Corporette.com

Updated: Mar 13, 2019 68 Comments · by

Suit of the Week: Rebecca Taylor

Suit of the Week

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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. There are a TON of pink suits out right now, but I'm going to resist the lure of Legally Blonde attire and instead direct you to this gorgeous light gray suit from Rebecca Taylor. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: light gray is extraordinarily versatile for suiting separates, and if you don't own light gray pants already you definitely need to because they're so much better than white pants but just as springy. I particularly like the sleek blazer here (with, yes, baby puff sleeves — there are a number of puff-sleeved blazers out right now!), and the cropped pants look lovely. The blazer looks great with all white, as styled, but pretty much any color works with light gray, including darker grays for a nice tone-on-tone look. The blazer is $395 and the trousers are $275. (Note that there's another, looser pair of light gray trousers that look like they might be another option for the blazer, but I'd proceed with caution because the SKU numbers are totally different.) Note that Nordstrom is offering bonus points right now through 3/17, with the possibility of earning 2-6 points per dollar depending on method of payment. It's a great time to stock up on basics like these hose, these pants, this dress, this comfortable pump under $100, these flats, or some of the denim or lingerie with 1000s of positive reviews. 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!

Sales of note for 9.16.24

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    What is your cheapest, healthiest, most eco-friendly recipe for lunch or dinner that you could eat all the time? (Prob. lentils or beans?)

    • Anonymous

      I’m big into mushroom bowls recently – basically grain bowls with cut-up white mushrooms.

    • Anon

      Homemade hummus plus leftovers. Sometimes chicken (probably not eco friendly) sometimes a hard boiled egg, always leftover veggies, preferably roasted, lemon wedges. Cherry tomatoes if it’s summertime and they’re from my garden.

    • Anonymous

      In college I ate a ton of black beans with various additions — cheese, salsa, eggs, spinach, avocado, etc.

      • Ellen

        Me too, but I wound up passing way to much gas to my roommate’s dismay. So I stopped with the black beans and ate more pinto beans and garbanzo beans, and she seemed pleased b/c the black beans were just to much for her to deal with all night! It was the least I could do b/c she did not eat any beans and she did not let loose all night like I did.

    • Aggie

      Stir fry. I chop up whatever vegetables I can find, stir fry in a tiny amount of oil and add in sauce to taste (right now I’m using coconut aminos.) My protein is a few eggs beaten and added in at the last minute. I will serve on top of rice or grate a head of broccoli/cauliflower as my “rice.” I belong to a farm share and for $30/week pick up a LARGE box of veggies from the farmer’s market each Sunday. Typically I stir fry the previous week’s left over veggies for my lunch the following week. I will mix it up with different sauces from the Asian grocery store and could eat it for lunch every day without complaint.
      Beans and lentils are cheap, but I would get bored of meals of only beans/lentils pretty quickly. However, they are a great base for cold salads, soups and other hot meals.

    • cat socks

      Not a specific recipe recommendation, but I love Budget Bytes for cheap but delicious recipes.

      • Anon

        Oh, about the beans. Fresh beans in general are just way better than the beans you buy in a bag at the store that could be years old. I used to get some from a farmers market that were hands down the best beans I’ve ever eaten.

    • Houda

      Thick decadent lentil soup that was slow cooked with masses of onion and cumin. When seasoned right with enough pepper, it’s the simplest and most filling lunch

    • Anonymous

      Brown rice and beans (usually kidney or black) with Mexican-style toppings. Avocado, onion, cheese, sour cream, salsa.

    • anon0313

      Quinoa+garbanzo beans+chopped cherry tomatoes & persian cucumbers (+ onions if you like them, I don’t) + a vinaigrette.

  2. Anonymous

    Question for the group: In my line of work, there is one main, annual industry conference. Everybody goes, it’s a huge networking opportunity, and there are many interesting panels and discussions. I am relatively new to this field and to my company, and this year will be the first year I am eligible to attend, although I’ve heard much about it from many people as I was breaking into the area. My company apparently has a limit on the number of people who can attend each year, purportedly due to cost, and I just found out that I was not selected to go. The basis for the selection is that I haven’t been here as long as the others, although we all share the same title/role and I am the only one in my geographic location in this role. Comparable companies do not set these kinds of limits, and they send anyone on their teams who is a member of the relevant organization and able to travel during the conference. The company pays for my membership in the organization.

    Here is the actual question – I plan to go regardless of whether or not the firm pays for it because I think it is just that important. Is this crazy or am I stepping into something I shouldn’t be here? It is a lot of money that I don’t have, since I took a massive pay cut to join this industry – there will be the conference feel plus airfare and hotel (a lot of money to me, not a lot to my company, but I’m trying not to be too bitter…). Some of the reasons: I want to take advantage of the learning opportunities offered by this conference, especially since I am newer to the field. I missed out on all of our internal training opportunities because they happened before I was hired and they aren’t coming back. I have been remotely networking with the people who will be attending the conference from around the country, and this would be the chance to meet them in person. I have been networking in person with the people in my area, and this would be a key opportunity to continue that, and frankly, I think it would be weird if I wasn’t there – and it’s a critical opportunity to make and maintain connections for my future. And finally, it’s personal for me because it’s an opportunity to legitimize myself in this area; everybody who is anybody in this field attends this conference.

    So would it be crazy for me to suck it up and pay for it if there is no other way? I’ve never heard of anyone doing this, but it feels important for me to be there. Worst case I’d have to pay the whole thing on my own (fee + travel) and would have to use vacation days to attend. But I could also try to negotiate that the company would at least pay the fee and not make me use vacation days for what is essentially business travel that they’re making me pay for myself. Thoughts?

      • Anon

        Oh man, I stopped reading AAM ages ago, and I forgot just how annoying Mike C was.

    • Anon

      I think I would not go if I were you and that’s mostly because you describe it as a lot of money that you don’t have. I also say that because it will look weird to your employer to be told that you’re not part of the group that gets to go and to show up anyway. But I do understand where you’re coming from about how important this conference is in your industry.

      • Anonymous

        OP here: On the looking weird point, does it make a difference if my direct supervisor is OK with my paying my own way? She expressed frustration at not being able to send me for budgetary reasons, and she isn’t the one who made the budget.

        • Anonymous

          Not the prior poster, but no, it wouldn’t make a difference. No one else would have those details and you’d be the one who looks out of line.

          • Ellen

            Yes, you will look out of place, and no one will know (or care) if you paid your own way. It is more of a big deal to not follow management’s direction here, tho it seems you picked a crappy company to work with, there is nothing you can do about that right now. Wait for next year, and plan to move on if you do NOT get invited next year, as your company sounds pretty cheap not to send you. FOOEY on them!

        • anon

          Also, did she express frustration or did she explicitly authorize your attendance if you paid your own way? Those are two different things.

          • Anonymous

            OP here: She is still trying to locate other sources of funding for me to attend, so we aren’t quite at that point yet. But I believe that if she were unable to find other funding that she would explicitly authorize my attendance on my own dime. I think she also feels bad about it because I flagged my interest a few months ago and she said at the time that she was almost 100% certain that I’d be one of the people to go. Also, the company doesn’t secure the spots; attendees secure their own spots directly through the website and then get reimbursed.

            I appreciate everyone’s input here. Part of it is definitely the sting of being excluded (and the surprise given the prior discussions). And part of it is because this is one of those conferences that people talk about and ask you if you attended and want to discuss year-round. Last year when I was interviewing to get into this area (I’m in my 40s, so not out of college or anything, but this is a career switch), people expected that I’d be attending even though I was not yet eligible to attend because I wasn’t yet in the field. Now that I’m in, it feels weird not to be there, and I know people in the industry will ask. But I definitely see the other perspectives here too.

    • Anon

      Don’t go. You should not pay for this out of pocket. Additionally people from your company who know you didn’t make the cut will see you there and will probably think you are silly or presumptuous for paying your way.

      • Small Firm IP Litigator

        Yeah this. Why do you think it is so important you go, aside from it being a big conference in your industry?

        If you truly think not going is going to somehow impact your ability to do your job, I would rather that with your employer. If they still refuse, still don’t go.

      • Anon

        I wouldn’t think presumptuous, I’d think a little naive and out-of-touch.

          • Anon

            It’s just not something that’s done. Businesses pay for business expenses, not people. It also just reads as young and over eager and not aware of professional norms. And it’s possible OP thinks this conference is more important than it actually is.

          • Anon

            Going to a conference as an attendee doesn’t legitimize you in any way in an industry. It just means you attended a conference.

    • Anonymous

      Yes it’s insane don’t do this. It’s tone deaf and won’t be well received.

    • Anonymous

      Agreed with the others – if you aren’t being included for some company-important decision, it would be inappropriate for you to go as a representative of your company. (if you went between jobs, that would be fine). I’d make the pitch you made here to your company again, and if they demur, take it as a sign that your organization may not be the right one for you.

    • Z

      Best advice is to make your case again to your manager (or whoever decides who goes). Explain what you told us, that you’re new to the field and this would really benefit your professional growth in the field.
      If they still say no they can’t pay, make sure you get the OK that you can go on your own dime.

      • Anon

        I don’t agree with this. You’ve asked once and been firmly told no, I think it looks kind of out of touch and desperate to try to make your case to go again this year. Make a strong case for going next year.

    • Anon

      I think it may come off as strange to pay for yourself. It is likely not as important as you think it is.

    • Anonymous

      I definitely wouldn’t go (and I say this as someone who has paid out of pocket to attend conferences merely because I wanted the speaking experience). Any benefits are far outweighed by the potential negatives within your organization, and that should be your primary focus right now. Since so many others from your organization are going, you 1) run risks of people mistakenly thinking it’s on your employer’s dime after you didn’t make the cut and raising a stink, which will only amplify the weirdness 2) set a precedent that your company shouldn’t be paying for your training 3) look like you are ignoring their wishes and 4) kind of desperate among peers since they don’t have to pay [and you are still new enough there that appearances really matter]. You’re sort of doing the opposite of “legitimizing” yourself as you say). Almost all of the benefits you list will still be there next year when you are slotted in. I also don’t think it’s unusual for a company to cap attendees–you need a reality check. The only real miss is training that you feel you are lacking. I would focus on rectifying that rather than worrying about “networking” so much. And try to benefit from membership in other ways (local education and webinars, reading industry news, writing for industry news once you have the experience, etc.). That will also up the likelihood of your employer see there is value in sending you over someone else going forward.

      • Anon

        I really agree with all these points. I have also paid out of pocket to attend extra conferences that my employer wasn’t interested in funding (because they’d already funded my attendance at other conferences). But when your employer is sending a whole team to a conference, and you don’t make the cut to go as part of that team, it’s a very different situation. They’re telling you explicitly you need to sit this one out, and you need to listen.

        • Ness

          I am there right now. My company does not paid my attendace to the main conference of my area of work (but not of my company) and I have decided to pay it. I asked for sponsorship to my boss but he said there is not budget for this kind of things.
          The ticket is expensive but I can pay it and I thing is worthy for the training and the networking oportunities that I do not have beeing the only person doing my job in my company. On top the conference this year is in my city and I would not need acomodation or flights. Make sense?

    • Rainbow Hair

      I think it’s a bad idea for you to pay your own way (I’m working under the assumption that you work for a mid-to-large sized company with standard stuff like HR and benefits, not like a niche academic thing).

      Here’s why: (1) Don’t work for free. If work isn’t paying for you to go there, don’t go, don’t work. It sets a bad precedent and makes you look exploitable. (2) You are making it clear that you don’t trust your management’s decision-making. They decided that you don’t need to go, but you going anyway says, “You are wrong. In fact, you are so wrong, I’m spending money I don’t have to prove it.” (3) One annual conference is not that big a deal. Get a commitment from your manager that you can go next year. Before you know it, you’ll be there.

      (Also I’m sorry, I *hate* when I feel excluded from stuff like this.)

    • Don’t do it

      Do not pay to go – this is a lot of $ and the company should pay for you to go

    • S

      Don’t do it. In my experience, conferences are generally less important and productive than they ever seem from the outside. Do not drop your own money on this. Also, companies do generally get a limited number of passes to conferences, and the number depends on that particular company’s relationship and arrangement with the conference itself.

    • Plus one

      I agree with everyone who says don’t go, and add another angle- that there can also be value in being the one who stays behind and holds down the fort. Assuming this is a multiple-day conference that occurs over several business days- Support your projects well during this time and “be there “ for any of your colleagues that pass a referral or work your way from the conference! This is a huge conference week in my field – I’m very happy some of my projects with vendors were passed off to strong leads at those companies who are able to continue the project while the lead is at a meeting.

    • Ses

      Go only if you think you may leave your current employer in the next year.
      If you plan to stay with your employer, don’t go, wait and make your case for next year. Your employer may just have been wary of investing that much in someone who just joined.
      But if you plan to look for a different employer, go to the conference, network, and don’t worry as much about what people at your current firm think, since that will be outweighed by the benefit to your job search.

    • Sam

      I know where you are coming from. I have a similar yearly important conference in my field and for two years I asked my manager and was refused, so I was very disappointed.
      However, I agree with folks saying the actual content of the informational sessions is not typically the value of the conference. There’s nothing you cant pick up on your own by reading trade pubs (way cheaper even if you paid for them yourself). The opportunities to network and job search are the main benefit for me, and sometimes pays off months later.
      That said, the third year I volunteered to be a speaker for the conference and the organizers comped attendance for speakers, so I only needed to pay for hotel and airfare (which I could do for a few hundred dollars, way more affordable than the conference admission which was a couple of thousand). The fourth year, when I had moved jobs and my new company wouldn’t pay for me to attend, I reached out to the conference organizers and ended up doing some volunteer work (Rating and selecting sessions) for which the organizers comped my admission once again. So I encourage you to be patient, play the long game, and network to get into the conference next year by volunteering or speaking.

  4. Dynamic

    Are there books/coping skills for dealing with your partner’s emotions without becoming emotional yourself? I feel angry and frustrated when my partner is angry and it’s not a healthy dynamic to be in. I want my partner to be able to feel feelings while I am able to remain neutral and not get sucked in (which is not what’s happening; I am a brooder). Thanks.

  5. Anon

    Anyone sleep in foam rollers to curl their hair? My hair has gone from being naturally curly / wake up, mousse and go, to mostly ugly/undone waves. It will hold a curl, but I don’t have time to spend 30 min styling my hair every morning. It’s roughly shoulder length.

    • Anonymous

      Not quite the same, but I shower at night and then let my hair air dry. I put hot rollers in the morning. It takes about 5 minutes to put them in and 3 minutes to take them out and put in hairspray.

      It’s been a really big time saver. I have similar length hair, but it’s gotten more curly as opposed to less.

      • Rachel

        Just recently cut my hair and am struggling to find the time to style it every morning, so I’m very interested in the idea of hot rollers!

        Which ones do you recommend?

  6. Inspired By Hermione

    Can anyone tell me about swimming for fitness? I’m thinking about trying it for a few weeks to see if it’s something I like, but I’m a little intimidated about lap swimming, etiquette, etc. My local pool has adult lap swim times in the evening and early mornings. I’m a good, confident swimmer, but I have the feeling laps will be pretty slow until I build up some endurance. Is this something that’s expected? In Googling, it sounds like there are fast and slow lanes, but what if I’m slower than the people in the slow lanes?

    Also, they also have “deep water fitness” and “shallow water fitness” classes I may be interested in- as well as a “aquatic HIIT” class. Details are pretty slim about what they are. I know I could call, but anyone have any ideas about what the HIIT class, in particular, may include?

    Do I have to wear a swim cap? I have short hair.

    I know the answer to this is just go and figure it out, but some reassurance/tips would be very appreciated, because I get intimidated. I’m not great at cardio- I can walk for miles and miles at a brisk pace, but can’t run (to be fair, I also can’t run because I have arthritis in my knees and hips and it kills).

    • Anon

      I have no real advice, but just encouragement! It cannot be worse than when I attempted to learn to swim for fitness – I had only ever done a doggy paddle/fun swimming, so when I was learning to “really” swim I had some trouble coordinating by breathing and strokes. But I was determined to learn because I wanted to do a triathlon. A (kindly?) old gentleman in the lane next to me one day stopped me and told me he thought that maybe I should try using a snorkel because I was having so much trouble breathing! I almost died, but it cracked me up. I eventually learned and did my (short) triathlon, but I still giggle about the thought of completing the race with a snorkel.

      • Inspired By Hermione

        I’m sure that was embarrassing at the time, but I am laughing out loud, sorry! My parents had us to go swim lessons until I was embarrassingly-old, so I know all of the strokes (well, I sort of know butterfly- I know the concept, but never quite figured it out and look like a flailing lobster) and breathing and whatnot, but it’s been awhile since I swam other than in a lake for fun in the summer.

      • Equestrian attorney

        I can only swim in brass stroke and I still swam twice a week at my old job (my gym had a pool and I went at lunch). It was fine, although I was a little fast for the slow lane, a little slow for the medium lane, which could be annoying. You probably won’t be slower than most people in the slow lane, and even if you are, they will just pass you – it’s part of the rules of using a public pool. I saw some nice effects – I was toned and lost a bit of weight, and it really helped with my back issues. I wish I could do it more, actually.

    • ER

      Yes lap swimming is slow unless you have been trained in swimming and have great form!

      I used to love lap swimming, even though I am not a great swimmer. It is such wonderful exercise. Unfortunately I did too much all of a sudden (at a time when I had a running injury), hurt my rotator cuffs, and haven’t been able to swim again in years. If you do lap swimming, pair that with exercises that protect your rotator cuffs.

    • JazzyRose

      If you’re slower than the people in the slow lanes, they should be able to pass you. What usually happens is that instead of circle swimming, people split the lane in two, with one person taking the left side and the other taking the right side, so passing isn’t an issue.

      If you have chemically treated hair, you should wet it and put it under a silicone swim cap. The new silicone swim caps don’t tug your hair, and I like that they keep my hair out of my face and prevent googles from pulling on anything. Swim caps aren’t required anymore as far as I can tell.

    • Gail the Goldfish

      You’ll be fine. You will definitely start out slow because lap swimming, if you don’t do it regularly, is exhausting (and a great way to build endurance). People can pass if they need to. Swim on the right side of the lane if you’re sharing. I wear a swim cap, but I’ve got long hair. I don’t think it’s totally necessary but just see what people at your gym do and copy them.

      And no clue on the HIIT class; I’d just call and ask. My gym has some sort of aquatic workout that seems to involve weights in the pool (I’ve clearly never done this class) so I feel like this is something that could vary wildly from gym to gym.

    • Anonymous

      That’s great! Lap swimming is a wonderful, life-long, low impact sport. Everywhere I’ve swum, if there are two people in the lane, you split it down the middle; 3+ swimmers you switch to “circle swim” and stay to the right regardless of which direction you’re in. If you’re joining someone else, try to grab their attention to clarify before jumping in; if you’re in the lane alone, keep an eye out for others trying to get your attention to do the same.
      If you’re a confident but slow swimmer, I’d recommend writing up a workout ahead of time. Lap swimming can get really boring and it’s helpful to have a plan, lest you cut out early (and I’m a huge swimming fan!). Masters teams are an awesome way to push yourself, get coaching feedback, and make friends. Despite the name, you don’t need to be fast or an excellent swimmer to participate– my team had a huge range of skills and abilities, as I think almost all do.

      • Chris

        Yes to clarifying first! Talk to the person and find out if they want to split the lane or circle swim. I’ve had a head on collision with someone who thought we were splitting and I thought we were circling, not fun!

        • Anon

          General convention is to split when there are only two people — but definitely good to check first!

    • Anon

      You should see if there’s a masters swim team in your area! Some masters teams are super intense and full of ex-competitive swimmers, but the majority are not, and one of the main goals of USMS is teaching adults how to swim.

      • Ellen

        I would like to try this again, ut warn others in the hive that men who share lanes often “bump into you” when you are swimming, and they do so strategically, if you know what I mean, so sheild your boobies from their groping hands whenever you are swimming towards them. For some reason, they think we like it when they rub past our boobies or tuchuses, but we do NOT care for that at all, especially from men we would not date or even talk to! I remember the manageing partner’s brother always groping at me in the manageing partner’s pool in the Hamton’s. It was NOT fun for me at all with his big groping paws on me. FOOEY!

    • Anonia

      Water fitness classes sound like they are for old ladies, but they’re not and I LOVE mine! Deep water classes will be lots of running, skiing motions in the deep end, usually with a noodle or belt.Deep water is great for injuries and arthritis. Shallow end classes will have some swimming motions, but lots of jumping, gentle runs, and strength training. HIIT classes are my favorites, but they definitely require being used to the water and some of the more basic moves first. I’d start in the shallow end classes just to get some experience, but you should be able to move to HIIT classes pretty quickly. Good instructors will be able to tailor the movements to your fitness level and experience. Good luck!

    • Small Firm IP Litigator

      I took up swimming for exercise about 5 years ago. My husband is an ex-triathlete, so he helped me with getting into the water and proper form. I did not previously know how to swim to save my life, and had a genuine fear of water deeper than my waist unless I was wearing a floatation belt, so you are already ahead of where I was! I stayed the slow lanes for about half a year. When I started, I could not swim the entire length of the pool (50m) without stopping to rest, and would just hang on the lane dividers to catch my breath. The people who use the slow lanes at my pool are a combination of elderly swimmers, people using kickboards, people doing warm-ups/cool-downs, and just otherwise slow moving people. I never felt in the way.

      On splitting or circle swimming, your pool may have rules. Ours is circle swimming only and lifeguards will stop and tell you to circle swim if you are splitting, presumably so more than two people can use a lane since it is a large pool.

      I have since progressed to the medium or fast lanes depending on who is there, and can easily swim 3000m if I want to do that large of a workout. It was frustrating at first, but I felt like progress came quickly after I got over the (horrible) initial phase. And I’ve started to do open water swimming, and took up surfing a few years ago too.

Back to Top

About

Work with Corporette®

Serious Stuff

work fashion blog press mentions