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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 149 Comments · by

Tuesday’s TPS Report: Davina Dress

The Personal Shopper (TPS) | ·

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Davina DressReader O writes in to rave about a purchase she made while in London: “I came across LK Bennett when I was still living and working in London and no trip to the UK is complete without a stop there. I cannot recommend this dress highly enough. It is super flattering (not only on myself but on every other woman I have seen wearing it!), the material is great, the dress is comfortable and it wears really well. I got mine in a classic black and am definitely going to get one in another colour (and I imagine the plum or indigo would really appeal to you).” Wow — it says a lot that it's available in 8 colors — and each one looks divine. It's available on the LK Bennett website for £195. Davina Dress Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-0)

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Comments

  1. AIMS

    I love this dress! I love LK Bennett. I am still lamenting the fact that I didn’t get an LK Bennett bag on my last trip to Europe just because I convinced myself I didn’t need another black bag…. But between the currency conversion & the shipping charges, this dress will not be seeing the inside of my closet. Here’s hoping they pull a Boden & become available for easy mail order stateside!

  2. b23

    That is flat-out gorgeous. I want it in every color. That’s the kind of dress that would transition perfectly from day to night.

  3. Bianca

    Hadn’t heard of this brand before but already found a million things I love. The LK Bennet website indicates Bloomingdales sells their goods. Has anyone seen their stuff at a B&M in the states?

    • found a peanut

      Yes, they sell LK Bennett at the 59th Street store, 3rd floor. The Nordstrom website also sells LK Bennett.

    • Cat

      I’ve seen it at the King of Prussia Bloomies. I really, really wanted to buy something – everything felt very nice – but I was having trouble finding pieces that didn’t feel a *touch* too “ladies who lunch” vs. professional wear. As in, I can see why the Duchess wears it – perfect for her life.

      This dress looks fabulous for work, however – hope it makes an in person appearance stateside!

  4. anonette

    I want to buy this dress in midnight and wear it with charcoal grey heels and swing around with my shiny hair while pretending I am Kate Middleton.

    Sadly, I don’t have 195 pounds + shipping to put towards this dream…

      • Cleocatra

        I *LOVE* LK Bennett clothes – am currently wearing Davina in blue and a 3/4 length LKB jacket from 2008.

        FWIW, I saw LKB shoes in Lord & Taylor in NY last week – also recommended.

        • DCJ

          Thanks for the tip — just checked the L&T website. They have several LKB dresses on sale + a 20% off coupon (NOV). So much for that shopping ban… ;-)

  5. a.k.

    Early threadjack: Paris hotels? Looking for something fairly simple, inexpensive ($250 or less per night), clean, with a premium on easy access to subway and rail. Thinking Latin Quarter, St Germain or near Louvre as possible areas.

    I remember this was in the comments many moons ago, but I can’t find it with search. Thanks!

    • Veronica

      I enjoyed my stay at the Hotel Des Arts in Montmartre just two weeks ago. Charming and reasonably priced, very short walk to the subway. If you go for it, I recommend the restaurant just down the street, Le Part Des Anges.

    • AIMS

      On my last trip we stayed at Hotel Observatoire Luxembourg. I can’t say it was my favorite hotel ever, but it fits all your criteria: It’s sort of in between Latin Quarter and St German (easy stroll to dinner in both areas), right next to the RER line (easy to get everywhere, inc. the airport), and very clean and nice. The rooms are within your budget, I think. Bonus – the hotel was recently renovated so all the rooms are very clean & modern & cute (and super tiny, but that’s just Paris). Very comfy beds, too. Staff was very nice & helpful. It’s right next to the Luxembourg Gardens, which also makes for a beautiful visit. I would say the only downside is — depending on your preferences — is it’s not smack in the middle of a busy area, which is good in that it’s quiet, but bad in that it’s a 5-10 min. walk to the more fun shopping streets. I only mention it because I was traveling with my S.O., and when we are together, I like to stay in places where it’s easy to say, “I will be in that shop across the street while you shower.” Here, it was just ever so slightly harder to coordinate that. If you decide to go for it, ask the hotel to give you a street facing the gardens, not facing the Blvd. St. Michele (it’s prettier & quieter).

      On my trip before that, we stayed in some hotel on the ile st louis, which I loved. Something about being on a tiny island in the middle of paris was just magic. If I can find the name of the hotel online, I will post.

      Also, I think staying by the Louvre might be tricky – it’s where the big fancy hotels are, but I am not sure how nice the non-fancy hotels there would be.

      • Awful Lawful

        My husband and I stayed at The Hotel Marceau on our honeymoon. I liked it a lot. The rooms are small, but that is typical Paris and the hotel has been recently renovated, which is nice. The location is great and the staff were very friendly, and most spoke English, which we found to be helpful.
        marceahttp://www.hotelmarceau.com/uk/index.php#

    • anon

      also looking for recs, so i’ll be watching this space. OP: there was a paris thread on September 6, 2011 … under a tweed jacket post :)

      i’m planning a trip too so i’ve been taking notes!

      • Anon

        Another plug for he Hotel Castille on Rue Cambon. Can’t say enough wonderful things about it.

    • Stepmom

      I stayed here in August 2010 with my fiance and two stepkids. It was clean, convenient (couple blocks from the Opera), great breakfast and about $250 night/room. Modern bathrooms and air-conditioning. Small rooms.

      Hotel GRAMONT
      22 rue Gramont
      75002 Paris
      Tel. : 00 33 (0)1 42 96 85 90
      Fax : 00 33 (0)1 42 96 19 70
      website:
      http://www.hotel-gramont-opera.com
      email:
      hotel.gramont@wanadoo.fr

    • Stepmom

      Once more to avoid moderation:

      I stayed here in August 2010 with my fiance and two stepkids. It was clean, convenient (couple blocks from the Opera), great breakfast and about $250 night/room. Modern bathrooms and air-conditioning. Small rooms.

      Hotel GRAMONT
      22 rue Gramont
      75002 Paris
      Tel. : 00 33 (0)1 42 96 85 90
      Fax : 00 33 (0)1 42 96 19 70
      website:
      http://wwwDOThotel-gramont-operaDOTcom

    • AEK

      Relais Christine, 3 Rue Christine 75006 Paris. Fabulous small hotel in the Latin Quarter, quiet little street but close to Metro and lots of great walking.

    • KateL

      I’ll put in a plug for apartment rentals and specifically VacationinParis dot.com. They are based in NJ and fedex you the keys/digi-code for exterior door prior to your departure.

      • CA lawyer

        I second apartment rentals. The service I’ve used and had great experiences with in Paris is Airbnb.

    • anon

      if you’re going for a while, I’d suggest looking into renting an apartment. I used Feels Like Home in Paris recently & the place was as-advertised/all on the up & up. I’ve also heard that Hip Paris is a good resource.

    • Lydia

      I stayed at the Hotel Fontaines du Luxembourg in June. It was a small boutique hotel with very reasonable rates. Great location in the Latin Quarter near the Sorbonne and the around the corner from the Luxembourg gardens. It is off the Rue St. Michel, but it is quiet because it is on a side street. There is a bakery around the corner and a restaurant right on the corner with delicious food. It is called Au Pere Louis. I would definitely stay there again. Metro and rail station to the airport are nearby.

    • AT

      Just stayed at the Hotel Edouard VI Montparnasse, and it was nice. Very clean, friendly staff, let me check in early, nice renovated bathroom with a really deep tub, free wireless, etc. Aside from the bathroom, it wasn’t particularly luxe, but it was a good value (got a pretty good deal on booking.com – my single room which had two twin beds pushed together was 135 Euros Saturday, and 95 Euros Sunday night), the neighborhood was busy and safe (though not uber-quaint), and it couldn’t have been more convenient for me. There was an entrance to the Montparnasse Bienvenue station right in front of the hotel which I used every time I left, but in my short time there I couldn’t figure out how to exit the metro from that entrance, but following the signs I would always pop up just across the street — so like a 2 minute walk.

      I thought the location was great because Montparnasse Bienvenue is a hub for the 4, 6, and 12, so you can take lines from there directly to:
      # 6 – Bir Hakeim (for the Eiffel Tower), Trocadero (direct, unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower from the other side of the river), Charles de Gaulle Etoile (Arc de Triomphe)
      # 4 St. Michel (near Notre Dame), Cite (on Ile de la Cite), Gare d’Est and Gare Du Nord (if you’ll be taking the train at all)
      #12 Pigale and Abbesses — both perfect if you want to wander Montmartre and go to Sacre Couer

      It’s also easy to do one transfer and end up at the Louvre, or really anywhere else you want to go. I was traveling solo and had a fantastic time. At most metro stations you can find an employee who will give you a pocket map of the metro, which is useful, but I downloaded a $2 app that doesn’t require wireless or data connection, and I could look up popular sites and click on the metro button and it would pop up with a map showing me where the nearest metro stops were to that site. Also had a regular street map of Paris, and a metro map. I found that easier and also liked that it made it less obvious that I was a tourist trying to find my way than had I been using a guidebook for locating things.

  6. Salit-a-gator

    I love this dress! The folded over pleat by the shoulder is beautiful and the side rouching seems like it would very forgiving (after the holiday eating fest that is). I’ve only heard of LK Bennet once before – they make the classic nude pumps worn by Catherine Middleton. Pretty high recommendation if you ask me. I’m hesitating to purchase, however, due to the price tag, shipping and European sizing. Here’s to hoping they pull a Boden like AIMS suggested.

  7. Always a NYer

    I’ve had my eye on this dress for ages and want it in black, midnight, magenta, and teal! I’m just looking for an excuse to visit relatives in London so I can go shopping across the pond =) LK Bennett also has a pair of gorgeous ballet flats that need to be in my closet. Here’s the link:

    http://www.lkbennett.com/shoes/courts/FLYORK002PATENT

    They’re pretty, right?

    • R in Boston

      I want so many of the lk bennet shoes. The pointed-toe loafers, any of the court shoes… alas, I don’t think they are at the Bloomingdales in the Boston area yet.

    • Cleocatra

      Tres pretty. I have them in purple and wore them as my wedding shoes, back in 02 … happy days!

  8. L from Oz

    I tried this on in London (in magenta), and it looked lovely (and flattering) even on short, fairly round me. I didn’t buy it because it was a titch expensive, but had I a slightly bigger budget, I would have done. (I have a dark purple dress from LK Bennett which I bought a few years ago which has worn really well and looks fantastic.)

    There’s lots of fantastic stock on their website – I just wish it was a bit cheaper!

      • L from Oz

        Not in comparison to the US, but I had the impression that it’s fairly true to size – at least this dress. My one from a couple of years ago was slightly generous, but not overly so. No idea about length, because I’m short enough that everything’s too long.

        (For those who are interested, the shop at St Pancras in London had plenty of size 18s, as my shopping companion was pleased to note. Don’t know how widely available they are at other outlets and online, but they do exist.)

  9. Nail polish question

    Ladies, yesterday’s nail polish thread left me with this question:
    Next week I’m traveling to a conference that is mostly for lawyers in my super niche-y area of law. Amazing networking opportunity both for my current client’s interests and for my future. Will be packing a charcoal/black themed wardrobe.
    Planning on getting a shellac manicure this weekend so I don’t have to worry about chipping when I’m there. I’ve gotten a deep purple shellac manicure before which I LOVE and looks great with my coloring and wardrobe but is that too “out there” for a networking opportunity? Should I suck it up and go with pink which looks fine but I find really boring? Any other color recommendations?
    Thanks!

    • CC

      I always say go boring. When you meet a ton of people, I tend to associate them with something. You dont want to be “stacey with the purple nails” you want to be “stacey that works in niche law.” When I make a choice I like to think. best case/worst case. There is no upside to the purple really, and a possible downside.

      Purple: best case: someone thinks im fashionable, thinks they look good
      Purple: worst case: someone thinks they are inappropriate, or just notices them instead of what im saying, or maybe thinks i dont look polished.

      pink: best case: nothing really
      pink: worst case: nothing really

      (Im assuming its a pale natural pink)

    • Queenie

      What do you mean by deep purple? If it’s really purply, like a grape, I wouldn’t wear it for networking. But if it’s more of a dark plum, I consider that more of a neutral and classic color and would definitely wear it – I don’t think plum is any different than a classic wine color.

    • PE Esq

      I think it depends on how far along in your career you are, as someone yesterday said she was a partner in biglaw and wore navy. The upside to purple is it would make you happy everytime you look at your nails!

      Maybe as a compromise you can do one of those mid-purply-mauves (like a dusty, muted purple tone?) that’s pretty in this season.

    • Monday

      I agree that you should err on the boring side. However, if pink will really bother you, would you consider a shade of brown? I have a toffee color that to me strikes a compromise between neutral and distinctive (and flattering but not girlie). There’s a lot of room to go very subtle with brown tones, depending on your skin color. I have worn it to interview and network, and as far as I know any failures were duly earned rather than being attributable to my nail polish.

    • Always a NYer

      What about grey? That’s been my go-to color recently. It strikes me as a good compromise between safe and different, not to mention it would also go great with your charcoal/black themed wardrobe.

    • Nail polish question

      Thanks for the feedback! It’s a dark plum/wine type purple. They actually do it by layering a red over a black. I was really skeptical when the manicurist started doing it but by the second layer it was definitely a muted dark purple.
      Also, I’m really early in my career and it’s a safe bet that I’ll be one of the youngest people at this conference. I guess I’m hearing that I should play it safer and go for a pale pink… Maybe I’ll get a bright blue on my toes or something to make me smile since I only wear close-toed shoes.

      • PE Esq

        Oh yes if you’re early in your career, and are female in a male dominated profession go subtle. Depending on skin tone, as someone suggested, taupe or toffee would be a subtle fall option, or as I suggested before, a dusty mauve if that looks good on you! But if your entire wardrobe for the trip is grey/black then maybe add some color with a camisole or brooch or something.

    • Tax Lawyer in Training

      Another nail polish question- I hardly ever wear nail polish, mainly because every time I take it off I notice that my nails look and feel horrible. I think the polish makes them lose their strength and ability to grow evenly. It takes a few days to get them back to normal. I don’t like the idea that painted nails will ruin my natural, unpainted nails. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it just because I use cheap polish? I really do like the look of nail polish!

      • Makeup Junkie

        I wear cheap and high-end nail polish and I don’t really have that problem, but I use cuticle cream every day even while wearing polish. Maybe that helps

      • Kady

        I have the same problem as you, so I stick to pedicures only. Would be interested if anyone has insights.

      • Jas

        Same here. No matter how gentle of a nail polish remover I use, removing the nailpolish seems to take the top layer of my nail off, even with a basecoat. I also use my fingers a lot, so can never keep nail polish for more than 3 days. I usually just don’t bother with polish, either.

      • MelD

        I have the same issue and haven’t found a way around it. It doesn’t matter if I do it myself or get a nice manicure, my nails look awful for about a month after I remove the polish. It is just not worth it to me. My nails are really weak and flaky even without polish. I have tried almost everything and just can’t seem to strengthen them.

      • PE Esq

        I never have this problem with nail polish, whether its cheap or high end. Does everyone having these problems take daily vitamins? I think a lot of nail issues are related to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

      • Queenie

        It’s probably the remover more than the actual polish. I also find that using colored nail polish without a base coat makes my nails turn yellowish. I also don’t do manicures for this reason.

  10. b23

    Threadjack: I’m going to Hawaii in December for the first time. We’re spending seven nights in Maui and two nights in Oahu (basically just to see Pearl Harbor). Any recommendations for hotels? We’d like to stay on the beach if possible and not spend an arm and a leg. Also, any must dos?

    • found a peanut

      In Oahu (specifically Waikiki) it’s not necessary to stay on the actual literal beach because the beach is public and even the “beachfront” hotels don’t provide beachfront amenities (i.e., towels and chairs) so you still have to schlep your own around. I stayed at a hotel 2-3 blocks from the beach and it was perfect.

      In Waikiki, go to Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling.

      In Maui it was much more important to stay beachside. There is a resort area called Lahaina where there are 4-5 hotels connected by a footpath that ended at a huge outdoor mall. There was a Hyatt and a Westin, and some others I don’t remember. It’s expensive though, definitely arm-and-a-leg territory.

      • SF Bay Associate

        +1 on Hanauma Bay. There are always coupons in the free Hawaii tourist guides in the newsstands all over Waikiki for companies that transport you to Hanauma Bay and back, and lend you equipment. Take the earliest time they offer – you want to be at the Bay by 8am to beat the crowds and to see the most fish. It’s a zoo by noon, and the fish hide from the throngs of people, so there’s nothing to see at that point.

        I think the Diamond Head hike is incredible, if you’re in shape for it.

        The Pearl Harbor memorial is beautiful, and deeply upsetting, at least for me. Schedule some time to absorb it, instead of rushing right away to the next activity which you might not be able to enjoy until you process.

        Hawaii beaches are *all* public property, on every island, with the possible exception of property grandfathered in before it became a state. I think the public property line is up to the high tide line. It’s in the state constitution, as I recall.

      • CSF

        When you go to Hanauma Bay, arrive early. They only let a certain number of people in at a time, and then they are done for the day. I believe you still have to watch a video on protecting the sea life before they will let you in. Absolutely recommend it though.

        I also recommend hiking Diamond Head if you are at all inclined to hike. It will be hot and lots of people and tiring, but it’s a pretty amazing view. I’m sure there are better hikes, but this one is kind of commercially.

          • Formerly Preggo Angie

            I remember that! OMG, I haven’t thought about that in years… must be time to go again!

    • Ashley

      If you’re open to an alternative, we stayed at a condo, directly across the sidewalk from the beach! It was amazing, with two bathrooms, a living room, full kitchen, and private patio for less than the cost of a hotel. It also had a washer and dryer (we didn’t use these as we’d packed plenty, but still).
      It was great to be able to cook our own breakfast and enjoy coffee in the gorgeous morning weather on our patio. It was quiet and convenient, with plenty of parking. We had a massage therapist do a private session in our living room, and it was great to be able to roll off the table, right onto the couch! I can’t recommend the condo enough :)

        • TCFKAG

          VRBO has tons of Hawaii condos. We rented one near Lahaina through them.

          Pay close attention to the pictures, some of the condos are quite dated. If you don’t care so much about that — then the condo is the way to go!

          Also, do the Road to Hana (its very cool) and if you have nerves of steel, keep going and do the rest of the loop around the South Hana highway. Its scary, but even prettier then the regular part. Though part of it is unpaved, so there is a chance it will void your rental car agreement….and have plenty of gas. :-P

          We also went snorkling at the beach in Kapalua (where the Ritz is) and it was beautiful. We had lunch that day at the Pineapple Grill (in the Ritz complex) and it was amazing (delicious and really not all that expensive).

          Have fun!

        • Ashley

          My Bing-ninja husband found it actually :) I’ll have to ask him for a link, but I’m pretty sure he just did a search for “Maui Condos”. He found an awesome condo near Key West, FL, for our upcoming Christmas trip with his family by searching “Key West Condos”, so I’d definitely recommend a quickie search (I’ll find a link and post it later to avoid moderation).

      • Ashley

        Ha! Shouldn’t have posted so soon, I just remembered the name of the place we stayed: Kamaole Sands. http: //www.mauicondo (dot) com/resorts/kamaole-sands/. This site has links to several other properties as well.

        Re: dated-looking condos, I would say Kamaole was not the most contemporary look, but we don’t care about that at all. For us, it was proximity to the beach, budget, and cleanliness. Kamaole was a great option for all three.

    • SunnyD

      Thanks for posting this question! I was going to post it this weekend as a friend is getting married in Maui next September and I’m trying not to spend my entire salary on 10 days of lodging.

    • Cee

      Ah, posting too quickly.

      Here’s a short version of my earlier post.

      I think the Westin at Kaanapali was the best of all worlds for us. Nice hotel, great beach access, lots to do in the area. Waailea is nice, but there’s not that much to do in the area but spend money (expensive shops, restaurants). Drive up for the day and visit the spa at the Grand Wailea.

      • Anonymous

        I stayed in Kaanapali at the Sheraton and loved it. I was looking to stay within Starwood for points, and research on Flyer Talk indicated that the Westin is more family friendly because they have a great kids pool area–so if you want less of the kiddos, the Sheraton is better than the Westin. I ran the entire Kaanapali “trail” in the mornings and I think the Sheraton had the nicest grounds if you like to see landscaping in addition to beach. The Hyatt looked to be the nicest overall.

        Whaler’s Village is the shopping center in the middle of the Kaanapali strip. Decent shopping, but food selection is little limited for more than a few days, so we went into Lahaina frequently for dinner. The Starwood hotels (Sheraton, Westin, and Westin villas north of Black Rock) have a shuttle that will take you into Lahaina, but we found driving to be much more convenient. You can park in some of the shopping center lots and get your parking validated by making a small purchase at the shopping center. Picking up a $2 pack of gum and being able to come and go as we please without having to stop to pick up other people was much nicer, but the shuttle works if you don’t have a rental car the entire time.

    • Ashley

      Also, I highly recommend finding your own snorkeling adventure vs. going out on a boat to do one. There’s amazingly clear water all over, and cool coral, fish, and even turtles. We did a scuba adventure (our first time to scuba). It was a two-part dive, and since we weren’t certified, we snorkeled during the first part. The waves were pretty rough, and the wildlife wasn’t nearly as cool as snorkeling in a few protected areas on our own. HIGHLY recommend scuba if you’re remotely adventurous! That one dive made us decide we MUST get certified, because it’s freakin’ awesome :)
      We also found this amazing botanical garden on our way up the Road to Hana. There was a little sign on the side of the road for it, so we figured, why not? Great choice to stop, we took some amazing pictures of the coast, plants, and waterfalls.
      I think the biggest thing is to be open to random excursions. The whole island is beautiful, and there’s tons of hidden experiences if you’re willing to go a little off the map or tourist guides. Part of that may just be our personalities :)

    • Lydia

      In Oahu, I stayed at the Outrigger Reef which is centrally located in Waikiki Beach and had good rates. I would recommend it. In Maui, we stayed in a condo – it was across from Kamaole Beach Park II or III, but I can’t remember the name. The Grand Wailea is expensive, but if you want to splurge, visit their spa. It is beautiful and the massage I received there is probably the best I’ve ever had.

      • Diane

        My husband stayed there for three months while he was deployed to HI (I know, so sad), and had a great experience. Also the Outrigger in Maui is nice, but a few blocks off the beack.

    • Diane

      For an off the beaten path experience in Maui, make reservations to tour and eat at O’o Farms. They provide the produce for two of the nicer restaurants in the touristy area, and every day they do a tour of the farm and then fix lunch from whatever is in season. Gorgeous view, great food and just something different. It was one of the highlights of our trip!

    • Hel-lo

      I also recommend getting a condo. You can eat your breakfast (pineapple) and lunch (pineapple) at home and then go out for dinner. There are farmers markets everywhere that will sell you good food, and normal grocery stores too. I have gone twice and gotten good deals through http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/hawaii .

      The best guidebooks are the “Revealed” books. Maui Revealed, Oahu Revealed, etc.

      The best things to do on Maui involve renting a car and driving around.
      1. Drive to the top of Haleakala volcano. If you can do it at sunrise, awesome, but if not (I didn’t), it’s still really cool. But bring your winter coat.
      2. Drive around the West/north side of the island, like up past Kaanapali, back to Kahului where the airport is. The rental car company will tell you not to take your car there, but there are tons of rental cars over there, and you’ll survive.
      3. Drive to Hana. Take all day.
      And…
      4. Spend the night in Hana. Most people drive the highway and do not spend the night. The last time we went to Maui, we spent the night, and our place in Hana was so gorgeous and relaxing that we decided that we’d stay the entire week in Hana next time. There’s not much that’s touristy there, but we liked just renting a bungalow, cooking our own meals, and reading novels on the porch, surrounded by beach and palm trees. It felt like I was living in the jungle.

    • Amy H.

      I agree with much said above . . . including the recommendations for the “Blue Books” — Maui Revealed and Oahu Revealed.
      For Maui, I strongly prefer Kaanapali over Wailea. It’s more affordable and there is more to do (at least of what I want to do). There are tons of beachfront restaurants and shops within walking distance along the lovely beachwalk path. My understanding is that in Wailea, you’re more stuck at one particular resort unless you want to get in your car and drive somewhere.

      I’ve stayed at the Hyatt Maui (which is at the south end of Kaanapali Beach), two years running and think it is stellar. The Sheraton (right next to Black Rock) is also gorgeous, and is the other place I’d consider staying if not renting a condo. The Hyatt has good deals through Costco Travel from time to time (some of which include the great breakfast buffet and/or a rental car) and overall it’s slightly less expensive than the Sheraton. I went running every morning along the beach path, around the back of Black Rock and back on the road next to the golf course. My favorite luxury when staying in Hawaii is getting to fall asleep to the sound of the waves breaking on the beach, and you definitely have that in the oceanfront rooms at the Hyatt. (I’ve read that’s true for the rooms in the buildings on top of Black Rock at the Sheraton as well. Otherwise, though, the beach in front of the Sheraton buildings has no waves. It’s like a reflecting pool — which makes it the better location for snorkeling, if that is one of your priorities.)

      In Waikiki, I love the Halekulani, but it’s pretty pricey. You don’t need an oceanfront room to hear the waves, though — partial oceanview is fine. The Kahala resort is beautiful and right on the beach as well; it’s far from Waikiki. More peace and quiet, but a lot less nightlife and no fancy restaurants. It’s all about what you’re looking for!

      • Amy H.

        P.S. If you decide to stay a night or two in Hana, I recommend my friends’ two rental cottages — Google “malanai” and the first listing should be for “The Guest Houses at Malanai.”

        If you don’t need to be on the Waikiki side (and have a rental car, which I presume you will for visiting Pearl Harbor), I’ve also had very good results renting guest cottages from Beach House Hawaii. All their cottages are steps from Waimanalo Beach, which is miles of very uncrowded sand — pretty much the exact opposite of Waikiki! Waimanalo is on the windward side of Oahu, near Kailua.

  13. MissJackson

    If I had not already completely blown my clothing budget for the month at the Nordstrom sale, I would buy this dress in a heartbeat. Gorgeous! I am just barely resisting.

    • Clerky

      Same, but I plan on returning most of my loot. I’ve been fairly disappointed with the Nordstrom purchases I have received so far. Maybe that’s actually good because I bought way too much!

  15. Anons

    I need advice about how to transform a US legal resume into a UK legal CV. I currently work in-house in the US and recently met an executive of a UK company that I’d love to work for who indicated that he would be interested in hiring me. I plan on sending him my resume, which is a typical US resume. I was wondering if I should change it to a CV, and if so, how much should I transform? Changing it would show that I’m familiar with UK business norms (although I’m not really). Otoh, he knows that I have a US background, and changing it but getting it wrong would probably be worse than not changing at all.

    I’ve done some research and some of the differences that I’ve noticed are: a. 2 pages as opposed to 1; b. high school info/grades are included; c. interests section is a lot more detailed/specific; d. job descriptions are a lot more detailed (to fill those 2 pages). However, most of the advice that I found was for students/recent grads, not experienced professionals.

    In sum (sorry this is so long), should I change my resume? If so, how much should I change? Thanks!

    • Tika55

      Maybe you could do both? Send your U.S. resume and then also say that you have included an expanded C.V. in case that is of interest to him?

  16. Two cents

    This dress is gorgeous! Love that forest green color on the website. I bought one L.K. Bennett dress that was a convertible sort of dress and it did not work for me at all. But it seems like others like the brand, so it might be worth revisiting. Any thoughts on sizing?

  17. Diana Barry

    The picture on the Nordstrom website doesn’t look as good as the LK Bennett picture. Why is that?

    Question for the pregnant/recently pregnant corporettes – I need one more pair of work pants. I have black, grey herringbone, and super dark charcoal/almost black. What color should I get, and from where???

    • anon

      no help on the pants but i agree, the nords photo makes the dress look kind of cheap and unflattering. i’m sure it’s not, but the styling, the model, and the lighting are not doing the dress any favors.

    • s

      I thought the same thing. Do you think because it’s listed as crepe on LKB site and a polyester mix on Nordies? Is it the same dress in a different fabric?

      • law talking girl

        “Crepe” refers to the weave of the fabric, so a crepe fabric could be made of anything, including polyester, wool, or silk.

    • Bunkster

      The one at Nordstrom is called “Dr. Davina” so maybe it is different.

      • Abigail Joan

        The Nordstrom “Dr. Davina” is the same dress – L.K. Bennett’s label says “DR” before Davina as a product code for dress – someone at Nordstrom must have assumed it was part of the name. I figured this out because LK Bennett has an Abigail dress that I looked at extra closely — my name is Abigail, so I was pondering whether it might be fun or a little odd to have a dress with your name.

        I was particularly amused by the name “Dr. Abigail” — so formal! — until a moment of clarity when I realized that DR is just the product code. The store didn’t have the Abigail dress in my size, so I can’t report back about how it looks on.

    • Ann

      The LK Bennett site has the dress on a supermodel shaped mannequin. The Nordstrom site has the dress on a catelogue model in an unattractive, quirky, come-hither pose.

    • JJ

      Gap has become my stand-by for maternity pants. Maybe a camel/brown/brown tweed color?

  18. Vivian

    I own this dress in a light grey (which appears to have sold out online) and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. That said, I wear it with a black blazer to the office. Be aware that the dress is quite formfitting and a bit sexy for the office, but it’s perfect for going out after work when I can just remove the blazer.

    I also just purchased this LK Bennett dress on sale from nordstrom.com: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/l-k-bennett-tina-sheath-dress/3238180?origin=keywordsearch&resultback=570
    It is also extremely well tailored and comfortable.

  19. Maddie Ross

    Quick, someone tell me I do not need to buy a DVF dress on rue la la this morning!

    • Maddie Ross

      Nevermind. The dress sold out while I was contemplating. I guess that’s a good thing…

      • AIMS

        If you have a Neiman Marcus outlet store near you, go there. It’s rather random, but when they have sales you can really pick up some gorgeous DvF dresses for less than the cost of a full price Tahari ASL. I bought a silk wrap dress for $68 recently, and two black dresses for about $90 a piece.

      • fresh jd

        That must have been me! I was doing a little dance at my desk (in my head at least) when I scored a DVF dress this morning on rue la la that I had been stalking for more than half off!

  20. Contemplating Patent Law

    I’m currently a mentor to three undergraduates at my alma mater, all engineering majors. Two of my mentees are very responsible go getters, but one continuously slacks. He’s always the last to contact me of the three by far, thus giving me a lot less time to do what I need to do. I also hate to constantly remind him to submit things. I know their course load is difficult this semester, but it is appropriate to say something to him about this? If so, what should I say?

    I guess I could just consider it his loss for not making the most of this experience. At this point, if he asked me to be a reference for a job I would say no, but definitely would do it for the other two. The other two also repeatedly thank me for my efforts and state that they are glad to have met me.

    • TNT

      I’ve been on both sides of a mentoring experience through my alma mater. We had a program for female engineers to mentor female engineering students.

      If this is a formal thing, I think you should say something at least about how little time you get to do things that he needs.

      If it’s a less formal experience, as mine was, I’d leave it alone and take your cue from him. My goal was to always be available to any student who wanted to chat (even those who weren’t “mine”) but I let them take the lead on how much contact they wanted.

      I remember feeling very odd the one time I got an exuberant mentor when I was in the program as a student. I had a full course load and worked part time, and wanted to hang out with my peers when I had the time, not someone who was 10+ years older than me even if she was buying dinner. It felt like she wanted us to be pals and it just didn’t feel right. I wanted someone to talk to about professional things and to offer advice, read my resume, things like that, not make a new buddy.

      • Contemplating Patent Law

        Thanks! Yeah, this is a formal thing as part of a required class and I’m not proposing any conversations or meetups that aren’t part of the class, but would obviously be open to it if they wanted to. There are certain assignments they have (currently interviews with me and sending me their resumes to review and revise) and its close to the deadline. The other two have already completed everything and so far he has canceled one attempt to do the interview, and submitted me his resume (well after the other two did) in a format he surmised was unopenable, and indeed it was.

        • TNT

          Yeah, in that case, I’d definitely let him know that you understand that he is busy, but that you are too. I would let him know that you need his stuff at least one week (or whatever seems resonable to you) before it’s due so that you have adquate time to review it and provide feedback.

          If he doesn’t take the cue from that that you’re tired of waiting for him, then he’s made his own bed, and you shouldn’t have to chase him any more than his professors should chase him to turn in assignments.

          Learning to be responsible for your deadlines is part of the experience right? I have to admit being a little like him in college, but a few experiences of people who didn’t have infinite patience cured me of that really fast.

    • Tax Lawyer in Training

      I think that’s one of those situations where he is just choosing to slack. I would tell him that if he wants useful feedback on his assignments he can’t send them to you right before they are due (and I would also give him a timeframe in which he can expect the useful feedback). That way he knows that the only one losing out is him. If he continues, just say you didn’t have time to review it that close to the deadline.

    • Research, Not Law

      I’d first assess whether he’s truly a slacker or whether he just looks like it because your other two mentees are super enthusiastic. It doesn’t sound like it, but something to consider before you write him off.

      Agree with TNT and Tax Lawyer. Tell him that you need the assignment with a certain amount of time to provide feedback or he won’t get it. Say it in a way that focuses on meeting the deadline as his responsibility, not yours.

      A coworker was in a similar position. She chose to not say anything, but to only do what she could with what he gave on his own. He did not pass the credit. I agreed that she shouldn’t have been expending more energy than him, but it seemed harsh to not say something first.

      • Contemplating Patent Law

        update: I received the resume….it’s atrocious and he comes from a money area.

        He also had a really good high school class rank, and if he’s at my alma mater, a pretty good SAT score.

        Conclusion: slacker.

        • EM

          Whatever you do, don’t give him so many comments on the resume that it’s basically rewriting it for him….. If it were me, I might scan it and make a few global comments (like: check spelling throughout, make formatting uniform) and send it back requesting a revised draft. If he doesn’t, you’ve done your part without doing his work for him. What a bummer. If he comes from money, maybe he has a family job lined up? I went to high school with a guy whose father owned one of the major banks in the city I grew up in. He is now a VP of that bank, and he’s 34.

    • LadyEnginerd

      I agree with your diagnosis: indeed, he’s slacker! How I detest them. I am currently mentoring one now (the kind who wants you to give them the answers instead of help them ask the right questions).

      My vote is that you email him exactly one warning, telling him that you feel that he does not respect your time then detail your expectations for any future interactions (ie. assignments in 1 week before any meeting, 24 hours notice before cancelling, etc) and copy the professor/TA/responsible adult at your alma mater who has the power over this kid’s grade. Even if this is ungraded, likely, they were given some kind of speech about how they should respect their mentor’s time. If he’s ignoring it, said responsible adult wants to know that this kid is behaving badly and will likely be Very Unhappy that he’s representing your alma mater so poorly to an alum.

      If he shapes up, calling him on his behavior might actually be the most valuable thing you will do as a mentor. Given what you mention about his background, this might be the first time he has ever failed at anything, and it will be good for him to see that there are real negative consequences of his slacking. He might have managed to coast in high school and figures he doesn’t have to change his behavior in college/the ‘real world’. You owe it to him to make an attempt to nip this behavior in the bud, or he’ll continue to make himself and your alma mater look bad in the working work. And hey, it’s just one additional email on your end, so if it doesn’t change his behavior it’s not like he cares anyway… but at least you will have tried :)

      • Hel-lo

        If anyone is still reading this thread, I agree with LadyEnginerd. (Which is an awesome name, btw.)

        This kid may not know he’s doing anything wrong. He’s still learning.

        You’re his mentor. You should let him know that his behavior is not satisfactory. “You know, John, I really can’t read and return your resume in this amount of time. I’ve noticed that you’ve waited until the last minute on a couple other things, too. If you’re going to succeed in this field, you need to provide things to your supervisors/mentors/whoever with enough lead time to let them do their jobs well. You don’t want to look like the slacker here. You may have competitors that are doing it quicker than you, and it doesn’t make you look like the strongest candidate.”

        If he doesn’t follow your advice, that’s his problem. But at least now he knows.

  21. Cora

    I bought the Kate Spade Quinn (knightsbridge in graphite) during last week’s surprise sale. For some odd reason, I thought I had ordered it in black (I’m blaming the online photograph). Anywho, the bag arrived yesterday and its pretty, shiny, and dark grey. However, now I’m not sure what to do with it. It might be too shiny for daily trips to the law office. Do any of you ladies own this bag? If so, what do you usually wear it with?

    • Queenie

      One of my colleagues at my (law firm) office owns this bag in teal, and she carries it daily to the office. It is a beautiful, beautiful bag. I think the shininess enhances how classic and elegant it is. In a subdued color like dark gray, I wouldn’t think twice about taking it to court or a big meeting. Carry it with pride!

    • Kay

      A friend of mine who works in NYC Big Law carries a bag from this collection in the blue/teal color to work all the time. I think it’s fine.

      • EC MD

        I have it in teal (or one similar, the fall dark teal which I lure) and carry it all the time to my very casual mountain hospital. Other women practically salivate over it. In graphite which is also gorgeous, I would be totally comfortable, even in a slightly more formal setting.

    • Cee

      I would have no hesitation rocking that bag to my law office. It’s far more conservative than many of my bags.

      I love the kate spade sales. A little too much.

    • mamabear

      I’ve been carrying a gray bag all fall. I think it goes with everything! I wear a lot of black and it’s nice not to have one more black item in my ensemble.

  22. anon

    Threadjack!

    If you’re applying for a job and it only wants a resume and cover letter how do references fit into that? They aren’t mentioned anywhere on the posting and I don’t want to miss out because I didn’t submit them or submit them if the hiring people don’t want them at this stage?

    I am freaked out because this job is so absolutely perfect for me and I want to make sure I do everything right. This is the first “grown-up” job I’m applying for and my career center on campus is atrocious :(
    help!? thank you!

    • Tax Lawyer in Training

      Usually the reference check is the last thing an employer does before making an offer. When they need them, they’ll ask. Just follow the directions on the posting.

    • AnonInfinity

      I would not submit references. They will ask if they want them.

      I have never submitted references for a job unless specifically asked, and it has never been held against me.

    • kaydee

      Agree with the above. Don’t send them yet – and please remove the line “References Available Upon Request” if it’s in there. It’s completely unnecessary because, as commented earlier, the reference check is much farther down the road and it’s assumed that you can provide them.

    • zora

      agree with the above advice. Career centers are often atrocious, so I recommend checking out Ask a Manager dot com for fantastic and comprehensive job searching advice. Read the old posts in the job search/resume/interview, etc sections

  23. PhDs Advice?

    I am (hopefully) in the last stretch of my dissertation, while working full-time as a consultant. I have a self-imposed hard deadline, as I’m expecting a baby in March. I am terrified that I’m not going to finish before baby – any PhDs out there have advice for time-management in the home stretch?

    • Monday

      PhD here. I was not working (or pregnant) during my last few months ABD, but I did have to move out of town and so had a very firm deadline.

      I think the only universal is: make your schedule around whatever times/places you find to be most productive. Some people can’t get anything done at home, others can’t get anything done anywhere else. Some work best in the morning, some get going around 4 or 5 pm. Whatever your groove is, find it and go with it. Accept that these few months are going to be a little surreal, and while it’s important to stay connected to others, you will necessarily be a bit distant sometimes, and phone calls will not always be returned promptly.

      For me, it worked to make mini-deadlines as I went along. It helps give a sense of how different tasks fit into the big picture, and it also feels great to make one of these smaller deadlines at a time in which everything else about the process is just amorphous and infinite!

      Also, if you have any dissent coming from anyone on your committee, get it out in the open now and respond immediately so you don’t get any last minute surprises that will slow you down or, G* forbid… You know what I mean. That won’t happen though!

      You can do it! Congrats and good luck.

    • Research, Not Law

      Completely agree with all this.

      Communication with you committee is crucial.
      — Make sure they are aware that you want to be done in March and remind when appropriate. They may be on committees for other students and the details of each are easily lost.
      — Get a clear sense of when they need drafts, etc to feel comfortably prepped to give complete feedback. Set deadlines based on that information. You want them to have adequate time to bring up anything fishy as far in advance as possible. Get them as much as you can, as soon as you can.
      — Similarly, don’t go into your defense with any surprises. Your committee should be on board before you enter the room.

      Use your committee chair as best you can. Obviously don’t abuse the relationship, but realize they are a tool, especially for working out kinks with dissenting committee members.

      Agree to the point of working where/when you are most efficient. So true.

      I’d add that your support network needs to understand this is top priority. Partner should be doing meals, laundry, housework, etc. Family and friends should know that you will drop off the face of the earth for awhile.

      GL! You can do it!!

    • Anon

      Like Monday, I was moving out of town after completion of my PhD (and no kiddos), so I also had a hard deadline. I found I was my most productive at my house from like 10 pm to 3 am. I just let my advisor know I was writing, and I may or may not make it in to the office some days. I think this time is so stressful in general, you need to do whatever you can to keep yourself comfortable and calm. Figure out how you work best and just do that. Don’t apologize to anyone for it either. It’s in your best interest (and your baby’s!) for you to finish on time and the only way you’ll do that is if you are working in an environment that is most productive for *YOU*.

    • PollyD

      Agree with finding the times and places where you work best. I found a floor in our medical library that was sunny and seldom used, and worked well there. But sometimes I found that the student lounge area was a good place to be. I also found, as did many of my fellow dissertation-writing peers, that sometimes just half a beer (or small amount of other alcohol of choice) was enough to get out of the ohmygod I WILL NEVER FINISH THIS cycle, and relax enough to get some writing done. Oh, I guess since you are pregnant this may not be good advice for you, but maybe it will be helpful to someone else!

      I’d also give myself permission to write crap – it’s easier to go back and fix something up than start from scratch. I’d write things colloquially, like “we wanted to show that loss of growth hormone would really mess up expression of this gene” and then go back and write it in sciencespeak – but at least I got the idea down and could go back and pretty it up.

      Good luck to you! Also, don’t be surprised if you feel a bit let down after your no-doubt successful defense. It can be a little anti-climatic.

      • Anon

        That’s great advice. I totally wrote stream of consciousness just so I had my thoughts down. Then I’d go back and rewrite and reorganize after the fact.

    • N.

      While I was finishing up my PhD I kept a daily log of how many words I wrote, because writing is quite hard for me (as opposed to research or data analysis). It did help keep me on track with producing a minimum amount of writing/revisions per day, and it also really gave me hope when I was having hopeless days (ie, I could look back over the writing log and see that I was able to quickly write/revise in the past, and that it was feasible for me to finish at my current pace).

      I also tried to incorporate a few sanity saving measures in my final months (for me, daily exercise and seeing friends 1x week). Without those things I knew I was going to hit a wall eventually, so I took the time for them even though I had really no time to spare. I let a lot else slide — laundry, cooking, etc — so my house was pretty disgusting for a few months. Ah well.

      Good luck on powering through!

    • PhDs Advice?

      Thanks so much for the advice and encouragement! It’s hard to figure out how I’m going to get everything done. But with a giant calendar, small deadlines and a supportive adviser, I can do it! I am going to print this thread out so I can remember all of your tips!

      • Hel-lo

        I’ve never written a dissertation, but I’d give almost the exact same advice for studying for the Bar Exam. :)

  24. MeliaraofTlanth

    Lovely. LK Bennett is high on my “one day when I have money and no law school loans, I’m redoing my entire wardrobe” brand list.

    • Anonymous

      Same here. Reiss as well. And the only reason I know of these brands is because of Kate Middleton.

  25. Travel Plannin'

    Lovelovelove the dress. Anyone know the right website that will suggest good deals for the days that I have free to travel? My husband and I are thinking about a specific week in Feb but are pretty open about where.

    Thanks so much :)

    • Mrs. Q

      I’m hoping someone has a great suggestion for this – I’ve been looking for a similar website (where I can plug in my dates and home airport and it will tell me inexpensive flights/trips).

    • Hel-lo

      If you live near a hub for a particular airline, you can subscribe to that airline’s email list, and they will send you deals.

  28. Abigail Joan

    Thank you, thank you, thank for this post – here is the story of how I ended up with three of these beautiful dresses in my closet. Not sure if I’m keeping all of them, but it’s been a fun hunt!

    # 1: Most importantly for anyone interested in buying the Davina on sale, Lord & Taylor’s website has the Pink-Foxglove Davina available in most sizes and on sale for $296.25 PLUS there is a promo code on the site for 20% off — taking it down to $237 with free shipping. The color is absolutely gorgeous – I’d describe it as a bright lavender or orchid. This lighter color may be a little harder to wear than the dark colors described below, but it’s definitely flattering and beautiful enough to make it time well-spent in Spanx. Lord & Taylor also has the Black Davina in several sizes — it’s still full price, but there is a promo code for 15% off which brings it down to $335.75 with free shipping.

    http://www.lordandtaylor.com/eng/womensapparel-holidaypartyshop-forher-dresses-Davina_2_Ruched_Dress-lordandtaylor/196092

    # 2: As soon as I saw this post and the Nordstrom’s sale comment, I snagged the Black Davina on Nordstrom’s website half price – I expected to be a US size 10 or 12, but only 12 was available. Turns out it runs pretty true to size and I’m a 10. The 12 went back (hooray for Nordstrom’s new free shipping/free returns!), but a few days later the Black Davina re-appeared in size 10 so I grabbed it again at half price. Amazingly the black looks great without shapewear.

    # 3: I live in Atlanta, so while I was excitedly awaiting the first Nordstrom delivery I could not resist visiting the LK Bennett at Phipps — lucky Atlanta because it’s a great store! I fell absolutely in love with the Blue – Indigo Davina that is shown in the original post. I’d describe it as purple and it is dark enough to be very slimming — also requires no shapewear — but it is more fun and flattering (on me at least) than the black. One additional note about sizing: I tried on all of the other colors the store had in my size (Plum, Midnight, Black) and there were slight differences in the way each dress fit — perhaps because it’s so tailored. To my eyes the purple looked amazing and was worth a rare full-price spurge; the other colors looked great, but were just shy of amazing. I would have loved to try on the teal, but was told it’s UK only.

    Definitely keeping the Blue-Indigo because it’s my true love, so the debate will be over the Foxglove and the Black. Foxglove is so very pretty and charming, but black would be so very useful and easier to pull off at work. Would it be crazy to keep all three and swear off clothes shopping for the rest of the year?

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