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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 80 Comments · by

Suit of the Week: ASOS

Suit of the Week

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ASOS Crepe SuitFor 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. I've circled around this crepe suiting for a few weeks now, and I really do like the slouchy cool it exudes. There's a lot to like here — a low starting price, plus the vote of confidence that they made the blazer in multiple colors (including navy, pictured below, and red), many of which are nearly sold out. I think it would be great for a casual day in a very conservative office. The blazer (ASOS Blazer in Crepe with Slim Lapel) is $83.34, and the matching pants (ASOS Trousers in Crepe) are $46.30.
ASOS Blazer in Crepe with Slim Lapel ASOS Trousers in Crepe ASOS Blazer in Crepe with Slim Lapel 2
(L-all)

Sales of note for 9.30.24

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Comments

  1. Invitation Advice Needed

    Does anyone know a place where I can order printed invitations for an adult’s birthday party?

    • Sydney Bristow

      Zazzle is pretty good. I’ve had my business cards printed by them and we are planning to use them for our wedding invitations.

    • M

      I really like Paperstyle dot com. They often have good deals and I have used them for multiple events. Not that anyone has recommended it yet, but I would steer clear of Delphine. (Have heard horror stories from multiple friends who used them for wedding invitations, and was personally not impressed by the quality of the thank you notes that I ordered).

    • LilyB

      fabric is usually not the finest, but the fit tends to be good and the price is right.

  4. Anon

    For those of you who went from biglaw to in-house, when did you make the transition and how long did it take to find the position? Are you happier in-house?

    • anon

      I graduated law school in 97 and took my current in house position in 2010. I had wanted an in house job for a long time, maybe 5-6 years, but I didn’t really actively look. The one I found landed in my lap– I knew a guy from my first law firm who was in house, and that company’s employment attorney was leaving, plus my husband worked at the same company so the friend ran into him and mentioned the opening. Pure dumb luck.

      Yes I am much happier. I wasn’t cut out for firm life long term– I didn’t want to first chair trials, I didn’t want to hustle for business, and I need to be home at a reasonable hour.

    • WestCoast Lawyer

      I made the jump between 6 and 7 years after starting in BigLaw. Ideally, I would have left a year or so earlier, but that was during the height of the downturn and for a couple of years the hiring market was non-existent.

      I found my current position through a headhunter, but had some success getting interviews for jobs I found through the acc.com jobs board. I am so much happier now, I still sometimes work long hours (although not as regularly) but my schedule is much more predictable. Also, if I take a day off because I’m sick it’s not viewed as a personal failing. You do need to really pay attention to the people you will be working with and the corporate culture when you interview. I think even more so than in BigLaw your team has a huge impact on personal satisfaction and environments vary greatly between companies.

    • Anon

      After 2 years in BigLaw. I was very lucky (I had a specific skill that was needed for the position). I’m so, so much happier than I was in BigLaw.

    • SoCalAtty

      Not from BigLaw, but I went from mid-law, to small-law, to in-house in 7 years. I was just never cut out for firm work…billable hours, rainmaking, none of that. Although I have brought more clients to my new company than I ever did to my law firms! In my department, I made the in-house move in the least amount of time. The others made the jump in anywhere from 8 or 9 to 15 years after starting in BigLaw or MidLaw.

      I am MUCH, MUCH happier in-house!!!

    • CorpLawyrChk

      I left biglaw after 4 years in transactional practice for a position at a F500 company. I wasn’t actively looking (and most of the time had been moderately happy with my firm), but this just seemed like a fantastic opportunity. I’ve been here less than a year, but I’m very glad I made the switch. YMMV, but my new job is interesting, collaborative with the business teams, and much much much better hours. People here apologize if they ask you to be on a call evenings or weekends, rather than demanding weekends being de rigueur.

      FWIW, I left earlier than most for the type of position I found. A lot of my friends went in-house from biglaw at years 5 to 7, and I think that’s really the sweet spot for recruiting.

  5. KLG

    My office just announced that we will be closed tomorrow. I could not be more excited to sit at home tomorrow watching DVRed Olympics coverage (assuming we don’t lose power).

    • NOLA

      My nephew texted me that they are home and probably won’t have school for the rest of the week.

    • Sydney Bristow

      We have the option of working on Monday and I don’t get paid if I don’t work so I will be working since I really need the money. I would really live a day off though so I wish they’d just tell us we can’t work that day so I could have it off without guilt.

      I hope your power stays on and you really enjoy your day off!

    • Baconpancakes

      Per usual, my company is planning on liberal leave, regardless of whether the metro closes, completely ignoring that 83% of our employees take public transit to work, as encouraged by our company’s generous public transit contribution. *headdesk*

    • Slacker

      Can I just say how happy I am to see other “overachievers” excited for a closed office! I’m so sick of the mentality that if I want the office to close for everyone’s safety I’m not committed to my work. While I am actually concerned about people’s safety, what is wrong with wanting a day off from work?? It seems like the only acceptable response as a lawyer is “oh man, we have bad weather coming, we are going to have to close or work from home, this sucks.” Why can’t I be like “woo hoooooo, snow day, time to play!” Aren’t we supposed to be work hard/play hard?

      I see the same mentality about vacations. Its okay to take a week and say “yup, got to go visit the family.” It is less okay to take a week and go “woo hooo beach vacation! See ya suckers!”

      Why do we have to pretend that all we want to do is work work work and be super reliable productive employee cogs? Why can’t we admit to being human, having lives outside of work and being excited if we get to stay home for a day! Gah.

      • Dulcinea

        I agree with a lot of what you said, I just need to add that for me, a snow day just means I get further behind in my work and have to stay later on other days to catch up…for me, deadlines don’t get moved just because my office is closed, and I can only do so much from home. So I am not always excited about the office closing.

        Similarly, my most recent vacation (a whole 2 and a half days!), I failed to plan properly and I just ended up having to work crazy hours when I got back….but I learned my lesson and hopefully will be better prepared next time.

        • baseballfan

          This is my issue. There’s the same amount of work regardless of office closings for unexpected reasons.

      • AEK

        For the same reason that people constantly talk about being “busy.” We equate busy with important, with having value; if you’re not Very Busy, you might be lazy! Or a nobody!

      • NbyNW

        I’m not in law (upper management) but I find that to take a week off I need to work 20-30 hours extra the week before and 20-30 extra the week I return. Unless I take work with me. As someone else said, the work doesn’t stop just because I’m gone because there is no one else to whom I can delegate. That being said, I can get a lot done at home and would work from home once a week if I coul.

    • Gail the Goldfish

      I was supposed to fly out of New York for good tomorrow morning. Earliest flight I could get after mine was cancelled is Sunday :-/ Though ironically the weather problem is more on Atlanta’s end than New York, which doesn’t usually happen. So much for moving to warmer climates.

      • Blonde Lawyer

        Oh this is my nightmare. I’m afraid of traveling somewhere for vacation and then not being able to fly back for work. Luckily, I have a pretty flexible employer but my court dates aren’t very flexible. I felt so bad for people after Jet Blue did all the major Boston cancellations. Some people couldn’t get home for a week. For some, that could mean the difference between coming home to a job or no job – never mind whether you will be paid for that missed time. Is it just me or was plane travel more reliable in the past? I don’t recall people getting stranded for weeks before.

        • Gail the Goldfish

          I think the problem is now there are fewer flights, so you have fewer rebooking options, probably with a lot more cancellations this winter. I think Friday and Saturday’s flights were already taken by people who were rebooked from earlier this week. It’s a mess.

  6. Oil-based paint

    I live in an old house and suspect that much of the trim is painted with oil-based paint. Is this something that a painter can confirm? Also, is it best to repaint with oil-based paint? I know you can theoretically prime and then paint latex over oil, but does that *really* work? I wish I had a CV on what has been done with my house in the past.

    • tesyaa

      Often trim is painted in oil to resist staining. This was pretty standard and may still be. Why do you want to paint the trim in latex?

    • zora

      what tesyaa said.
      And also, if you prime you can do pretty much anything over anything. That’s the purpose of primer.

    • Oil-based paint

      I came from a condo (newer), so I loved latex for no fumes (and everything the builder did was latex) and easy clean-up. This time, I need to have painters come in and I have small children, so it’s more of a fume thing than anything else (plus ease of touch-ups for the inevitable chips). There are some bookcases where the paint is popping up (maybe bad primer job), but the oil-based paint has a much richer look than the #$#@ addition that I know is latex (so annoying to have a house that is a bit of this and a bit of that). At any rate, I guess that oil over latex will be OK and I’ll just not do latex in case there is oil underneath.

    • Aerith

      Oil paint over latex is OK. Latex over oil is not because it will peel off unless you prep it really well – sanding, primer, etc. If you have oil, I’d paint oil over it unless you like doing extra work.

    • LizNYC

      As someone who’s living in a house from 1903, I, too, wish houses came with CVs! The best I get is when I start chipping the paint on the trim and count back through the layers.

  7. Dansko?

    Any thoughts on how Dansko clogs and heels fit? I’ve been eyeing them for a while but I have wide feet (with bunions) and am wondering if I’ll just be punishing myself if I take the plunge. I especially love the look of the Tasha and have these visions of summertime strolls where it is not -15 degrees and I can wear cute shoes. TIA!

    • RR

      I know that they don’t work for me at all. The salespeople have told me it’s because I have a high instep, but I’ve not had a problem in other shoes.

    • Wannabe Runner

      Danskos are very stiff. Sometimes this is good, but sometimes it’s bad. Ask your doctor.

      Only wear them 2 days per week for a while until you get used to them. Otherwise you are at risk for severe back pain that can be debilitating for days. (This happened to me and some of my friends this past spring.)

      Also, be aware of the heel height, even on clogs and flats. It looks safe, but falling off that heel can injure your ankle.

      All that said, they last for years and are the most comfortable shoes I own, and I wish I could wear my Dansko clogs every day of the year. (They are terrible in the winter – too slippery.)

    • Lady Harriet

      I have a pair of Dansko sandals in the Sissy style from a few years ago. I find that they run wider than average, which is really good for me, although my shoes do have an adjustable strap across the forefoot, which helps too. The arch support is quite disappointing–there’s nowhere near as much as my high arches need, even though reviews made me think it would be great. The padding also seemed very flimsy and didn’t provide much cushioning. I did like that the shoes gave me some height while still evenly distributing my weight over the whole foot. Overall, I prefer Earthies for comfortable heels with excellent arch support, although the styles can be very hit or miss. (I hated every pair of heels they put out this winter, but the new summer ones look more promising.)

  8. anon0321

    Ahhhh I just got called for an interview for my boss’s job (we are consultants & they are making our jobs in-house)!!!! How do I prep for this? I haven’t had a job interview in yrs!!! Also, if it’s a non-law job, and everyone here wears jeans daily, will a skirt & nice shirt & heels suffice over a full suit?

    • zora

      1-look online for lists of common interview questions, sit down and write out an answer to each of them.

      2-have you been recording your successes and accomplishments? If not, start going backwards through your calendar and writing them down. Quantify them as much as you can. Edit them down to punchy bullet points of your top accomplishements for the company

      3- think about what your boss does, make a list. write out an argument for why you would be good at doing each thing.

      4- Read ‘Ask a Manager dog org’ posts for interviews.

      take a breath and congratulate yourself!! If they asked you to interview for this, they already have some idea they think you would be good at it. Go For It! Good luck!

        • zora

          ironically, I’m really good at interviews, and good at helping people prepare for them… but I am failing at the actual “Submitting Applications For Jobs” part, so I keep not getting to that step….. [headdesk]

          • anon0321

            That’s the part that I totally get stuck at normally too… I always try to remind myself not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good (for me I always think, ohhh my cover letter isn’t good enough so I’ll apply later. Better to apply with a less than perfect letter than not apply at all).

    • Orangerie

      Congratulations! Honestly I would still wear a full suit, perhaps in a less conservative color (grey instead of navy or black). You could have a bit more fun with your accessories, like swapping pearls for a subtle statement necklace, etc.

      I doubt anybody would ding you for wearing a suit to an interview, but someone might think it was weird if you didn’t.

    • ss

      The employer’s primary objective is the in-house shift – the interview/ hiring of a new in-house manager is only something that arises from the primary objective. I’d push generic interview questions and lists of tasks or accomplishments much lower down the priority list, and focus instead on making the interview about how you can contribute to a smooth transition and how the in-house team under your lead can deliver the corporate goals, whatever they may be.

      In particular, how much do you understand about WHY the client is taking the function in-house ? If not much, make it your business to understand more. If you already know the reasons (costs, higher-quality delivery, better oversight etc etc), do be prepared to demonstrate your interest and commitment to their objectives – cite areas where you think you can see easy wins, be prepared to accept criticism of how ‘the way the consultants are doing things now’ (or else counter with hard facts, but in as gracious a manner as possible). This gets you much further along in advocating for yourself and thinking like the management team.

      Aside from the interview, don’t forget that your counterparts at the client firm are likely to have their views solicited about your suitability as a hire. Will they be supporters or detractors ? Is there anything you can do to favourably shift views at this stage or at least minimize damage in case there are nay-sayers ?

      Good luck !

  9. TBK

    Any suggestions for how to take a bathroom break during a conference call or when calling into a meeting? In an in-person meeting, you can just slip out and everyone knows where you’re going but no one really pays attention. If something comes up that you’d cover, they’ll say “oh, she slipped out” and when you come back they’ll say “TBK, we were just talking about [thing you deal with].” But on a call you can’t leave in a way that lets people know you’re away or that you’re back without it becoming a huge deal. Working remotely, all my meetings are now on the phone and my bladder these days really can’t hack more than a 60 min call (even that’s pushing it sometimes). Help?

    • zora

      My solutions to all things conference call is Instant Message. ;o)

      but seriously, is there someone else in these same meetings that you can IM or text that you will be stepping away for 2 minutes? Then if someone tries to ask you something while you’re gone, they can say “oh, TBK stepped away for a sec, she’ll be right back”… but if no one does try to ask you anything, then most of them will never know! and then you can again text or IM that person when you get back and ask if you missed anything important.

    • tesyaa

      I usually say “This is tesyaa, I’m dropping off for a couple of minutes but I’m coming back”. If you actually drop off and then dial back in, the beeps usually announce that you’re back for you.

    • Liza

      Can’t you just put your phone on mute and take it into the bathroom? That’s what I do

    • anne-on

      Um, perhaps gross, but can you mute yourself and put the phone on speaker and take it into the bathroom?
      Otherwise, I’d IM the team that you’re stepping away for a minute.

    • s-non

      I use a cell phone so I put my phone on mute and bring it into the bathroom with me.

    • TBK

      No one’s generally on IM because they’re in a conference room (and don’t have blackberries or cell phones with them typically). I’ve been tempted to use the mute solution, but I’m so wary of the mute function generally. I just don’t trust it. But maybe that’s the best solution.

      • Anon

        How to successfully test/use the mute function for your breaks:

        Step 1 – push mute

        Step 2 – say “This is TBK. I need to step away for a few minutes – I will let you know when I am back.”

        If you hear a response to your comment, then Step 3a is to leave phone in another room while you take the break.

        If you hear nothing, then you know mute worked and Step 3b is to bring phone with you on your break.

      • zora

        What, I dont understand these words??? I don’t know how I would function/survive if I didn’t have half the people I work with on IM all day, especially during meetings and conference calls. Mostly for ranting at the stupid things happening in the meeting, but still….

      • hellskitchen

        Happened to me once. I went on mute and started pumping. Realized that there was a glitch when someone said “Wait, I know that sound….” Almost everyone on the call was a woman and two people (incld) me were nursing moms, but the person who made that comment? A new dad. :-)

    • Ellen

      These are good idea’s. When I have a calendar call (IN PERSON), we have to sit and wait alot, so often I have to go, so I tell the court clerk very simply, that”I will be unavailable for 5 minute’s, give him a list of MY cases, and ask that he skip OVER those cases if I have NOT come back from the toilet. This is proper court protocol and everyone has something, be it either a bathroom break, a smoke, or just a phone call they have to make.

      When I have a confernece call, I just say, Excuse Me, I need 5 minute’s for a nature break. There is no need to tell peeople whether you need to make pee or poopie, tho some times peeople ask. I tell them to guess. Good luck on your calls. Peeople will understand b/c all the peeople I know do have to go to the toilet as far as I know. And, guess what, it does NOT smell like perfume. FOOEY!

    • Anon

      I would do the mute button suggestion probably. But are these people you generally work with all the time? Are they aware of your pregnancy? Would you feel comfortable saying that you need to take an X-minute break every 30 minutes or whatever? I’m not pregnant but I hate meetings that go on and on without a break. Surely other people are like me and drink too much coffee and water in the morning and also need a break!

      • TBK

        Unfortunately, a lot of these are with a client who hasn’t been thrilled with the fact that I’m working remotely. So I’m really trying to make all my interactions with them as smooth and hassle-free as possible (totally ridiculous, yes, but one of the guys in particular seems to think that pregnant women are too distracted by, I don’t know their uteruses I guess, to focus and do proper work).

        • Blonde Lawyer

          I’m mad at that client for you. Oh I hate having to put up with unreasonable BS just to keep a good paying client happy. Glad to hear you are doing better though! Have the nurses finally become accustomed to you working all day?

          • TBK

            Yes, although I still get comments like “oh wow, still working, huh?” Yep. Because otherwise I’d be taking a three month leave before taking a three month maternity leave. And I don’t have benefits that pay for that so, yeah I’m working because mortgage, baby things, utilities, health insurance, hospital bill…

        • Caty

          But didn’t you just cop to being too distracted by having to urinate frequently to participate in a meeting without extra breaks? Don’t get me wrong, you’re totally entitled to that kind of accomodation! But it’s a stretch to suggest that you’re not limited by your current situation, isn’t it?

          • Wildkitten

            I don’t think being allowed to use the bathroom is a very serious accommodation and don’t think having to use the bathroom is a very serious limitation. But I drink a lot of water so I might be biased by being human.

    • Pregomama

      I work remotely. Use the mute button. But always ALWAYS triple check. I always mute, then make some kind of comment that wouldn’t be inappropriate if heard. No response = good to go (literally).

      I also NEVER trust the Bluetooth mute and always hard-mute the phone. I also double check before flushing the toilet as well.

      • Blonde Lawyer

        To be extra safe, flush when the call is over instead. (If you are working with a private toilet).

        • mascot

          Yeah, in a private room, it might be worth experimenting with how to go quietly. You can always flush later and use some silent hand sanitizer.

  10. AusLawyer

    Hi There

    New to the site and have a boring (non-fashion related question) for UK Lawyers familiar with Deeds of Indemnity and Release for contractors on projects related to Oil & Gas Operations in the North Sea.

    Wondering if they have ever been tested in a UK court? (They havent in Oz as they are relatively new but gaining momentum). Any idea where I can research any cases in the UK?

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