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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, 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 suit reminds me of something Kate Hepburn would have worn — it's simple, beautiful, and flattering. I might swap a different belt (perhaps one with color), or perhaps even add a scarf (tucked into the jacket so only the bit framing your face shows — either one with color or perhaps a wispy white one), but that's me. The suit (Two-Tone Belted Suit) is $498 at Neiman Marcus.
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- White House Black Market – 30% off new arrivals
Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…
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And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
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- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
Corporate Tool
I like this look a lot, but I’ve never been able to pull it off. I look too much like a congressional aide.
Bridget
I think this would be wonderful for a stylish woman “of a certain age.” I couldn’t carry it off, but I would think any of the female partners I work with (well, the stylish ones, at least) would look awesome in this.
fresh jd
I’m 25 and I loooove this! How can I pull it off without looking like I’m playing dressup in mom’s wardrobe?
kellyn
Me too! Almost 25, and I love this.
Alas, I am uber booby, and this look has a bad history with my particular body.
And, I would absolutely drop a highlighter on myself in this.
Louise
Of all the phrases I have heard for being well-endowed, I think “uber booby” is my all-time favorite.
That being said, being non-uber, I would still drip something on this pristine white top. So we have that in common, Kellyn :-)
AN
i am going to use “uber booby” as my new go-to phrase to describe myself (in the chest area atleast) from now!
Anonymous
I don’t think it looks old. It’s fine for a 25yo IMO. I’d wear it with a colorful necklace, maybe a chunky one that hits around the collarbone? And peep toes.
Ellen
Oh I lurve this!!! I don’t know if I could pull it off, but I think it looks amazing. I love the idea of the scarf; you could go black and white polka dot or color for pop.
Hmmm….I would have no occaision to wear this, and would probably spill coffee on the jacket within instants of putting it on, but I do love the look. Nice choice Kat!
Ellen
PS — I’m not Alan/Ellen. I don’t talk about CHEEP jewelry.
Where did she go?
AEK
I don’t know where she is, but maybe you should change the name you post under—there might be others who, like me, skip over troll-Ellen’s comments when possible. That’s annoying for you, but I don’t want to miss real comments because I’m trying to avoid a creepy basement-dweller.
EC MD
Yeah, usually I do (see name above.) I was using a different computer to post and hadn’t changed it to my usual handle.
BG
She was funny! I hope she is happy with Allen!
Judith Rasband | The Image Expert
A Japanese-inspired obi belt would be a great styling choice for this type of shawl collar that would give it some personality.
If you’re a woman who feels like a black blazer with traditional angular lapels is too overpowering on you, a softer shawl collar like this one is a great choice.
Bridget
Sorry for the early threadjack, but … has anyone ever had custom-made jeans? I have the opportunity to purchase a Living Social coupon for custom-made jeans by IndiDenim — $85 down for $155 to spend. The price seems great for quality, fits-like-a-glove jeans. Curious if anyone has experience, in general or with this company in particular, so I can decide whether to purchase the coupon.
Anon in DC
I am hemming and hawing over whether to get that coupon, as well. I checked out the website and found it slightly odd that they don’t ask for hip or thigh measurements, but I’m still considering getting the coupon (they ask for waist measurement and ask several questions about body shape, etc.). I’m curious to see what others have to say!
Bridget
I noticed that, too, but they also say you can send it in as many times as needed for alterations. It seems like you might eventually get the perfect jean, but I wonder how long it takes to get it! I’m really interested because I *never* find jeans to fit me well due to my body type, and I’m scared to tailor jeans. Someone on here recently said that their tailoring experience with jeans resulted in puckered material after washing, which reinforces my nervousness.
coco
The puckering on the jeans comment was from me. I had bought ready-made jeans at Nordstrom’s (Citizen’s, I think) and they had altered the back (right over the pockets) to make it smaller and then re-attached the waist-band. I think it was an issue of different parts of the jeans washing and wearing differently after the alteration – if the waistband had more give/more of it, it might not have done that. I also may have thrown them in the dryer a few times, which would have made it worse. I would hope that a company that made jeans would be better, but no personal experience.
EC
I had jeans hemmed at the Limited, and it was not good – the hem didn’t lay flat, and tended to twist around my ankles (the jeans were creased too, so it was really obvious that the hem was twisting). For my next pair of jeans, I had my regular (amazing) tailor do a “New York” hem and put some darts in the back so the waist lays flat, and they are perfect jeans now. The tailoring cost less than $15. I’ve never had custom-made jeans, but $85 for a pair of jeans isn’t that much more than a pair of jeans from the Gap, so I’d say go for it and post your review here later! If the IndiDenim company doesn’t work out, find a good tailor and see what it will cost to salvage the jeans.
alhambra
quick threadjack and shoutout: I am wearing Falke Soft Merino tights and they are sooooo comfortable. They are pricey, but I think they are substantially more comfortable that the Hue sweater tights I bought, which were super uncomfortable in the crotch area and lasted like 2 wears before they developed a hole.
Anonymous
Really? I love Hue sweater tights. I have several pairs that are more than 3 years old, no holes. They have great customer service – if you email them they’ll probably refund you the cost of the tights.
RR
I really like this suit–beautiful. I’d buy it right now if I weren’t still reeling from holiday sale shopping.
eaopm3
Off topic follow-up to my chair question yesterday:
Thank you to whichever Corporette suggested the Haworth Zody chair and to the Corporette who suggested looking on Craigslist… SUCCESS. I would not have looked twice at the CL posting for the Haworth chair, had it not been suggested and never would have checked CL in the first place. Thanks again! I got my chair for $75 and am so pleased – and my back is happy again!
SL
I suggested the Haworth Zody and am so glad you like it! Since you bought it off CL try to find out more info re customzing it to your preferences — maybe there are instruction manuals online or youtube videos or something like that? When I got it the office manager came by and helped me adjust all the knobs and levers and that made a good chair amazing. Good luck!
eaopm3
Thanks for the advice! I will have to check it out online to customize it. It is pretty amazing, and the levers all have pics on them that are helpful, but a video would be best. Great idea.
Dasha
Beautiful suit, but the white jacket would last probably an hour on me in its pristine form before I put a blob of ink or coffee on it. Not good for every day office wear, but may be an impressive piece when you have to present (and the presentation does not last more than an hour…)
Associette
I like (despite the fact that it reminds me of Dynasty)!
abc123
I agree with posters above – this suit is beautiful but requires a certain something – age? height? panache? – to pull off.
Now for a threadjack! Apologies for the length. I am a 3L and also an intern at a large nonprofit that does a wide variety of legal research and advocacy. There is also a litigation department. I am already well acquainted with the litigation director because he taught a class at my school. Just this week I have started to get some assignments from the lit department which I am VERY excited about because I really want to be a litigator myself, and this is my chance to make a good impression on some important people plus get valuable experience.
Additionally, my direct supervisor (who is not in the lit dept, but basically is the gatekeeper between me and anyone else in the org who wants assistance from me) has kindly arranged a lunch date in a couple weeks with me and the entire lit dept (about 5 people). I know that one part of the purpose of this lunch is for them to advise me on my job search.
What I want advice on is: what kinds of questions/topics should I prepare to discuss at this lunch? Any ideas on things can say/should not say to really endear myself to these people and make them want to help me/refer me to others? Also, I really do think these people walk on water but I want to be able to express that without appearing to be a brown-noser or insincere.
Also, this is more a rant than anything else, but any insight would be appreciated… I did my summer associateship with a private firm where the head partner is very well known and well respected in this field. After my internship was over I attended a conference where Partner was also present. I ended up at a reception with him and while I was talking to him about my career plans (he asked) he blatantly in a total nonsequitor asked me up to his hotel room. He is married and has a kid older than I am. I am proud to say that not only did I decline but managed to be articulate and said basically, “I am flattered, I’m not naive, I know how the world works but I am going to leave now and I just want to say how much I appreciate all the interest you have shown in my career and the help you have given me.” (he had really gone out of his way to introduce me to people and give me useful info).
Now, I don’t plan to say anything to anyone about this to damage his reputation and probably mine (thanks, double standard!). BUT now I am worried that he may not want anything to do with me in terms of recommendations and advice (either because he’s embarrassed or insulted or afraid I will try to blackmail him – who knows). Worse, who knows but maybe he is telling people he DID score with me and that is affecting my reputation in this community (it’s a small specialized field). Finally, it’s hard not to wince a little every time I hear someone sing his praises (like I said…he’s a “true luminary” in the words of one of my coworkers).
Honestly, to me the fact that he’s a little skeezy (at least when drinking) doesn’t make him a truly bad person in my eyes and it doesn’t detract from the admirable work he has done. I also don’t think there is anything I can do about this, at all; on the off chance that he is dragging my name through the mud it probably hurts him as much as me and I can only hope that anyone who is listening is taking it with a grain of salt….I just wanted any insight anyone has to this situation.
Ballerina girl
Yikes. I would steer clear of the sleazy partner, but not so much that you can’t use him as a reference (if you think he’d be helpful). It’s not your fault he crossed that line and if you did good work for him, it’s not fair to penalize you for his lack of judgment.
surrounded by lawyers
Ick.
You mention that this is a small field, and also that he asked as a total non-sequitur. Together, these two facts suggest that he’s pretty comfortable making propositions like this, and also that at least some folks probably know this about him already. I say you should assume you’re fine until you see any evidence that you’re not. Trying to deal with this proactively could backfire big-time, and you’ve done everything right so far. Agree with Ballerina that you don’t want to cultivate this contact too much– just enough to serve your own purposes. Good luck~
RKS
Double ick.
Are there any chances of your going back to that firm? How drunk was Icky Partner when he made the invitation? If he does this often enough, he may not take rejections seriously. If it was a first-time offense, maybe he’s embarassed enough to keep his mouth shut.
BTW, you handled it with real grace.
abc123
thanks for the feedback! Yeah, he probably does do it a lot…thinking about it now, I was recently telling someone that I had worked for him and they kind of raised their eyebrows and said “How was THAT?” At the time I thought they were just interested because of the work he does but maybe like surrounded by lawyers said, he has a reputation for that.
FWIW, he has still not responded to my linkedin request after a few weeks, but that could easily be a coincidence; I think higher up people just don’t use linkedin as much, since they don’t have schools constantly urging them to. :)
Lyssa
“I am flattered, I’m not naive, I know how the world works but I am going to leave now and I just want to say how much I appreciate all the interest you have shown in my career and the help you have given me.”
Wow, that’s so the type of response that I would have thought up on the ride home and then spent the next 2 weeks kicking myself for not saying. Bravo!
As for handling it now, it’s really gross, but I don’t think that you can really do anything but pretend that it never happened. I would be sure to avoid being alone with him in any way, and I might keep an eye on any other pretty young things that you see crossing his path (I’m not sure that it would be a good idea to warn them, but you might at least consider it. I’d hate to think of some super-naive sort feeling like she *had* to play along. . . )
Also, unless he has an open marriage or something, I would definitely call him a bad person. Attempting to cheat on his wife and kid, AND take advantage of someone who might obviously feel pressured into something like that- bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.
abc123
Also, thanks for all the compliments on my grace…it wasn’t quite so graceful, though, because when he first cut me off mid sentence to say “Room 501” it was so out of context and shocking that I had to ask him to repeat himself a few times…I even had to get off my chair and walk around to his side of the table to have him repeat it before it sunk in what he was saying. (Since we were talking about law, at first I thought he was referring to some rule 501 I hadn’t heard of and I was also frantically trying to think of what he was talking about – I was already flustered before I knew what he was saying!). .And, there was a lot of stammering and “well, um” while I was responding…but yes, it was a miracle I thought to say it because usually I would never have though of it. Seriously, there must have been some kind of higher power looking out for me and whispering in my ear.
Also, the other thing I am worried about is that if he DOES have a rep for doing this, people might assume that any help/recc’s he gives me are because I did sleep with him, even though it’s not true. In other words, maybe having my name associated with his isn’t as great as I thought….but maybe I am overestimating people’s capacity to judge others on a double standard…
Finally, it’s especially icky because I have met his wife; she owns her own law firm and both of them were at a fundraiser I attended with the firm when I was working for him. We all sat together and chatted at lunch.
abc123
oh and PS – let’s all take a minute to laugh at his total lack of “game.” I mean, he didn’t even tell me I looked pretty or buy me a drink! Just said his hotel room number and expected me to swoon. What a charmer! :-)
Clerky
Serious kudos to you for the way you handled it. Not only did you come across as gracious, but you came across as kind (which would have been tough for most women put into that situation). If you had said something like “I’m shocked, you’re married, why are you asking me this?” or something along those lines that was accusatory, he would probably have taken it very badly and you might be in a tougher situation than you are in right now. Here’s to hoping that he puts this behind him and is open to helping you out professionally in the future.
Lola
Again, congrats on the way you handled it. Not everyone has the gift of staying calm and thinking on their feet – you do. Litigation sounds like a good fit. :)
As for the lunch with the litigation department, ask questions that you want answers to. It’s ok to say “I don’t know where to start”, “Are you guys hiring any time soon?”, etc. I don’t think they’ll be worried that you’ll be too brown-nosey. That’s what internships are f0r: to get to know the people who have jobs that you want some day. If you didn’t admire them, you wouldn’t be interning there.
I’m not sure why you added the sleazy partner story to a threadjack about your current non-profit. But I’d say – stay the eff away from that guy. He may be more of a bigwig in his own mind than in reality, or in academia than in reality, especially if it seems he has the habit of doing this (which it does). My friend had a similar thing happen to her, and she kept flirting with the guy because she thought it advanced her career. It didn’t. Stay as far away from that guy as possible – and trust your gut. You don’t want to work for him.
JessC
Oh my goodness, this is gorgeous. I’m not sure it would look great on me (busty and a bit thick through the middle), but that’s okay since it’s definitely out of my price range.
If I had something like this, I don’t think I could see myself wearing this to a court hearing or any-old-day at the office. However, for a fancy evening networking event or something like that this would be fabulous.
Anon in DC
I love this suit, but, like several other posters, I fear it would look like I was wearing playing dress-up if I were to wear it.
And, now for my threadjack of the day! I am looking into ordering a swimsuit from Boden. I know the new spring line just came out, so I’m guessing no one has tried any of this year’s styles, but did anyone get one of their swimsuits last year? If so, how was the fit? I’ve found that I generally wear my “regular” size in other Boden items, but have occasionally sized down. Sorry that this isn’t even a work-related threadjack, I just know a lot of the regular posters here like Boden and none of my friends seem to shop there regularly!
Megan
I bought three swimsuits from Boden last year, and in general, I bought the same size as I get in clothes. I will say though, that I thought they were all a little long waisted. I’m 5’7″, so definitely not short by any standards, and I’m busty, so I was really surprised. Have definitely never had this problem before. For one of them, I had the straps taken up, and that seemed to do the trick. Another one was a tankini, so it just was longer than I expected. The third one was also a bit too long, but not so much that I really needed to do anything with it. I am absolutely in LOVE with Boden (and am doing everything in my power not to order the entire Spring Dress and Skirt lines…), but I was honestly kind of underwhelmed by the swimwear.
Anon in DC
Thanks for the feedback! I think I will try to order soon, while I can still get free shipping & returns, so I won’t feel like I’m wasting money on shipping if they don’t work out (and I’ll have plenty of time to find another swimsuit before my trip at the end of April).
JMcD
Anyone ever used the bobbi brown extra tinted moisturizer? I love BB’s skin foundation, but I would like something that lets my skin breathe a little more while still giving me some decent coverage.
i'm nobody
I’ve used the tinted Extra Moisturizing Balm, and I love it, but I live in a *very* dry climate. It’s better coverage than most tinted moisturizers I’ve tried, but I wouldn’t want something so rich if I lived in a more humid place. Have you tried Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer?
eaopm3
I use Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer and like it, but I do not have oily skin generally, and by the end of the day, I feel like my skin is a little greasy since I have been using it. (I switched from pressed powder mineral makeup, though, so I am sure that has something to do with it.) Other than that, I really love it.
Mac
If you love everything but that, try the oil free version of LM’s tinted moisturizer. I have combination skin and use the oil free version and it does a good job of keeping my skin relatively matte (nothing keeps it completely matte, but that’s my skin, not the TM). It’s not drying, unlike some oil free or mattifying products, and I think the shades are the same as the regular TM.
Lawgirl
Really classy. I <3 this. Similar all white one at Neiman's that I've been eye-ing: http://bit.ly/gN5ne2
Frump
I was just admiring this on Neiman’s website yesterday! I like the broad style of it and think it is basically stylish, but I was also conflicted in terms of thinking it was on the border of being a little 80s (and I can definitely understand how another commenter said Dynasty).
But I do like it- my favorite feature is the neckline. I have an Albert Nipon suit with a similar neckline and it is by far my favorite, and best looking, suit.
Lyssa
I was thinking “reminiscent” of the ’80s, perhaps just short of retro. I couldn’t see myself wearing it, but I could definitely imagine admiring it on someone else.
ip tx
I am one of those “of a certain age” and love the suit on the model but unfortunately my ta tas and the belt would not be best friends–I’m afraid the belt placement would make them look like are heading even more south of the border than they already are.
abc 123–the partner no matter how “powerful” is a walking lawsuit waiting to happen –kudos to you for the way you handled it.
Emma
I’ve got a makeup rec. I’m very pale skinned, but with oily skin and breakouts. Recently I went on a quest to search for makeup that’s right for me online, and I found a blogger who suggested BB cream. Got it, and love it. It’s got great coverage, perfect coloring for my skin tone, 35 SPF, moisturizing, and *supposedly* it’s actually good for damaged skin. The one weird thing is that it says it “whitens,” which isn’t something I want, but I think that may be a false promise.
Anyway, just thought I’d share. I’ve been really, really pleased. My face doesn’t get oily throughout the day, and the coverage lasts.
http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Jart-Rejuvenating-Blemish-Whitening/dp/B002L9ZBPM
govvie girl
I need makeup to even out my skin tone (face is darker than neck from sun damage), while the dermatologist-prescribed stuff is doing its thing over a period of time. Do you suppose this would help? I literally have a fair neck and a ruddy/peachy-ish, freckle-smattered face, especially from cheeks to jawline. It is tough to find something that helps unite the two skin tones w/out looking mask-ish.
housecounsel
OK, serious question: what is the “certain age” in “of a certain age?” I love this suit but totally get that it could read old . . . at what age do you think it is appropriate? I am in my early 40s but try hard not to look or dress “old.”
Maria Payroll
I love the suit. I would definitely wear this to work. I love how it is very fashionable and I would still look professional wearing it. The way I look at it, the top can also be paired with black slacks. For this pair, I would want a chunky, but non-distracting, necklace and heels/pumps would definitely look good with it. People should always look classy and professional and classy when interacting with their clients. This way, you would not leave a wrong impression on them.