not criticizing anyone else, I’m just a bit wussy/reluctant to have elective surgery).

      Any recommendations for targeting the dreaded pooch?

    6. Depending where you are, I can recommend a good trainer in the Bay Area (east bay, though he may be willing to come to SF for an extra charge). Otherwise, no lipo experience though I tend to agree with PP that it’s probably a good idea to start a diet and exercise regime and see where it takes you. You may be satisfied at that point. (I say this as someone who is very surgery averse, though, having grown up with tons of family in the medical field and knowing way too much about rare complications.)

    7. FYI, if you have had a baby or if you are planning on having one in the future, a lot of plastic surgeons won’t do lipo for a belly; they’ll recommend getting a tummy tuck (if you’ve already had kids and are done) or waiting to do anything until after you have your kids. Having a baby can do some incredibly destructive things to your stomach that lipo can’t fix.

      One of my friends, who was not planning on kids at the time, had lipo a few years ago. She was overweight and didn’t lose a lot before the procedure. I felt that after the procedure she looked odd – she didn’t have much of a belly anymore, but her arms, legs and lower hips were still big. Not proportional at all. She also undertook some unnecessary risks because of the amount of fat they had to remove – the more fat they have to take off, the riskier the procedure is. Then, she unexpectedly got pregnant and the lipo didn’t matter/wasn’t obvious at all any more. She is now looking to do a complete abdominoplasty, but this time she lost 75 lbs and I think she’ll look great after the procedure. But the initial lipo – which cost her $10,000 – was a waste of time and money.

      I am considering doing an abdominoplasty because I had a big, malpositioned baby, a ton of stretch marks, and a c-section, and my abdomen looks terrible – and no amount of exercise or cocoa butter is going to fix it. I have the “shelf” above my c-section scar that is not large but not going anywhere either, and I had diastasis rectii that never fully corrected after I gave birth, so I have a vertical ridge down the middle of my stomach. I have gone to a consultation and apparently the only way to fix the myriad issues is abdominoplasty, lipo won’t do anything. I am totally going to do it once I get the money saved, because my stomach looks like someone ran over it with a truck, with the faded stretch marks, lumpiness, weird ridges, etc.

      Go ahead and get a consult – but be prepared to hear that you need to lose more weight or wait until after childbearing so you won’t get a bad result. I think it’s better all the way around – both health-wise and cosmetically – to wait until you’ve lost the weight to do the surgery. At minimum, the surgeon will be able to tell you how much more weight you need to lose before getting anything done.

      1. Run over by a truck – ha! I am in the same boat: large babies, c-section (times two), shelf about the c-sect scar and a lipo just won’t do it. I need to lose weight but am really discouraged that even when I lose weight I’ll still need the surgery, which I can’t afford. Although I do get ulcers from the skin fold, so it’s possible it might be covered due to that (yuk!).

    8. I had lipo more than 10 years ago, well after having babies. I am thin but had always had a pooch of fat just below my navel that never went away no matter what I did. The lipo got rid of it, although the skin looked a little odd for a long time. I had it done outpatient at the doctor’s surgical suite (in NYC). There were a couple of painful days afterwards. I’m glad I had it done, as I was always self-conscious about my abdomen before, and since the lipo it just feels like me.

      1. How bad was the pain? Would you do it all over again? That seems to be the test for me.

        1. It hurt more than I expected – if I remember correctly I stayed in bed the whole next day and stayed home the day after, so didn’t go back to work until after a weekend. But I would definitely do it again. I have the sense that how good the surgeon is makes a big difference in what results you get – see below re the denting. I have a small dent that sometimes bugs me but my husband says he doesn’t even see it.

    9. I had it done on my thighs, they did not come out smooth. I’ve been back twice for touch ups, still not quite right. I have a small but noticeable “dent” on one thigh. If I wore shorts (which I don’t due to spider veins) I’d be more upset about it. Not sure I’d recommend it. If you do it, make sure you get a good, experienced surgeon.

  4. I wish I could wear trench coats, but with my body shape I end up looking like a linebacker (actually I don’t know what a linebacker looks like, I have no curves, and resemble a huge box).

    But even if I could pull it off, I agree with the above commenter that I’d want something a little more classic. This look may seem dated in a few years, and since most of my coats wear really well (as Kat mentioned) I can keep them for multiple seasons. Usually I like DVF but this one I might pass.

      1. Especially. I have no waist to speak of as it is, so drawing attention to the lack makes me look even more boxy (or worse) pregnant.

        1. How high are you tying it? A natural waist is where you bend, when you lean your shoulders and head to the side (stay facing front).

          You’re the expert on your body, but I hear a lot of women saying they have “no waist.” I’m always perplexed by that description. You have a waist. It’s where your body bends. Like, your ribcage area.

          1. Some of us (me) have a “natural waist” that is the same width or even wider than our hips. I’m thin (size 4), but have no curves. I too look terrible and possibly pregnant in a belted trench coat, and have the same issue with the current belted sweater trend. Love the look on others, but definitely can’t pull it off!

  5. The coat is cute on the model but I think I’d wind up looking too sloppy in it. Juggling a bag/umbrella/cell phone/etc. with the ruffly coat flap sounds like not fun.

    1. Add long hair and a scarf to the mix! Nevermind carrying a baby, even briefly! I’m with you.

      1. The mental image is priceless :)
        I am the bag lady who totes a purse, laptop, gym duffel and the occasional cookie tins for the colleagues…without a car.

  6. If I’m going to invest in a trench, I want it to be longer than knee-length! My shins get cold!

    Threadjack —

    Corporettes, I am graduating college in a month (!), currently interning at my dream nonprofit (!!), and two days away from my interview for a full-time position there (!!!). My interviewer, the executive director, knows me by sight and from hearsay, but hasn’t interacted with me personally very much. Any tips on how to NAIL this interview? This absolutely is my dream job.

    Two specific concerns: I am interning at one of three branches under “Sheila”. I am interviewing for Sheila’s position (essentially branch manager) at either of the other two branches. Sheila is sweet but new to her job and, IMO, not that great at it. I can think of two or three specific examples of how I would have handled situations differently. Given that the exec director is likely to ask what I think of Sheila’s branch, how should I respond? If I get the job, I would have to work with her in the future, obviously, and I don’t want to sound horrible or ungrateful, but I really don’t think she’s that great at it.

    Second concern: This one is slightly more time-sensitive! I have sustained a strong relationship with several of our clients over the past few months, two of whom told me last week without prompting that they think I do an excellent job. There is no way that feedback would have gotten to the exec director, but obviously I want him to know. I have a meeting with one of the clients this afternoon. Would it be inappropriate to ask them to put that in writing of some sort for my interview? If it’s OK, how should I frame that request?

    Thanks so much, ladies!

    PS feel free to tell me to RELAX about this, if you think it’s warranted. I am pretty close to freaking out. ;)

    1. Good luck on your interview! I just wanted to remind you to be yourself. You know how this place operates and you love it – let that enthusiasm show. Also, I love your use of exclamation points =).

      1. I’d try not to trash “Sheila.” Everybody knows she sucks, no doubt. Badmouthing other people (even currently employed, underperforming ones) is in bad taste in virtually every environment. (Even politics! Think of Barack Obama or John McCain: “Ms. Palin is a fine person!” LOL). Keep the focus on YOU.

    2. I agree that you should not trash Sheila or her branch. I think you can–and may be expected to discuss–what you’ve learned from working in the branch and what improvements you might make. Maybe you can phrase some of the negative things that Sheila has done as a difficult situation, but, given the benefit of seeing how it went, you would handle something similar differently in the future. Also try to think of some genuinely positive things to say about Sheila to balance your criticisms.

      1. To add to the last bit here: you might mention that you’d look forward to working with her more (unless you think she is on her way out anytime soon). This would indicate that while you might have some different ideas about how to do things, you’re not going to cause conflicts among branch heads or spend your career at the organization trying to take Sheila down.

    3. I think they’ll love how much you love the organization.

      I’m not sure what you should do about the client situation, but I wouldn’t say anything that could be construed as negative about Sheila. If she is terrible at her job, then everyone knows. If they ask you what you think about your brance, just talk about how working in the organization helped you realize how much you agree with their mission, or something like that.

      Good luck!!

    4. I think if asked what you think about working at Sheila’s branch, you just gush about how great an opportunity it’s been getting to learn about the organization without talking about Sheila specifically

      If asked specifically what you would do differently, then I think it’s okay to highlight the things you would do differently, but do it gently and don’t throw Sheila under the bus. “I’ve seen task A handled in manner X and I see why it was done that way (reason Y) but having had that experience, I would try doing it in manner Z.”

      Good luck!

    5. One thing I do when I prepare for an interview is sit down at my computer (at home, obviously) and literally type out every question I think they might ask me about my career/education to date. It’s a bit harder if you’re right out of college, but I look at every job/internship I’ve had and think of what they might ask me about it.

      I try to think of anecdotes that show skills that I think might be important to the job–you’d be surprised how often you’re asked to describe a situation where you’ve done x or y. For example, ” can you tell us about a recent experience where you’ve demonstrated initiative?” Etc.

      I also try to think of “what’s your best/worst trait in the office” answers because while those questions suck, they sometimes come up and it’s good to have an answer.

      Then, before the interview, I read over my outline and then throw it out. You don’t want to sound canned, but it helps to have anticipated some questions.

      I would steer clear of directly criticizing anyone who works there and I’d just let the client praise go. I can’t think of a tactful way to solicit or pass on that information. Might just look a bit desperate–they may have passed the info on on their own. Just say that you really enjoyed interacting with those clients perhaps.

      Good luck!

      1. It’s good to prepare in advance, but I think it’s so easy to get focused on the possible work-related questions that you can get thrown off when someone asks you about interests/hobbies. In the interview for my current job, about half (or more) of the interview was about interests/hobbies. The interviewers seemed like they want to make sure I wasn’t just making things up to impress them. If they already know you can do the job, they may just want to know whether you’ll be a good fit for the organization.

        1. That’s a good point. It all depends on the office/field. When I interviewed for law firm jobs, it was all about personal interests. In the NGO world, I got a lot of substantive professional/legal questions.

    6. Does your client know your circumstance as an intern? Handled correctly, it’s not totally out of line to have them make a call on your behalf…though it would have to be something like, “We’ve really enjoyed working with LL and we hope that she’ll continue to be a part of your organization.”

      But without specifics on the type of non-profit you work in, the area, the organization etc it’s really hard to say for sure whether it’s appropriate or how to go about doing this. All I can say is that I’ve worked in organizations where people we worked with did something like this on behalf of junior staff/interns. All I can say is trust your instinct in your meeting…and that generally a phone call is probably better than an email/letter for soemthing like this.

      1. Assuming that you have a comfortable relationship with the client, I would ask them. Just phrase it as a favor- “Hey, could you do me a favor? I’m an intern now, but I’m interviewing for more permanant position, and I really hope to get it. You said _____ about me the other day. If you are comfortable with it, would you mind dropping (person who’s in charge) a quick email or phone call saying (whatever was said) about me. Thank you so much!” and send a thank you note if they do.

        This is one of those things that a lot of people (us gals especially) just let go, but really shouldn’t. I used to share a cubical wall at an insurance company w/ a fellow who, any time a customer would say something nice to him on the phone (a fairly regular occurance for most of us; we talked to a dozen or more people a day), would respond “Thank you. Would you like to tell my manager that?” then transfer them over to his manager. It seemed a little cheesy, and I could never get the nerve to try it, but he was promoted to a semi-managment position after only a few years there, over people who had been there decades. (I don’t know that that’s the main reason why, but I’m sure that it helped.)

        1. Absolutely, Lyssa. Women tend to devalue ourselves and not market ourselves well enough. I think it would be perfectly appropriate for you to ask one of your praising clients, “I just wanted to let you know that I’m interviewing for a permanent position here. If you feel comfortable talking to Ms. Boss about my performance, I would really appreciate it.”

  7. I love this coat. I agree with other commenters that the ruffle takes it out of the timeless category, but I would wear it regularly for a few seasons before it goes out of style. The ruffle is distinctive, but I think a distinctive coat is something you can wear over and over again unlike a skirt or top.

  8. Quick thread jack early on (with requisite apologies):

    I recently started wearing black/dark brown eyeliner, and it does awesome things for my eyes as soon as I put it on. I usually just do my top lid, and it looks great when I leave the house, but an hour into the day, it is usually somehow smeared under my eye. I already have under eye circles (they’re genetic and don’t go away when I catch up on sleep), so I look super tired as a result.

    Any advice for eyeliner that won’t smear – either specific brands or how to apply it? The brand I’ve been wearing is covergirl, though I’m very willing to make a greater investment.

    Thanks!

    1. The one that everyone recommends is the Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner. I think Kat did a post on it a while ago. Haven’t tried it myself but I may try it because I have the same issue as you.

      1. Yes, that’s what I use – doesn’t budge all day, and comes off easily with makeup remover. It’s fabulous.

    2. You might also want to check if your eyelids are oily.
      I have big curly eyelashes, but the greasiest eyelids ever (they shine if you don’t wipe them throughout the day eeek!).
      Back to your eyelids, you might want to try a primer. Even using your regular foundation and blotting powder before applying the eyeliner should help.

    3. I use a very basic Estee Lauder pencil, and it doesn’t smear.

      I think CG tends to smear more often because it is a bit creamier. I have also had really positive experiences with a UK brand called No. 7 — they have it in some Targets stateside, now. It costs about the same as CG.

      If you want something really smudge proof, try liquid. Don’t be intiminated by it, it’s not really tricky to apply at all. You just need to practice a few times to get the hang of it.

      Last thought — make sure you are using reg. pencil, now one of those self-sharpening twisty ones. For some reason, I find those smudge much more easily (which is sometimes good) than reg. “hard” pencils.

    4. I hate gels/pens. If you want a pencil, Urban Decays pencil eyeliners are amazing, go on smooth, and never smudge off your eyes/give you a raccoon face.

      1. Second Urban Decay. I rave about them to everyone I know, and most who then try it, end up loving it as much as I do.

    5. Revlon Colorstay – amazing eyeliner. Good tip about priming oily eyelids (which I always do) but also make sure that you’re not putting heavy moisturizer on/around your eyes if you’re going to wear pencil eyeliner. Maybe you want to try liquid liner?

    6. Smashbox liner pencils stay put. I’d stay away from Clinique, they rub off too easily.

    7. I’m a fan of Urban Decay primer potion. It will keep your eyeshadow and eye liner looking fresh throughout the day usually regardless of the brand of eyeshadow/ liner you use.

      http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P74310&categoryId=B70

      Note that they now have this available in a larger size and in different packaging (large squeeze tube versus a tube with a small wand) for $23. I use it every day as a primer or just to brighten up my eyes and keep them from getting greasy. Wish I had discovered it 10 years ago!

    9. I don’t have any suggestions, other than to say THANK YOU for just putting it on the top lid only. I was at an event Friday evening, and I ran into one of my co-workers, who had gone home to “freshen up” between work and the event. She rarely wears much makeup at work, but had lined her top and bottom with thick black eyeliner for the event. It looked awful. Like a high school kid trying to be goth.

      1. I’ve noticed Kate Middleton does this, too. Is lining the top and bottom in right now? I feel like it makes the person’s eyes look small, unless that person has big eyes naturally.

        1. Quite thick black lines on the lower lid is very ‘in’ with young people in the UK at the moment – it is not a look that everyone can pull off.

      2. I think it really depends on the person to see whether the look works or not. I’d look totally appropriate at work if I did, I just choose not to. I save it for functions outside of work and have received many compliments.

    10. Try a waterproof liquid eye-liner any brand and that should solve the problem.

    2. I haven’t used their eyeliner, but I recently bought tarte’s mascara at the recommendation of an ulta salesperson when I asked for something that won’t flake, and so far it hasn’t, and I have a friend that swears by their lip stain, so they seem to have really good products all around.

      1. Is it “Lights, Camera, Lashes” or something like that? I have that mascara from Tarte and love it. Seems like the perfect balance of thickening and lengthening.

          1. I love that stuff! I think Tarte does make good quality products all around. Plus that was one of two brands a Sephora salesperson recommended when I was looking for a hypoallergenic eyeliner for my mom.

  10. Beautiful trench, but quick threadjack re: Boden. For those that have purchased from there, what is the usual wait time for packages to arrive? I purchased about a week and a half ago, received a notification that my package shipped the next day, and have heard nothing since (and no way to track the package). What are folks’ experiences? At what point would you advise contacting the company? Thanks in advance! :)

    1. It typically takes two full calendar weeks from the “ship” date for me to receive the packages.

    2. Same thing, I got one box with 2 items, still waiting on the 2nd box. Ship date was 1/28. They are generally a bit slow.

    3. Takes forever, I agree. And then I learned that when I return something, I only get store credit, not a refund. YOu get an email saying the money ins in your account, but if you order on line, your account is not credited — you have to call in, and put a code in a special place. Despite this, I ordered some more stuff — love the sateen pencil skirt I got! Both dresses I have ordered there are not really work appropriate, nor flattering, so are going back.

      1. Really? I’ve always gotten a credit right to my credit card w/o having to do this. If that happened to me, I don’t think I would order from them again.

        1. This. At least now they are saying you can “track” your items, but ONLY if you have purchased premium shipping. One package arrived from Belgium and another from the UK the last time…so it does vary.

      2. I think this is only true if you don’t return it within the stated time period (which is only 7 days for sale items).

    4. Thanks for the response, ladies! I’m eager for my new stuff (first time Boden buyer based on comments re: quality on this site), but guess I need to have patience for a bit longer (sigh) before I start worrying. Hopefully it’ll all be worth it when the package arrives! Thanks, Lobbyist, for the tip re returns. That’s not awesome…

    1. If it’s for the Byrne JCI I’d say yes. I’d bring one nicer jacket, but for the most part people dressed business casual.

      1. I tend to agree. I don’t think that it would be truely inappropriate, but if you are trying to send a message (“I’m a super serious lawyer type who just needs to finish law school”), I don’t think that this sends it. I’d go with a more basic blazer.

      2. Thanks for the advice. That was turning me off, too. I found something very similar but without the hood in the blazer section, I’m just not sure it’ll be warm enough.

  12. Anyone try IFL/photorejuvenation treatments and care to comment on the results? My aesthetician (in derm’s office) recommended a couple of treatments to even out my skin tone and repair some minor broken capillaries. Any idea on what to expect? Is it enormously painful? I’ve had laser directly on a large capillary that had burst in the past and thought it was insanely painful. I’d rank laser hair removal mid to high in pain. And I’ve had chemical peels and thought that was little to no pain at all. Also, how often do you need to do it to maintain the results? Price quote (Chicago area) was $300. Does that sound comparable to what you’ve paid?

    Alas, the struggle for good skin.

  13. The ruffle looks like my pie crusts which I’m horrible at crimping. I don’t care for asymmetry in clothing; to me it looks more “oops” than intentional.

  14. I agree with others–I think this is very cute, but the ruffle makes it hard for me to look at it and think “investment”.

    OT–I was in all day meetings at headquarters this week, and sitting next to one of my coworkers. Not only was she typing on her computer the ENTIRE time someone was presenting, when I glanced over, it turned out she was sending resumes for jobs outside the company! I have so many problems with this, starting with a) even though I know that she is looking outside the company, other people don’t and if they looked over or walked behind her could see what she was doing; b) our boss was right there; c) rude!!!!!

    Thanks for letting me vent.

  15. Second year law firm associate here who is pissed off that my firm has been canceling and rescheduling and canceling my annual review for going on two months now. I get that people are busy, but seriously, people can’t take a half hour out of their day sometime in a two month period to tell someone who has been killing herself for them for a year and a half now how she’s doing? Also, it would be nice to, you know, have some idea whether there are major, career-killer things I’m doing wrong that I could fix. As it is, I’m stuck reading between the lines and hoping that people who keep asking me to do things don’t think I’m screwing up too badly.

    Sorry, I just had to rant. The cycle of stressing out about my review then having it canceled again is really getting to me.

    1. I’ve been there, and although I was annoyed, I quickly discovered that my review wasn’t considered “high priority” because everyone thought I was doing just fine. The problem children in my section had their reviews on time.

      So…I wouldn’t worry that something horrible is lurking in your review. If there are things you want to raise in the review, consider asking the evaluator to sit down with you for a few minutes to discuss in advance; I did this when my hours were very low and I was concerned that I would get knocked in my evaluation.

      Otherwise, I would just relax and enjoy the fact that you’re getting repeat work, you’ve been there two years, and nobody seems to have their panties in a bundle over your performance. Good luck!

    2. Sorry! If they keep putting it off, though, it probably means you’re doing well – if people are getting canned, they are usually the first to get reviewed!

      1. Second this — it’s the situation in my firm as well. There’s a lot more cause for worry if they make sure to talk to you early/on schedule. If they’re putting it off, they think you’re doing fine and they don’t need to worry about when they get around to it.

    3. I can understand how that is beyond frustrating and makes you feel like you’re not valued as an employee but I definitely second the comments that if they keep pushing it back, you’re doing fine. Law firms don’t like to fire people without some documented criticism in the file. If you were doing career-killer things, they wouldn’t push back your review. And if you are getting repeat assignments from people, then those people like the work you’re doing. Otherwise they’d try to find help elsewhere.

    4. Thank you, everyone – I appreciate the reassurance! I’ll try to calm down and not freak out. :-)

  16. I need some advice please!

    I need to call a potential employer that I interviewed with two weeks ago – let’s call them A – and let them know that I have another offer from B and I need to give B an answer by Wednesday. A is a better position, more aligned with my interests and much better paying so I’d prefer A if I’m given an offer – however this is not at all certain. I felt lucky to be interviewed since I didn’t actually have the “required” number of years of experience.

    How should I handle this call and what should I say to A?

    Thanks!

    1. First thought–Wednesday is extremely soon! Was this short notice for you? If so, have you asked B whether they have any flexibility at all on this? Before you worry about what to tell A, it might be helpful to see whether you truly are in this tight a spot right now.

    2. Definitely call A, tell them you have an offer with a deadline, and that you still remain interested in hearing from A. Ask what their hiring time frame is. If you are a serious candidate, they will do everything in their power to let you know what the status of your application is.

      I also agree that you should call B and find out if there is any flexibility (don’t tell them it’s b/c you are waiting for another offer…make any plausible other excuse at all).

      Do both of these things soon to give everyone involved as much time as possible (it takes time to put together a hiring package).

      1. It’s perfectly ok to tell A that you have an offer from B. “I just wanted to let you know that I got an offer from someone else, but I’d much prefer to work for you.” It shows enthusiasm for the job. These things happen. It may light a fire under them.

  17. I love this jacket! Living in Canada, chic outerwear is always a must. Definitely going to check this out!

  19. Think fast: black or khaki trench coat? i’ve got one in my bag online for a great deal and there’s only 1 khaki left. i think khaki’s classic but is black more functional for work?

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