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Updated: Mar 11, 2022 106 Comments · by

Suit of the Week: Altuzarra

Suit of the Week

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Stylish Work Outfit: The Power Suit

For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that creates a fashionable, yet professional work outfit.

Wow. We've talked about “power lipstick” before on this site, but one look at this amazing red pantsuit from Altuzarra and I think “power suit.” Admittedly, you'll get a lot less wear out of it than a black or navy suit — but if you want to be noticed (such as if you're presenting, or going to a networking event, or going to a holiday office party), or already in a creative field, this may be worth taking a chance on. (It reminds me of a more lux version of this Limited suit from a year or two ago.)

The little fringe details seem tasteful (considering they're, you know, fringe details), and I'd wear both pieces separately as well. Gorgeous.

The blazer (ALTUZARRA Fenice fringe-trimmed slub stretch-crepe blazer) is $1,995, and the pants (ALTUZARRA Tom slub stretch-crepe flared pants) are $1,295.

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Some of the usual suspects for basic designer suits include McQueen, Altuzarra, The Row (this and this), Akris, Michael Kors, and Veronica Beard. Recent favorites include:

one of the best designer suits for women: McQueen
McQueen
one of the best basic designer suits for women: Roland Mouret
Roland Mouret
one of the best basic designer suits for women: The Row
The Row
one of the best designer suits for women: Altuzarra
Altuzarra
one of the best basic designer suits for women: Versace
Versace

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Sales of note for 9.10.24

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

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Comments

  1. Anonymous

    A $3000 bright red suit? Erm, no. If I’m spending that much, I’d hope I can wear it more than 6 times a year. I’m sure it’s very well tailored, and good quality, but no thank you.

      • Anonymous

        I adore it. Obviously spending that kind of money isn’t for everyone, including me, but I love it and I would buy it if I could.

    • Ellen

      Yes, I have to agree with the OP’s, here. Even tho I would NOT buy a pants-suit anyway, paying over $3K for a Santa suit would NOT be a prudent use of fund’s, as DAD says (are you reading this Mr. Barshevsky? — I am being VERY sensibel!) Beside’s If I bought a pair of pants like this i would be deathley afraid of walking in the City street’s in the winter, with all of the snow and schlush, let alone the hidden pocket’s of dog poopie in my neighborhood that get’s hidden as soon as white snow falls on top of it. FOOEY b/c there is no mistakeing poopie once you step into it. I would have to buy LLBean boot’s or Timberland’s and those would NOT go with these pant’s at all!

      I have hit my 7500 hours today so the rest of the year is gravy, the manageing partner says’. He says I can take time, or if I want to work for 8000, he will go halfzees with me for my bonus- that is he will pay me 50% of all additional hours I work and bill through the end of the year. This means’ he wants me here thru New Year’s eve to get the billing’s out! FOOEY b/c Myrna was goeing to take me upstate to Hunter mountain if there is snow b/c there are alot of cute guys who never go out on the slope’s. I supose it depend’s on how many extra hours I can do in the next 21 day’s. If I work 500 hour’s, I get to keep 250 and at my rate of $675, that equal’s $168,750 before taxe’s so about $80,000 after Uncle Barack and Uncle Cuomo dip their hand’s into my pocket, but still a decent chunk of change! I will have to think about it. YAY!

      We still are lookeing for a new associate for Mason. He is still with Lynn, so she still comes into the office a little sloppy, but we are NOT saying anything yet. Myrna has a freind gradueating from Fordam law now and she want’s me to meet her. I would rather supervise a woman, b/c there wouldnt be any of the SEXUEAL tensons I have with men. I told her I would meet her after January 1. She is NOT a member of the bar, so the manageing partner would NOT have to pay alot to get her. We shall see. I just do NOT want to have to break in another schlub only so that he can have sex with the support staff. FOOEY!

    • Anonymous

      And I can’t let this go without commenting on the WAY too long pants.

      • bridget

        The shape of the pants is also a bit off (or perhaps just with the colour). It looks more 70s disco than “power suit,” imho.

    • U-G-L-Y You Ain't Got No Alibi

      That’s once a month for the six months (climate depending) it’s in season–still waaaaaaay too memorable to wear that often, IMO.

  2. meme

    Ladies, I’m fashion- impaired and I need advice. What do you think of these boots?

    https://m.colehaan.com/products/W00798

    I’m looking for something comfortable, casual, and not hideous for running errands on snowy/icy/generally wintery days. I live in the western U.S. and drive everywhere. Alternate suggestions would also be appreciated.

    • Anonymous

      Those definitely look comfortable, casual and not hideous to me. I’m not a big fan of the large clunky boots everyone is wearing lately, but that’s me. These are a nice compromise.

      One thing – these are quite pricey for a casual boot. I would check a few reviews to be sure they hold up waterproof wise etc.. You are in a price point for a great quality winter boot that lasts (La Canadienne), but they may be more sleek than you want.

    • Mpls

      I got a pair of the Sorel Toronto style boots (the black laceup ones). Waterproof, warm (!), but do run a bit narrow. They have a little bit of wedge. Sorel’s been doing some fashion-y things that don’t involve the duck boot sole.

    • Snickety

      The UGG Cecile is a similar style but cuter, IMHO, and has real shearling. I personally would not pay that much for faux shearling.

  3. Book suggestions

    I have a relative that speaks English as a second language. Her English is very very good, but she reads mostly novels in her native language and wants to improve her English by reading more books in English. She is a bit of a romantic (think tragic French movies), and writes poetry in her native language.

    Any book you have read lately that jumps to mind that you might recommend for someone with her interests?

    • Wildkitten

      I’ve always heard that it is really hard to read fiction in another language because of all the tenses and moods and such. So that might be harder than it sounds.

      • anonymama

        Nah, my 2nd language skills are not great, and it’s challenging but not, like, super-hard to read fiction in that language. She might not pick up on all the nuances at first, but it’s certainly a great way to learn. (I’m sure you didn’t mean to leave such a downer comment, but I felt like I had to counter it!)

        • Wildkitten

          I’ve always been steered towards non-fiction in foreign languages, but the YA suggestions are good.

      • Anon

        I would beg to disagree. English is my second language and I have been reading novels in English since I’ve been 14 years old. It’s a great way to improve one’s language skills.

        To the OP’s relative, I would recommend novels by Jane Austen, the Brontё sisters and George Eliot. If she likes tragic – Thomas Hardy is the way to go.

    • Anonymous

      I haven’t read it yet, but I got a copy of the Nightingale because it had very good reviews on Amazon. It’s some kind of WWII romance-related novel about sisters, set in France.

    • AMB

      I try to read books in my second language and find stuff in the young adult genre usually more accessible than others (the language and imagery is less complex). This is my Canadian bias but I recommended someone who was working on their English here try ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and she seemed to not have too many issues with it. Anne is quite the romantic!

    • Etsy Shopper

      If language skills are really the concern, has she considered YA fiction?

      • anon a mouse

        Second the YA fiction rec. Try anything by Rainbow Rowell; The fault in our stars; even the Hunger Games might work?

    • Anonymous

      I have studied spanish for eons and don’t have many opportunities to use it, much less read it. I got People en Espanol at the airport (and Hola) and was surprised at how much I struggled (after mastering Cervantes and watching Telemundo with the captions on). Maybe, if she wants to be conversant in English, a magazine would help. Something with lots of pictures and not the longest of articles (so, not the New Yorker). Or comics? It was humbling.

    • Ems

      Outlander.

      second the magazine suggestion. I tried reading harry potter in a foreign language, but found my attention span limited. I was better off reading magazine articles about foreign celebrities; thus not actually available in my native english.

    • Marion

      Is there a anything she is quite familiar with in her native language that is also published in English? Re-reading Harry Potter in French was a good way to improve my proficiency but not be overwhelmed because I knew the story.

    • Anon

      My husband is high level non native English speaker who also reads fiction to improve his language skills.

      He loves New Yorker short stories, Haruki Murakami in English translation, Hemingway (short sentences), and Alice Munro.

  4. Chiropractors?

    There is someone on here who repeatedly says Chiropractors are dangerous, can you elaborate? I think you are an ER Doctor? Admittedly I don’t live in the States any my country has much higher medical standards, but Chiropractors are MDs in my country and recommended for good health just like optometrists and dentists and other specialty doctors.

    • Anonymous

      Not a dr, but the ones my family and I have encountered seem to think that an adjustment will help your allergies or various non-musculo-skeletal issues. I think of chiropractors as like a more educated physical therapist, but they come across as quacks (or as a person with one trick that they oversell).

      • DPT

        As a Doctor of Physical Therapy who is Orthopaedic Residency trained, I can tell you that saying a chiro is a “more educated physical therapist” is incredibly incorrect. I am not anti-all chiros, but we DPTs are neuromusculoskeletal movement experts, and studies have shown that we are more knowledgeable about the musculoskeletal system than all other health care providers other than orthopaedic surgeons.

    • Anon Lawyer

      I am not that poster, but this is an opinion I share based primarily on work I did in personal injury. I’ve had injuries for which people often go to chiropractors, and would much rather go to a physical therapist. Personally, I think the medical training is lacking for chiropractors, and wouldn’t want someone with inadequate training working on my spine.

    • Aunt Jamesina

      Chiropractors have much more lax licensing standards in the US than they do in some other countries, so it may be different where you live.

      My friend’s wife is one, and she thinks vaccines are both unnecessary and harmful, that essential oils can help improve a number of health conditions, and that babies “need” adjustments. And she supposedly went to one of the more highly regarded schools.

      Based on the social media she posts, she’s in line with her colleagues in the field– a few have refuted the anti-vax stance among most chiros and have been shouted down.

    • Anonymous

      I am not a doctor but I have a lot of doctors in my family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) and I was raised to avoid chiropractors because their schooling and licensing standards are much less rigorous than doctors. As an adult, I’m also wary of them because many of may crazy anti-vax facebook “friends” go to them and regularly talk about how great they are. If you’re talking about how terrible vaccination is, I’m going to be skeptical of anything else you’re promoting because you’re clearly insane and have terrible judgment.

    • Chiropractors?

      Do any of you have experience with Chiropractors who are MDs? Is it only that Chiropractors in the States are scary because of their lack of regulation and education? I have scoliosis, and love my Chiro, and find his 9 years of education + residency sufficient because really that’s what all other medical professionals I see have.

    • Anonymous

      It may be very US-specific. In the US they are part of the “alternative medicine” movement and all the nuttiness that comes with that, including anti-vax.

    • Baby doc

      I am an MD and think that any head and neck “adjustments” are plain dangerous.

      There are some important blood vessels (the carotid arteries that provide blood supply your brain) in the neck and the abrupt, jerking motion of the manipulation can tear the inner layer of the blood vessel (carotid artery dissection, If you want to google it) and cause serious strokes. Also, repairing these vessels surgically is difficult and fraught with complications. There are millions of dollars invested in preventing similar head/ neck trauma in athletes, so it just blows my mind that people willingly subject themselves to it. I spend a large chunk of my mid 20s repairing at least a case a week related to this—often in otherwise young and healthy adults.

      Finally, the new (and enraging) social media posts about how chiropracters have more training than allopathic physicians are just false. US physicians have 4 years of medical school, followed by (AT LEAST) three years of supervised residency training (and at least 4 sets of board exams) before they’re allowed to practice independently. ::rant over::

      • anon for this

        +1 I have no opinions about the education of chiropractors. What I do know is that large independent meta-analyses of chiropractic therapies show essentially no benefit (I’m in academic medical research). And there are well known, documented, serious risks as Baby Doc described above. I agree 100% with her description of the risks. It’s at best a waste of time and money. At worst… *shudder*

      • Neuro Doc

        Thanks Baby Doc.

        I’m a Doc who sees patients in the ER after they get these high velociaty neck manipulations, leading to carotid artery dissections and strokes. Usually the stroke is not immediately after the manipulation. The tear occurs…. sometimes there is neck pain…. sometimes the wound grows a bit over hours/days….. Microemboli (tiny bits of crap) are created by irregular blood flow due to the tear, and they fly up the blood vessels to the brain. Blockages occur. They cause……Stroke… sometimes lots of small ones. Sometimes a big bad one.

        I most often see these chiropractor associated strokes in young people. Your age. My age. Terrible!

        Every time I see another one of these strokes I shake my head and get frustrated that more people don’t know these risks. Do the Chiropractors tell you?! Probably not…. So I do.

    • Blonde Lawyer

      I’m not a doctor but my chiropractor have treated back and neck issues (including the headaches that go with it) that no regular doctor was about to get me relief. Many of my clients have had success with them too. You have to do your research. There are certainly some crazies. But there are others that are great. There is also some published medical research (don’t have the cites handy at the moment) that the risk of stroke or similar injury from chiropractic care is exceedingly low. Their malpractice insurance is significantly cheaper than MDs. If it was so dangerous, wouldn’t their insurance be higher? Personally, I’m a fan of those that perform active release technique.

      • Baby doc

        I would venture to say that their malpractice insurance rates are probably lower because there is simply less to go after.

        Most allopaths are affiliated with large hospital groups who have deeper pockets/more assets. Suing the solo Chiro running an LLC out of a rented office with a vintage X-ray machine will probably not net you much…

        • Aunt Jamesina

          They also don’t do surgery, nor do they do high risk (though high reward) treatments like chemo. And their patients are typically there for low-level pain, not for life-threatening illnesses. Don’t let their lower cost of malpractice fool you.

  5. Paging Spokane?

    I missed your question yesterday, but I wanted to let you know that I LOVE Spokane! It’s a great city. I know it has kind of a spotty reputation, but I think it’s great and really enjoy living here. I’ve been here for 5 years at this point – I get the impression it used to be worse, and has gotten a lot better in the last 10 years or so. We have a really fun food scene (there are always new great restaurants to try), good musical/cultural things happen, and we have a ton of festivals ( I don’t know why. Spokane loves festivals). There’s also been sort of a craft beer explosion recently.

    Plus, since you said you are outdoorsy, we have soooo close to so many great outdoors opportunities. There are at least 5 ski areas in the vicinity, and there are lots of great places to hike, fish, bike, etc. We have some quality state parks and federal lands in the area. I also regularly float down the Spokane river in the summer (this is admittedly low level outdoorsy – it’s a super relaxing float).

    Other people had mentioned Gonzaga for employment, but school-wise there’s also Whitworth and two community colleges. Plus, Washington State has a health sciences campus in Spokane, and the UW med school has a presence as well.

    There is some property crime, but I don’t think it’s really any worse than any other cities I’ve lived in. Same for drugs and gangs. I don’t feel unsafe living here, and I don’t live in one of the fancy neighborhoods.

    I ended up in Spokane for school and didn’t particularly expect to like it, but by the time I graduated I was really excited to get a job in the area and stay. A number of my friends from law school that got jobs in Portland or Seattle are hoping to move back to Spokane in the next couple of years, because it’s just such a good place to live – it’s cheap, it’s easy, and it’s fun. If you have any other specific questions I’d be happy to answer them!

      • Anonymous

        Also wanted to page Spokane. I used to live in Spokane about 5 years ago and absolutely loved it. I am originally from the east coast and have lived in both Spokane and Seattle and much prefer Spokane. I love the affordable cost of living, tons of sunny days, better weather than Seattle, tons to do outside, close to Couer d’Alene in Idaho and Montana (Missoula is a great trip and just a couple hours’ drive).

        Spokane has a great downtown and from my experience as an outsider, I made plenty of friends. I joined a local (and very active) running group and met tons of people that way.

        I would have stayed in Spokane long term if I didn’t end up working for fed govt back on east coast.

    • Spokane?

      Thank you! This is all great info and insight. While I hear the other perspectives about the drug and crime issues, I’m admittedly hoping that it’s not really any more of a problem than it is at a comparably sized city on the East Coast. In fact, the drug/crime problem in Spokane sounds a lot like my current city 15 years ago. And it’s something that we feel pretty comfortable with working around.

      As a pair of (mostly) agnostics who are fairly left of center on the political spectrum, we’re also wondering what the religious and political environment is like in Spokane and the surrounding areas. I understand it’s a generally conservative city in a conservative region of a pretty blue state. I’m not so much interested in being surrounded by like-minded folks but more that I don’t want to be stuck pigeonholed as an outsider – we’re interested in putting down some roots and getting involved in the community. Similarly, we aren’t churchgoers and wouldn’t be joining a community through church. I’m sure that’s not as much of an issue in a city the size of Spokane, but I’m wondering if you have a sense of some of the smaller towns near the city that might be possible fits.

      • Anon

        I think the drug and crime issue is often highlighted for Spokane since it’s somewhat surprising for a relatively small and somewhat rural town, and other towns in that region generally have a lot less crime (Coeur D’Alene, Missoula, Bozeman, etc.). (I’ve often heard Spokane referred to as “Spocompton” by my friends in Montana, which is pretty sad for many reasons.) I’ve visited Spokane several times and always enjoyed myself (and there is so much beautiful nature around there), but I can’t speak to what it’s like living there.

      • Paging Spokane?

        Spokane is certainly more conservative than the west side, but it’s not aggressively conservative (nothing like where I used to live in Montana, for example). I’m pretty liberal and not at all religious, and I don’t feel like either of those traits are isolating or really even noteworthy in any way here.

        When you say smaller towns in the area, how small and how in the area are you looking for? Most of the small towns/suburbs right near Spokane aren’t very politically/culturally different from Spokane, with the possible exception of Liberty Lake, which seems to have a somewhat higher concentration of religious people. All of the LDS people I went to Gonzaga with lived in Liberty Lake, and when some (not religious) friends moved there from Spokane, their neighbors made them a cake that said “Welcome to God’s Country.”

        Cheney (home of Eastern Washington University) is kind of a fun small college town that’s in the vicinity of Spokane. A bit further away but really great is Sandpoint, Idaho. Sandpoint seems to have very active locals when it comes to things like community concerts and farmer’s markets.

        Feel free to email me at spokanerette at the gmail for more info on anything area-related!

  6. anon

    I am searching for a minimalist tote that is not a bucket to schlep my laptop and other work stuff. No luck yet. Zipper preferred, leather preferred.

    I already own the filson zip tote and the madewell transport bag, but both bags lack internal structure. Any leads?

  7. What to wear for surgery?

    I am having outpatient surgery where they recommend that I wear comfortable clothes. It’s on a body part not covered by clothing, so I don’t think I’ll have to change. The last time I had outpatient surgery, it was for a D&C and I had to be in a backless gown and socks and I froze (I wore yoga pants and tears going in). I am thinking: yoga pants (or something from Athleta that’s not leggings) and a Breton-style tee and a fleece in case it’s chilly.

    • Bonnie

      You’ll probably still have to change if you’re going under anesthesia. It’s a hygiene not accessibility issue. I’ve had outpatient surgery a few times and usually wear yoga pants, tank with a shelf bra, a fleece zip and slip on shoes. Good luck.

    • Jules

      Super-late, but if you’re still checking: I had eye surgery two weeks ago. Had light anesthesia initially followed by local anesthetics (so I was awake and could blink, look around, etc., on command). Wore comfortable pants, a short-sleeve tee — they wanted access to my arms — and a slouchy cardigan that I could take off and put on easily without pulling over my head. I did not have to undress at all.

  8. mail

    I JUST got all of my email nice and organized with the Mail app and now they announced they are shutting down in February. Comparative or better alternatives?

    • Jez

      I have no suggestions yet but I feel your pain at the shutdown! I’m inconsolable :(

  9. LEEP?

    I keep having funky pap smears and my GYN suggested that a LEEP would be an option if I don’t revert to normal at some point. I’m done having children, but the month-long drippy recovery that Dr. Google noted sounds like a deal-killer. At this point, there isn’t anything bad showing on the colposcopies after biopsies, but the LEEP would just shut down anything that’s brewing (I do have one of the high-risk HPV strains, so something may well develop over time).

    • CountC

      I have had one. There is some cramping the day of and some discharge for a day or so, but I had no monthly drip of any sort. It really wasn’t that big of a deal IMO.

    • Celia

      I had the “drip” for a month, and I just wore a liner all the time. No big deal. Isn’t it a better alternative?

    • Amberwitch

      I’ve had 3 or 4 done, and apart from having to keep relatively calm for a few days – no biking, running, sex – it wasn’t particularly painful, difficult or annoying. And it sure beats having, or fear having, abnormal cell growths.

  10. Anon

    Ladies, how do you break out of the black tights rut in the winter? I wore them nearly every day last winter, and I won’t let this winter be the same! (I exclusively wear skirts and dresses to work, so I need something on my legs.)

    • NYC tech

      Embrace the rut! In my opinion, no other solution is even close in stylishness. Nothing wrong with being repetitive if you look good. The variety can come from your outfits, shoes, and other accessories instead.

    • Anonymous

      I’m totally okay with black tights all winter. I figure I have bare legs all summer, so I wear black tights all winter.

    • Gray tights

      Agree with above, plus mix it up occasionally with gray tights for black dresses. Or black tights with subtle patterns in them. I also do deep red tights with a gray dresses.

      • Seattle Freeze

        Yes! I have in my drawer, in addition to black: charcoal, grey sweater knit (two patterns), grey with black herringbone pattern, dark burgundy, dark teal (reversible to a slightly lighter shade), dark greenish grey sweater knit, and black with an ivory snowflake/floral pattern.

    • Anon

      When I’m wearing regular pumps I pretty only much wear black or charcoal opaque tights. But when I’m wearing tall boots and just a small portion of my leg shows between hem and boot, I break out the colors (dark) or textures (mostly lace or micro fishnet.). I probably wouldn’t do this for a big presentation day but on a regular day I think it’s fine (and I’m in senior management in a really traditional industry.)

    • Gail the Goldfish

      Related question: what color tights do you wear with navy dresses? I feel like the grey tights I have are too “bright” and look silly unless I’m wearing boots (and therefore not exposing as much tight-does that make any sense?) and just default to black, which also doesn’t look quite right. Do I need darker grey tights? And then what color shoes do I wear? Help! I’m color-coordinating-challenged.

      • Scarlett

        I do a less opaque black with navy. But I decided a while ago to treat navy as a neutral that goes with black so I also usually wear a black sweater or black shoes with it too (I like patent personally). I think the trick is doing “lighter” or obvious navy (eg not so dark you’re not sure if the skirt is black or navy) and not so dark blacks. I also toss in another neutral like camel or dark brown to make it “neutrals” all over.

      • AnonInfinity

        I do a dark charcoal gray with navy and think it works well. It’s almost black but not quite as severe as the black against the navy.

      • Amy H.

        I like to wear espresso brown or chestnut brown shoes/accessories with navy in the winter (cognac in summer), so I would try tights in dark or medium brown with navy dresses/skirts.

    • Bonnie

      I wear black, black and black textured. :-). I have gray, brown and navy but rarely wear them because it is harder to match shades of those colors.

      • Anon

        I know! That’s what I thought too but then I look at what people wear to cocktail parties in the middle of the winter in our moderately cold climate and this fits….which gets me to…..will I look weird in a sleeveless sheath dress? I feel like it’s all weird but then I go to Christmas parties and it seems that this is what woman are wearing.

    • Baconpancakes

      They’re not super exciting, but they’ll go with basically anything and you’ll wear them until they break and you’ll probably end up getting another pair exactly the same. I always keep a pair like that in gold.

    • NYC tech

      They’re good, on 2 conditions: 1) Your legs are bare; 2) You won’t be walking outside for an extended period of time in the cold. Say no to purple toes!

    • gingersnap

      So pretty! I’d personally consider these summer shoes also. Agree with NYtech’s conditions, otherwise, I’d wear a closed-toe pump. I think the sleeveless sheath dress is okay. Add a wrap/pashmina if you’re not sure?

    • Late to the party

      There are some outfits that simply cannot be worn with close-toed shoes. Thus, these shoes are appropriate and necessary in some winter situations. I have a sequined romper i’m wearing for nye and i need strappy sandals like this.

  12. Seville

    Quick product review: I just got my navy Lo and Sons Seville yesterday, and it’s looking pretty awesome so far! I was replacing my 3 year old Brookline. It looks significantly “nicer” than the Brookline, probably because of the leather. It is significantly larger footprint than the Brookline though, which is great for me because I’m 5’8″, but it might look kind of overwhelming on a petite person. It doesn’t have as much organization features as the Brookline, but enough to keep things pretty tidy. My only complaint is that I feel like they could have added a pocket to the outside of the inner bag for cell phone etc. There’s a decent amount of space between the inner liner and the outer shell.

    • Anonymous

      Thanks for the review! How does the weight of the empty bag compare to your other Lo & Sons bags?

      • Seville

        It’s definitely a bit heavier because of the leather (Brookline was nylon), but not problematic. The only other downside is that the stiff leather makes it such that it looks unattractively bulge-y if you put wide things into it (like a pair of pumps). The nylon on the Brookline was more forgiving.

  13. gingersnap

    Tentatively planning to go to spouse’s company holiday party this year. Party is 007-themed and invite came with a link to a pinterest board that included everything from a romper to a wedding dress for women. I know I can get a little hung up on dresscodes and rules/guidelines in general, but surely I’m not the only person who thinks this is weird? I’m sure I’ll wind up pulling out either my (thrifted, yay!) long black dress or a cocktail dress and heels, so it’s not really a problem or an inconvenience. So maybe I’m just getting old. (Pinterest board link to follow)

      • APC

        This made me irrationally angry for some reason. Like – ok, 007, men look dapper and women just look… sexy? And I like James Bond films, but if I really wanted to go Bond Girl, it would be wholly inappropriate for any company holiday party. Bah double standards.

      • Anonymous

        I would have a ragestroke over this. I love James Bond films as entertainment but totally agree with APC that the James Bond dress code is “men look dapper and women look sexy.” Most of the gowns on that Pinterest board are insanely inappropriate for a work party. Also WTF with the romper. Never seen one in a James Bond film that I can recall and its not exactly glam so I don’t see how it fits the theme (unless it’s meant to be reminiscent of lingerie, which that one kind of is, in which case ewwww).

        • gingersnap

          The majority of employees are men age 25-35, interpret that as you will. (Company overall has family friendly policies and good benefits including paid parental leave, so they’re not generally sexist jerks, but….)

          I’ll also add that spouse has a colleague who is from India….when she got the invite, she innocently turned to google to figure out the dress code and the search results were definitely not safe for work!

          Glad I’m not alone on that awful romper. (personally, I think toddlers and drag queens are the only ones who should wear rompers).

    • nutella

      This is absurd. Unless they welcome you wearing a bikini or packing heat, they should have just said “co*ktail attire” or “semi-formal” or whatever they actually want. WHO puts a Pinterest board on an invitation for dress code?!

    • Jen

      Just as an FYI–the latest Bond film featured an older woman and also much more conservative styling on the women, so why not go for something approximating what one of the two Bond women in that film wore?

      There’s also absolutely nothing saying a woman cannot rock a dapper tuxedo style jacket. You do not have to choose the “female” role.

      And finally, all you really need to wear to fit in is a black dress and some gold jewelry. That’s it.

      • gingersnap

        Thanks Jen!
        I’m generally a “dresses for formalwear” girl, but if there were ever a time *not* to wear a dress, this is probably it. Trousers and a fancy jacket might be the way to go!
        And given that pinterest board, I think as long as I show up in clothes it will be fine.

  14. Anon for this

    Any lawyers have any tips for dealing with clients with mental health issues? I don’t mean litigating the mental health issue but representing someone with mental health issues through a divorce or car accident or the like? Dealing with long rambling emails that either make no sense or ask about things you have discussed 100 times or accuse you of not doing enough for them etc?

    Aside from document, document, document, pounds of patience, lots of explanation, asking them to email me a summary back when I get off the phone to make sure they really understood, I’m at a loss.

    • Anonymous

      Used to deal with this all the time. Sounds like you’re doing all the right things. I feel your pain!

    • Anon Lawyer

      I have done this a couple of times. I document everything in the file and probably call them to remind about depositions, trials, etc. more often than clients without those issues. I also don’t take the rants personally–Try to remember it’s the chemical imbalance talking in those instances. I tend to do a lot more on the phone and less over email because email can so often lead to confusion, where it would be easier to just explain where the client was misunderstanding on the phone.

      I’ve never asked a client to email me a summary back. If they’re having trouble communicating, that seems kind of stressful for them.

  15. meme

    I ordered some boots from Ann Taylor on Cyber Monday. They were 50% off (along with the rest of the site), but they don’t have a special price ending in 88 or 44 or whatever. I received them today, and my invoice says “Final Sale.” I do not believe the website had a note indicating final sale when I ordered them (no way I would have intentionally ordered them final sale – shoe fit is too hard for me to predict), my email confirmation and shipping notification do not mention final sale. What gives?? Has anyone encountered something like this before? I feel like they tricked me! They’re okay, so I can live with it if I have to keep them, but I would return them given the option.

    • nutella

      Your email invoice sent right after you ordered should have said “final sale” – I’d point to that as proof it wasn’t marked as such.

    • Bonnie

      I had that happen before but was able to return after calling customer service and referring them to my order confirmation.

  16. Blue van Meer

    Hello ladies, looking for any guidance and advice. I am a 2-4 year mid-law associate and am looking to switch jobs to a slightly different (and broader) practice area in a true big law setting. I would be moving from a smaller more niche practice area to a more general area and the new position would involve broader assignments and a shift from more regulatory work to more corporate and M&A work. I have heard a lot of big law horror stories and horror stories about M&A work being a particularly difficult field with regard to work/life balance. Am I crazy to leave a somewhat more normal schedule (think 9-7 generally with about one night a week of working late and a few hours every weekend) for the unknown?

    • nutella

      I’d say so. But that’s for me. You mention work/life balance – are you hoping to get a better balance in biglaw? You very, very likely will not. Is better balance what you are hoping to get out of the move or is it broader assignments? It’s unlikely you will get both. I’d ask for more assignments within your firm – start showing an interest in M&A, etc. and keep reminding them you want to take on more.

      (You may want to ask in the morning for more feedback from others.)

    • Lorelai Gilmore

      I don’t necessarily think you’re crazy, but I do think you need to figure out if this makes sense. It will make your life much worse in the short term. Your hours will go up, your stress will (probably) increase, and it will be tough. It might make more sense in the long term. What do you hope to get out of it?

      • OP

        Thanks for the replies ladies. I am looking to broaden my experience and skill set and move from dealing with one small regulatory aspect of corporate and securities laws to becoming more of a generalist. Basically, I feel like I am not interested enough in my narrow area to sustain a career long term and want to switch practice areas while I am junior (enough) to be marketable. Unfortunately incorporating more M&A and corporate work into my current position isn’t possible because I work for a small and proprietary number of partners as one of only 2 associates — they do not support me expanding my work flow beyond what I do for them already.

        I am genuinely excited to learn more and explore different areas but am afraid that I am going to be super stressed with the schedule and am wondering if the switch would be worth it. Also sort of wondering how bad real “big law” gets, if that makes sense. East coast, not NYC FWIW.

        • Regular poster - Anon for this for details

          BigLaw M&A is a tough life. There’s no way around that. Expectations are high, and the work can be crushing and unpredictable. But it is good experience and it can open doors. Any firm would probably make you take a cut on seniority to start as a junior M&A associate. If you think this is the only way out of your narrow field, then commit to it for 2-3 years (or more), but understand what you are signing up for and consider whether there are other avenues you can pursue to get to the same end goal. If there are other ways to get there, I’d look seriously at those.

          As far as how bad it can get? Former NY Big-Lawyer here, as a specialist to M&A practice (so up close and personal with M&A, frequently treated as another M&A associate). Late nights are regular and expected. Weekend work is regular and expected. A big deal can take months from start of diligence to close with periods of intense, 18-20 hour days up to signing, alternated with periods of 12 hour days for other tasks. Occasionally deals go pencils down or you have a slow period and it can be more reasonable, but you can get staffed on a big deal at any given time. The worst story I can tell you from personal experience that I know to be true, was a friend was taking a cab home from an all nighter (to shower and change and take a quick nap, basically). Her cab got into an accident and she went to the hospital and was diagnosed with a concussion. Senior associates then yelled at her for not sending some email. Ultimately partners got wind of the whole scenario and were helpful to her, but it was too little and too late. Partners just want end products and don’t care how they get it. I had to work through the blackout of Hurricane Sandy – figure that out. Last year I missed a major holiday with my family (who were completely understanding about it – I was the one who felt horrible). I called my parents at about 10 PM on the night of the holiday, in tears after my 6th straight 20 hour day, knowing that I still had a good 6 hours to go before I could sleep for a few hours. And I’m weak compared to my friends – I only had to survive that pace for 8 consecutive days. I’ve had vacations threatened (but not cancelled). I gained significant weight from the terrible schedule and late night take out. When my options were sleeping or working out, I slept.

          I’m making it sound like the worst thing – it’s not, that’s just examples of how bad it got. For most of my BigLaw tenure I enjoyed the people I worked with so the late nights were made marginally better. Its fun to see your name in press releases as working on a huge transaction. But my last year in BigLaw, the year I was desperately trying to get out, was very rough. Ultimately, I got a great job, and quit. I have a great BigLaw name on my resume, I paid off my loans, I learned things. I’m happier now. I’d do it again from where I was (out of law school), but I wouldn’t go back at this point in my life. Hope that helps.

    • cbackson

      I moved from “regional biglaw” (i.e., a firm that was technically national because it had a few offices on the other coast, but was really regional, but was the largest firm in the market – about 300 lawyers in the main office) to an AmLaw 50 firm and I’ve never regretted it for a minute. Yes, I went from billing 1900 hours annually to billing 2400+ annually, but I’m so much happier and more fulfilled – I do industry-leading work for highly sophisticated clients, I’m challenged every day, and I learned what I was truly capable of. I was so bored at my prior firm that I’m not sure I’d be practicing law now if I’d stayed there.

      So for me, it was absolutely the right decision. M&A is tough (I’m in a corporate deal practice, but it’s not M&A), and being a junior associate in an M&A practice (or any corporate deal practice) is even tougher. That said, it’s right for some people – people who are really interested in business, who are wired to derive a lot of their satisfaction from their professional lives, and who have a lot of stamina. I’m one of those people. If you’re not – if work is just a job for you, if you don’t do well with sleep-deprivation or intense pressure, if the business world isn’t interesting for you, well, these may be a tough few years.

      FWIW, I’ve never cancelled a vacation, I’ve never missed a holiday, and no one’s ever yelled at me, with the exception of one partner at my old firm, and I walked out on him. I run competitively, captain my tennis team, have a weekly volunteer gig, spend time with my friends, eat dinner with my parents weekly, and sit on a couple of nonprofit boards. If you have the confidence and the hard-a$$ness to set and police your boundaries aggressively, you can have a successful career in biglaw and an actual life. I made partner this year, for what that’s worth, so I’m at least theoretically doing something right.

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