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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 169 Comments · by

Sort of Splurge Tuesday’s TPS Report: Audra Dress

The Personal Shopper (TPS) | ·

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

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Our guest poster this week: Lisa Carnochan from Privilege — a huge welcome, Lisa! – Kat Audra DressBy the time you reach vice-president, or partner, you have some wardrobe leeway. If, that is, you've loosened the stricture of corporate dress code gradually over the years. You can wear color beyond navy and pattern beyond foulard. I am a happy new owner of this Tory Burch silk jersey frock and can confirm that with a navy jacket or cardigan, and a pair of navy ballet flats, it will work for non-courtroom, non-big-scary-mean-client-days in almost any office. The colors are deeper than the web images would suggest. The silk jersey is quite heavy and luxurious, but wouldn't suffer from a little bit of shapewear underneath. Runs true to size. The dress is $425 at Tory Burch. Audra Dress Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-2)

Sales of note for 10.10.24

  • Nordstrom – Extra 25% off clearance (through 10/14); there's a lot from reader favorites like Boss, FARM Rio, Marc Fisher LTD, AGL, and more. Plus: free 2-day shipping, and cardmembers earn 6x points per dollar (3X the points on beauty).
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off sale (ends 10/12)
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything plus extra 25% off your $125+ purchase
  • Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
  • Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
  • J.Crew – 40% off sitewide
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site, plus extra 25% off orders $150+
  • Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
  • M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
  • Neiman Marcus – Sale on sale, up to 85% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 50% off 2+ markdowns
  • Target – Circle week, deals on 1000s of items
  • White House Black Market – Buy one, get one – 50% off full price styles

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

Comments

  2. Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler

    Like the dress; love the personal experience with the garment. I know it’s impractical to expect Kat to do this all the time, but it really helps.

  3. TTC

    Another fertility article (a follow up to recent NYT articles)

    health (dot) yahoo (dot) net/articles/womens-health/what-happens-womans-fertility-after-40

    PS sorry if this ends up double posting, I was getting multiple error messages.

  4. anon

    Whoa, beautiful dress. And love that Lisa is guest posting this week… she has such a empathetic, thoughtful, considered way of writing.

  6. shrink

    Speaking of dresses and shapewear …

    Has anyone else tried the Nue by Shani dresses? I just got one from ideeli in the mail. Love it. So much, that I found one on sale via Lord and Taylor’s website. I wear hosiery daily, so it seems to flow well, the shapewear skirt part staying close to me and the dress fabric moving separately.I am sure the high prices are due to all the workmanship required to construct the dress…

    Would appreciate any other Corporette experiences., especially if anyone has tried their more evening appropriate ones. Perhaps a LBD that is flattering for me at last?

        • Lawgirl

          Yes, I have 2 Nue by Shani dresses from iDeeli. LUV LUV LUV them! So beautifully made, inside and out.

          • shrink

            @ lawgirl – Thanks! May I ask, do you have any of the more evening type dresses? So far, mine are daytime, well I’m waiting for the second one to arrive.

          • shrink

            Lawgirl – I think I have a similar one, black top and then red/white/black geometric bottom w/red and black elastic belt.

            Waiting on a swirly brown/green/purple with surplice neck (hope it won’t gape) from lord and taylor’s sale this week!

            I am waiting a while for the evening LBD, seeing just how much I wear these, as the LBDs are 2-3x the prices!

            Will post if/when it happens. Thanks SO much.

          • Lawgirl

            Hi @shrink, I got the color-blocked day dresses (the one with the red belt, and the one with white straps at the top). Let me know how your evening type dresses look, kay?!

  7. anon

    Beautiful dress. Great pick.

    PSA – Target Missoni sale starts today. I hear it’s almost all sold out already, and the online sites aren’t working. Presumably they’ll restock and fix.

    • PJ

      I got a few Missoni pieces at the store this morning. There was a line of about 25 when I got there. They didnt have 2 of the pieces I wanted so am waiting for the website to come back up. The Target employees thought we were all crazy.

    • B

      I know…this has been on my calendar for weeks. So upset that the site continues to be down. I really wanted the bike.

    • Ellie

      Am I the only one who doesn’t get the appeal of Missoni? It just seems very ski-lodgey to me, and not in a great way. Maybe I’m missing something. Not trying to be mean, just really never thought anything I’ve seen was attractive.

      • Supra

        I don’t get the appeal of Missoni. There are some great pieces I’ve seen (a sweater dress from a long time ago comes to mind), but there’s nothing that I’ve ever felt was drool-worthy. Its such a specific look.

      • MissJackson

        Nope. I said the same thing this morning. I feel like some sort of complete weirdo, so I’m glad to hear that there are at least a couple other people in agreement. Even at Target prices, this is not something that I’m excited about.

        Oh well, I’m sure I have some sort of weird fashion obsession that all the Missoni lovers would think was completely fug. (Probably my hand-knit socks, actually, which I adore, but I’m guess most people would think are totally bizarre.)

      • CN

        I agree. This is one of the only Target Go collections I’m not excited about. I’m also starting to realize that the pieces I’ve bought from the designer collaborations over the years don’t hold up quality wise.

      • Ruby

        It reminds me of the Navajo blankets my mom used to have all over our house. Not my style.

      • Anonymous

        I’ve always thought Missoni looked very seventies/macrame. Totally not my thing.

      • Lydia

        I agree. There was a Target pop up store here in NYC for Missoni – 4 hour wait to get in and the store was sold out the following day. I didn’t get it – reminds me of a Mexican poncho.

      • anon

        I don’t appreciate Missoni either, although I keep trying. For me, it’s not ski-lodgey, but perhaps intellectually artsy-crafty (but at the highest level).

        Another iconic brand I usually don’t get: Pucci.

        Not complaining, it’s not like I can afford either.

      • s-p-s

        This is making me feel better about abstaining from what seems to be a flurry of interest – best to leave these pieces to those who truly love the pattern! Realized that it really doesn’t work with my style (along the lines of all the wise comments yesterday about having a collection where everything works with everything else).

      • Herbie

        I’ve never cared for it. I have a WTF? reaction to a lot of their pieces.

    • GRA

      One of the pluses of living in a small, un-fashionable city – I was the only one at Target when they opened this morning and had my pick of Missoni!

      • MelD

        That’s what I am hoping- my city is not too big and people here are decidedly unfashionable.

        • PollyD

          Hoping this, too, since I don’t think i will get to Target until Friday at the earliest. Also hoping that they re-stock some of the stuff. Or maybe I need to take a trip to some really remote Target…. hmmm…. Or ask my mom or sister to pick stuff up for me, since the small sizes tend to sell more slowly in their area.

          This is actually the first Target collection I’ve even been excited about. Something about the geometric designs + color, although I have to say I like the black and white stuff best.

          • MelD

            I just got back and it was pretty wiped out already by 11:45. I got a few things and would say it was a success for me, although I don’t think my store ever carried the one item I wanted.

    • Jenn

      I was online at 5:30 CST as soon as I woke up. I was able to get several home pieces and a dress, but the throw and the shoes I wanted were already sold out. So I went to work early, left and stood in line to get into Target, ran to the back to get the throw, and luckily found the shoes still left in my size. Then took a toodle by the clothing and found a blouse I hadn’t noticed in the look book. I even strategized the direction I wanted to go, since the women’s clothing is the first thing when you walk in, and I wanted to avoid that craziness so I could get my throw. I’ve NEVER done this for Black Friday or any other sale, but I wanted to redecorate my living room and bathroom!

  10. housecounsel

    Pretty!, and I do love Tory. The only thing that worries me is the length. I know these longer dresses and skirt are very big this season, but I worry that I will look frumpy. Maybe really awesome heels will help.

    • Diana Barry

      That is so funny – I see this dress and I think, “FINALLY, a dress that would be long enough on me for work!” :)

      Love this pick but I usually hate belts – I would have to try it on to see if it would work on me. (This is in imaginary, non-pregnant land, lol!)

    • Anonymous

      Or tall boots, or a wedge heel low-cut on the foot. I think the ballet flats suggested could be pretty stumpifying on most of us. Anything to add height, literally or just visually. When you think of iconic midis of the 70s, it was all tall boots, all the time.

      • Anon

        I think tall boots would put this into the realm of seventies costume party attire. Ballet flats would not.

        • Anonymous

          But when you go long, you gotta go high, one way or another. Skip the Klute hair and floppy suede hat to stay today. Or, you know, embrace it all. It’s a 70s dress. Just is.

      • CN

        I love this suggestion! In fact, I would add the brown leather belt from yesterday’s coffee break and wear the tall boots.

    • Always a NYer

      Bring it to a tailor and get it hemmed. No use missing out on a fun dress when you can fix it ;)

      • Kady

        Same length issue for (short) me. And unfortunately, hemming would destroy the print.

        • AnonInfinity

          I feel you. I once got a dress shortened that had a pattern at the bottom. The tailor had to completely reconstruct the dress, and the alteration ended up costing more than the dress. But it did look completely fab.

        • Always a NYer

          What about hemming it to that first solid line at the bottom? Yes, you’d lose some of the pattern but none of it would be cut in half, just a thought. I’m 5’11” so having something made shorter is a foreign concept for me. Usually I’m at the tailor to have everything taken down as much as the fabric allows.

    • Lisa

      All right, you got me out of my pyjamas here in California. I am wearing the dress as we speak. It hits me at mid-knee. I have only worn real midi skirts with boots, as I’d be stumpified too. I am not sure why the dress shows so long on the model, except perhaps her lack of flesh creates no detours from shoulder to knees.

  11. AIMS

    Love the dress. Love the personal experience with it. Love this shade of pinky purple with navy. I think the dress would also look great with a nice pair of wedges — at least on my 5’3 frame, a below the knee dress with flats would look a bit too stump-efying and I’s hate to ruin that gorgeous border with hemming. Great pick.

  12. 1L-1

    Threadjack! Today’s my BIRTHDAY, ladies! I turned twenty (I sometimes think I’m the youngest here). To celebrate: I don’t have college today (I’ll be in law school next year), I woke up “late,” took a long shower with brand new birthday body wash (thanks Sephora!) – gotta celebrate the little happy things too! – am wearing my new looks like real diamond studs earrings, my favorite blue shirt…OH! and nude for me pumps :)

    Two questions for the ladies:
    1. What little things are you celebrating today?
    2. Any advice? Fun advice, life advice, it’s all good!

    • MsZ

      Happy birthday!

      1. I am (secretly) celebrating being 11 weeks pregnant!

      2. Sounds like you are well on your way to happiness, with your awareness of celebrating the little things. As for other advice — if my calculations are right, you are a year or two ahead of your peers on your school/career trajectory. I was also a year ahead (graduated college in 3 years thanks to AP credits and careful class selection, to save money) – and I regret not taking a gap year to study abroad, hike the Appalachian trail, waitress and live with roommates in Manhattan, etc. While simultaneously applauding your drive and success, I would recommend that you take your 20s up on all the the silliness and adventure that they offer. There are very few bad decisions you can make in this decade of your life that would truly derail or haunt you going forward. Have fun!

      • b23

        I agree 100% with MsZ. I am jealous of people who did Teach for America, or studied in Europe, or worked for a congressman in D.C. or a non-profit in New York, or got a masters in something fun at some fun school, or went to culinary school in France. And now, about four years out of law school, their “lost” year is completely irrelevant. You’re just in such a rush to get started with your career, but later you realize how silly that is. And it is particularly true because you are young.

        • Anon

          Teach for America a lost year (two years)? Interesting. I did it. It was very, very challenging. Definitely more so than law school. And it was great preparation for future jobs.

          • b23

            I obviously wasn’t saying it was a lost year. I was saying “lost” as in, you lost a year getting started on law school, which is irrelevant in the long run. I said I was jealous of people who did it.

      • Bonnie

        I graduated from college early and took time off before law school to work and travel in Europe. It was one of the best decisions of my life.

    • 1L-1

      oops! I meant kitten heels, my brain is so used to the word pumps after “nude for me”…

    • Lyssa

      Happy birthday! You sound so much more stylish than I was at 19-20! (Nude for me pumps! It was impressive if I even bothered to wear shoes at all then!)

      For advice, I’d say talk to a bajillion people doing things that you want to do in law school- ask professors to connect you with alumni in any field that interests you, so you can get as much imput as possible. Law school won’t give it to you. Don’t take out too much in student loans, and enjoy the fact that you’ll get out of law school and have time to establish a career and do whatever you want before you have to even start worrying about that fertility crap that everyone’s been discussing here of late.

      Also, use a lot of caution in your relationships- I was engaged at your age, and it’s worked out very nicely, but if that’s something that’s still far in your future, that’s fine, too, but try to avoid getting into a serious relationship with someone who doesn’t/can’t/won’t support your life goals (it’s not a knock on him if he can’t; sometime people just want different or non-complementary things).

    • MelD

      Happy birthday!

      2. I second MsZ’s suggestion that you don’t go to law school next year. Law school will be there in two years or five years or whenever you decide to go. The other options for life when you are in your early to mid-twenties will probably not be there when you’re older with student loans and possibly a family. I was a little bit older in law school, but do not regret it one bit because I was able to live abroad for a few years and do other things prior to law school that other classmates never got to do because they rushed into it.

      • Lyssa

        I’ll actually respectfully disagree with the advice to take time off before school. I took four years off between college and law school, and I would prefer that I hadn’t. First, it was really hard to go back, particularly because I was in a pretty good job that had me used to a certain lifestyle, but stagnant, so I sat in holding for at least two years before I was able to get myself to actually bite the bullet and move. So there’s always the risk that an intention to take a year or two will wind up being a lot more. Second, for me at least, I’m now trying to pack in a lot of time doing everything that I feel like I *need* to do while I’m still young enough. I have to worry about paying off student loans, buy a house (well, sell a house in another city and buy a (hopefully) better one where I work now), worry about running out of time to start a family, worry about retirement, etc. I wish that I had planned in a way that I would have had a few years to devote to my career before I had to start worrying about all of that as much.

        Think about it: the birthday girl can always go to school, then she has it done. If she was reasonably responsible with loans, she can probably work just about anywhere she wants, and really play around with her career for a few years in her 20’s, including taking some time off completely if she wants to, without having to worry too much about the future. If it were me, I’d pick that option.

        • Little Lurker

          I think the difference between one gap year and four years “off” is huge, though. Having worked with underemployed adults in their late 50s and 60s, you’re doing just fine, Lyss. ;)

      • anonymous

        I agree. I started law school right after I turned 20 , I went straight through from college. If i had to do it again, i would have taken at least a year off and worked/traveled abroad before going to law school. I feel like I became an adult (with the adult law firm job) too quickly.

      • SF Bay Associate

        And start a 401k now – you’ll have an extra 5-10 years of compound interest over your peers who will start one in their late 20s. You don’t have to put a lot in. Just get it going.

    • conbrio

      1. I’m celebrating being healthy and having wonderful people in my life :)

      2. My advice: Moisturize. Everything. Always. And try to stay out of the sun. And try not to take law school too seriously.

      Happy birthday!

    • COS

      1. My daughter turns 9 today.
      2. Know how much it breaks your mother’s heart to see you grow older each year! :)

      • Anonymous

        Heh. This just reminded me to call and say Happy Birthday to my niece, who turns 8 today.

        I’m celebrating working from home today, although I’m doing so because I have a terrible cold.

    • Always a NYer

      Happy Birthday!!! Enjoy being 20, it goes by so fast ;)

      Advice – While having a plan for the future is great, allow yourself detours. If there is something that you’ve always wanted to do, do it now while you’re still figuring out who you are. Here’s a piece of advice my mother gave me that I’m only realizing now – you don’t so much regret the things you did as much as you regret the things you didn’t do.

      Again, happy birthday and spoil yourself today =D

    • Anon

      1. My sweet baby turns 7 months old on Thursday! I have been taking a picture of her every month with a stuffed animal and I can’t believe it is already time for another one! I also got a bunch of things done at work so far this week and that makes me happy to clear my schedule a bit.

      2. Enjoy your 20’s! I rushed into everything, and really wish I had taken time to travel alone, do things I wanted when I wanted, etc.

    • Cat

      Alternate perspective on your 20’s — from someone who didn’t take any time off before law school and actually doesn’t regret it, 4 years out — it’s ok to go after what you want and NOT take detours if you don’t want to. I had zero interest in pursuing a “dream” career, doing Teach for America or traveling the world on a shoestring (sorry, I just really don’t think hostels are that fun), and that’s ok too. (As it turns out in hindsight, thank goodness I didn’t take the suggested 2-3 years off, or I would be sitting on a massive pile of debt as part of the Lost Law School Grad Generation.) Maybe I’ll be criticized for being boring, but maybe I’m just a nerd inside that gets joy out of planning and security and similar boring things!

      Agree with the advice to sock away money, avoid loans if you can, and if you pursue BigLaw, live nicely below your means to dodge the golden handcuffs.

      • StraightThroughToo

        I so agree with this comment! I went straight from college to law school to big law, and everyone told me to take time off and do what I wanted to do. Well, I wanted to go to law school and be a lawyer! Just like Cat, if I had taken time off just because everyone told me to, I wouldn’t have gotten the great job I have now, I would have debt (b/c nothing I would have done instead of going to law school would have paid the bills), I wouldn’t have a house, and I wouldn’t have met my husband.
        So it just bugs me how when a student says they are planning to go straight to law school, the default response tends to be criticism. Good for you, 1L-1, and happy birthday!

        And guess what? Nothing says you can’t have fun in your late twenties!

    • Equity's Darling

      Bonne Fete!

      I was you four years ago- I was 20, finishing my first degree and on my way to law school. Now I’m all done and articling. Trust me, it’s weird graduating law school at 23.

      Honestly, I do wish I had taken a year off, but, I did go on exchange in law school which I think helped calm my feeling of rushing through life- but I still have the feeling sometimes.

    • S in Chicago

      1. I’m having a whoopee pie later tonight to celebrate that my new enewsletter went ou (I work in publishing and spent the past month developing concept, working on content, fighting with a content management system that doesn’t like my video links, etc.).

      2. Wear sunscreen each day. And if you don’t like to wear it, then find one that works for you. I just discovered physical sunscreen this past year (chemical always made me look greasy and irritated my skin so I would never wear any unless out at the beach or some other specific day-long sun activity). Wish I had known about this when I was 20. I probably wouldn’t be spending so much money on microderms etc. at 37.

    • Little Lurker

      Only a little bit older than you!

      2A. Remember that the senior year freak out is just that — a freak out. Everyone goes through it, unless they’re in complete denial. Those kids flame out much worse AFTER they graduate.

      2B. Without having read all the advice, my friends who took a year off before law school were much happier for it. They were/are gunners too, but school hurts your brain sometimes.

      2C. On average, it is taking my competent, qualified friends 7 months to find secure employment. Regardless of industry. Work all your connections, even if you don’t think you’ll need them yet.

      1. Today I’m celebrating the fact that I can take the work computer outside for fresh air on my break. ;)

      Happy birthday!

      • Little Lurker

        to clarify — the “gap year” my gunner friends take is not traveling the world in 180 days (although awesome), it’s working/interning in another area that interests them. Media internships, Americorps, PR projects, trying to start that side business, fashion blogging…

      • 2L

        Happy Birthday! You sound like a very intelligent and stylish young woman! Although I worked for several years before law school, and am glad to have had the “real-world” experience that work brings, I think that you can also be very successful going directly into school from undergrad, based on what I’ve seen from classmates.

        Today, I’m celebrating winning my first Moot Court competition last night! It was an internal competition to determine the members of the Moot Court board. Going to my point above, my opponent in the final was my good friend who just turned 22 last year in her first year of law school. And we were both awesome (I personally think she should have won and was kind of shocked when I did, but that may have something to do with the fact that I don’t remember ANYTHING that I said to the judges at all!)

        I celebrated by getting my first gel manicure this afternoon. It looks beautiful but I hope it lasts as long as they say it will, because it wasn’t cheap! However, if it really does last 2-3 weeks as they say, it ends up being about the same as a once-a-week manicure would be. I am completely incapable of painting my own nails w/out making a mess out of them!

        Have an amazing birthday!!!!!

    • Cat

      One other thing that I considered in deciding to go straight through:
      knowing that for every year I delayed law school, I was also delaying the BigLaw salary – and without crunching the numbers I’m guessing tuition has gone up faster. I also wanted to set myself up to pay off my $170K (ah, private education) in loans prior to wanting to have kids and start saving for THEIR education, needing to move to a house and buy a car, etc. Happy to be working my way down through five figures now…

      • 1L-1

        Thank you so much everyone for your good wishes and excellent advice! It was an awesome birthday, and I look forward to implementing a lot of your ideas this year!

        Best wishes to all,
        1l-1

  13. MsZ

    Love this! If I were wearing this dress (or even had the funds to own it) I would look SO much happier than the model does.

  14. Nancy P

    I always worry about silk — i.e. if I sweat, it’s game over. Would that hold true for “silk jersey”?

    • viclawstudent

      Ugh, I have this same problem too – and had it with a silk shirt I was wearing under a blazer for during an interview, and was nervous the whole time that a scenario would come up where they’d want me to take the blazer off … is this a common problem with silk? Can anything be done?

  15. Blonde Lawyer

    Ladies,

    My 30th birthday is approaching and my husband would like to buy me a watch in the $200-$500 range. I am loving a couple ESQ by Movados but they all have ESQ on the face. So my question is, is it tacky for a lawyer to have a watch that says ESQ on it? I don’t mean for the in your face label thing. I mean since ESQ normally follows a lawyers name. I work with a lot of regular old Plaintiffs that won’t know the brand who will likely think the ESQ for me would be like a doctor having MD on their watch. Thoughts? In particular I am looking at these two:

    http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=583920&CategoryID=57423&LinkType=#fn=GENDER%3DFemale%26STRAP%3DStainless%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D34

    http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=463570&CategoryID=57423&LinkType=#fn=GENDER%3DFemale%26STRAP%3DStainless%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D34

    Thoughts? I’ll take other recs for stainless and black. I saw a gorgeous Swiss Army but it might be out of our price range.

    • Samantha

      I think it would not be in your face at all. To anyone who noticed (and that would be unusual, since they’d have to be very close to you to read the name on your watch), and thought about it, it would be funny wordplay.

    • TX Attny

      I have an ESQ watch and never thought of the esquire connection until you mentioned it. Fun!

      I don’t think others will think you had your watch monogrammed or anything. I can tell you that my watch has held up wonderfully well – I’ve had it 6 years and replaced the battery once.

    • C

      I’ve never thought of that connection either. I would suggest, however, that you try to track down a Movado outlet if you want the real thing. I got a usually $1000+ watch for $300!

      • 2L

        I second this! I don’t think my Movado would run 1,000 retail (maybe around 500- it’s a bracelet style, so not a lot of metal) but I got it for under 200 at a Movado outlet. I love it- very simple and timeless. Try to find the outlet if you can! Someday, in the distant future, I’m going to return to that outlet and buy the titanium Movado of my dreams (which was about 1900 at the outlet!!!)

    • Herbie

      I don’t think anyone will notice the ESQ or make the connection. Love both that you linked to.

  16. Blonde Lawyer

    Since my comment is awaiting moderation – here is my post minus the links. My second post will wind up on here somewhere with links to the watches in question.

    Ladies,

    My 30th birthday is approaching and my husband would like to buy me a watch in the $200-$500 range. I am loving a couple ESQ by Movados but they all have ESQ on the face. So my question is, is it tacky for a lawyer to have a watch that says ESQ on it? I don’t mean for the in your face label thing. I mean since ESQ normally follows a lawyers name. I work with a lot of regular old Plaintiffs that won’t know the brand who will likely think the ESQ for me would be like a doctor having MD on their watch. Thoughts?

    • conbrio

      I don’t think it would be tacky, and I don’t think others would think so either. It would be lovely to have a really beautiful watch :)

    • Backgrounder

      I’m not an attorney (I work with a fair number) but I have the Movado ESQ Venture in stainless steel and I love it. It’s a rounded square, classic but modern shape and size. The ESQ isn’t very big so I don’t think it would be “weird” per se to have ESQ on the face.

      Just my $.2

    • AtlantaAttorney

      LOL. I AM an attorney, obviously from my handle, but I followed your question in complete confusion until you noted esq is short for esquire. So my answer is no – ESQ is a very well-known watch and I don’t think anyone would even remotely connect with “esquire.” Go for it!

      (I actually have an ESQ watch, it’s about 13 years old and still classic looking).

    • Lydia

      Funny. I am a lawyer and would have never thought about that before. I guess I would just get it if I wanted it. Esq. after a lawyer’s name is not common knowledge – at least not as much as MD. If your clients don’t know ESQ is a brand, they probably would not know it is practice to put it after a lawyer’s name. Also, a lot of clients would not be checking out what brand of watch you are wearing.

  17. Esquirette

    I like the dress but I always wonder about such boldly patterned dresses. I have one with a similar color scheme, very conservative in cut, but I still feel like a walking rainbow in it. I’ll have to see about trying it with a jacket but it’s a wrap dress with a collar and 3/4 length sleeves so I’ve steered away from layering.

    Other styling suggestions requested from you stylish women:
    1. What shoes do you wear with flared jeans (i.e., not over-the-top bell bottoms)? I just got a great pair delivered but, when I tried them on with some heels (want the height for this hem length), I wasn’t quite thrilled with the look. I’ll try on a variety this weekend but suggestions are welcome!

    2. I just got a pair of heels that I am wondering how to style for work. They’re mules, elongated toe box but not pointy (slightly squared off), and about 2″ high. The color is the issue: cream with robin egg’s blue accents. They’re gorgeous but, after my impulse buy, I now can’t think of work appropriate looks with this color scheme. I generally don’t dress like I’m heading off to an Easter egg hunt and that’s now what I think of when I see this color scheme. :(

    TIA!

    • don't need a boyfriend

      What about reproducing the colors, but more darkly in an outfit of caramel and navy?

      Maybe also a green outfit? Or golden yellow if your coloring permits?

    • MelD

      1. I’d wear boots instead of heels. You may need to try a few styles to find one that works.

      2. I would wear khaki/tan with the shoes you mention. I think khaki and robin’s egg blue look good together.

    • Ellie

      I really only wear flared jeans when I’m wearing fashion sneakers (i.e. Pumas, Sauconys) on super casual days– think to a hockey game. I prefer straight leg jeans, which work with ballet flats and heels, and are still comparatively wide at the opening considering the current trend of jeggings/matchstick jeans. Wish more places sold straight jeans that were in between matchstick and boot cut.

    • CN

      I love wearing flared jeans with heels to elongate the leg. I’ve found it only works if the pant is hemmed long and covers the shoe up to the toe box. Otherwise the shape of the flare is juxtaposed with the skinny foot and heel coming out and it ruins the look. Try finding a shorter heel or let the hem out if you can for your higher heels.

    • Cat

      Re the flared jeans: I think there was a reason they came into style together with pointier heels. It’s easy for rounded toes to get lost or not show enough of the shoe at the bottom of a flare.

      Re the cream/blue shoes: Gray dress, pants or pencil skirt and a blue or green blouse or sweater?

    • Laura #2

      On a somewhat similar note, what shoes would you wear with bootcut cords?

      • Hel-lo

        Danskos.

        I would also wear them with the flare jeans.

        Ok, I wear Danskos with everything, but that’s because I’m in the northwest.

    • Esquirette

      Thanks all! Great suggestions.

      Re: the flares: Considering how little time I spend in casual clothes, I have way too many pairs of jeans — all kinds of styles. There was something about these flares that I liked, not really retro and with a sleek, modern look (at least, I think so on me). In case anyone is interested, they’re the Ginger style from Citizens from Humanity. I actually think I’ll wear them on casual Friday sometimes — they’re a really dark, clean wash. I tried them on with 3.5″ heels and I think they were just a half inch too short — so a bit too much shoe showed. I’m leaning towards heels for them because I’m not all that tall and I’m pretty sure that the elongating effect of the wide leg will turn into a stumpifying effect if my feet were flat on the ground!

      • Esquirette

        Typo: Citizens *of* Humanity

        Postscript: 1. Tried the jeans with a slightly lower heel and got the look I was hoping for. 2. I think tans, navys and greys will be the lynchpin colors for making these shoes work. I think I might need to do a bit more shopping. :D Thanks ladies!

  18. materfamilias

    Why, Lisa, that’s getting very close to Artsy Cousin territory. And yet Sturdy in its simplicity. I love this dress and could see it fitting in well at my more casual workplace as well. I don’t do belts well, though (v. short-waisted) and wonder if it would work for me. I’m sure it will be gorgeous on you, though, and surprisingly practical as well.

    • SF Bay Associate

      Lol that’s exactly what I thought too – Sturdy Gal dabbling in Artsy Cousin. I love LPC’s word choices.

      I have a Tory Burch silk jersey dress and am in love with it. It’s so comfortable, doesn’t wrinkle, and isn’t super thin. I agree that some sort of shapewear is friendly, not so much to slim or squeeze, but to add smoothness of whatever dimensions. Plus, I find shapewear helps keep me warm :).

    • Kanye East

      If I may speak for the group, those of us who consider ourselves The-Artsy-Cousin-Who-Went-To-Law-School-Anyway don’t mind this a bit.

      • Equity's Darling

        Here here! I’m mildly granola. But I work in big law. This is a perfect Friday dress for me! Plus, my skin is only a tinge lighter than the model’s, so I’m sure it’ll be a great colour:)

  19. conbrio

    Threadjack/PSA: I’m so thrilled with Pilates. I’ve been doing individual sessions for about three months now, 2 or 3 times a week, and I can’t believe the results – I look and feel better than I have in a long time, and all of the suits in my closet that were too small for me now actually fit! I pay $55 per session, which seems steep, but it’s really, really worth it, and feels like a worthwhile long-term investment in my health. I go to San Francisco Pilates in the Flood Building, and can’t speak more highly about it. It’s made such a difference in my life that I just want to evangelize about it all the time!

    • Anon 3L

      I love pilates! I’m going back to it after trying P90X but not liking the results. Pilates is so much better for my body type. Congrats on your achievement! If I still lived in SF, I would join you at the Flood Building. :)

      • rew

        How is p90X for a gal? Were you super in shape when you started? I have been very interested in trying it and would love some feedback.

        Thanks!

    • b23

      I agree about pilates. When I used to hear celebrities say that was what they did to stay thin, I was very skeptical. But then I started going and realized it is such a good workout! The class at my gym involves weights and those bands that you wrap around your knees; I am almost as sore afterwards as when I work out with my personal trainer, who kills me. And the stretching feels great.

    • Emily I

      Ditto: I loved my old Pilates class. Unfortunately, the awesome instructor no longer teaches and the new one is terrible. I’m stuck doing it on my own at home, which I haven’t done in a while. But now you’ve inspired me. I’m going to get back on track. After Baby #2, Pilates gave me my body back very quickly. I want to look that way again!

    • Bridget

      I just signed up for a short, 6-week pilates session to give it a try. I always loved circuit training and core building exercises, so I’m hoping this will be a good fit for me. Just coming back to starting up a fitness routine after a long (3 year) break, so definitely feeling nervous and intimidated! I’m looking forward to the classes even more now after seeing your review.

    • Nancy P

      Ok you are totally inspiring me to finally try it. Signed up for a private session so that I don’t look like a fool / strangle myself in a class.

      • conbrio

        Yay! You’re going to love it. For me, the first few sessions hardly felt like working out, because they were very focused on helping me learn how my body moves, where my deep core muscles are, how to be correctly aligned, etc. That knowledge is a huge, valuable investment that will really pay off later. By the time I got to my 10th session I was getting a pretty good workout and starting to feel my muscles strengthening and developing. By the time I got to my 20th session I was sweating my butt off and seeing my waist whittle like magic – seriously. I hope you find an instructor as good as mine, who really knows her stuff – you need to really be able to trust her to keep you safe while you’re doing things that could injure your back if not done correctly.

        I don’t know a lot about Pilates classes, although I did use the Living Arts Pilates mat videos several years ago and liked them. I think Netflix has a lot of exercise videos that you can stream on to your computer – that might be a good way to give it a try.

        I have to say, though, that the benefit from having a private instructor who is paying attention to your form, range, etc. and constantly coaching you is, in my opinion, immeasurable. I can’t believe how much I have learned from my instructor, and she really knows my body and what it does well and what it doesn’t do at all, and use that knowledge to design my sessions. I know some Pilates studios have small mat classes where you can still get a fair amount of individualized attention – I would think that would be a good bet also.

        Like I said, I’ve turned into a Pilates evangelist, and I really encourage everyone to try it!

    • ks

      This just inspired me to sign up for Pilates classes with the Groupon I bought 3 monhths ago. Now it’s real and I have to do it – yikes!

    • Anon

      I love Pilates! I have been doing it since college. Now with little kids, the 20 minute Winsor Pilates DVD is sometimes the only exersize I can squeeze in, but it makes such a difference. When I am really trying hard, that combined with running, gets me shape pretty quickly. Which reminds me that I should start doing it again for my friend’s upcoming wedding!

    • jcb

      What kind of pilates do you do? Reformer/Cadillac/Chair or mat? I loved the reformer/etc class I took for a year or two, and definitely was stronger and had better posture, but I never lost one pound. I wonder if mat class is better for weight loss.

      • conbrio

        My instructor uses the reformer, cadillac and chair, and occasionally some mat work. I don’t know if I’ve lost any weight, but I fit into a smaller size now.

  20. 2L

    Corporettes, I was inspired by a thread this past weekend about running/training and decided to start the Couch to 5k program this week! It’s going well so far (2 runs in). Thanks for the inspiration and support!

    • Ellie

      Congratulations! Keep it up. The first couple weeks are the hardest– it’s so much easier and more fun once you get even sort of in shape!

    • Nonny

      Good luck! (And I really mean it, not in a snarky way.) I just completed Couch to 5k myself, and I never ever thought that I would be able to do it. But I did! You *can* do it. Just stick with it, and don’t get discouraged by week 5, which is when I have heard a lot of people start giving up.

    • Anonymous

      I’m still hoping for a Corporette run/meet up at one of the big events!

  21. Batgirl

    This is such a granny post, but I’ve got terrible feet: any suggestions for a cute flat that I can wear to work that has good arch support and a tiny bit of a heel (I know that sounds like a contradiction–I don’t mean a kitten heel so much as a flat that isn’t, well, completely flat–maybe a small lift in the back?). Brand suggestions would be great! Thanks!

    • Nancy P

      I have a pair of Walking Cradles that I just love. They’re ballet flats with a small bow. The arch support is amazing.

      • MOR

        I love Walking Cradles, too! I don’t really have any foot problems, other than that my feet are a bit hard to fit properly, but I wore a pair of Walking Cradles flats all through my very touristy trip to Washington DC (museums, monuments, etc.), and my feet felt great.

    • Anonymous

      Talbots has one just like that now– even in pretty lacquer red as well as basics. It’s a “flat” rather than being literally flat.

      I love Gentle Souls and they might be something for you to browse & fall in love with, too.

    • Valleygirl

      Dr. Scholls – they have some ballet flats and pumps that aren’t totally fug (you do have to search though) – but they totally have saved my back/legs/feet and I use them for when I give four hour lectures. Also some of the cole haan air ballet flats but they do run a little narrow.

      • AIMS

        Also, check out Brooks Brothers flats (not ballet flats, but the ones denominated “flats”). They are quite comfortable (for me, anyway) and have the tiniest little heel. There’s a couple on sale now, and some cute new ones for fall, too.

  22. Just starting

    Does anyone know where to buy a Halloween cheerleading costume for NFL teams other than Dallas cowboys? Looking for women’s size.

    • Little Lurker

      dude, you can totally make one yourself for cheap.

      get the appropriate iron-ons, thrift a sweater/skirt in appropriate colors, etc…

  27. AD

    I’d been eyeing this online at Nordie’s for a few weeks. Sizing is S/M/L/XL – any ideas how Tory dresses fit and/or what body type they seem designed for?

    • Lisa

      AD – I wear a 4/6 in J. Crew sizing, a 40 in designers like Narciso Rodriguez, and this dress I bought in small. Fits well, although arms are a tad long. I’m 5′ 6″ on a tall day, 125lbs on an ate-too-much-yesterday morning. I think it’s simple enough to look good on most body shapes, X, O, A, V, etc., just depending on how comfortable you are with your particular weight distribution. Does require the right undergarments, however. Could be worn unbelted if needed.

  29. Ru

    Love, love, looooooooooovvve this dress. I’ve never tried Tory Burch (even tho it’s been recommended many times) but I just heart this. If this dress fit me properly, I would get the cut copied a dozen times with different fabrics. So pretty!

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