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Updated: Nov 12, 2019 125 Comments · by

Suit of the Week: Loft

Suit of the Week

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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. This red corduroy suit looks like two really versatile separates that, for the right occasion and the right woman, would also look great as a suit. Both the blazer and the skirt bring all sorts of fall-on-campus associations and a general “cool professor” vibe. I'd probably wear them with neutrals like black, gray, ivory, or even some of the popular animal prints that are out right now. Both pieces come in regular and petite sizes, but only the skirt comes in plus sizes as well (already down to lucky sizes); they're $69-$130. This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

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Comments

  1. annienomous

    Gorgeous suit. Absolutely would wear and, because it’s Loft, I was optimistic that it would be available in tall sizes (which at 6’1″ is absolutely mandatory for all of my clothing.)

    Alas. The search for a fun suit continues. It seems that even the places that carry both interesting work wear and tall sizes don’t do the interesting work wear in the tall sizes. Basics only.

      • annienomous

        SO MUCH LOOK. But I could pull it off! Honestly, I’d be bold enough to wear the full suit… if it came in talls!

      • Ellen

        I like it too, but will it dry clean well? I do NOT want to buy someting that will start pilling up on me after I dry clean it. Dad says I need more sustainable clotheing, and that means buying the good stuff, even tho it costs alot more. Then, I need to take better care of my clotheing. Dad says NO MORE sitting in the subway. I must stand, even if there are seats, b/c I just ruined a $200 pencil dress by sitting in the subway on some stuff that discolored by dress and won’t unstick from my seat. FOOEY!

  3. anon

    OK, dumb question, but what kind of tea would you recommend for someone who doesn’t really like tea? I really would love to have a hot beverage every afternoon that isn’t coffee. (No shops nearby, so something that I can store in my desk and make in the breakroom.) Herbal tea tastes like dirty water to me, but I’m willing to try something fruity or spicy.

      • Kate

        Came here to say that! OP, there are also teas in flavors like vanilla and chocolate mint. I think Celestial Seasonings makes a lot of these.

      • +1

        We are the same person! I don’t like teas that taste like tea. You are looking for herbal/flowery teas. Things like hibiscus, rose petals, blueberry (my fave!), and maybe on the “almost tea, but not quite” side peach (though white peach tends to be a little friendlier for our tastes). Most of these (except peach) are uncaffeinated, which is usually my rule of thumb for taste–I also look at color, as the pink/purple hues are usually going to suit my palate.

        A few faves that carry this type of tea: Tazo (Passion is a little sour, but yummy); Firepot Tea; Argo Tea; Republic of Tea (little pods contain some Stevia).

    • Anon

      Celestial seasonings Apple Spice herbal tea. It’s autumn in a cup (though we like it year round)

    • anon

      I really like Harney & Sons tea, and they have a sampler pack you can get that has a bunch of different types to try. My favorite is Dragon Pearl Jasmine, which has a nice mild floral flavor to it.

      If you like tart flavors, get something with hibiscus in it, like any of the zinger teas from celestial seasonings. I like lemon zinger with raspberry zinger together. Also, try something like Constant Comment that has a spicy orange flavor to it.

    • anon

      I like orange spice tea, which is just a blend of black tea, orange peel/zest, and spices. I also like mint tea, which is usually a blend of green tea and mint.

      You could also try rooibos tea, which is technically not tea but an herb native to South Africa, but has a stronger flavor than other herbal teas.

      If you don’t drink tea often, try buying in small quantities to make sure your tea is fresh. I find I enjoy tea a lot more at conferences or in hotels or restaurants, where there’s more turnover, than at my house or office, where the tea has been around who-knows-how-long.

    • Anonymous

      Start with a chai mix and work your way into spicier teas that are less “mix” and more just tea.

      • Ellen

        I had tea at Grandma Leyeh’s yesterday after services. It was herbel tea, and was very good. I do NOT know what it was called, but it tasted a little musty. Does anyone in the hive know what it was?

    • Coach Laura

      The Lipton Green Tea Bags with Orange, Passionfruit and Jasmine. It smells nice when you pour in the hot water and tastes less bitter and more flavorful than plain green tea. They also have a Mandarin Orange flavor.

    • Anonome

      Quick tip that I learned when I was new to herbal teas: if you prefer to add milk, check your ingredients list first. Flavors that contain lemongrass will usually curdle.

      I’d also suggest avoiding chamomile if you are sensitive to that “dirty water” flavor. Even the best chamomile has that type of overtone, IMO.

    • NY CPA

      Mint tea–I prefer the Tazo kind but any will do (except the weird Starbucks one that is blended with lemon verbena, bleh)

    • PolyD

      I’d also suggest that you check that you are making your tea correctly before you decide you don’t like tea. The Brits here are probably more specific:

      Make sure the water is BOILING. Not just hot, BOILING.
      Pour the water over the teabag (yeah, teabag – loose tea is nice, but at the office a teabag is easier)
      Let the tea steep for the time indicated, usually 3-5 minutes for black tea.
      Add sugar and/or milk to taste

      I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone half-heartedly dunk a tea bag into tepid water for 20 seconds and then say they don’t like tea because it doesn’t have enough flavor. I mean, check out the flavored ones, too, but if you make black tea by the dunk-in-tepid-water method, try making it properly first before writing it off!

    • Anonymous

      If you are willing to try something spicy– Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice is an herbal tea but very sharp. I tend to leave tea bags in for longer than recommended, but always find I enjoy my tea on the more flavorful side.

    • Irish Midori

      As an avid coffee drinker who had to switch to tea during pregnancy, I find a nice chai (Twinnings is my current favorite) with cream is most satisfying. I kinda hear you on the herbal tea. I have to be in the mood, and it’s no substitute if coffee’s your drink.

    • Anonymous

      I’m going to be wild here and suggest to drink something cold. Twinings have something called cold water infusers. They look like a tea bag and you throw them in cold water. Just a hint of flavor and none so far have tasted like tea. It’s helped me finally kick my soda addiction. I like them so much I even sent a variety of flavors to my mom.

    • SSJD

      I also think that most herbal teas taste like dirty water! It’s always so disappointing, because they smell so good.
      I LOVE a Good Earth tea flavor called Sweet & Spicy. Highly recommend it. The name sums it up.

    • Anonz

      Suggest you dabble in white teas, which lack the full caffeine and strength of black teas. Personal favourites are from David’s Tea: Buddha’s blend – a mixture of white, green and jasmine notes, cold 911 – peppermint, juniper, and eucalyptus notes, and this random one-off box I got from a discount retailer that was white tea and blueberries. All are very light in colour, still have flavour, and aren’t super fruity/flowery. Sometimes I don’t like that the smell of the fruity/flowery teas doesn’t quite match the taste. The ones I recommend are milder (with the exception of cold 911) but still taste like something :]

  4. Ribena

    I LOVE this. If anyone has seen anything similar from a brand available in the UK… I’d be very tempted.

  5. Neck Pain

    I have overdeveloped traps from being a swimmer as a child and as a result, I have a ton of constant muscle pain in my neck and shoulders. My muscles literally feel like rocks.

    Massages, stretching, and heating pads work but never really loosen the tension completely to where the muscle is malleable and pliable. I do hot yoga, use a lacrosse ball, have tried the theracane…nothing works as a long term solution.

    Is this something I could see a physical therapist for or am I basically out if luck? Any ideas?

    • Anon

      Not a physical therapist, but this seems like literally what physical therapy is for.

    • Anon

      A series of Rolfing treatments helped me a lot. Like deep tissue massage but longer lasting. Supposedly, it loosens the fascia which can get hard and stuck, rather than focusing on the muscles per se.

    • Anon

      Yup, definitely physical therapy. You probably also need to work on your posture. Former competitive swimmer here myself, and hunching forward is definitely a swimmer thing that makes neck and shoulder pain worse.

      • Anonymous

        So I’m also a former swimmer (and very very busty) and fascinated to see I can blame my hunching on this. Do you or anyone else have any good tips for improving posture? What actually works?

        • anon

          I don’t know, but I’m dealing with this, too, and am seeing a PT for the first time next week! Will report back to the hive.

    • Anonymous

      Actual PT here!! Your upper traps are overdeveloped but your lower traps are likely neglected. Also work on strengthening your rotator cuff. Physical therapy would almost definitely help you!

    • Anon

      I love these two pieces apart. I cannot fathom wearing them together. It looks striking in the photo but when you zoom in and see the corduroy stripes/texture it immediately goes to way too retro, and not in a good way.

      • Anon

        I ordered this. Your assessment was correct – way too retro with the corduroy. Plus, the fit is all wrong for the office: the skirt is much too short and the jacket much too long (unless you are at least 5’8″ I expect). I love statement suits, but beware of this one.

    • pugsnbourbon

      This was my thought as well – it’s just shiny enough on my screen to read as velvet, not corduroy.
      That said, I’m sure you could style it to avoid the comparison. But it’d be a tight line to walk.

    • Velma

      Cute, but honestly, what is this good for? The skirt is only 18.5″ long. That’s 5-6″ above the knee on me. Plus red, plus corduroy. Maybe I would wear the jacket on the weekend for fun. Under no circumstances does this qualify as officewear in my world–and I’m not even in a formal business environment.

      • Anon.

        Know your office though, right? I have a burgundy corduroy blazer from Brooks Brothers that I love and is 100% appropriate for my business casual office. (The full suit is too much for me to consider pulling off.)

  7. Women's safety while travelling

    I re-binged-watched GOT and was struck by how dangerous it is for various female characters to travel from place to place (even Brienne). And how different the world is now. Maybe I wouldn’t travel on a bus in somewhere like India without some strong men I know with me, but I travel solo most of the time I travel and don’t think twice about taking transit, etc. And even alone, at night in dicey areas, I am often (at least in my city) in a car with a phone handy, so I feel very safe in that (two tons of steel and a motor between me and harm vs waiting solo at a deserted bus stop where who knows who might stumble upon me and decide that a short/small woman is nothing but a good target).

    At any rate, even a century ago, I would probably be significantly less well-travelled, not the least of which is due to the protection of a locking door at chain hotels with something to lose if a lone female traveller is attacked there, cars, people generally being decent on public conveyances.

    • anon

      I agree that it’s vastly safer for women to travel solo now than in the past, but…GOT should not be taken as reflective of historical fact when it comes to pretty much anything about women in the medieval period. There was a lot of argument when GOT first came out about whether the level of violence against women was realistic and some medieval scholars pretty strongly objected to the idea that the medieval era was just a r*pe and torturefest in the way that GOT suggests. If you look at the history of travel in the middle ages, the standard was actually that *nobody* travelled solo, not just women – long-distance travellers grouped together for safety (see: The Canterbury Tales, which are about a bunch of strangers who grouped up for a pilgrimage).

      • Anon

        +1 also I don’t want to diminish the fact that women still face danger when traveling alone. See all the articles regarding women being assuaged (while asleep or not) on airplanes and how most airlines don’t appear to have any policy on how to handle such situations (seems like a no-brainer to me: handcuff assaulter, move assaulter if at all possible, alert authorities on the ground at destination but alas that doesn’t always happen)

        • Anonymous

          I’m an EST traveler and tend to take short flights up/down the East Coast. I’m guessing this is more of a problem on overnight / long-haul flights? And possibly related to relative passenger intoxication / dark cabins / other passengers nodding off? Grateful to be on the 7am flights into/out of LGA only b/c people tend to be sober and going to meetings, so even lechers are not leching then (also: sober and awake witnesses and people reading with lights on in cabin).

          Still: ugh.

      • Anonymous

        Based on nothing more than so many people in central Asia having Genghis Khan’s genes, I tend to side with GOT (sadly). At least for the prevalence of bad behavior during wartime.

        And also my understanding that this is a huge problem for homeless women — no locking doors, vulnerable, even if only 1% of homeless men are predators, you are just safe until they find you.

        • anon

          I think we’re just as bad during wartime in the modern era. If you ever want to horrify yourself, google the stats on r*pe during the Soviet occupation of Germany post WWII (literally in the millions of r*pes), the Yugoslav wars, or the Rwandan genocide.

          • anon

            FYI, it’s pretty difficult to get good stats on the conduct of the red army, since both the east and the west at that time spread blatant propaganda to make their system of government look better and media/the public were more ready to believe without being presented proof than today.

          • Anonymous

            Would these concerns about propaganda apply to someone like Isaac Babel?

            There have been some very safe communities historically as well as some very dangerous ones. Many
            communities make sure that some women are safe, but not others, and this is definitely true today. I think we also just take on greater risks to a certain extent.

          • Leatty

            Regardless of whether the statistics are accurate, rape has been used extensively as a weapon of (and spoil of) war for centuries. Several of my husband’s relatives were raped by Soviet forces at the end of WWII. It still happens today, and the fact remains that women are more likely to be raped than men.

      • Monday

        There are of course also targeted populations, regardless of who’s traveling with a strong man (or is a strong man himself). The Warmth of Other Suns (an amazing book) is about the great migration of Black Americans from the south to the north, and shows that the trip could be dangerous for anyone due to roadside threats/attacks and hostile staff at restaurants or hotels. Even groups and families were at risk, and solo travelers would try to link up with each other for safety.

        • Anonymous

          Like the whole Green Book thing was real.

          I did love Canterbury Tales.

          And in colonial taverns, everyone slept in the same room, so unless everyone is rotten to the core, rescuers would possibly always be present. Not sure if families / ladies stayed in communal rooms (I don’t think so), but there is usually safety in crowds.

      • Anon

        Without in any way characterizing GOT as accurate, the historian in me wants to point out that many of the behaviors we would now characterize as r*pe were completely normal and accepted until relatively recently. The practice of an (often very young) woman being handed off to her (usually older) husband who was legally entitled to her body regardless of her consent was the norm until quite recently, particularly in the upper classes. And he could legally beat her too! Marital r*pe was not even a legal concept in the US until the 1970’s. Americans tend to think of slavery exclusively in terms of their own recent history, but women and children were considered spoils of war well into the Middle Ages in many places and female slaves too could be r*ped with impunity. And that does not even count the less direct pressure of maintaining the favor of the person who could kill or beat you at will.

        Also, travel in the middle ages except for merchants and armies was rare and expensive and people definitely travelled in groups for safety against bandits.

  8. Duke TIP

    Has anyone participated in Duke TIP programs as a kid? I think that in different parts of the country, this may be called different things (e.g., Johns Hopkins may run things in the mid-Atlantic).

    I qualified for some things, but never went to anything (parents of modest means, never did any away camps or summer programs due to one parent already being home in the summer and not needing to spend $ needlessly, also parents were from a simpler background, not one of achievement culture where this really may be a thing (and perhaps it may also be helpful / beneficial to some kids)).

    I have two kids who scored high enough to go on IQ testing that we did as part of what became learning disability testing (so they’d never qualify b/c their timed standardized test scores are mediocre due to some learning issues). They really are starting to feel like they don’t fit in at school and one kid has ASD1, so I don’t want to push them into a pressure cooker but also don’t want to deny them something that could be good for them, either.

    Also, I work in the summer, so I have to look at camps, including sleep-away camps anyway. And it might be a good break from their schools, which are “good” for our city but seem to be very jocks-are-popular, which can be a lonely place for non-jocks. OTOH, I like for them to be in back-to-nature camps where they seem to be happy and not stressed like they can be during the school year.

    Thoughts welcome!

    • Anon

      Is this CTY? If not it sounds similar. I know tons of people who did it and loved it.

    • Anonymous

      If they are happy with their nature camps don’t mess with a good thing.

      • Anonymous

        The nature camps are a week or two here and there. And scout camping. I think that the residential TIP/CTY things can be in addition to those (except some 4-week ones for older kids that you have to commit to all 4 weeks for and that we’ll age into next summer). But I haven’t really looked into it (and wasn’t aware that it includes middle school now, not just high school, which is what I recall).

    • Anony

      I did the Johns Hopkins program and LOVED it – I was a nerdy kid and felt like I fit in there in a way I didn’t at school. The environment at the program didn’t feel like a pressure cooker – I think some groups/subcultures within it probably were like that (the Johns Hopkins program actually had a few campuses and they each had their own reputation, with one or two in particular being known as the most fun ones), but the friends I made there it was much more of a chance to relax than anything else. I wouldn’t push your kids towards this, but if they’re interested in the materials, I’d definitely support it.

      • Anonymous

        I did the CTY program as well and loved it both times. For me, it was a great opportunity to dive into much higher levels of science than I had access to in my rural public middle school. I loved meeting other nerdy kids and being in an environment where it was so cool to be smart and interested in science. It also gave me a *huge* leg up for high school bio.
        I don’t know that this would have been as valuable if the school I was attending at the time had a great science program.

    • Anonymous

      I am a CTY alum and can testify that it is amazing. Many other programs out there are less than amazing.

    • Anonymous

      I did one of these programs at the Louisiana School and it was so great. I went the summers after 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. I felt like a weirdo nerd outcast at my private school in Texas. Then I met all these other smarties at the program and suddenly I had a bunch of friends for the first time ever. We all wrote letters in between the summers. I’m still Facebook friends with several of them. It was not stressful for me at all. I took writing classes and got to DJ at the college radio station. It really helped me form my identity and gain so much confidence.

    • mascot

      How old are the kids? How about regular sleepaway camp or some of the adventure camps (backpacking, trips)? There are tons of good options out there
      I didn’t do one of the college residential camps until I was well into high-school- it was fun, but I wouldn’t trade my years of overnight camp or my trips.

    • Anon

      I took the PSAT in 7th grade with Duke. I had to look online, but I don’t remember doing any of the camp programs they said they offered in the 90s. I wasn’t an academic enrichment camp girl – more of a Girl Scout camp girl. I think it might be a truth these days that if a parent wants to offer their child the most enriching, broadening summer experience available, it might just be more time outdoors and less time studying indoors, particularly if the child attends a satisfactory school.

      • Anon

        I don’t know. Different things are good for different kids, that’s true, but I disagree that the outdoors is universally more enriching than something academic. It’s not like you’re doing SAT math drills at these summer camps. You study subjects like classics and astronomy that are not accessible to high school students (unless you have parents and a school willing to let you enroll in college courses) with a bunch of similarly-age peers who are interested in the same subject. It has value.

        • Anon

          FWIW, I am one of the hugely enthusiastic posters here, but I would kind of agree that the academic stuff isn’t usually the most valuable part. I would have gotten just as much, and perhaps more, from spending three weeks at a traditional summer camp, if that summer camp were full of the same bright nerdy kids. But that tends not to be an option, and I benefited hugely from being around those kind of kids for three weeks each summer.

          If your bright kids are well-adjusted and don’t have any social difficulties in their current school, it may not matter that much. But for the kinds of kids who feel like they don’t fit in, it can be invaluable.

    • Anon

      I did a similar summer program several times in the Midwest (SIG), and it was absolutely the highlight of my miserable middle school years. Almost everyone was excited to learn (plus a low % of kids whose parents insisted they go), the material was appropriately challenging, it was easier to socialize than at my regular school, and I loved the independence of “going to college” for a few weeks. Certainly would not have described the environment as a “pressure cooker.” Many experiences I had there positively impacted my life for years to come. For example, I was exposed to speech and debate for the first time at camp, which became my most beloved extracurricular throughout high school. It wasn’t easy for my parents to afford, and they never really pushed achievement beyond doing well in school, but I’m so grateful they made it a priority when I told them I longed to go.

    • Anon

      I qualified, but like you, my parents had neither the means nor inclination to send me. I always thought it looked like fun. My state did run a governor’s school in the summer for high achieving students, which was awesome and didn’t have the sticker shock of the CTY & TIP programs. You might check if your state offers that.

    • Anon

      I did TIP as a kid and it was absolutely life-changing. Like the poster above, I was the nerdy kid at my school, so TIP was in many ways the opposite of a pressure-cooker experience for me. It was an opportunity to find out where I fit in when I wasn’t automatically labelled ‘the smart one’ (because everyone else was also smart.) The friends I made there literally helped me survive my early teens; I was mildly depressed anyway, and they were a lifeline. This was the era before cheap long-distance calling, but my parents used to let me talk for hours to friends from other states because they knew how important it was to me.

      FWIW, I wasn’t super enthusiastic about going in the first place, but I won a scholarship that paid for my first year, and my parents were not about to turn down free childcare. Then I begged them to send me back for the next three years.

    • Nesta

      I did Duke TIP and crushed it… but did not know until this moment that there were camps/opportunities that came out of that. Thanks, mom and dad!!

    • Anonymous

      CTY changed my life. I did not find it competitive, but I did find it opened up a whole world for me: It showed me that I was kick ass and didn’t need my hand held, that it was ok not to understand things because that’s how you learn, and that if I pushed myself and believed in myself I could achieve awesome things. It gave me a drive and reorganized my feelings about school at a time when I was being underserved by my public school. It showed me there were other people like me out there, and any isolation I felt in middle school didn’t mean there was something wrong with me, but just that I hadn’t found my tribe yet.

      My sibling did it too and didn’t have the same transformational experience which I think is attributable to a few things: 1) we are different people, 2) I was much more mature than they in 7th grade (when said sib did something similar 4 years later, they had that same a ha moment), 3) I did a history class and they did a writing things. I think something a little more structured helped, and 4) I did a rural one and they were in a city. We were treated like with a degree of autonomy that was MINDBLOWING to mini-me.

      If your kid is one whom you think will blossom once they get to college – do it! If your kid is bored at school – do it! If your kid has an academic passion – do it!

  9. Pompom

    Can’t share this in real life…but I just paid off my [relatively modest, but still] student loans.

  10. Money diaries

    Did anyone else read the Money Diaries from this morning, from the single mom in Paris? I cried happy tears knowing that she is out of that toxic relationship. She’s amazing.

    • Abby

      I did! I hadn’t read her original diary until today – she is such a hustler and loved reading both weeks. The support & kindness in the comments made my heart smile.

    • anon

      Yes! I was tempted to post about that here too. Her original diary was the most memorable one for me, and I was really wondering how she was doing. She’s a beautiful writer.

  11. Sweat

    Since it’s over 90 where I am today, and I’m looking at this red corduroy suit, has anyone found a really good antiperspirant? I sweat when I’m hot, but also the dreaded stress-sweat. Typically I just combat that by wearing black, navy, dark grey a lot but I’d prefer to not have to wear black to every presentation the rest of my life…

    • Anon.

      I switched to old-school cream deodorant Arrid is super, but seems to be hard to get these days. Tussy’s is a good replacement.

    • Ellen

      I like it too, but will it dry clean well? I do NOT want to buy someting that will start pilling up on me after I dry clean it. Dad says I need more sustainable clotheing, and that means buying the good stuff, even tho it costs alot more. Then, I need to take better care of my clotheing. Dad says NO MORE sitting in the subway. I must stand, even if there are seats, b/c I just ruined a $200 pencil dress by sitting in the subway on some stuff that discolored by dress and won’t unstick from my seat. FOOEY!

    • Coach Laura

      I stress-sweated throughout my 20s and ruined a lot of blouses and jackets but luckily it eased up in my 30s then disappeared. For presentations, I always wore dress shields inside my blouses which kept me from having to worry about it showing (and ruining a lot of blouses) and I could wear lighter colors or take off my jacket. They have stick-on versions online at amazon and in some local drug/variety stores. They also have fabric reusable ones that attach to your br@ and can be washed instead of being disposable.

    • Neck Pain

      I’m a sweater (I have diagnosed hyperhydrosis in my palms, feet and underarms…YAY) and taking anxiety medication has been helpful in decreasing my sweating, especially the nervous stress sweats. I’m on a very low dose of lexapro and it really does make a difference…I can go from literal dripping-sweat palms/massive pit stains to having basically no sweat on my palms or underarms.

      There are also undershirts with built in dress shields that you can layer under blouses…I haven’t tried any but I’m definitely interested! I think Numi is a brand (I’ve gotten Instagram ads but can’t thunk of the name off the top of my head)

  12. Anon

    I feel like I have a cold, but I just found out that a relative I spent the weekend with at a family function has the flu. Should I call my doctor about this even if my own symptoms don’t scream flu? A few other people at work are sick as well.

    • Z

      I would call the doctor, they’ll stick a swab up your nose and test it for the flu, then prescribe Tamiflu if it is. Its most effective early on.

          • Anon

            Because it can have some pretty nasty side effects itself and generally it’s not viewed as being worth the risks unless you’re young/elderly/pregnant/immunocompromised etc. or otherwise more vulnerable to the flu than a typical adult. If you go to an urgent care you might get it, because urgent care doctors generally feel like they need to provide some sort of solution for people who were sick enough to come in. But family practice doctors tend to just prescribe rest and fluids for the flu.

        • anonymous

          I got Tamiflu when I got the flu a few years ago. They did a swab test to confirm which strain it was.

        • Anonymous

          I think the attitude on this has changed a lot in the last 5 years or so. It used to be prescribed a lot, and now there is a trend away from it.

      • Anon

        I agree that the flu is not like a cold. Very early symptoms might be? But the flu is miserable and it will hurt to breath and you will feel so much worse than with just a cold.

      • Anon

        It can for the first day with a quick decline on day two. I’d get tested now if you can, an urgent care or minuteclinic/rediclinic would be able to test you. Also, it could be the flu but present on you as very mild.

      • Aquae Sulis

        That isn’t necessarily true. I was diagnosed with flu last year, and I didn’t know I had it – I didn’t have any typical symptoms.

  13. BigLaw as a single mom

    Have any of you seen a single mom succeed in BigLaw (as a junior associate)? Right now, my BigLaw firm forbids us from mentioning family considerations to law student interviewees (so no: can you work nights? can you work weekends? even though that’s what the work entails and no, a first year associate really can’t demand to work from home every evening).

    I am worried for a friend, who is going to BigLaw in a city without family but with a school-aged kid. I don’t think that friend realizes that she’ll need a night nanny / sitter probably each night (and maybe weekends) and she just can’t work from home (or bring her kid with her). And I’m not sure anyone has made that explicit (or if they even can). [Friend summered elsewhere and while kiddo was largely with family for the summer.]

    Have any of you seen this work IRL? I know tons of female partners have kids and WFH, but I think that the expectations are wildly different for very junior associates. [And this probably isn’t just a BigLaw thing — I’d think that if you are a prosecutor, this is the expectation too: you work when the work demands it and if you are always leaving, you probably get managed out sooner vs later.]

    • Anonymous

      I think your firm is behaving by sensibly to avoid a law suit and you should give your friend more credit. Plenty of big law shops have a no face time culture. At mine no one would notice or care if you left at 5 every day as long as you get the work done and billyhe hours. If she needs a night nanny she will hire one.

      • Telco Lady JD

        +1

        My former big law firm would have been completely fine with her working from home every night after 5:00 pm. (And, actually, from home often during the day as well.)

    • Anon

      I very much doubt she is going into big law without knowing that frequent nights and weekends are involved, everyone who is or wants to become a lawyer knows this and if they don’t…well they have a lot more problems anyway not knowing how to do basic due diligence in their professed industry. You don’t have to tell law students that for them to know it. She’ll figure out the care that she needs.

    • Anonymous

      If she’s a good friend, you should talk to her. But I’d also assume she’s done her diligence. Personally, I could never have been a junior associate as a single mom with a kid that age at either of the biglaw firms I’ve been at. But maybe she’s found one with a good balance.

    • Anonymous

      I think that this is team-specific even if it is done within a firm. I can think of one female-led team in my office where they expect you in your seat until past 7 every night, routinely past 8.

      I have kids and a working spouse and no local family. I had a BigLaw job where leaving to go to a 2 hour dentist appointment was noticed and commented on. I didn’t dare have a cat and I had to be ready at a moment’s notice to take assignments and feedback and be on calls.

      I think for your first few years, face time is helpful because it lets things happen spontaneously, including training and feedback. And informal things like getting dinner together and learning the lore that helps you practice.

      I wouldn’t blithely assume leaving at 5 is OK everyday. Or that you get to dictate how you work.

  14. tipping guidance?

    How much do I tip for a complimentary bang trim? A cut from this stylist ordinarily costs $100 and it’s been maybe 4 weeks since I had a full cut. TIA!

  15. Anon

    Trump is claiming he’s the victim of a coup on Twitter. Can’t decide who I’m more pissed at at this exact moment – Twitter for allowing him to use their platform to spread constant lies and encourage violence or the Republicans in Congress who won’t impeach him for his crimes.

    • Anon

      Apparently during the press conference this afternoon, Trump accused Schiff of helping the whistleblower write the report. He’s off his rocker. Completely. Just making ish up.

      Bloomberg: “I think it’s a scandal that he knew before,” Trump said today at a White House news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. “I’d go a step further — I think he probably helped write it.” He added: “That’s a big story. He knew long before and he helped write it, too.”

      Politico: On Adam Schiff: “He should resign from office in disgrace and frankly they should look at him for treason.”
      Trump was asked what he could learn from Finland, which is the world’s happiest country: “If you got rid of Pelosi, and you got rid of Shifty Schiff.” … On the whistleblower: “That person’s a spy in my opinion” … On the Bidens: “Biden’s son is corrupt, and Biden is corrupt.”

      Oh, and he also swore on Twitter, calling the inquiry BS (but spelling it out, in all caps). This is our President. Yippee.

    • Anon

      Beating Hillary Clinton in an election is not a crime. Investigating corruption is not a crime. Appointing conservative judges is not a crime.

      Siccing the IRS on your political enemies, OTOH, is a crime.

  16. Hotel in San Fran?

    Hi Ladies, Attending a conference in San Francisco in mid-November and would like to book a hotel near Union Square. The conference hotel is booked. My only preference is clean and 4-star range. The smaller boutique hotels seem great by wary about quality…and having trouble finding trust-worthy reviews. Thank you!

    • anon

      It’s a 3 star hotel (and definitely not luxurious) but I’ve loved staying at Cornell Hotel de France near Union Square. It is so friendly and so incredibly French (including a golden retriever I think was named Michel in the lobby). The rooms are small but clean, and they have this wonderful Jeanne D’Arc themed restaurant in the basement with a good breakfast that is included if you book on the hotel’s website. Highly recommended.

    • SFAttorney

      What is the conference hotel? I live in SF and most of the hotels are pretty decent on the inside once you are over a certain price point, but the block that the hotel is on can make or break a stay due to our local “talent.”

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