ByKate Antoniades Hours Updated
Comments 124 Comments

Suit of the Week: Brooks Brothers

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 is fashionable, yet professional.

It's definitely feeling much more like spring lately (fiiiinally), and you can't get much spring-ier than these pieces from Brooks Brothers. I like them better as separates (super cute dress!), but for the right woman at the right event, this could work as a suit too.

Both pieces are 100% cotton and machine washable; note that the dress is lined but the jacket isn't. The jacket is on sale for $148.50 (from $198); the dress is on sale for $133.50 (from $178).

P.S. If this caught your eye, check out our Weekend Wednesday post from a couple of years ago on the best brands to shop for preppy clothes.

Sales of note for 12.5

Sales of note for 12.5

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

124 Comments

  1. This reminds me of pastel linen suits worn in years gone by, and (aside from questioning whether these are stylish), I’m wondering about the utility of a woven summer suit like this when one could wear something similar in a cute, comfortable, washable knit.

    1. I realize this is woven, and thus elevated, and perhaps that would be obvious in person, but it reads as a washable knit, and thus appropriate for brunch or an afternoon fete to me. It is cute for someone else but not for me.

  3. I love this in the sense that I think this is what my niece is wearing for Easter this year. But this is Brooks Brothers? And for adults?

    1. Ha! This is actually a great Easter/bridal shower dress without the jacket, and a good summery jacket without the dress. I do not like them together at all.

      1. Agreed. I think the jacket could be cute for someone worn over a plain white dress.

      2. Yeah I don’t hate them as separates. I’m in the south, and it’s super common to see women wearing things like this. Maybe not serious business women though…

    2. Yes, it looks like the sort of cute matchy-matchy outfits they sell in the little girls’ section. I don’t absolutely hate it, but it definitely doesn’t work as a suit in any circumstances.

  6. This is just missing in some sperrys and pearls for the perfect yacht club look

    1. I’m personally shocked not at the outfit so much, but at the fact that all the top comments are actually discussing the post.

      1. I think the fashion only gets discussed when it’s really good or really bad. Otherwise no one notices it.

  7. I’m mid 30s, approaching late 30s. An old millennial. I have some friends who are suddenly rocking the center part and not the side part. I can’t help but giggle and I don’t know why. I don’t generally notice this stuff but the hubbub/memes/commentary here a few weeks ago about skinny jeans and side parts has me noticing it now… and now I can’t focus on anything else! They all look fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but I just can’t help myself from staring at it when we do zoom calls and whatnot. Is anyone else involuntarily but acutely aware of center parts now?

    1. Yes. I have a cowlick, so could never do a center part well. So I have a bit of envy for those who can.

      1. I do not understand how anyone can actually choose where to part their hair. IME it parts where it wants to part and you just have to go with it.

        1. Mine just sort of levitates over to where it wants to go regardless of where I try to part it.

        3. Mine is straight, flat, white-person hair and if I comb it to a certain part while it’s wet, it’ll stay that way. But if I let it dry however it wants, it cannot be convinced to do anything other than a wiggly middle part, which I guess is my natural part.

        4. Right? I’m always confused when the hairdresser asks where I part my hair…. It parts itself (slightly off center)

    3. I’ve always had a center part (it’s what my hair just does) so on the one hand I’m glad to be “on trend” but on the other hand who tf cares what literal teenagers think is cool.

      1. I did a little recon on this issue with my SO’s teen daughters. They are, respectively, an agreeably cute one with a super girly style; and a more edgy fashion-forward one who’s more interested in looking cool than looking pretty. Setting aside my attachment to them, I think they’re pretty good sources of info. They both log serious hours on TikTok and follow fashion.

        They both knew about the side-part meme, but neither of them defends it. The agreeably cute one usually wears a center part because it’s easiest, and the edgy cool one actually…has a side part. She thinks it just works better for her and her ultra hip, aqua hair style.

        Neither of them would be seen in skinny jeans, however.

      1. I’m 33 and I’ve always worn one. It’s how my hair parts and I don’t care about trends. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      2. This Brooks Brothers model is wearing a center part and she’s supposed to be, what, 37 or so?

      3. See, I do! A few friends (we’re 36-38 years old) and even some of the young 30-somethings at work, plus our ~55 year old trendy admin is, also.

        1. Like all trends, if you go back far enough there was a previous cycle as well. A woman who tuned out from fashion a few decades ago, and has kept her hair the ever same since, will incidentally be on-trend again now with her center part. Just like someone who never stopped wearing boot cut jeans from the early ’00s or something.

          Personally I kind of like it when you can’t tell, looking at someone, whether they’re on trend of the moment or just kept the same style since the last time it was in.

    5. I was a teen in the late 70s/early 80s and had feathered hair and a middle part, which was de rigeur for the time. Then I got into old movies and aspired to the glamour of Lauren Bacall, Katherine Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, and Veronica Lake so I moved to a side part. I’m in my mid 50s and don’t give a crap about what Gen Z (which includes my kids) thinks of my hair.

    6. I have a cowlick almost exactly at my center part and have always had to have a center part as a result. I feel extremely validated in my lifelong choice of a center part. I had a side part for like 6 months in college and it was a pain.

      I honestly never noticed that my part was so different? A center part also legitimately suits my face shape/hairline.

  8. Etiquette/how the heck do I phrase ‘Uh, Hey! So… we’re adopting this kid who’s been living with us for the past year!’

    So after about a year of living with us, we’re going to (hopefully) be finalizing the adoption of one of our kiddos. Funny thing – I have a couple relatives who… I don’t actually know if they realize we’ve been fostering this kiddo and are about to adopt. Because of the circumstances around the adoption, we put nothing on social media.

    I’m thinking in particular of an aunt and uncle of mine who have always been lovely to me and we normally see once a year but didn’t because of COVID. My aunt was HORRIBLY offended that I didn’t invite them to another kid’s christening (I did… it was verbal… their daughter validates this) and… I want to do this right.

    What’s complicating how I broach this is that right now, there is a big rift between them and their kids. So… the kids (my cousins) all know the baby, we FaceTime, they get ridiculous pictures of the kids, but… because they haven’t spoken to their parents in a while, this has never been passed along to their parents (it normally would be). I would assume that my father would have said something to them, but… there’s a weird relationship dynamic there too so… WHO KNOWS. I feel like I write a card with pictures… what would you do? FaceTime surprise call?

    1. I’d write a letter on nice paper and enclose some pictures. Say something pretty similar to what you’ve said here. Like: Dear Auntie and Uncle, I’m writing because I wanted you to be among the first to know we’re adopting Kid/s. Kid is x years old and loves whatevering. We’ve been lucky enough to have them be a part of our household for the past year, although we have had to be very quiet on the subject because of some of the issues around their adoption. Now that the adoption is finalized, we’re so happy to tell everyone about this happy news. We’d love to set up a Zoom call for you to meet them. We’re sure you’ll love Kid/s as much as we do.

      Just be relentlessly positive and if they wanna be difficult, that’s on them. That’s my motto, anyway.

      1. I’ll add that you might blame the courts, lawyers, etc., for keepings so quiet. If you can say “that’s what the judge told us to do!” or whatever, you can probably stave off a lot of difficulty.

        1. Definitely blame it on that and not wanting to jinx things before they became final.

        2. Thank you! A big part of the truth is that although this has been the hoped for outcome (for all parties! This doesn’t always happen but it’s a wonderful, unique situation.), nothing is final until the ink is dry.

          Sounds like I’m going to be getting some pretty stationary and cute photos.

          1. Maybe even include a picture your child drawn/paints for them in the letter? That’s always fun to receive.

        3. I wouldn’t misrepresent this – if they ever end up chatting with their kids and realize it isn’t true you had to keep this quiet, they’ll be more hurt than if you simply gave no explanation for why you didn’t tell them.

      1. See, it makes me kind of sad that 2-3 years ago – it wouldn’t have been that weird for us to FaceTime them because I’m very close with their kids (especially their oldest).

        In writing this out, I’m realizing that the fact that my cousins aren’t talking to their parents (for reasons I don’t totally understand or think it’s my business to know about) is what is making this so weird.

        1. But that’s their weird, not yours! You have very happy news and want to share it – focus on that, not this rift between people that doesn’t involve you at all :)

          Congratulations!

    3. Shutterfly/Vistaprint announcement card? I think they have adoption ones in addition to new baby ones. Just say like “We are delighted to announce that Baby/Kid Name who has been residing with us since date, has been officially adopted! We are so lucky/blessed that Baby/Ki Name has joined our family permanently.” I’m sure the internet probably has better examples.

    4. I never, ever, EVER want to be surprised with a FaceTime call. Card with pictures sounds great.

    5. We had friends adopt a foster child in before times and had a big adoption party. For now, maybe an announcement sort of like a cross between a baby announcement and a Christmas letter (“Here is what we’ve been up to over the year . . .; introducing Bebe, who was born on X, came to stay with on Y, and was adopted on Z.”

      1. Yes! We will be having an adoption party when it’s safe to do so… particularly with COVID though, that will be a bit of a while.

        It sounds like old fashioned mail is the way to go.

    6. I might be a dinosaur but why not a regular phone call?

      That’s what’s typical in my family to announce a pregnancy or other big news long distance. Are people alarmed by phone calls now? You can always leave a message if they don’t answer: “Hi aunt Jodie, I was calling to catch up- we have some happy news to share.Call me when you can. Bye!” I feel like if she gets offended it’s on her, as long as you call before she finds out on social you’re good.

      Congratulations btw!

    7. No advice, just congratulations on getting through the process, which inevitably has challenging moments. It’s wonderful that you and your child found each other.

  9. Can somebody please explain the mechanics of a divorce? I have retained attorney, but I’m looking for more practical perspectives on the day to day. I want to buy him out of the house and give him some cash to buy new furniture, so we don’t have to pay for closing costs, repairs and crazy moving fees. (Will still have to hire movers but it won’t be as expensive.) I’m hoping to be fairly generous in order to avoid a protracted battle (50% split on assets and custody, no alimony, we make about the same amount of money). What are some things you wish you had known? How did you manage to live together before moving out? How long did the process take?

    1. I haven’t been there or done that, but I’d talk to your attorney first before just offering up a bunch of money. It may not end up actually preventing a protracted battle and then you’d just be out a bunch of money and goodwill.

      1. This. 50% custody looks vastly different to many people. And a friend who left her husband was surprised that he was absolutely not prepared to let her have the house. Would have forced a sale rather than let her have it. She let him have it as she wanted to move on quickly.

      2. Ansolutely this. I wish I had known to talk to a lawyer, know my rights, and have a plan in place before making any deals with my husband. Even the most amicable divorce can go bad and it’s best to be prepared. Remebere the old saw Q: Why is divorce so expensive? A: Because it’s worth it!

    2. Everything can be negotiated so don’t offer up money until your hand is forced. Even if you buy him out of the house, surely he’ll want his name off the mortgage and you’ll want him off the deed, so plan for that.

      It took 26 weeks from the day my ex moved out until the day our marriage of officially dissolved in court.
      How long it takes seems to depend on your state and ability to draw up an interspousal agreement. We started with a mediator and they drew up the majority of the agreement. There were 4 or 5 things we couldn’t agree on so our individual attorney’s handled those negotiations. I wouldn’t say there was anything out of the ordinary about our divorce other than I was pregnant with our only child. So my goal was to negotiate fast and have it done by the time I delivered. I made it by 3 days!

      1. OMG, I can’t imagine how stressful that was.

        And also, this may not be your situation, but was it with some dude’s turning into dick’s when their wife is pregnant?

    3. How long the process takes varies a lot from state to state so you might get better responses if you let us know your state.

      Run everything by your lawyer, but you can certainly tell your lawyer that you are prioritizing speed and lack of acrimony over getting every dollar you are entitled to. An offer can always be withdrawn if not accepted, although I would not necessarily have your first offer be your best. But again, that is why you have an attorney. This presumes he will not have a problem letting you have the house and taking cash and that your joint income is enough to support two households with two roughly equal houses.

      The biggest issue is going to be co-parenting. When you say 50/50 custody, what are you anticipating that looking like from day to day? How will paying for childcare, college fund, camps, and health insurance be handled? One problem I notice a lot are couples that start out 50/50 and therefore there is no child support and then the mother ends up being the default parent and incurring the lion’s share of the expenses. Who is going to get the kid to school? Who is going to be responsible for arranging vacation/holiday care? Making doctor/dentist appointment? Who will pick up a sick child? Are you both committed to staying in the same city and close enough that school enrollment is not an issue? If not, which school will child attend? Who gets holidays? Vacations? Who gets the tax deduction?

      You can always agree to revisit your agreement as life changes but these are all things to think about in advance. If you let us know kid’s age we can also give better advice on that.

      Good luck. This is hard!

      1. Thank you – they are 8 and 6. For all his faults, he is extremely involved as a father but good to think about

    4. My ex and I agreed that we should part ways, so there wasn’t a ton of fighting over splitting assets. I lived close to work and he lived far from his so it made sense for him to be the one to move. I had the house appraised and subtracted 6% for what brokers would have cost us to sell the house and wrote him a promissory note for half the net equity. (House market value x .94 – outstanding mortgage)/2. He signed off on re-deeding the house to my name only “Anon, a married woman, as her sole and separate property” and then I refinanced and took money out to pay off the promissory note. That took 2-3 months.

      We used a mediator service to document how we were splitting assets. We agreed to walk away with our own 401k accounts and to split our cash savings. I was also responsible for my own student loans – he didn’t have any.

      When it came time to split our household belongings, I left for the day he moved out and said please leave me these five things that are mine, you can split the rest as you see fit. I came home to those five things and nothing else. I literally had no towels, no dishes, no sheets, etc. so that was how he decided to stick it to me. In the long run it was a small price to pay for freedom.

    5. The questions on how to manage division of assets are exactly the kinds of questions your attorney should be answering for you. I don’t think those are questions about the practical, day-to-day. And I agree with others about not offering up that kind of cash right now. This direction about what you want (buying him out of the house, etc.) and WHY are things you should be telling your attorney, who should then advise you on how to best achieve your goals. It might not be what you think. With regard to avoiding a protracted battle, if you get the sense that your attorney is staking out a more adversarial posture than you want to take, communicate with the attorney about that early and often, and change attorneys if you have to.
      With regard to the questions at the very end of your post:
      1. I wish I had known how much better my life would be on the other side of the divorce, especially because at the time, I very much did not want it.
      2. We didn’t live together after, and I think that’s just A LOT–for y’all, for your kid(s), for everyone. I’d pull that bandage off NOW.
      3. How long it takes is hugely variable based on (a) the jurisdiction you live in; and (b) how easy or difficult you and your ex make it. Once we had the settlement signed and filed, we were divorced in 30 days, but getting to an agreement took multiples of that. Even after things were “finalized,” i.e., there was a signed decree, actually effectuating settlement terms (re-financing to get him off the mortgage on the house I kept, him selling our rental property and relieving us both of that mortgage) took even longer than negotiating for those terms, and to get it done, I ultimately had to hold his feet to the fire with contempt motions, etc. Point being: You can control (some of) how long it takes, but not all.

      1. Yes that’s why I didn’t ask about division of assets, but thank you. Was just providing some information

    6. Agree to not offering anything up in advance. Also, really understand your finances. If you are keeping the house and giving him cash to buy out, is that going to make you house poor? You are keeping an illiquid asset and giving him the liquidity. Just make sure you can afford to do that and have the appropriate cushion. Search out a CFP (if you don’t already have one) and have them run scenarios for you.

    7. Always vet your offers through your attorney, and consider their advice about whether or not it makes sense to make the offer. If you think your attorney is doing a crappy job, get a different attorney, there’s a lot to be said for attorney-client compatibility in these cases.

      FWIW, how long it takes doesn’t depend on you or your offer – it depends on both of you. If spouse is not cooperative, all timelines and settlement agreements go out the window, no matter how generous you are. You shouldn’t litigate “for the principle of the matter” but you should consider what a judge would award if you had to take it to court. Sometimes you’re better off fighting it than agreeing to unfavorable terms just to be done with it.

      The fastest divorce I ever handled was about six-eight weeks, start to finish (caveat: in a small county with a very flexible court schedule!), but both sides wanted it DONE and there were no children. Otherwise short divorces can take anywhere from 6-12 months, and long ones can take years.

  10. Talk to me about Folly Beach and Kiawah. We usually rent a beach house for a week in the summer, but didn’t get to last summer. I think that Folly Beach and Kiawah both have hotels / a resort where you can rent daily (can’t go a whole week, looking for a 3-day weekend in early June (so, before a lot of schools get out), but we need a 2-bedroom suite or at least adjoining rooms (or a small cottage). Does this exist in either place? And at Kiawah, I understand you need to rent through Kiawah if you want to use the resort (vs vrbo for on-island rentals).

    If neither Folly nor Kiawah has what we want, would Isle of Palms or somewhere similar? I was OK as a beach traveler and now as a family traveler, there doesn’t seem to be much other than single rooms or very large houses that rent weekly.

    1. My SIL used to work at Kiawah. When we stayed there it was three families in one house / condo so yes, they have that. My favorite thing about the resort was there are alligators everywhere. If you have small kids, you may be less excited about this.

    2. Kiawah is gradually allowing Airbnb to come in, I think, responding to pressure that not everyone wants the Sat-Sat turn day routine. From a quick search for a random June weekend, there are 5-6 villas that pop up. Otherwise you’d be at the Sanctuary, which does have suites IIRC.

    3. I don’t know about Folly or Kiawah, but we’ve done a 2 or 3 condo rental on Isle of Palms before and I think there are some that will rent for less than a week. Check VRBO and similar. It’s been a few years so I don’t remember, but it was in or near Wild Dunes.

    4. FYI – nearly all schools in the south will be out by end of May, so I wouldn’t plan on it being “before school lets out” and thinking it will be quiet there. I’d try and get booked soon.

  11. I just need to shout this out here since there are limited people I can tell right now. I work for a small firm. Out of the blue, I got called by a big-for-my-area firm and offered a job in my preferred practice area. I have a lot to figure out before I decide if I can accept it — like we still have to talk compensation and hours expectations and all that. It would be a huge change but I was starting to feel like I was stagnating where I was and had actually been considering putting feelers out, when boom, this fell in my lap.

    I am so incredibly flattered. If anyone has made the change from small firm to locally big firm (not actual big-law) I’d love to hear how it worked out for you. Usually people are moving the other direction.

    1. Congratulations!!! I made this move eons ago and it worked out great for me. You don’t say what level you are in, but I would recommend that you talk to them and get in writing from them (as part of your offer letter) the earliest date when they would consider you for partner. A lot of firms make promises to lure you in, but end up stalling the decision or favoring the homegrown associates. Also, negotiate for a higher pay or a signing bonus. If you have to pay for parking, try to get free parking. Good luck!

      1. Thanks. I’m 10 years out of law school. My small firm doesn’t “do” partner v. associate. It’s just the owner and everyone else is an attorney. We get a base salary and then a percentage of our receivables that is higher than if we were just an associate but probably not partner level percentages. Where I’d come in is still being discussed. I’m really excited about the additional resources I’d have available. I wasn’t sure if signing bonuses were a thing when changing firms so I’m glad you suggested it. I will only be changing for significantly more pay.

        The hours part really scares me though. Their hours requirement is absolutely reasonable (and lower than other firms in the area) but at small law I do about 1300 billable and about 600 non-billable. I have a huge caseload though and lose a lot of time switching gears. I think that could be less of an issue at the bigger firm and I’d probably have a lot less non-billable stuff on my plate. I’m fine with the marketing stuff.

    2. I moved from a small firm to a locally big firm and it’s been fabulous. More resources, and my salary basically doubled taking into account cost of living difference (I was at a small firm in a very HCOL area and moved to a large regional firm in a lower COL area). I work probably about the same, though it’s fewer billables and more firm development type stuff. If I had stayed at small firm, I suspect I’d now be working more hours (I was pretty junior when I left), so overall I think I work less and make more money than if I had stayed at small firm.

    3. Congrats! Ditto re negotiation. Also – no firm is perfect. I went from 11 lawyer firm to 50 lawyer firm and turns out there are low performing assistants, associates, and partners everywhere. Remember now is the best time to negotiate pay and get information about partnership, billables (can you prorate through end of fiscal year? Can you get a credit for nonbillable time for example trying to get clients to follow you to this firm if applicable (and ethical in your jurisdiction))? Ask for things because you may have a hard time adjusting to the “unspoken rules” and figuring out who to ask later on. Good luck, congrats, and enjoy!!

  12. Any political geeks out there? My son (autism spectrum) just informed me that G. Gordon Liddy just died. He also informed me that Daniel Inouye referred to Ted Stevens of Alaska as “the Strom Thurmond of the Arctic Circle” and somehow this made me laugh uncontrollably. If you know me IRL, this comment might out me.

    1. Uncle Ted (RIP) wasn’t as racist as Strom Thurmond, or at least didn’t live long enough to have those views become part of the public conversation. I wish his corrupt bastard of a son had as much political integrity as he did. “To hell with politics, do what’s good for Alaska” was an excellent motto.

      1. My guess reading her post is that her son relayed this information factually to her without a “isn’t this funny” kind of preamble. Which to me would make it funnier.

    3. When I saw the headline this morning my first thought was, “G. Gordon Liddy was still alive?”

  13. I need help to dream and plan! I am going e#fing crazy with the travel restrictions due to Covid. I need help to find my perfect future holiday to have a goal for saving both time off and money for until we’re free. I’m not traveling until we’re all vaccinated (next year at the earliest), but I want to start dreaming and planning.

    For walking and experiencing different landscapes, I love being somewhere with rolling hills. I love the slightly-less-drama than full-on-mountain, but still interesting landscape, where there are less flats with mountain peaks in the distance, but more rolling and gentle hills and dales all round.

    I’m from Europe, so I don’t have the differences between the states or variations throughout the US continent in my blood. I have seen plenty of amazing and beautiful footage from the US and Canada, and know there are lots and lots of places with just this kind of landscape, beautiful rolling hills and forests and valleys, but I have no idea where these places are. Where would you go?

    1. Go to instagram and search for travel accounts for places you are interested. Most pictures posted include the name of location.

      1. +1 Shenandoah is beautiful, loads of places to park and hike, relatively convenient to the DC area

        1. Shenandoah is … nice, but I wouldn’t make it my end-of-pandemic dream trip. It’s more of a nice little weekend getaway.

      2. +1 to Shenandoah, and also Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They are still part of the Appalachian mountain range but quite eroded so that they’re more like very tall hills compared to the dramatic rocky snow-peaked mountains along the western side of the continent.

        Maybe take a look at Flint Hills of Kansas?

    3. Asheville, NC or North Georgia. Both are in the “mountains” but they aren’t mountains like the Rockies or the Alps.
      Likewise, Chattanooga, TN is a great place with lots to do and interesting terrain (I’m thinking of the area around Lookout Mountain).

      1. +1 Russian River area has what you’re looking for, plus kayaking and canoeing if you’re into that.

    5. The Berkshires would check all your boxes, I think. If you go in early October, you would have spectacular fall foliage.

      You might also look at the Black Hills/Badlands in South Dakota. There aren’t the mountains in the background, but there are pretty rolling hills and really interesting terrain.

      I’d also look at the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

    6. I’d recommend Ottawa for this actually. You can stay in the city proper and access all the amenities, but then be in a national park within 10 minutes. Great for a vacation because you can still do the nature stuff during the day but also have a great meal at night and few some sites like parliament. Gatineau park is absolutely breathtaking, pink lake is such an amazing lil hike.

    7. Thank you so much, everybody! I love all these suggestions, so stunning. I get all sorts of ideas (like staying at a guest ranch, when I’m silly allergic to horses), and want to go everywhere. Much research and dreaming to come. Thank you!

      And omg, when I googled “Berkshires in October” I was NOT prepared for that. I squealed. Absolutely understand why there were several posts this autumn about where to go to find foliage at different times.

    8. What a fun question! I’d also think about Vermont (summer or fall) or the Texas Hill Country (spring).

  14. I’ve been vaguely unhappy over the past year with work (law) and I’ve been thinking that I would be happier in a communications or marketing role, ideally one with a global component. Has anyone ever made that switch, from corporate law to comms/marketing (non-law), or does anyone have any thoughts about that kind of career change?

    1. You’ll probably get more responses in the AM, but I’d do some soul searching about your personality type. I presume you want to switch in order to focus more on writing/fewer hours/etc. But are you fully prepared for the step down in terms of prestige both externally and how you’re perceived inside the firm? You very much have to be ok with the mind shift that people that might have been your peers before are now your clients, and not in the same way as ‘I’m a very important freelance consultant’ kind of way. Also – do you have any experience at all with marketing/comms? It is not necessarily just writing all day (unless you’re literally hired on as a legal writer) and you have to be very ok with writing in a specific style/tone that might not be one that you would normally choose.

    2. Happy to reply in the AM if you don’t see this, but I’m a marketer. I thought about becoming a lawyer, enough that I went and listened to public proceedings for a day, started studying for the LSAT, etc. I determined that law wasn’t for me when I realized that it didn’t actually entail standing in front of a courtroom/jury presenting facts and arguing. Even litigators seem to spend a lot of time buried in paperwork, alone. I hate being alone and I hate paperwork. Thus, I decided law school/the legal profession wasn’t for me.

      So, I would ask: what do you dislike about law and what do you think you like about comms/marketing? What kind of comms/marketing do you think would be most interesting and utilize transferrable skills? Because there’s actually a lot of differences between comms and marketing, and then a wide span within each of those fields. There’s a big difference between internal and external comms, Pr, media relations, executive speechwriting, etc. (and I’m not even in comms, so those are just the distinctions I know about). And marketing is a whole field, ranging from research to creative to analytics to writing to strategy, etc.!

      Happy to chat more about my career path and what my day-to-day looks like if you want to post a burner email. I can’t speak to the career change, but I can tell you what I do/how I got here and that might help you think about whether that sounds interesting and worth it to you.

  15. After weeks of begging, I now have the opportunity to get either the J&J or the first Moderna shot this weekend. The J&J is more convenient obviously, but I’m concerned it might not “count” for travel once vaccine passports are a thing. I’m not high risk so I don’t have any particular concern about the efficacy differential; I’d be happy to get either shot but now I unexpectedly have a choice. If you had to choose, which would you get?

      1. Early on, when vaccines were still on the horizon, there was talk of different countries only approving certain vaccines, so if you wanted to travel you had to be sure you had the right vaccine. Not sure if that applies to J&J. All things being equal, I would prefer J&J for convenience and so I’m 100% done sooner. I have two trials coming up back to back and I’d prefer to only deal with the shot plus side effects once, plus it’s be great to be fully vaccinated in time for my first trial. If I get Moderna there isn’t time for a second dose before trial #1.

          1. +1 the only real consideration you should be taking here is that you have a trial that would prevent you from getting the second dose of a vaccine that needs a second dose to be effective.

          2. Sorry, I may have misread, but either way, just get the J&J and be done with it.

        2. Being fully vaccinated before a trial would be very important to me, so I would do J&J.

      2. Literally no reason and nothing has suggested it.

        But heaven forbid someone not inflict their irrational anxiety on the rest of us.

        2. God forbid you collapse a thread instead of accusing everyone who isn’t you of anxiety. It’s getting so old.

    3. Moderna, for the slightly better protection and because it seems (just from anecdotes in my circle) that J&J is the only option available to some individuals who have allergy issues with specific vaccine ingredients in the Moderna one.

    5. I would get J&J 100%. You will have immunity in two weeks rather than the six weeks it will take for Moderna.

    6. Get J&J. I’m ready to take whatever shot becomes available to me (last in line, healthy and young remote worker) but if I had my choice, I’d go with J&J. One and done. My mom and dad both got their vax the same week. Mom got J&J and has been fully vaccinated for several weeks now. Dad got Pfizer and he is going back for shot #2 in a week and then it will be a few more weeks until he has full protection.

    7. Get the J&J if you’re not high risk. The remaining risk and the difference in the stats between J&J and the two shot versions is that you have something like a 30% chance of getting a mild case of covid that you might not even notice – certainly nothing that would put you in the hospital or kill you, the odds of that are about zero – or a moderate case that J&J wouldn’t categorize as severe, and they categorized severe at around what most of us experience with a common cold. So less than that.

    8. I’m in the process of getting the Moderna (2 weeks until my 2nd dose!), and I would say get J&J. The waiting between doses is sooooo frustrating! Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful that I was able to get any of them, and I 100% took what was offered to me with a smile and happy tears … But if I had a choice I would have picked the J&J one-and-done.

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