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Thursday’s TPS Report: Pleione Print Dolman Sleeve Top

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Pleione Print Dolman Sleeve TopThis top isn't usually my style, but I'm intrigued: reader Z sent this in, noting that she loved this blouse because it was “springy light,, flattering (note band at bottom), and quite affordable.” Sure enough, the two reviews on the Nordstrom site are both 5-star, and both note that the picture does not do this top justice. I think the colors look beautiful, and the dolman sleeves and banded bottom both look forgiving and flattering. It's $58 at Nordstrom. Pleione Print Dolman Sleeve Top (Note that it also comes in a black and an animal print, as well.) Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-4)

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  • Nordstrom – 7,710 new markdowns for women!
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  • Eloquii – Spring Clearance: Up to 75% off + extra 50-60% off sale
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  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Friends & Family Event: 30% off entire purchase, includes markdowns

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

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146 Comments

  1. Bitter rant alert.

    I am having a rough ROUGH day.
    Sales are going downhill at the company and I feel everybody is redirecting their stress towards me.
    All the late work they forgot to do and got exacerbated falls on me to “fix” it.
    Sales people who cannot justify low volumes say I should do X and Y because this is why they couldn’t have good sales. Really? I do not even know the full lineup of our products. I don’t even know our sales strategy. Instead of saying we have a problem here is what we propose to fix it. They say let’s see all the insignificant things and blame little X and little Y and little Houda.
    Some people from different departments (I have never heard of) give me ownership of several of their tasks to be done by end of day.
    All this is because part of my job description is “crisis management”… I think HR should have been more specific about what kinds of crisis I should handle because now, whenever people feel under the heat, they toss the hot potato to me.
    I am trying to keep a cool head and positive attitude and not take it personally but this is starting to wear me off.
    Tonight I will go to the gym and get all the negative energy out.
    Rant over.

    1. Good luck, Houda! You are always so positive – we all know you’ll handle this effectively and with grace.

    2. Ouch. This sounds like a pretty disfunctional situation. On the flip side, your co-workers must have a great deal of faith in your abilities if you are being asked to handle all of these things – a tribute to your “cool head and positive attitude” to be certain. Grit your teeth and do your best. Someone is likely to be watching how you handle these “crises” and will be impressed with your attitude and skills. Good luck!

    3. Make sure you keep a log of your work activities. If people are trying to blame you for not solving their crises, it will help if you can document what you’ve done to help (and what isn’t within your job description). Good luck!

    4. No advice, unfortunately, but thinking of you and I agree with the above posters!

      And how are you feeling — is the “blame America” palsy healing well?

      1. Oh I meant to post about the palsy but forgot.
        I can blink my eye 95% shut! thanks to the corporettes who suggested the eye patch idea. It helped a lot.
        I have been chewing gum nonstop and now nobody can tell I had a problem with my face. I guess I am recovered.
        My coworkers were very nice to me and nobody made fun of me.
        The first time I went to gym, I told my favorite coach about the issue and he made sure to check on me every now and then because I was on Prednisone and my resting heart rate was high. That was 2 weeks ago. Yesterday, I went on stage to teach one track in body combat.

        Thanks all for the support. My stay in the US was definitely worth it!
        At least I learned a new word “Palsy” I just hope the next lingo I learn won’t be in the medical field. :)

    5. Sorry you’re having a bad day! I always enjoy your posts, and I hope your employers see the positive energy that you have.

      Can you clarify your chain of command? It sounds very odd that people in departments you’ve never heard of are giving you work, and that this should be accepted by the people you are supposed to be working for. If they’re asking questions about sales strategies and other issues you’re not involved with, can you point them to someone else in the company? “I’m sorry, those questions aren’t something I work directly on. Maybe you should speak to XYZ, who will be better positioned to help you.” Your crisis management job description could be misleading people — do they know you aren’t supposed to handle every little problem that comes up?

      Enjoy your work-out!

    6. Best of luck on your terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day houda! And start planning your next vacation NOW even if you just had one. It can be nice stress relief.

      1. OMG – I thought I was the only one that references that book when describing a terrible day!

      2. That is my favorite. I even found a link online to the entire story. I always give it as part of my gift at baby showers.

        “I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there’s gum in my hair…”

    7. You must be so tempted to tell them that their inability to plan does not make it a crisis. Enjoy getting the negative energy out and don’t forget to breathe!

  2. Poster yesterday wanted Mother’s Day gift ideas…some random noodling below. YMMV of course :)

    donation to her favorite charity
    tickets to an event with a car service to/fro (if ageing parent)
    plants instead of flowers for gardeners (or certificates for nurseries)
    gift cards for great food shops (it’s getting expensive on fixed incomes)
    cushy, soft, wonderful luxurious bath towels
    soft jammies (just trying the sleep 8 from pajamagram this year)
    cds/dvds of classic albums/movies…many more available now
    putting old family 35mm films or slides onto cd media
    one of those “mom’s memories” books for her to complete for family
    coupons for you (or someone) to put her family recipes into an electronic form
    ring/eyeglasses stands
    lap desk/kidney bean (love Levenger’s)
    map or jigsaw puzzle of family home location/city
    magazine/newspaper of the year they were born … my folks love the past

    And happiest and relaxing mother’s day to the Corporette Moms out there.

    1. Your recipe comment made me think how much my mom loved when I got her software to help with organization. The software allows you to enter your own recipes and photos as well as search built-in cookbooks. It also will do things like adjust for number of people automatically, search by ingredient, etc. We both have the same program (Master Cook I believe?). I got it at Best Buy, but I know I’ve seen similar in Office Max and other stores. Not very expensive (maybe less than $30–been awhile, I forget). It lets you send recipes in emails very easily. Some of her book club group exchange things all the time this way now. Anyway, she’s not that computer savvy but it has been one of the things that she likes most. Funny, too, because it was just an afterthought to get her one, too, when I bought it one weekend after my practically no-cooking self was sick of losing shelf space to a binder overflowing with all of our “family favorites.”

  3. Unless this picture is REALLY misleading, this top looks like something an elderly grandmother would wear. Not working for me.

    4. Dolman sleeves + banded bottom = perfect for when you want to keep the office pregancy pool guessing.

    5. I really like this shirt. I’d even wear it out on the weekend with skinny jeans and heels. Banded bottoms can be tricky but I’ve found some banded bottom shirts that make my waist look great and hide the pooch.

  4. I don’t understand the contention that the banded bottom is flattering. I can’t think of anything LESS flattering on me. I avoid banded bottoms like the plague. Am I the only one?

    1. No. I am a pear shape and banding at the bottom of a shirt just makes it ride up and look ridiculous.

    2. No, you’re not. Banded bottoms (1) ride up on me and (2) tend to stretch across the “pooch” (which I have post baby, even though all the weight is gone). Not flattering. I prefer blouses with a straight hem and no band.

    3. I like some banded bottoms, but as with all clothing, it’s highly variable according to your body proportions and the item itself.

      I used to have a banded bottom shirt that I loved, and the band provided a good contrast to the much looser bust area and elbow-length sleeves (without the band, the shirt would probably have looked like a tent). It came up higher than the band on today’s shirt. I would wear the shirt with a closer-fitting skirt or pants, and it was one of my favorite pieces of clothing until it got stretched out after many wears. I am quite short-waisted, so the combo of close-fitting bottom half + banded bottom shirt created the illusion of a longer torso on me.

      This pattern is not really my style — I think the shirt would be better in a solid or a less busy pattern. The colours work nicely together, however.

    4. Whether or not the banded bottom is flattering, it’s very uncomfortable. You’re constantly having to adjust it and keep it from riding up. I do not like this top at all. Maybe it looks better in person.

    5. I find that banded bottoms have the same effect as a belt or tucking one’s shirt in: they make clear that you have a waist. For me, this is a good thing. They do ride up, especially when I’m walking with a bag, but frankly just about all clothing I own has some kind of comfort/practicality drawback. Especially with work clothes (heels? stockings? suits? ironed button-ups?) I just accept that everything is going to be a minor pain in the ***.

      1. I think whether a banded bottom shirt works/ is comfortable must have to do with proportions. I have narrow hips, but carry my extra weight in my stomach area, so they are very forgiving on me. I love the ones I’ve tried.

    6. I think that a wider band, like this one, can be flattering because it defines a waist. Thin bands, on the other hand, are definitely unflattering.

    7. As an hourglass with pudgy arms, banded bottoms let me wear looser, drapier tops while still making it clear that there is a waist somewhere in there, so I think they can be flattering.

    8. I actually have one banded bottom shirt that I love, and I always (ALWAYS) wear it under a suit jacket. It’s the best for that, otherwise it looks a mess.

      1. I don’t see how a banded bottom that looks like it hits at the hips would define a person’s waist? This style obscures my waist and makes me look like I might be expecting.

  5. This threadjack relates to EC MD’s oral exam yesterday, but I thought a lot of you would find it amusing (or at least a good way to break up the work day).

    I am a person with very vivid and frequent dreams that incorporate all kinds of random things from my day. Other important fact — A circle of my friends finds it amusing to respond to each other’s emails with pictures (from websites like LOL Cats, etc.). So, last night right before I went to bed, I was reading the day’s comments. I then had a dream that EC MD posted a response to the good luck threadjack yesterday that said “The testers called me early and….” and then she posted a Dilbert comic. I was dying to figure out what it all meant, and was simultaneously thinking, “EC MD does not understand the picture thing. It is not supposed to be complicated.” When I scrolled all the way to the bottom of the comic, the last frame had that woman with the triangle hair saying, “I passed!”

    I’m taking this as a good sign.

    3. ah that is awesome — hope you are right!!

      (and coming from another vivid dreamer — don’t you love it? I’m quite entertained by what my brain comes up with, except sometimes the dreams are too realistic, such that I wake up and have to convince myself that only my *dream* boss was giving me an assignment and I’m actually *not* behind.)

      1. I do love it! Luckily, most of mine are crazy and clearly not true. I often have hilarious dreams about things I’m axious about, which helps me laugh about that stuff the next morning.

    4. That is awesome! I also dream vividly, randomly, and sometimes about Corporette stuff. After the dating post the other day I totally dreamed about both of my loser ex boyfriends…..they both wanted me back and were very sorry to have been such tools. I politely told them that I was not interested and walked away. Yes!!

      I am excited to hear how ECMD did. I’m sure she was awesome!

    6. Aw! I have been thinking of EC MD yesterday too..but in my day dream (I know I am weird) I mainly imagined a group of doctors and one of them with weird hair on the sides of his head grilling her with questions and her giving sharp answers and then grinning.
      I actually wrote on my yesterday’s to do list that I should post for EC MD today thursday at 4 my local time (which is what I did below)!
      I guess we are becoming one big family…

    7. Lol, I have really vivid dreams like that too. Except that I sometimes confuse them with reality. And by sometimes, I mean at least once a month or so. It gets awkward, like the time I made my then-boyfriend now-husband walk up and down Delancey Street looking for this amazing aquarium store with a yellow awning…

    8. Yay! I hope EC MD passed, too, but I remember when I took the Bar that well-wishing from loved ones seemed overwhelming, and especially would be too much if I did not pass.

      So EC MD – We are certainly all thinking about you today! :)

      PS: I also have a friend who responds to emails with weird cartoons. Sometimes it’s funny. Sometimes it’s annoying, because I wish he would just say what he means.

  6. threadjack:

    Does anyone have any leads on skirts that are not gray, navy or black? Basically a non-neutral color. I realized that most of my tops are the same (gray, navy, black) and I’m trying to mix it up by buying some non-neutral skirts – pinks, blues (just not navy), etc. Any suggestions? Ideal price range would be $80-$200.

    2. J. Crew usually does–and be sure to check the sale site. Often the non-neutral colors are the ones that end up on sale after all the brown/black/gray/navy items are sold or down to lucky sizes only. Look out for patterns as well!

      1. I have a few colored skirts from JCrew in their wool suiting material that I love, they’re colors but sort of neutral colors if that makes sense? Like a peacock blue, or a pale pink. Definitely shades that integrate really nicely with all my black/navy/grey/white tops and jackets.

      1. I was looking at this too. My one concern is that “double-serge cotton” seems to be a fancy word for “khaki.” Does anyone know what double-serge cotton really is?

        1. Anon from 11:10 – I don’t know what it is, exactly, but it is definitely a heavy cotton material. It is not a light flimsy chino fabric (for reference, I was wearing J.Crew’s bistro pant at the time, and the skirt was MUCH heavier in look/feel). If you are concerned about it looking too casual or wrinkling easily, I don’t think either of those will be an issue. But since it is in-store, I’d encourage you to check it out in person to see for yourself.

          1. Actually I used to have some double-serge cotton pencil skirts from J. Crew. The fabric definitely was heavy and work-appropriate, but I found (from wearing, but not from trying on, alas) that it stretched out and wrinkled terribly. The fit was no longer flattering, and the wrinkles across my lap looked terrible. I had to let those skirts go. So my recommendation was for wool J. Crew skirts… :)

          2. Same experience as Monday with J. Crew double-serge cotton. I bought one and won’t be buying another.

      1. I actually just checked out Boden and ordered a bunch of stuff! Sadly none of the skirts sang to me.

    6. I just purchased two J Crew Factory pencil skirts – the double serge skirt – and yes, it’s cotton and it’s not lined but it’s not thin cotton. It’s good heavy weight cotton. Not khaki at all. I purchased the yellow – it’s a mustard yellow and I love it. I’m 5’2″ and it comes to my knees when standing; very office appropriate.

      (here’s hoping the link works: http://www.jcrew.com/womens_factory_category/allnew/PRDOVR~37415/99102385851/ENE~1+2+3+22+4294967294+20~~~205+17+4294966713~15~~~~~~~/37415.jsp )

      1. OOooh I love the yellow! But sadly, mustard yellow is the *one* other color I own in a skirt – I have two mustard yellow ones (random, I know, but I do love yellow). Will keep a lookout for other colors!

        1. That’s awesome, mustard yellow must be a good color on you then.

          I did purchase this skirt as well – in a color called “golden beach.” It’s a *loud* skirt though but I got tons of raves from friends while wearing it: http://www.jcrew.com/womens_factory_category/allnew/PRDOVR~37532/99102386002/ENE~1+2+3+22+4294967294+20~~~205+17+4294966713~90~~~~~~~/37532.jsp. It’s 100% cotton, a bit thinner than the double serge pencil skirt but still very work appropriate.

    7. I’ve found some great non-neutral skirts as parts of suits at the clearance rack at Macy’s. The odd colors tend to go to the clearance rack. I bought a wool-blend turquoise suit there recently for $50. I would never wear the jacket and skirt together but they’re great separates.

  7. All my thoughts go to EC MD.
    I hope you get good news about your Oral exams.
    Keep us posted and Big hugs

    1. Just based on the pictures, it might be a bit too low cut to wear under a suit jacket – but it may be different for different body types, so maybe try it on first?

      1. Revised to add – the picture with the cardigan over it looks just fine to me (not too low) but the main model picture is too low for work (I think) – I’d definitely try it on first if I were you!

    2. Ok, what is a “slubbed” knit? I keep seeing clothes described as “slubby” and I have no clue what it is. It doesn’t sound very nice, but that shirt looks quite pretty.

      1. I feel the same way about the description “burnout.” I see it everywhere describing t-shirts, but can’t figure out what it means.

        1. “burnout” is that velvet-ish fabric where the pattern is sheared, or burned, into the fabric nap so the background is sort of shear/mesh like. Can be really lovely, can be a bit sheer. so the pattern is slightly raised nap over hte background fabric.

          slub knit has some textural differences in the threads, sometimes random thread ends poking up, giving a textured feel. It’s nicer than I just made it sound :-)

      2. Slubbed knit usually has some variation in color and is thicker in some areas, thinner in others. It has a tendency to be seethrough in lighter colors. I think it’s a bit more casual than a uniform knit.

        1. agree with this – i would categorize “burnout” (as in “a burnout tee”) as one in which in the thicker/thinner slubbed knit, the thinner areas are translucent.

      3. “Slub knit” is kind of unevenly knit. It’s really in right now. :) I have a few longsleeved slubknit shirts that I wear for layering, kind of akin to what Kat has posted about “featherweight” things.

        As for this tee, though, I think it’s too casual for under a suit. Dressier tees are ok under suits, because you can’t really tell it’s a tee. But this one… I’d save it for the weekend.

    3. I think it looks too casual to wear under suit jackets. Slubbed knits tend to have uneven color and texture.

  9. Greetings! I am a law student and will be a SA at a firm in town. The problem is that I have to attend a wedding out of town over memorial day weekend and can only find affordable flights for midday on that Friday. How should i handle this? Should i call up HR and ask if it would be ok to take a half day? Or should I just pay 300$ more for the later flight? I get the impression from HR that they are pretty relaxed, but is HR an accurate gauge for the firm? I know that this SA is a ten week job intervi and i don’t want to make any avoiable mistakes or be the diva SA.

    1. When I was a SA I attended two cross-country weddings that required me to leave work early/miss a few days, and I know a few other people in my class who did as well. Generally people are pretty understanding of stuff like that. Ask your recruiter/HR person if it’s ok, and if they give you the go-ahead be sure to give advance notice to the people whose cases you’re working on (maybe 1-2 weeks notice, depending on the duration of your assignment).

    2. Did you have a lawyer contact from the interview process? Preferably not someone on the recruiting committee, but I wouldn’t worry about it too much. My experience is that HR often doesn’t have a good understanding of attorney life at a law firm.

      It probably won’t be a problem to leave mid-day Friday – though take this with a grain of salt, as it’s coming from someone who summered in the Before Times. It is likely that you won’t have a lot of work by Memorial Day, and my experience as an SA was that everyone wanted to know my Memorial Day plans (which I didn’t have, because I was worried I’d be working all weekend!). Plus, it’s a wedding, so most people will understand that the timing was out of your control.

    3. If I were you, I would just pay extra money for the later flight. As a student I realize you probably have debt and not a ton of money, but I assume you will be making some nice $$ as a summer associate.

      I don’t think HR is an accurate gauge for the firm, b/c presumably it is not the people in HR who will be making the hiring decision – it will be the firm’s recruiting committee. Do you have a summer calendar of events? It might be worth checking – what if there is some sort of important lunch going on that day or something along those lines.

    4. Unfortunately this type of thing tends to be very firm-specific. At my firm HR would probably tell you that was fine but some attorneys would think it was not a good move. Do you know how many other SAs there will be? Will it be obvious to the attorneys that you are gone for a half-day?

      Ordinarily I would say to call and ask but the legal market is just so tough these days that I have to advise you to err on the absolute side of caution during those 10 weeks.

      Best of luck!

    5. I don’t think it’s a big deal to take a half day, as a summer associate. I would call HR and tell them that you need to take a half day on that day to go to a wedding out of town, and not stress about it. If anyone you’re working for at the time asks about your availability, just say you will be out of the office that Friday afternoon.

      All that matters is that you are professional about it and give people advance notice. Honestly, no one will be upset that you are out of the office for the afternoon before a three-day weekend.

    6. Many people leave early the Friday of Memorial Day weekend – I’d be surprised if your office wasn’t pretty cleared out by 3 or 4 pm. I wouldn’t worry too much about taking half a day – people at law firms do have lives and I’d be surprised if anyone noticed, much less looked down upon, you leaving early on one day of the summer to attend a wedding, esp if that day is the Friday before Memorial Day.

      Is there a SA coordinator you can talk to? I had one and she was part of HR. That might be a good person to go to. Tell her exactly what you’ve just said – you don’t want to come off as unserious or demanding, but you have a wedding that Friday and does s/he think it would be appropriate to leave early?

    7. I’m not a lawyer, so take this with a grain of salt…

      Can you ask a junior associate? I’m thinking of someone just a few years further a long in their career than you are. I might frame the question as “Would this make a poor impression on senior people?” which would show that you have the correct priorities.

    8. I still deal with this issue as a junior associate. It is totally hit or miss. Some days, no one is here, things are dead, and no one would care less if I left early or came in late. Other days, I book a trip and someone says “hey, can you handle this hearing?” And it sucks to have to say, I’m away that day and already have my flight booked but any other day I’d love to have.

      I just try to avoid using the word “vacation” and say “I have an out of town commitment” or something like that. In your case I would say “I have to attend an out of town wedding.” Everyone understands that.

      I usually deal with this by splitting the difference with a slight gamble. Usually Friday evening and Sunday night (or Monday if it is a long weekend) flights are incredibly more expensive. I will pay extra for one of the two so I am only taking one half day instead of two. For example, this memorial day I will be leaving after work on Friday but flying in Tuesday morning and getting to the office around noon.

      If you interviewed with any associates, I’d run the question by them. Also, HR should be able to tell you who your summer attorney supervisor will be and you may be able to run it by them before you book.

      I’d be impressed if I got an email that said “I will be working for you this summer. I have to be out of town x weekend and am looking at booking my flight. I can save considerable money leaving early on Friday but I want to first make sure that will not conflict with anything you were planning to assign me.” That may be overkill but then if you do book and something comes up you will already have “permission” to be away that day and should feel less bad about it.

      1. Ladybug, I have to disagree with your email suggestion. I think that it just makes the attorney have to be the “bad guy” by saying, no I don’t want you to save a considerable amount fo money because I want you to do your job.

        1. No problem, Honey Bear. I am actually interested in what others have to say. I wouldn’t give this advice to full time lawyers because by then it is in their discretion to just say “no, I am out of town that day.”

          I’m not sure how it works for a summer needing time off. I think my firm build’s in some personal time for them in case they are sick or need a dr’s appt or something.

          I guess the reason I thought she should ask is that by now the atty should know if there will be a key event that day or not (big lunch, hearing, etc.) versus a day everyone will go home early.

          1. While I think it is totally reasonable to take a half day, I think from all of the other comments you can surmise that not everyone shares my opinion.

            It would be one thing if the wedding was Friday night, but it is Saturday. I would err on the safe side and spend the $300. In the grand scheme of things, $300 is a drop in the bucket. Coming across as the summer associate who already is planning time off before you even start may leave a bad impression on certain attorneys. You don’t want to risk your job, especially if there are more SAs than full time positions available next year.

            And, fwiw, if a SA asked me this question, I would feel obligated to say it was fine to take the half day, no matter what. Don’t put people in that position before you build goodwill.

    9. I would check with the HR and/or any specific SA event coordinator to see if there was any SA specific event planned for that Friday (which I doubt they would). If not, feel free to leave early. Like others have said, I imagine office will be clearing out then anyhow. Just give people who you are working with as much notice as possible that you “will be out of the office to attend a wedding out of town.” Best wishes for your summer!

    10. Take the half day off — it should not be a problem at all. I was a summer associate at a big New York firm last summer, and I missed half a day to watch the World Cup, took a day off to attend a reunion, etc. If you do excellent work the rest of the time, no one will notice. Caveat: if you are a slacker the WHOLE summer, they will care even if you never miss a day of work.

      Main point: summers still have it really easy compared to junior associates most places. I got an offer to return and the hiring partners were extremely happy with me! Second Caveat: there are a few firms that will work you very hard during the summer, and in that case, it might be hard to leave. But if you tell people about it ahead of time, I don’t think it will make a difference.

      1. Take the half day, let the summer associate coordinator, your summer associate mentor and HR know ahead of time that you hav a wedding commitment out of town. Approach it professionally and with notice ahead of time and there should be no issue. I guarantee your presence is not needed anywhere that day.

        Also, I know the market is tight, but do you really want to work somewhere that will not let you leave half a day early before a three day weekend for wedding? Honestly, as an attorney I would rather see a summer associate handle a professional situation like this with grace, and on rare basis, than to see a “gunner” summer associate putting in tons of face time but not much else of value .

    11. Are you working at a larger law firm? Most of the bigger firms have recruiting managers (not just an “HR” rep) who — if they’re worth their salt — will guide you, advise you, and run interference to ensure that your summer runs smoothly.

      Sometimes they’re limited in what they can do, but they are the ones that will go to bat for the summers and ensure that an oblivious partner doesn’t force a SA to work unnecessarily on something at all hours and all weekend, to the detriment of other training and social activities. And if you’re in need of work, or if you have an interpersonal problem with someone, they can also help.

      Back to the point — I would contact your recruiting manager and explain to her your dilemma. Chances are she will tell you it’s fine, and when the time comes she could send out an email warning/reminding whomever you’re working with that you will be out for a pre-scheduled commitment that afternoon.

      Maybe it’s my firm or office culture, but honestly I would be more critical of someone who didn’t even ask in this situation, and assumed we’d say no or think poorly of them, because it’s an entirely reasonable request. Sometimes we have to sacrifice for the firm and the client, but I truly don’t think this is one of those situations. Most people are reasonable, and people that aren’t are going to find something else to ding you for.

      1. Forgot to mention that when I was an SA I actually started the program a few days late b/c I was in a wedding on the opposite coast. The firm was totally accommodating, I went on to have an excellent summer with great reviews, got an offer, and worked there for a number of years before I (recently) left for a non-firm opportunity.

    12. A half day before a holiday weekend for a wedding is not going to be an issue. You could confirm with HR before booking the flight, but most likely your office will be deserted by 4pm anyway.

    13. I would totally do it. Yes, the absolute most cautious thing you can do is cough up the extra $300, but that seems like such a waste. Like others have said, handle it professionally and it will not be an issue.

    14. I don’t think it’s a big deal to take 1/2 a day. I know at 1 SA position, I got 2 vacation days. I’d email them and tell them you’re going to a wedding. I’d probably say that the rehearsal dinner is on Friday night and you were hoping to make it (don’t mention the cost difference). If they say that it isn’t a problem, then book the earlier flight.

  10. I passed the boards!! Thank you all for all your love support and good wishes. I really appreciate each and everyone of you.

    I am now a board certified general surgeon!

    13. Congrats! I hope the bearer of good news has better hair than the Dilbert cartoon from anoninfinity’s dream :)

    15. Congratulations! I don’t really know you but feel confident when I say it’s well-deserved.

    20. Congratulations! Of course, the possible downside, for the rest of the Corporetters, is that you may become too busy to post. I look forward to your comments as they are always thoughtful and helpful. Lots of good wishes for a fantastic career.

    24. Huge congratulations to you, EC MD! What a wonderful achievement. You should feel so proud.

  12. My friend has been looking for some shoes to wear to her wedding this summer. She’s hoping to get a pair that she can wear after the wedding, and doesn’t mind if they’re a bit casual. Her wedding colours are spring green and yellow, and she’d prefer a shoe in a shade of green. Has anyone seen any cute green shoes lately?

    1. Offbeat Bride has posted some colourful shoe roundups in the past – she might want to check there!

    3. If she wants a shoe that she can wear later, she should also consider metallics. Green shoes may get limited wear down the road.

  13. So, in keeping with my posting yesterday about comfortable, wear-to-work sandals, endless is having a 25% off sale.

    Jas – it looks like there are some cute green sandals there.

    And regarding my own search, I ended up buying the Aerosole Citizen wedges through Shoebuy.com. I got them for $35, using the EMLMOM11 coupon code which gave me 20% off plus free shipping. I got an additional 10% for becoming a member. So yay!

    And thanks for all the suggestions.

  14. Think I had a Corporette moment:

    Was lined up for hours for a super-posh boutique’s sample sale (utter chaos and madness) and the line to get in wrapped around the building and kept on going, all working women dressed to kill. Two ladies in line were there with strollers and infants, one was breastfeeding the infant while waiting in line to go inside.

    I do wonder if she reads this blog. No comment, it just seemed to echo the discussions from the other day. Pop out an aeriola (sp?) and feed the baby anywhere at anytime anywhere because a screaming, hungry child is tough to deal with.

    1. I hate it when people bring kids to sample sales. They’re so crowded and hectic as is without having to worry about running into a little kid. It’s got to be stressful for kids too.

      1. I should have thought it would be more stressful for her! Maybe she lost postbaby weight and wanted to check it out.

    2. Good for that mom! I would hate to think that she would stay at home all day and miss the sale!

  15. Hi all
    I posted last night that I was getting canned and needed some advice – I did, in fact, get canned, but the really good news is that starting June 1 I am going back as a 3/4 time contract employee, and they gave me more than enough severance to tide me over till that point. Not the greatest experience but definitely could be worse. I fortunately have benefits through my spouse, so that’s not a concern. I appreciate the kind thoughts and good advice I received here – I think being calm and receptive was key to working out the contracting thing without everything getting crazily emotional and reactive. Thanks again.

    2. That is really good news. I hope you are in a situation where you can enjoy working a bit less than full time – I assuem 3/4 time means less than 40 hours a week in the office?

      Good for you!

    3. Thanks for the update. I didn’t have any advice but I thought about you and wondered how you did today. Glad it worked out to be not so bad.

    4. Such a great attitude. I hope that I’m full of that much grace should the situation ever happen to me.

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