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Thursday’s TPS Report: Lidia Ruffled Polo Top

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Tory Burch Lidia Polo TopI saw this basic polo shirt at a Tory Burch preview a few weeks ago, and loved it immediately — it's preppy and feminine but classic, and the tall collar would look great under a blazer. I think it would be a great top, whether with skirts or trousers. It's available in poppy (pictured), navy and white for $95 at Saks. Lidia Ruffled Polo Top Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-2)

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

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117 Comments

    1. This is so funny – I just had a meeting this morning and one of the attendees was wearing this exact shirt! It looked more coral and less red in person than it does on my computer, though.

  2. Super early threadjack –

    Anyone ever had a seaweed wrap? I mentioned to a friend that my dress for an event on Saturday night is a bit snug, and she recommended a seaweed wrap for temporary weight/inch loss. Anyone had any luck with this? If so, when should I have it done?

    1. I’ve never done a seaweed wrap, but I would definitely recommend eating way less salt than usual and drinking lots of water between now and then. You should be able to “flush out” a lot of bloat between now and Saturday if you go easy on salt and drink tons of water.

      1. I’d add also cutting out dairy. Even non lactose intollerant people get bloated from dairy, and it can be days after you eat it! Body builders cut out dairy a week or two before a show.

        1. Thanks for the advice. I’m already on my 2nd 32oz glass of water for the day and I’m going to have a small salad for lunch instead of my usual sodium-rich Lean Cuisine.

          1. I haven’t done a seaweed wrap, but I’ve done one of those professional “wrap to lose inches” type of things. It actually worked. I lost something like 15 inches over my entire body for a few days. (Of course, they count inches lost in unhelpful places such as forearms, so take it with a grain of salt–or in this case, I suppose, salt-free-seasoning). If the dress is just a little snug, the wrap would probably work, but others suggestions sound like they would too.

    2. I’ve had a couple seaweed wraps. They’re wonderfully relaxing, but I don’t know about any inches lost. However, I did have one that included seaweed and some kind of crazy electroshock therapy (that’s melodramatic, but they did hook me up to some machine that zapped my seaweed-encrusted self with electricity every x number of seconds. Stimulated muscle contractions. Not “relaxing,” but it wasn’t horrible). That one was advertised for losing inches, so they measured before and after, and it really did work! To the tune of an inch or two each off my stomach and hips and another one off each thigh. I fit into my dress perfectly that night, but I’m not sure how long the results last, so you might want to do it same-day to be sure.

    3. Cutting out carbs is a good way to drop a bunch of water weight in a hurry; drink lots of water and do SB/Atkins style eating for the next few days (and fewer calories, too) and the water weight should come off.

    4. How about Spanx, if you weren’t planning on wearing it already? That usually knocks me down about half a size.

      1. I do have Spanx. The problem, oddly, is not in my stomach/hips where Spanx usually do their work. I have a wide ribcage even without a couple extra pounds, and the dress is only snug at the top 3 inches or so of the zipper (and it’s definitely just the few extra pounds, because the dress fit 3 weeks ago). My spanx don’t go that high.

  3. Good morning! I’m thinking of taking a spring trip to London – anyone have any tips? (I’ve never been). I was thinking of going for about a week, looking to stay at a hotel that is inexpensive (but clean!), not particular on the area as I plan on getting around using the subway. I would also like to take a train to Glasgow for a day or overnight trip? Is this doable? Where would I find train tickets? Any recommendations for things to do/places to go in general?
    TIA!!

    1. King’s Cross and Earl’s Court have a lot of inexpensive B&B’s. I’d recommend checking http://www.eurocheapo.com, as they often list a lot of good deals. Earl’s Court is much more convenient to reach if you are coming in via Heathrow and King’s Cross/St. Pancras is a major rail station. You’ll want to get an Oyster card for the tube, as it saves you a lot of money on bus and tube fares.

      If you can give us an idea of your interests and budget, that might help in giving suggestions on what to do.

      1. Thanks! I will be traveling with my husband, we would probably be looking for a place to stay that is not more than $150/night. We’re not picky on things to see, we just like walking around, exploring, shopping, hip restaurants, museums and art galleries, plus I expect we’ll want to do some touristy things like see Buckingham palace (but probably no bus tours or anything like that). Would also be interested in a day trip to another city, like I said. Not too worried about incidental costs of traveling around like trains or whatever.

        1. Glasgow is not a day trip or really even an overnight because of the travel time. But Oxford, Cambridge, Leeds Castle, Kew Gardens all are. But honestly, if you are not going to be there for any longer than a week, there is no need to go anywhere else. Do the theater; do the pubs. Do Sir John Soane’s house. Regent’s Park.

          I love London – have a wonderful time.

        2. If you like walking around, it’s nice to walk around the south bank of the Thames- you should be able to see the London Eye, Globe, Tate Modern, and possibly hit Borough Market if you go on the right day. Greenwich is also nice to visit- you can get there on the DLR or take a tourist boat- I’d recommend doing the DLR one way to see the Canary Wharf area and taking the boat the other way.

          I’d also recommend Hampton Park and Kew Gardens (probably a half day trip for each) and a day trip to Oxford. Unfortunately you can’t go in Buckingham Palace during most of the year.

          Other interesting areas for walking around are Camden Town and Primrose Hill- Camden Town has several markets and fun bars with live music, so it’s a nice place to go in the evenings. Islington also has a lot of fun pubs- both will be convenient if you stay in King’s Cross. Hampstead and Hampstead Heath are fun to walk around, as is Kensington.

        3. One thing you might consider is renting a flat for a week. There are several websites for this, and the rates can actually be pretty reasonable. The nice thing about having a flat is that you have a bit more space to spread out and can do breakfast there, too.

        4. Don’t forget to see the Cabinet war rooms (underground bunker for British Govt in WW2) – incredible, and just 5 mins walk from Big Ben. You can google it.

    3. I went in 2000 (doesn’t feel like that long ago!), and the most fun thing that I did was the Jack the Ripper walking tour. It was fairly inexpensive (about $10 then) but absolutly facinating. The tour guide was an actress on some British soap, and was quite good, and the history was very interesting.

      I highly recommend it.

      2. I did a walking tour of Parliament a number of years ago. It was excellent. They also tacked on a tour of Churchill’s war rooms as well, which was fascinating. I highly recommend the Westminster Abby tour, too, it was long (like nearly 4 hours) but went by in a flash. We were there in February, so it wasn’t so crowded, but got there as soon as it opened and were in smallish groups for the tour (maybe ten people). They’d lead you around, and then let you sit for a bit while they told you about whatever you were looking at at the time. It still stands out for me as one of the best tours I ever took.

    5. Oh, London. My favorite. I second MelD’s recommendation of King’s Cross, in particular — we stayed there in December and found it really convenient for transport, given that the train and tube stop is just around the corner. I’ve also stayed in Bloomsbury, which is slightly less transport-centric but a little more atmospheric (it’s uni central!). I fear that $150/night is pretty ambitious, at least for anywhere in the city center — we stayed at a B&B and paid about 120 pounds/night, and that was the best deal we could find in the off-season. Check Tripadvisor for hotel recommendations — their reviewers are often crabby but definitely useful to weed out the sketchiest places.

      I will also second the Jack the Ripper tour and the Tate Modern — the museum itself is a work of art, and the pedestrian bridge you cross to get to it is fantastic. Portobello Road and Camden Town are both great market-centric areas where you can get everything from a $10,000 antique desk to vintage clothes to homemade crafty jewelry etc. Both are great for an afternoon-long stroll, as are Regent’s Park and Hyde Park (especially in spring).

      Like others have said, Glasgow isn’t a day trip — it’s something like five hours by train — but you’ll be more than able to occupy yourself in London for a week!

      1. Perhaps you might want to do a trip out to Bath or Stonehenge? Did an “Exclusive” Grey Line tour out to Stonehenge at sundown was marvelous, small, quiet (the park had closed) and it was unforgettable.

        1. I’m glad you enjoyed your trip out to Stonehenge, and while it does sound like better circumstances than mine, I have to share that I found Stonehenge to be extremely underwhelming — on par with the Mona Lisa. It’s a long trip, so going will take most of a day, and then you just walk in a circle around it and get back on the bus. Maybe I am just uncultured, or maybe I was in a bad mood that day, but I really didn’t like it.

          1. I had the same experience, and from everyone I’ve talked to, that seems to be a pretty common theme.

        2. I loved Stonehenge, but we took the train out there (instead of doing a tour bus) and so were able to stop by the Salisbury Cathedral as well, which I highly recommend. It is beautiful and you can take a tour up all the steps to the tower (at least we were able to in 1995 – not sure if they do it anymore). Otherwise, I’d agree that just going out for Stonehenge alone might be disappointing.

    6. The British Museum is fabulous if you are at all interested in history. Taking a guided tour (each tour guide picks his own pieces, but they all include the Rosetta Stone) is worth it. And the British Library is also worthwhile if you are at all interested in literature or music history. I loved seeing everything from a Gutenberg Bible to the original Messiah music and Beatles lyrics. And of course Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament and Churchill’s War Rooms – and so much more. Have a great time.

    7. Re places to stay – I personally find the King’s Cross area to be rather scuzzy and would not stay there if I had a choice, but Bloomsbury (which is quite nearby but just far enough away to be a little nicer) has some good options – try the Thistle hotel chain, which has a few hotels in that area. Another hotel where I’ve had good luck is called the Strand Palace (not really palatial – basic but clean, and well located near Covent Garden).

      No-one has mentioned the Victoria & Albert Museum yet. It is one of my favourite places in London. You could spend months there – I highly recommend setting aside a few hours and choosing just one or two galleries. Among other things, they have a wonderful historical fashion gallery, and another gallery containing really interesting theatrical costumes.

      Another fabulous museum that a lot of people don’t know about is Sir John Soane’s House. Here is the link: http://www.soane.org/. Worth lining up for.

      Also, if you are a lawyer, it can be pretty exciting to stroll through the various Inns of Court – they are so historical and just like little self-contained villages right in the middle of town. Wonderful.

      Have fun!

      1. PS for shopping, there are a few stores that I never miss, including Hobbs for office wear, T.M. Lewin or Thomas Pink for work shirts, and Brora for cashmere sweaters. Sigh. Now I think it is time to plan my own trip.

      2. For work: I’ve stayed at Thistle Marble Arch, which was a tad scruffy in the hallways on my floor, but amazing all the other places. You can’t beat the location – straight at the start of Oxford Street. (The breakfast buffet was incredible.)

        When I’m paying myself, I usually want a bit less expensive places (more shopping that way) and I find that Bayswater usually have some decent places. Try Hotels.com

        It doesn’t matter so much where you’re staying, as long as you’re within a Tube stop.

        It’s a fairly long trek, but if you’re adamant on your trip to Glasgow – you can find train tickets ahead at http://www.qjump.co.uk for all the major railway companies. Unless you’re visiting someone, or looking up relatives/ancestry, I am not sure I would take the time to go to Glasgow if you’ve only got a week in London. Edinburgh, maybe, or Oxford, Windsor, etc. but for me Glasgow had very little to see. Quite okay place, but not a very tourist-attraction big.

    8. I’m a big fan of Rick Steves’ European city guides, especially the sections on getting around, logistics, sightseeing and hotels (and have actually booked a trip to London for April myself — departing the UK before the royal wedding). Be prepared — London is very expensive, even more so than Manhattan or San Francisco (for hotels, dining, etc.).

      My favorite museums are the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. Theater (theatre!) is also very big in London — one place to buy tickets in advance is http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk. You can buy a visitor’s Oyster card for the Tube in advance at http://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/english/ticket-types.htm.

      Have fun!

  6. Threadjack!

    Legal corporettes, please help! – did you have a position on a journal, which one, what did you like/hate about it, and did you find it to be “worth it”? My journal does elections and I’m trying to decide what to run for…

    1. For what it’s worth, I’m not the journal type. However, I did grade on to law review. That year doing my law review hours I absolutely HATED every moment of it. When it came time to run for a position the following year, I asked my name to be withdrawn. Instead I was simply a member/associate/whatever they called it (I forget) for my 3L year and did nothing.

      Now, I don’t know if being an editor is a big deal or not to some places. What I do know is that I had an offer in hand already, my resume still can say I was on law review, and instead I got to spend those hours others were running their law review office hours and dealing with BS at the bar with my friends.

      But that’s just me. In this field there are a lot more gunners out there. I’m more the silently get fantastic grades and not try to impress people type.

      Hope that helps some.

      1. PS. I do have a biglaw job. I can bluebook as well as others from my 2L year. I don’t think I missed out on anything other than wasted time by not being a 3L editor.

        Keep in mind though, I did have 5 years of work experience and a masters degree prior to law school, so things like “running a group of people, etc.” are skills I didn’t need to pick up. And I worked through law school so those hours a week others devoted to law review I was working at a job. So, I’d rather be at a bar with friends then in an office not getting paid for volunteer work that just helps the school who I pay tuition to anyways.

      2. Same here. I also withdrew my name from selection and stayed on as a regular editor (I actually enjoyed the weekly time with the blue book). It was the best decision I made my 3L year.
        I was able to spend time on the activities I actually enjoyed – law school related and not. I figured my first year as an associate (and then some) was going to be filled with hours of miserable, detail oriented tasks. Why volunteer for it ahead of schedule? I also had a job offer in hand. I don’t know if I would have made the same choice if that hadn’t been the case.

    2. I am currently articles editor on my journal, and I really enjoy it. You do a lot of substantive editing as well as Bluebooking, and you get to interact with authors on editing their pieces. I like the interaction with authors and doing substantive editing. I also work to coordinate a team of editors who do source-gathering and cite-checking, and it’s a great way to develop leadership/supervisory skills. I do think it takes a lot of time though, and we don’t receive credit for it. I definitely that it was worth it; I have learned a lot and developed some really valuable skills from it. That being said, I think that if you don’t already have decent editing skills, it may be better to run for a managing position as opposed to a more strictly editorial one. It can be frustrating to other editors when one person has significantly less-developed editing skills on the board.

    3. I was on my school’s main journal and really enjoyed it. I was an articles editor my 3L year, which was a lot of fun because I was on the team that got to choose which articles to publish. I skimmed a lot of interesting submissions, read a ton more, and picked up some interesting insight into areas of the law that I had no knowledge of. There were 3 articles editors for my journal and we would look at submissions, find our favorites and send them to each other to read, and meet once a week to discuss and choose which ones to make an offer on. I really enjoyed my position and felt like I was really contributing because the journal’s ranking is dependent on number of times it is cited. We had to make sure to pick articles that were strong enough and on mostly current topics where a lot of research occurs so that we could always be improving our ranking. We finished picking articles mid-November, but I’m not sure if that is the case with all journals. At the meeting our EIC attended in the spring of 2L year, many of the journals had not started making offers yet. It worked out extremely well for me because I graduated early.

      Overall, I’ve had mentors and the like say that my resume is impressive. I am unemployed though but I attribute that to the market somewhat. I don’t think it could hurt you as long as you don’t let your grades slide as a result of working more on journal.

      When I was deciding which position to run for, I met with people in different positions and asked them about their jobs. It helped me figure out what I was interested in doing and get a feel for what people did in the jobs I didn’t really see as a 2L.

      1. I think anonymiss has different titles at her journal than I did, since I see we were both articles editors but with very different tasks.

        For what its worth, my journal had an EIC, Operations Editor (2nd in command to EIC and ran things like elections), Articles Editors (who picked the articles to publish), _______ Editors (can’t remember what they were called, but they got the article first and did the substantive Chicago Manual of Style edits and worked closely with the author at first), and Managing Editors (ran the 2L teams of Bluebooking).

    4. Go for the main journal if possible — I wanted to do a federal clerkship, and I really think main journal is the way to do. I was the articles editor — it’s a tough, thankless job while you’re doing it, but it’s also a great experience. (I would not have guessed that outside authors submitting to law reviews could be so crazy and disorganized but they are!) I don’t think I would have gotten a clerkship without it because my judge later told me he really looks for journal experience. I’m now an associate at a big(ish) law firm — I really think being a Bluebook master those first few years at a firm is really helpful. When you’re at the bottom of the barrel, being a good editor and having an amazing attention to detail can set you apart. Good luck! In the end, I think any journal experience is worth it.

    5. I was a publications editor. I don’t know how much the title translates. My job was to make sure all the citations in the law review were perfect. I had citations editors under me and of course the 2Ls for cite checking. So, I was responsible for making sure cites were checked and for Bluebooking something like 10,000 footnotes. My particular job was very time-consuming. Basically, it was me, the editor in chief, and the executive editor who were in the office all the time. But my job lacked the glory of the executive editor or editor in chief. I worked basically 20 hours a week on law review from the summer before my third year through August after the bar exam following graduation (with a 2 month slow down to study for the bar).

      It was absolutely worth it to me. I learned a lot. I enjoyed working with the other editors. And I have a huge, personal sense of satisfaction when I look at the giant bound commenorative edition of that year. I dont know that it helped me in anything else in life, but I’m glad I did it. And I was absolutely the Bluebook expert following that year. I’m rusty now, but I think I could have recreated the Bluebook from my head at one point during my third year!

    6. Debbie Downer here.

      I went to a competitive school and didn’t try out for law review because I didn’t see the recession coming and didn’t think journal would matter if my grades were decent. That was an epic fail by me (which is why I joined the board of a second journal my 3L year — it was in the area I wanted to practice in).

      I served on the boards of two journals simultaneously. Both of my jobs were unenjoyable. On one journal, my job was to divvy up chunks of the article to 2Ls to revise, and to generally make the piece coherent. The authors I had were terrible writers, and my staffers were slackers. I ended up putting in a ton of work for articles that shouldn’t have been published in the first place. On the other journal, my job was more secretary-ish. I was happy to work independently and have discrete chunks of work. But (as with the first journal position) I was still not acquiring transferable skills, and I was putting in a ton of hours.

      I’m not sure how employers viewed this stuff on my resume — I obviously spun it more positively than I am doing here, and interviewers noted how “busy” I must have been as a student. But journal work definitely turned me off to not just journal work (or the students and professors I dealt with) but also our legal education system, and especially the BS that professors write and students (who don’t even understand it) publish, all to feed the beast.

      1. Honestly, the main point of being on a journal is to prove that you can do tedious busy work ad nauseum. That’s what junior associates do, and so that’s why law firms like to see journals. If you go to a school with a journal in an area that you find intellectually stimulating and you genuinely enjoy reading the articles, that’s a bonus, but it’s not really the point from an employers’ point of view.

    7. Follow-up: It looks like there are a lot of former articles editors on this thread. In my journal, the AE selected non-student articles for publication, worked with those authors with first-round (and sometimes second and third) edits, did a decent cite-check, and then sent the article further along in the law review sausage making machine. No matter what journal you’re on, I really, really think AE is the BEST journal position — YOU get to pick what goes in it and you get to assist with edits. It’s the best of both worlds because you get a lot of substantive experience but you also get good at technical edits. (With the added luxury that the article was nowhere near finished when you were done with it so if you missed something, someone else could catch it. I’m far from being the best technical editor so this was huge for me.)

      1. How interesting! I was an AE too. We selected the non-student articles, but we didn’t do any editing before passing them along (I had enough of the editing experience in 2L). I thought it was so much fun.

    8. I was EIC of the journal I was on (not my school’s main law review). It was a seriously amazing amount of work – probably 15-20 hours per week – but it paid off in a major way. Prospective employers often remarked on it in interviews, and it opened a lot of doors for me with faculty, which then got me a research assistantship with a very well-known professor and some other opportunities that further built up my resume. And I learned a lot about managing people.

    9. I was an Articles Editor, too, my 3L year. For us, that involved reading the articles as they came in and making recommendations as to whether they were good journal material. It wasn’t bad, it was sort of interesting to read the articles and I liked having a “say” in what went into the journal. One thing I liked about it is that it was fast- paced and not detail-oriented; I was really just reading the articles for overall content, not BBing- completely different from being a 2L research assistant.

      Overall result- I’m sure that being editor or something high up helps your chances in the job market. If you’re already on journal, and you don’t see a good shot at getting a very high position like that, I would definitely aim for articles editor, unless you really enjoy the nitty-gritty editing work. Overall, though, I did not find that being on journal was helpful in the job market. I would do articles editor again, but I would not write on (my school did not allow grade-ons, everyone wrote) and I would not do the 2L research again. Although I do admit that the BB testing that was required as part of the write-on was extremely helpful at making me understand the BB in a way that I certainly didn’t before.

      Of course, if I hadn’t done it, I’m sure that I would be blaming my lack of success in the job market on that, but since I did, I can just blame the awful economy on my lack of success in the job market, so I guess that’s better. :)

      1. I was an articles editor, too, and like Vera, did not particularly enjoy it. On my journal, articles editor meant “Bluebook editor,” so I did not do any of the substantive work some of the others here have mentioned. On the bright side, I gained experience managing a team of people working on a complex task, I improved my Bluebook skills, and I was only on “active duty” when we had cite checks a couple of times a semester. But I found the work time-consuming and often frustrating, and I didn’t really feel any more invested in my journal as a result of doing it. I only graduated last spring and am currently clerking in state court, so it’s difficult for me to say whether my experience helped me professionally. Other positions (and other journals) may prove more satisfying, so I encourage you to talk to people on your journal who currently hold positions you may be interested in to determine if it would appeal to you. When I was in your shoes, I talked to someone I trusted who actually discouraged me from applying for the board (though, obviously, I did not listen).

        1. I should add that I was on a secondary journal at a T14. INTJ has good advice, if you can manage that.

    10. Managing editor of T14 secondary journal, wrote on to law review. Hated everything about being managing editor — slacker stupid 2Ls working under me, rushed uninsightful articles to work with — that I took it off an already crazily-crowded resume. (I suspect the officer experience would have been better on law review, but I did not have that opportunity given the timing of my write-on.) Better to spend the time writing award-winning papers that bring you personal satisfaction and some money (which is what I did, and what directly led to my federal clerkship and three publications during law school) than yoking yourself to what one commenter rightly called “the beast.”

    11. I was an Articles Editor of the kind that picked out non-student articles and did the first edit of outside articles. It taught me a lot about how to recognize good writing and how to critically evaluate ideas and arguments. It was also a TON of work (I read more than 100 submissions and edited two articles of 40+ pages), but at discrete times so I could plan for it.

      As far as helping me land a job or get a more prestigious job – probably not so important. But as far as helping me perform my job effectively – invaluable.

    12. Another articles editor here, too. The editing helped with my writing skills, and memorizing the Bluebook has come in handy, as well. I enjoyed reading, selecting, and editing articles. Writing and editing is my main strength today, and I’m sure those law review hours helped my writing during my clerkship, which helped get me a good recommendation for the job I have now.

    13. I am currently an editor on my school’s primary law review. I am the one who prepares the book for publication, performs final technical edits, and commicates with the publisher (I think this is called something different at every school). I have really enjoyed my experience because I get to learn about interesting new ideas in law and because I get along well with the other editors. Frankly, it has not been as much of a time commitment as everyone led me to believe when I was applying for the position, but some of our other editors have a lot more to do.

      I don’t think that being an editor is particularly beneficial as far as finding a job, at least in my city. I had a job offer before I started my service (and I don’t think it had anything to do with becoming an editor). There are editors from last year (and this year) who still do not have jobs. Likewise, there are 3L law review members who do have jobs lined up. Same thing applies to judicial clerkships.

      Obviously, I can’t speak to how beneficial my skills will be after graduation. From where I am now, I would only apply if you think you are actually going to like the job and/or the other editors. I have had a good experience, but I think would feel that the whole endeavor was a colossal waste of time if I hated the other editors.

    14. Oh, and I think someone mentioned talking to current editors to find out what they do. I second that — I did that as a 2L and was able to elimiate some of the positions before I even applied because I knew I would hate them.

    15. I was an AE for the main secondary journal at my school. Probably would not elect to do it again…I do corporate work, so I don’t think that line on my resume matters much at all.

      IF you are in litigation, however, my impression is that it matters a LOT to people like judges, hiring partners, etc. Having journal experience (or not) is a great way for the powers that be to cut down on the number of resumes they actually have to read.

      I had a good friend who refused law review and now rather regrets it. There is no question it hurt her in getting clerkship interviews and jobs…in interviews, people regularly asked this woman (who graduated Order of the Coif, high honors, etc. from a top 3 school!) why she wasn’t on a journal. She felt it hurt her prospects, and this happened back when the economy was awesome.

      That said, she sure missed out on a lot of drudgery! When I was editing articles, she was dating, doing fun things out, etc. Priorities…:)

      1. Just want to say that you if you’re applying to be an editor then you already have journal you can put on your resume. I dont think people ask much what type of editor you were. It’s there to show you know the bluebook, citations, etc. That’s the only reason these positions are advantageous in my opinion.

        1. By positions, I meant just being on a journal at all. Since titles are different at all schools no one really knows what an “articles editor” entailed at your school. What they know is you spent hours with a bluebook.

    16. I wrote on to my journal, but had some personality conflicts that did not end well, and did not run for board. For the time put in, it wasn’t a bad result, but I probably wouldn’t do it again. I graduated in ’09, and am out of the legal field.

      My husband is currently on a T20 law review, and has mixed feelings about it. Just being on law review is a significant amount of work, and he has noticed minimal professional benefits. Of the law review people we know from last year, several with great credentials and board positions, and who have passed the bar, are still unemployed/seriously underemployed. For these reasons, he elected not to run for a board position, and is happy with that choice. The board members we know have even more work to do than the staff editors, and don’t appear to have more clerkships or employment offers than those who aren’t. I guess my advice would be to run for one of the less arduous positions, or not at all, unless you truly enjoy the work that goes into law review.

    1. I have the Lands End shirt, and love it. One reason I love it is because I’m ample of chest area and the ruffle is very flat and has little volume. It is a less casual shirt though — It’s a cotton polo, and I wouldn’t wear it to work. This looks like the fabric has a more subtle sheen and that it would work under a blazer. I like this a lot.

    2. Can you link to the LE shirt? I tried to find something comparable on their site, and I failed.

    5. Yes, I bought 2 of these last year. Have held up well to washing. At least last year, the “mesh” wasn’t really mesh, it was just a nice cotton knit.

  8. I think this shirt is so pretty and unique, but I really wish they had an option with smaller, silver buttons.

    2. Replacing buttons, if you are at all inclined, is incredibly easy to do. All you need is a needle and thread (and buttons).

      1. Agreed. I transformed a plain, black trench coat into something I really love by replacing the plastic buttons with silver metals scrollwork ones. Took me about 45 minutes for an entire coat.

  9. A question/situation for you very helpful ladies:

    I’ve been on the job hunt for many months now and just got my first offer. The offer I have is good, not great, but within the range I was considering. I don’t think I would dislike the job terribly, and I think there’s definitely plenty I would learn. But, I’m not really excited and I feel like after all this time, I should be. My reaction has been more along the lines of “it would be nice to be working full-time again.”

    I left my old job hoping to switch industries (other reasons, too–long story) and am discovering that the timing might not be right for said switch. This job isn’t exactly in the same industry as before although the industry is similar.

    Money isn’t an issue–I have plenty of savings, although I’d be happy to have some income soon. I’ve been doing a part-time volunteer role that’s provided me with some good networking opportunities (it’s in an industry that’s more of interest/what I was thinking about doing when I left said job). There’s a small chance my volunteer work could translate into a contract position, but it’s not especially likely at this point in time, and I’ve never counted on that happening.

    I know I’m lucky to be in this position and that there are a lot of people out there who don’t have the flexibility to have a second thought about taking a job. I’m pretty sure I should take it but I wanted some outside perspective on the situation (translation: I know I probably just need a kick in the rear). What would you do, and/or what would you consider before taking/declining the role? TIA–I appreciate the input!

    1. Do you have any way to talk to some people that work there? Much of the time, working with good people is a lot more important than the actual job itself, maybe if you can speak to some people (say, check to see if someone who went to your school works there), you could have a better idea of what you’re after.

      FWIW, towards the end of law school and during my clerkship, I turned down several opportunities because I didn’t think that they were exactly what I wanted. I’ve never been out of work, which has been refreshing, but I found myself down to the wire and having to accept work that was less than ideal, and regretting letting those opportunities go each time. Imagine that you’re still looking in 6 months (a very real possibility)- how will you feel about having dropped that opportunity? Also, sometimes its easier to look while you’re working than when you’re out of work, so keep that in mind.

      1. Good points–thanks for your thoughts! I’m not sure how to go about talking with people there–it’s pretty small ( (less than 100 employees), no info on Glassdoor, etc. I poked around LinkedIn but wasn’t able to find too much there, either.

    2. I was actually in a very similar situation when I took my current position! I’d been hunting and hunting, and this position required re-locating. I was willing to re-locate, but I’d basically said it had to be the “dream job” to re-locate, which it wasn’t. After HOURS of discussion with my husband and pretty much every friend I have, I decided to take the job. Best decision I could’ve made. I’m enjoying the position, adding value, learning and growing a lot, and foresee a strong path for the next 3-5 years.
      It really helped me to write down all the things that created my “dream job”, from salary to day-to-day task, to corporate culture and perks, and then write down the things that created an “acceptable job”. I included some deal-breakers, and then compared the position I was offered to both lists. It met all the criteria on the “acceptable” list, and many of the criteria on the “dream job” list. It helped me focus on why I didn’t think it was “dream job”, and what could be done to get it there. Ultimately, this helped me objectively qualify it and I took the job. I was fairly confident going into the position, and it has been confirmed over the past year that I absolutely made the right choice. Good luck and congrats on an offer!

    3. Is there any way you can take it, and then continue with your volunteer work on the side, so you maintain that interest and those connections?

      I say this because more and more is coming out in the media about employers not wanting to hire people who aren’t already employed. I would estimate that for every 1 company that is open about it, 10 companies are doing the same thing quietly. It sucks and it is wrong, but it is what it is. I think you would probably have a better chance at getting a job in your chosen field if you already had a job, plus had the volunteer experience.

      Having a lot in savings is great, but my perspective is, right now you are able-bodied and have skills; you should be working. What if you exhaust your savings and then become disabled and can’t work – then you would really NEED your savings, and it wouldn’t be there.

      Taking this job doesn’t mean you are abandoning your big dream forever and ever; it means you are doing what you need to do for now to make sure you will be financially healthy. Take the job. :)

      1. “Taking this job doesn’t mean you are abandoning your big dream forever and ever”

        This is really the thing I am struggling with. My previous job (which I held for ~2.5 years) wasn’t even close to my dream job, and I knew it when I took it. But, it was a good means to an end (hence the savings) and allowed me to have some opportunities I would not otherwise have had. Having said that, I don’t want to get in the habit of taking jobs I know won’t be the best fit–not a bad fit, mind you, just not as good as they could be. I also realize this economy might not be the best time to be so picky :)

        I won’t be able to continue my volunteer experience in the same capacity (unfortunately!)–it’s effectively an internship and I’ll be working during the time when I would normally be there. But, there are definitely other ways that I can continue to be involved, and I do think this job will allow me that flexibility. These are all good points to think about.

    4. Do you fee like you’re settling? I think that’s a major question that maybe Ashley’s process as she described it will help you settle. You left your last job on your own because you were so unhappy you couldn’t fathom staying. I would venture that’s a huge risk to take, and it’s something you probably will only do maybe once or twice in your life. My gut reaction is that you have a dream you want to pursue, and this job will take you from it. And financially you are okay at the moment, and you are doing something you really enjoy.

      I’m generally a financially cautious person, but something about your post (and keep in mind I’m a total stranger) makes me think that you might be doing yourself a disservice settling for something that isn’t in the direction you want to go.

      All that said, I think it would be a good idea to talk to people currently working there and see if that builds excitement. It’s a bit awkward, but since you already have the offer, maybe you could just ask HR if there are people with similar backgrounds to yours that you could talk to. Maybe you can couch it as just trying to work out how you’ll fare longterm at this company.

      And if you do take the job, maybe set an end date. If you aren’t happy after, say, 1 year, you’ll start looking again.

      1. I agree with this – there really is something about the way you wrote your post that made me hesitate. This does not sound like Ashley and Lyssa’s situations above where they were evaluating jobs that they thought just weren’t quite the “perfect” fit. From your description, it sounds like the job is not a fit at all. That, in fact, you only applied to it to placate the feeling that you “should be working.”

        I think there is a strong practical argument here for taking this job – it is easier to get a new job if you are already employed, you don’t really know what you will get out of the new job, it is not a good time to find a job in the industry you’d like to be in, etc… However, I think if you are the kind of person that has a hard time leaving a job once you’re in one (for example, how long were you at your last job, and how long did you stay after you realized you were unhappy), you should consider just how long you might be in this new job if you take it, even if you discover in a relatively short amount of time that it is just not for you.

        Hard decision. Best of luck to you.

        1. And here I was thinking I was writing an unbiased description of the situation…clearly that was not the case.

          rg, you were spot on about my last situation–I was miserable and the decision to leave was one of the more difficult ones I have made. At the same time, I learned A LOT from that situation–namely, that I am an incredibly unpleasant person to be around when I am miserable.

          I do enjoy the volunteer work I’m doing, but I am also really ready for more responsibility. I know I’d get that with the job I’ve been offered, and the idea of more responsibility is exciting, even if it’s not in the field I wanted.

          Kady, it’s not a great fit for what I’m looking to do but it doesn’t feel like a dead-end–I think I’d come away with some solid transferable skills. I was slow to get out of my last role, but that’s not a mistake I’d like to repeat ever again.

          To both of you, thanks for your thoughts–I appreciate them (and all of the other comments!) so very much.

  10. What’s the trick to looking good in a polo, especially with casual weekend wear? I love polos (especially this one!) but I don’t own a single one because I feel like they look either frumpy or really masculine on me. Maybe it’s the way I’m built; I’m small-busted but not an especially thin or petite person.

    1. I’m small busted, though more on the thin and small-boned side, and I’ve never really found them flattering, either. I think that they’re the sort of thing that can look really cute on more curvy women, but I just feel little boy-ish in them.

      1. I am a D cup & curvy, and I do NOT look even remotely nice in polos. I don’t know what the trick is to pulling them off.

    2. I think the key is to have a small frame. I think a polo can look very masculine on someone who has broad shoulders or who is heavy. A small bust probably helps also.

    3. A skirt. Like from twill/chino type material, since a polo shirt by nature is a casual/Friday item. That helps kill the man-look quite effectively. On rare occasion you can find polos for women in feminine prints.

    4. I think a lot of it has to do with the cut of the polo and the fabric. Ralph Lauren makes one in a skinny fit that I think is more attractive than others.

  11. I’m getting my first brazillian today. So nervous. No bf or anything to do it for, just decided to try it for myself. I’m just hoping I don’t cry or scream like Steve Carrell in 40 year old virgin!

    1. Take advil or some sort of pain killer about an hour before you go. I know some people have a drink (or 2) to help ease the pain. I’ve never even had a bikini wax, but I want to for the summer. My issues are modesty and being paranoid about the salon not being clean enough.

      1. Last time I got a wax I jokingly mentioned having a glass of wine, and I was told this was a bad idea – can’t remember the exact explanation, but I guess although it may calm your nerves/ dull pain a little, the alcohol also does something your skin/blood vessels/whatever to cause the waxing to hurt more/not be as effective.

          1. to all os the epilator-users: have you ever epilated down there? does it hurt more (or less) than a wax? i imagine it would take more time than a wax, right?

          2. epilating hurts a bit more than waxing because it takes more time, but because you’re doing it yourself you can take breaks when you need to. so i’d say it’s a wash, depending on whether you’d prefer to do it yourself (epilate) or have someone do it for you (wax).

      2. I’ve had a few waxes but not brazillians – advice is to take advil or motrin before hand (as mentioned) and def stay away from wine. Also you might want to wear something in the long, cotton flowy, doesn’t need undies under it when you leave department. Most places sell some creams in the cortizon family that help with inflamation afterwards – also I’ve found (if not using a cream) that gold bond powder later when I get home helps calm everything down.

    2. So it definitely hurt but not something that was so unbearable that I wouldn’t do it again. The lady was quick, nice, funny, and made me feel at ease. It was a recommendation from a friend so I would say ask around. We’ll see how I feel about it in a few days but for now it was worth it (and THANK YOU for the advil advice!!!)

    3. I just started a laser hair removal series and am excited to never have to think about shaving, waxing, etc.

      1. Oh, yah, me too – next week is my first appointment. I.CAN’T.WAIT. I will be so happy to put all that burning wax, ripping, ingrowns and all the rest of it behind me!

  12. Threadjack to complain:

    I’ve been kind of in half-commission for the past week due to a back spasm, and I’m also going to be transitioning to a new job in a month (2.5 weeks left in my current position). I have my major job responsibilities under control and somewhat ready to hand off.

    Before I had decided to leave however, I offered to get involved in a project that is not really at all part of my job description or my group’s responsibility. I’ve been trying to push on getting it done, but it has to be lower priority that my actual job since no one else can do that. And I’ve been telling the people in the two groups that are directly responsible for this project what my situation is, and that because of my physical health limitations I can’t promise to get it done by the new deadline (not to mention, the person who’s primarily responsible has been away for family reasons) which no one has a problem with, including me.

    Basically, the person who’s been overseeing the project in while the other person is away just came by and said that he’s really concerned about the deadline slipping and that he really needs me to get it done. I explained to him that if I can only sit up straight for 4 hours a day (which is actually probably even more than what my doc and PT would recommend), I can’t promise to get it done…and maybe we could look at what other resources he has in his department or the other department whose job it is to actually do this. He basically was just like, well, you need to get it done. And I told him I can’t promise that, and he sort of left with a passive aggressive, “I’m sorry you’re not feeling 100% but get this done and if you don’t I guess we’ll just see what has to happen.”

    I will not risk my health for this project, and obviously there’s no consequences to my not finishing (what, will they fire me? I’m going to a position where I could make their lives worse…not that I would over this, but still.) But this person hasn’t checked in with me once in a week, and now he’s like, “Too bad you’re in severe pain, I don’t want to work hard to get this done but I’d like you to.”

    1. That would be so, so awful if you didn’t have the new position lined up. So glad that you do! If I were you, I’d honestly laugh to myself over this and, so as not to burn bridges, do a realistic amount of work but not stress about leaving it unfinished or letting the deadline pass. What a jerk!

      1. And also – it sounds like you’ll be in a position of power with respect to your current employer soon . What a great example of how being obnoxious and unreasonable toward subordinates can come back to bite you in the @$$. Good reminder to all the Type A partner types who want to rake their associates over the coals for typos in internal emails….

        1. Ugh, not related to the original comment, but so true about the email thing. I once had a boss ream me out for not using the same font all throughout my email (she didn’t appreciate my use of italics to cite a report). Some people are just neurotic.

        2. Yeah, this one really confuses me because they already know where I’m going. It’s like they’re stuck in the “must finish this project” mind set without thinking about the bigger picture.

          Regardless, just handed off the project and said here’s what I can realistically get done by the deadline. If you have a problem, speak to my supervisor (who was appalled to hear how he treated me). Obviously, I used a much nicer tone than that.

    2. Another reason not to worry is that if something goes wrong and someone has recently left, the departed is always blamed – whether or not they plausibly had anything to do with it and regardless of how sincerely the departure was lamented. Just as connections with work-BFFs that you swear you will stay in touch with inevitably tail off. I think it is just to be expected

  13. Can anyone speak to the quality and sizing of the Lauren by Ralph Lauren line?

    1. From what I recall, and it’s been a while, sizes are a bit larger and quality tends to vary, but is still usually better than a lot of what’s out there. For sizing think LL Bean or Liz Clairborne. Not Jcrew.

    2. I can only speak to their dresses, which in my experience run at least 1 size (sometime 2 sizes) large. I usually wear a 4 in dresses, and I’m always a size 2 in Lauren.

    3. Not too happy with quality of the jersey dresses, but then they’re far cheaper as well. Sizign probably 1 up from RL.

  14. Does anyone have specific recommendations on good work appropriate dresses for pear shapes? I’m looking for links to specific dresses, if possible. I do pretty much all of my shopping online and have been discouraged by how many dresses I have had to return. My go to brand is Classiques at Nordstrom, but I’d love to hear recommendations on others. I’m usually a size 2 on top and a size 4 on the bottom. JCrew is a definite no for me – they seem cut for a much straighter figure.

  15. Nice. I wish it came with sleeves for adults, however. Those sleeves scream 7-year old to me.

    1. What about the sleeves makes you think of a 7-year old? I think most of my short sleeve tops have sleeves this length…

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