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Tuesday’s TPS Report: The Heritage Navy Blazer

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. The Heritage Navy BlazerWe're liking this basic blazer from Land's End today — it's a “blend of wool and stretch,” with all the traditional goodies: stacked button cuffs, tailored fit, flap pockets. We wish they had a picture of the back of the blazer, to show the vents, but hey — it's still a great basic, at a fairly decent price. It's $190 at Land's End, in sizes 0-14. The Heritage Navy Blazer If you've recently seen a great work piece you'd like to recommend to the readers, please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. Unless you ask otherwise, we'll refer to you by your first initial. (L-0)

Sales of note for 12.5

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

137 Comments

  1. I like that this has a two-button closure. As a well-endowed woman, I can NEVER make the one button blazers work!

    I like navy, but am just not savvy enough fashion-wise to wear it. I think I would have to purchase too many other things to incorporate a navy blazer into my wardrobe . . . I wish I knew how, though, because it probably is a better choice than black for spring and summer.

    1. Navy is a great neutral. I don’t think you really have to do that much to be able to incorporate it into the wardrobe. You can wear it with a lot of printed cotton shirts, pastels and a variety of other colors.

      Anyone know what the sizing is like for Land’s End?

      1. I find it generous…I am a definite medium there and wear a medium or a large elsewhere (BR, AT, Jcrew) . I would size down definitely.

        But I’m glad Lands End is featured. I have a bunch of their layering tees for weekend wear and love the price and the quality. I think I’ve decided to attempt their swimsuits….

        1. Their swimsuits are the best — especially if dealing with a figure flaw or two. Very high quality construction.

          1. Here’s another enthusiastic vote for Lands End swimsuits! Particularly great if you are going to be active at the beach/pool/in the water but don’t want a Speedo – the construction means that the suit won’t shift around, gape open at the top, etc. when you are chasing after kiddos, going down a waterslide, falling off your waterskiis, etc.

          2. A resounding huzzah for their swimsuits from this hard-to-suit body! Check out their overstocks for a great deal, too.

        2. I also have many of their fine gauge short sleeve crewneck sweaters which I wear under blazers when I want a dressier feel than a tee would give. They run between $20-30 each and are well worth it.

          1. Would love a few dressier-than-a-t sweaters. Do they machine wash and dry ok? Not too much fuzzing or fading?

          3. Same here. I have to take them to a tailor because they run a little big in the chest for me, but they hold up great, are machine washable and no wrinkles/pilling.

      2. I find their sizing to be best for pear-shaped women. I have to buy tops a size up to fit my chest and their pants are too baggy on my apple-body hips. Their size charts have always been accurate in my experience.

      3. Thanks everyone. I typically wear an XS in tops at places like BR/AT, so if I’m understanding everyone right I’d have no real luck with tops/swimsuits. I may have some luck with pants/skirts though.

    2. I usually wear a navy blazer with gray or with tan. I usually opt for a navy or white top underneath; with gray pants, a gray top and navy blazer works well, too (I have never considered a “tan” top with a “tan” bottom because it seems like it would be too much like not wearing a top at all, but it could work also).

      As for shoes, black or brown (for gray and tan, respectively) is more than fine. If you want to be adventurous, purple is great too — but the idea I’m trying to convey is that you don’t really need to buy anything “extra.”

      Bonus: navy also photographs much better than black; just something to keep in mind :)

    3. I tend to stick to black for the same reason — to pull off navy you have to have clothing that works with navy – the right pants/shirt colors – otherwise you look like you bought the navy one by mistake… But yes, the two button blazer tends to keep things better… arranged (?) then a one button – although I’m never sure if I’m supposed to unbutton both buttons when seated like you do with the single button.

        1. It’s what the men do – unbutton the bottom button of a 2 or 3-button jacket when they sit, so that the jacket doesn’t bunch or stretch.

          I think for women, it really depends on where the buttons hit. I think on a lot of one-button jackets, the buttons are high enough so you don’t need to unbutton if you sit. And I have some jackets that I never button anyway, even when standing.

          But if you have a jacket that is uncomfortable buttoned when you’re sitting, unbutton it. If it has more than one button, it might lay flat when you just unbutton the bottom.

        2. Depends on how it fits. Normally a one-button blazer hits you at a spot where the button strains a bit if you don’t unbutton it when you sit.

  2. Lands End has such excellent quality – they are my go to for certain basics! I’m hoping the quality carries over to the Canvas line – has anyone tried anything from there yet?

    1. Lands End Canvas is fantastic! I’ve mostly been wearing the casual stuff, haven’t tried out this blazer (which is lovely) or anything more work-like, but so far I can’t stop telling people about it. The pieces I love so far:

      Heritage Cardigan (basically the J. Crew Jackie, but half the price. I have four of them already, haha)
      http://canvas.landsend.com/pp/TheHeritageCardigan~203167_-1.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::CSH&CM_MERCH=IDX_00017__0000002201&origin=index

      Heritage Polo (another repeat color offender, I think I have three now?)
      http://canvas.landsend.com/pp/TheHeritagePolo~203249_-1.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::BLA&CM_MERCH=IDX_00017__0000002201&origin=index

      Tuck Front Shell (could probably work under something for the office, but haven’t tried it out yet)
      http://canvas.landsend.com/pp/FrontShell~206487_-1.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::EFT&CM_MERCH=IDX_00017__0000002201&origin=index

      1. Thank you! I need a new Jackie in blue, but have been dreading plunking down that much. This looks like a great option!

    2. I discovered Land’s End and Canvas through C’s prior post on the white and khaki dress featured a month or so ago. I ordered it and really like it, and would look into buying something from there again.

    3. To try to address several of these comments: Lands’ End fits the measurements that they give for a size. While I’m usually a medium, I measure as a “small” at LE, so make sure to measure. I tried a dress from the Canvas line and it was adorable but way too short for me (I’m 5’8″). Some LE styles are a boxier fit – these days they tend to label them to explain how stuff will fit. I always go for what I think is called the “modern” fit, which tends to be more snug and have pants with dropped waists.

      1. I’m loving this blazer and well the entire Canvas line for that matter! I’m so happy there is finally a more modern line with the same Land’s End quality (which I love)!

        P.S. the men’s traditional fit no iron flat frotn chino pants are great. I ordered a pair for my boyfriend for Christmas and they fit him better than any other pair he owns, plus they will hem to any inseam you specify at no extra charge. The momogram option is also a plus and so is the price (39.50 I think).

  3. The sleeves look rather baggy on the model. How fitted are Lands End blazers usually? I love the way this looks but I feel like this would be a little too “loose fitting” to be flattering in real life (at least on me). Has anyone tried this in person?

    1. Is something airbrush-y going on with the model’s arms? Looks like she’s got a Slinky up each sleeve.

  4. Question: I am on a committee at my firm reviewing, and possibly revising, our parental leave policy. The committee is attempting to obtain as many other firms’ policies as possible to get a sense of what is a “reasonable” benefit. Would any of you be willing to share the terms your firms’, or employers’, policies? Things that we are considering:

    1. How many weeks of paid leave?
    2. How many weeks of unpaid leave?
    3. Does leave implicate bonus structure?

    If you can share any of the above – along with your firm/employer size and practice areas/business, it would be much appreciated! As a starting point, I am at an approx. 30 attorney [primarily] insurance-defense firm. We offer 4 weeks of paid leave with an additional 12 weeks unpaid leave.

    Also, do you agree with the benefit your firm/employer offers (do you think it should be more / less). If not for the purpose of my policy review, it will certainly be interesting for all of us to see what is out there!

    [Also – I like the jacket. One can never go wrong with a classic, well-fitting blazer.]

    1. You might want to consider providing an email to send it to… Or perhaps another website to review first. Some companies might not want to post it on a public blog.

      1. ARinFL you raise a good point, thank you! I am hoping that people will just post general info (e.g. “my BigLaw firm offers 12 weeks paid leave”).

        1. Midlaw. 12 weeks paid for mothers. None for fathers. Does apply to adopted children. Get prorated hours based on the minimum requirement. (Minimum at my firm is not enough to be bonused.) Must be at firm a year to qualify for full 12 weeks paid leave.

    2. I recently left a mid-size Texas firm, and while I did not take my maternity leave while there, one other associate did. From what I understand, she was going to take the standard 3 month leave, but had a trial coming up and only took two months. From what I recall hearing, she was to get 6 weeks paid, but the firm went ahead and paid her the remaining two weeks. I was glad to hear that. Made me think quite highly of the parnters I was working for.

    3. Formerly at BigLaw, took 3 maternity leaves. Our policies changed a few years ago.
      (1) Paid leave: 6 weeks short-term disability for regular delivery/8 weeks for c-section. 4 weeks parental leave to the primary parent (mom if giving birth, could be dad if adopting or gay parents). Then can take vacation time if you want; I took 4 weeks’ vacation, so a total of 16 weeks paid.
      As for adoption, it’s the 4 weeks of parental leave, no SDI leave. Same unpaid and vacation policies.

      (2) Unpaid leave: pretty generous. Was off a total of 9 months with my youngest; I know of a woman who took a year off. My time off was a combination of paid leave, unpaid leave and working from home part-time.

      (3) Bonus: since bonus is based on hours billed, leave technically does not implicate bonus. If you’re off but make your hours, you’ll get a bonus. If you don’t make them for whatever reason, you won’t. Practically speaking, I didn’t get a bonus the years I took leave (and my hours weren’t at 2000, either).

      At my former firm, maternity leave wasn’t the problem at all. The policies and attitudes were quite generous. The problem was coming back and ramping back to 100% from Day 1, whilst also having an infant at home.

      Also see this blog post, which runs through a bunch of policies:
      http://associatepirate.com/2008/02/21/maternity-leave-part-deux/

    4. I work in international financial services – not law related – but our group offers the bare min in family leave (we have about 5000 employees worldwide, but only about 700 within the US). Employer provides STD, which covers female employees for 6-8 weeks post birth (depending on the type of delivery) and pays only 60% of salary, but no paid leave by the company. After that employees may to take up the 12 weeks (so 12-6 or 8) protected under FMLA with no pay. Men can take up to 12 weeks unpaid. Personally I think the general state of parental leave in the US is horrible when compared to other parts of the world – my counter part in the UK was able to take 6 months fully paid when her child was born – but that’s a whole other issue.

      1. I have worked for 2 different firms:

        1. biglaw – paid 6 weeks of disability, plus 8 weeks of parental leave = 14 weeks off total. You had to get your paperwork in for the disability REALLY early after the birth – maybe a week? I was in the hospital for 5 days with complications (me, not the baby – I lost a lot of blood) and almost didn’t make it by the deadline. Bonus, hours thereafter were pro-rated for your time off. Many people I knew took more than the paid time off – generally 6 months. None had a problem with having their job held for them thereafter. Except me. I was fired when 8 months pregnant (my reviews pre-pregnancy had all been positive). They offered to pay me through maternity leave – I got a settlement from them that paid me for an additional 3 months.

        2. small law (30 lawyer firm, 3 female attorneys of childbearing age) – paid 2 months off, plus 4 weeks of vacation (I took 3 from last year and 1 from this year). Bonus thereafter based on hours, pro-rated.

    5. Both fathers and mothers get 1-2 weeks paid parental leave depending on years of employment. In addition, mothers who have given birth get at least 6 weeks medical leave. The amount of pay you receive during medical leave depends on how long you’ve been with the company. The length of medical leave can be extended if medically necessary. FMLA applies if you want to take unpaid leave for up to a total of 4 months, running concurrently with any paid medical leave you took, so unless you have medical complications you’re unlikely to get more than 4 months total leave, both paid and unpaid. Adoptive parents get 1-6 weeks of leave depending on years of employment.

      Your bonus would be prorated, as would your hours requirement.

    6. When I was at BigLaw – 12 week paid, additional 12 unpaid available (but rarely taken unless there was some complication) Bonus requirements prorated to exckude obligations for all approved leave time.

      I felt it was adequate.

    7. 1. 12 weeks paid leave.
      2. Worked out on a case by case basis if you want to be out longer than 12 weeks.
      3. No, but the bonus structure is such that it is difficult to get a bonus – 2000+ hours or, I think, $50,000+ billings to your name. If you have one of those, you’d still get a bonus, leave or not. I do not believe they are adjusted down to compensate for leave.

      450+ attorneys covering basically every conceivable practice area. I think the leave is very generous. I worked at another firm during my pregnancy, and I had to negotiate hard to get 8 weeks paid leave.

    8. Small law (six attorneys). No formal leave policy. In the past, women have received four weeks of salary, and then been paid hourly for any work they choose to do from home while on leave. Generally, women have taken 12 weeks of leave.

  5. I haven’t tried dress clothes at Lands End, largely because the casual clothes I tried were too big and boxy, especially in the armpits and bust. I found that the shirts tended to be wider across than most brands, and sleeves were very generous (both length and width). But I am 5′ and a small in almost every brand, and an extra small in some brands, so someone who is normally a medium or larger might not have trouble. And it would probably be a good brand for someone with a large bust.

  6. Sorry for the thread hijack, but I have a dilemma and need some corporette-esque advice!
    Long story short: I was offered a job at a law firm back in October and accepted the position, to begin in September after I take the bar exam. This week, I was offered a better job and want to accept it. I have been told by the people in the career office at my school that accepting this other job is kosher, but I am not sure how to tell the partner at the other firm that I am going a different professional direction. Is a phone call necessary? Can I send a formal letter? (Not email, of course.) I am incredibly nervous about this and need some advice. I lean toward phone call because it’s maybe more professional, but then toward letter because there won’t be a counter-offer or any verbal hostility. Thoughts?

    1. Congrats! I would personally call the partner and explain the situation, telling them that it’s the best decision for you and your career. You may have to follow-up with a formal letter officially revoking your acceptance, but you should start with a personal call.

    2. Congrats on the job offers! You must be working really hard to have gotten TWO job offers in this economy! I agree that the best thing to do is call the partner and explain the decision that you are making asap and then follow up with a letter.

    3. I’d make the phone call. If I were at the firm, I’d think it was a little rude to basically get a rejection letter with no personal contact. Also, if they are paying for your bar/giving you a stipend, of course offer to pay it back. Maybe you can get your new firm to pick it up.

      1. I’d be wary, especially in a small town or state. Accepting an offer and then giving it up for something better shows that you don’t honor your commitments.

        I’m in a small state, and there was a clerk that took a new job the week before the job he had committed to was about to start, and everyone still talks about it. You’re going to royally piss off the job you originally committed to, and if they’re at all influential, you might be making a significant career misstep.

        But if you have to do it, I’d do it in person or via a phone call. Like a break-up.

        1. Agree. I’m surprised the career office okay’ed this so easily. I went to a 1st tier school and this was not considered acceptable.

          1. Thanks for all the replies so far! The jobs are in two different cities and one is in the civil realm, the other in the criminal realm. I would absolutely want to give notice as soon as possible, and I am aware the move will burn a bridge. At the same time, while I view a job as manna from heaven in this economy, I feel like job searching is about making the right move for the long term and not accepting a position simply to avoid making someone mad. The firm didn’t give me a stipend or pay for my bar classes, so I won’t have to worry about paying them back for anything. Anyone else want to weigh in?

          2. I’m surprised to, I was under the impression that this was very unkosher. Especially since you would have been applying after you got the original job it seems like? But good luck and congrats!

          3. eh, if the original firm is one of the many that has rescinded or deferred associates (or fired first years within months of starting) I say smart to keep options open. No double standards. But, yes, if smaller firm and smaller town, there may hurt feelings. I think it also depends how different the jobs really are.

        3. I understand where you’re coming from (and please do not take this personally!), but honestly that view is such crap. I know a lot of schools tell you that this wouldn’t be OK, but I’m sorry – when firms offer you a job, they are not shackling themselves to you, so when you accept it you should not be expected to shackle yourself to them. There have been thousands of lawyers laid off in this economy, many more with their offers deferred or outright rescinded (sorry I am a little bitter, my husband & I were both laid off). What this has taught me is that you have to look out for you and do what is best for you, because no one else is going to put you first.

          OK, rant over.

          1. dee, definitely true, but still worth a consideration of the risks. In my legal community – smallish Midwestern city – it would be looked at very poorly and could mark a person for years and years. NYC, really, who would know? I know every judge in my city and most of the lawyers. It really depends upon where she’s practicing what the best “looking out for her” decision is.

          2. Certainly. “Looking out for yourself” is very important, so you need to weigh *all* the risks – job you don’t want vs. the risk to your reputation.

            And I think all the commenters agree that the size of your city/state matters a lot to that equation.

          3. I totally understand why you would do it, I just was under the impression that it would lead to big problems with the bar exam. Maybe my career services over emphasized how scary the bar is though haha.

    4. Call, and follow up with a letter.

      Just know that these bridges will be permanently burned.

      And if the firm you are going to finds out, they won’t expect you to have much loyalty to them (because you haven’t done much to show your loyalty so far).

      A law school classmate did exactly this – we summered at the same firm. Years later, it still came up in conversation (from partners at the firm – I never brought it up!) and the firm actually stopped recruiting at our (top tier) school for a few years because they were so p*ssed off.

    5. I’d say let them know on the phone, and the sooner the better. Follow up in writing. If they counter offer, decline politely but don’t burn bridges. If they are hostile, be polite and keep it short.

      It’s not entirely unkosher, but coming from the employer side of things, I’d be annoyed but not overly so if you reneged five months before the job was scheduled to start. We don’t normally hire on a traditional schedule and so to have offered you a job so far in advance would mean we were holding something open for you. If it’s a more traditional firm with a whole class of associates starting in September, I doubt they’ll be upset, although you definitely need to let them know ASAP and absolutely before they begin disbursing any summer stipends.

  7. I’ve noticed certain people posting MANY, MANY times on one post (like 8 and 9), and I’m thinking it might have something to do with the fact that their name is linked to a blog… or do they really just have THAT much to say? On every topic? Hate to be a bitch, but, … wait – no, I don’t.

    1. referring to 8 and 9 times in one post, not commenters 8 and 9, above

      1. Agreed. It has gotten to the point where I skip reading the comment if I’ve already seen/read 3 comments from the same individual over the past 20 comments…

      3. I too have noticed it and it does appear that there are people who are seeking to direct traffic to their blogs.

    2. How can you tell if someone’s name is linked to a blog? I only see a couple of posts above that have hyperlinks, and they are to other land’s end clothes. Or are you talking about comments on another post?

      1. If someone’s name is blue, they’ve linked it to another blog. For example, up where it says “ChiLaw” on here, it would be blue instead of black.

      2. The poster’s name appears in Blue (vs. Black) if the poster includes a hyperlink to another site.

      3. the poster’s name appears in blue and is a hyperlink — see Shayna above/below.

        Agree that too many comments from the same person (whether a blogger or not, but particularly so from people who link to their own) = start skimming/skipping

    3. Well, IMHO, “website” is an option to fill in when you comment – so can’t really blame people who fill it in. I don’t mind when people are actually commenting on something relevant to this blog, but it bugs me when the post is nothing more than a shill for their own blog.

      I think for bloggers, its kind of a “you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours” thing – they get paid from ads based on traffic, so they link to each other.

      (And I don’t have a website to link to, so no particular iron in this fire, just my understanding of how the interwebs work.)

      1. Agree – I don’t think anyone is annoyed by someone who fills it in per se, because it can be a good way to find similar reading (LPC?). The irritation is those who either post something totally unrelated or who post very similar comments in response to multiple people, and therefore appear to just be trying to direct traffic to themselves rather than contribute.

    4. Wow, this really seems hostile. As someone who isn’t anonymous at all on the internet, I filled in my email and website the first time I visited Corporette. Now that info fills in automatically. It never occurred to me that this extremely common web interface detail would be so annoying to some people!

      Yes, that blue in my name links to my husband’s and my blog. It has nothing to do with fashion or lifestyle. I have zero expectations that anyone here would find our blog interesting at all, actually. But just as your business card has your company name and address, my internet visits have my identification. If for some reason you did wish to find out more about me, you could.

      While I understand why many folks here would prefer to be anonymous, some of us have very open online lives. The link is part of that openness; nothing more, nothing less.

      2. For what it’s worth, hostile or not, I don’t think that this was directed at you. I am giving the benefit of the doubt here, but it seems the comment was directed at people who write things along the lines of, “I love X. Read what I wrote about it here.”

  8. Thanks to Corporette, I ordered the white and khaki dress from Lands End Canvas. Great quality. Ordered a few other things from Canvas as well–quality is good but the sizing runs large. I’m typically a XS/S at JCrew and had to order XXS or size zero at Canvas. Swimwear was nice but the fit was odd (not big or small, just odd).

  9. I recently gave Land’s End a shot when their winter sale had ridiculously cheap cashmere on sale. I have to echo the comments about sizing down. I have big (former swimmer) shoulders, and I am easily an XL at JCrew in their tops. I order XL at Land’s End and was swimming in it, so I returned for an L which fit well! I also found that some of their boxier sweaters are in fact, well, boxy. I just took a cute cashmere cardi to get nipped at the waist to create some shape–cheap fix at the tailor.

    As for their pants, they describe the fit pretty well (and you can see which are the “classic Mom” styles. They do have WAY cuter stuff and excellent quality. Sign up for their email specials and you can get great deals! Alas, most sale codes do not apply to the Heritage line, which is a pity. But I am really pleased with their fresher styling approach.

    –Newly-Converted Land’s End fan

      1. Ditto, information please! Can they alter length, or only rip out the seam that holds the pieces of sweater together on the side and sew a new seam?

  10. I have to ask — is Lands End still sold at Sears? I know that it was a few years ago, but I haven’t been to Sears (or Lands End’s website) since — Not sure if $190 blazers and Sears go together, but would much prefer to try this on in person than via mail order.

    1. I think it depends on the Sears, but you can check at the LandsEnd website for store locations. In DC, the Sears near Bailey’s Corner does have a LandsEnd. Keep in mind the stores often don’t carry everything that is available online.

      1. In my experience, Sears tends to carry only the “mom”-styled LandsEnd merchandise, not everything you find online. They do, however, accept returns of all online purchases.

    2. The Sears has a poor selection, usually, but you can return things there, which is great when you order a bunch of stuff online!

      1. Thanks! I’m definitely skittish about online purchasing… even if there is free shipping I hate having to spent a not insignificant amount of money just to return something.

  11. I am going to steal this thread, but I have a question that I think only my fellow Corporettes will be able to answer.

    Yesterday, I found out that I am 5 weeks pregnant. My husband and I are elated. We were not really trying, but we’ve been married for almost five years now, so if it happened, we were ready to roll with it. Here is what the issue is. I am currently a 3L, and am getting ready to graduate in a few weeks. I have a job lined up at a mid-sized firm in NYC. Although they have not given us our start date yet, last year’s class started the day after labor day. At that time I would be about 5 months pregnant. I would subsequently need to go on maternity leave about 3 or so months later.

    What is the protocol here. Do I tell the employer before my start date in September, or do I just show up with a big belly. I am an ambitious go-getter, and really want to build a career. As excited as I am about having my first child, I don’t want to be viewed as a liability (i.e. using the firm’s health insurance, etc.) As fickle as the legal community is nowadays, I really don’t want to be on the chopping block before I even start.

    I know I will soon be asking for clothing tips (because Woman of Color always has to look cute, big belly or no big belly), however I have to start to allay this worry because my little grain of rice is going nowhere soon!

    1. Congratulations to you and the mister!

      I don’t have any advice based on experience so I’ll let others weigh in, but I’m happy for you and wanted to share that :)

      1. Okay I’m replying again because, although I have no advice based on experience, I figure I’ll share my gut instinct (for what it is worth!):

        I think you should let someone know before you show up on your first day of work with belly :) Does your firm assign supervising partners prior to your first day? At my old firm, we found out who our supervising partner would be about a month before starting work. Maybe at that time you could contact HR or the hiring partner (as applicable) to let them know your happy news, and also get in touch with your supervising partner to let him/her know your happy news and see if you can get together for lunch/ice cream/tea/whatever to chat about the upcoming start to your career. Make a list of points you want to discuss ahead of time – from what you’ve written, it sounds like you want to make sure you are fully involved in the group/team, given high quality work, held to the same standards as everyone else, and able to transition back into the practice after your leave is up and pick up quickly approximately where you left off. I think if everyone is on the same page regarding how happy you are to be starting your career (as well as your family!) that will go a long way.

    2. If it were me (and I’m a momma to many), I would try to schedule a meeting with your supervisor in the first week (or maybe just before you start if you’re already hugely huge?), and be very confident about your commitment to the firm and explain that: (a) you are expecting; (b) you plan to work right up until the end (if that’s the case); (c) you plan on taking x number of weeks maternity leave (the details can be worked out later); and (d) you fully intend on returning to full-time status.

      The idea is to not let the employer worry (or decide in your silence) that you’re going to quit on them.

      1. Congrats! I have not dealt with that situation, but I think I would tell the employer very soon. If you are close to where you will be working, I would even call the hiring partner and see if you can schedule lunch to talk about it. If they hired a young married woman, they were aware that you were likely to become pregnant in the near future. Letting them know up-front your situation is I think the most professional way to handle it, especially since they are likely to be deciding which projects to put you on when you arrive – and the fact that you will soon be on maternity leave might affect those assignments. If the firm really is going to put you on the chopping block for this – which I hugely doubt since once again they already knew you’re young and married – telling them early won’t change a thing. Hiding it until you walk in the door five months later may very well send the exact wrong message to the firm, and the higher ups may resent that you were not upfront about this from the beginning. Being honest now and telling them you want to start planning immediately on how to work on the situation so it doesn’t affect your future with the firm will make you look responsible and motivated. Waiting until your first day of work instead just ensures everyone at the firm will be gossiping about you and the shockwave you caused when you walked in instead of ready to roll with the situation.

    3. Ditto to MMS’ advice, with one caveat: wait to say something until you actually have a start date, just in case you get deferred. If you’re 5 weeks pregnant now, I’m assuming you’re due in late Nov or early Dec? I’ve had two Dec. kiddos, so that’s easy math for me. :-) If you were deferred to January, then it would be a completely different situation than if you started in Sept.

      If you want to talk to your supervisor in advance, then I would only do it a week or two out from the start date. First, it’s customary to announce at work at the 4-5 month point; you’re not expected to tell much earlier unless you’re getting huge. I told at 18+ weeks with #1, and something like 14 weeks with the next one since I popped out much sooner.

      Do you have a supervisor? Have you been assigned to a practice group? If you haven’t, that would mitigate in favor of waiting longer vs. telling sooner if you know who you’ll be working for and have a relationship with that person. In my firm, the only people with whom I had to work out my maternity leave plans were the partners I directly worked for; the admin partner didn’t care and signed off once he got their go-ahead.

    4. Congratulations!

      My company requires notification 60 days before your intended leave date (most women go with 60 days before the due date), understanding, of course, that complications could cause you to take leave earlier. Common practice is to officially tell people when it becomes obvious – usually 4-6 months depending on the woman. I certainly don’t think you’re under any obligation to tell anyone before you start if you’ll only be 5 months’ pregnant when you start. But it would be fine to tell HR or the attorneys you’ll be working with sooner if you want to – most women prefer not to share the news until the end of the first trimester, in case something bad happens.

      I don’t think anyone will view you as a liability. It’ll set you back a bit in your career, because you’ll miss a couple months of prime learning time when other attorneys will be gaining skills and making connections. Depending on how your hours requirements and class year are calculated, it could set you back a year in salary and tenure. But honestly, you won’t get much interesting work before you’ve gotten your bar results anyway. Assuming you get sworn in in January or so and you’re back to work in March or April, it’s not going to be a major career problem. And most employers would be too terrified of a lawsuit to even consider putting you on the chopping block because you took maternity leave.

    5. I was in a similar situation. I waited until I made it through my first trimester, because anything can happen (not wishing anything ill on you etc…) and then I went to lunch with the partner I was going to be working for, and told him first. I I eplained my plan for making it work and that was pretty much that. His response was pretty much great, its not an issue, just get your work done etc… Do you know who you will be working for yet? I’d been a summer with my partner so he already had a relationship with me, and knew my work product etc… I think it would have been much more difficult without the prior relationship etc… Do you have any allies in the firm, ie.. a relationship with a female partner, or an equity partner who can have your back if any questions come up?

    6. Depressing as it is, definitely wait until after your first trimester (and after your Level II Ultrasound, depending). I’ve got two kids, but also had two miscarriages: it happens. Have a meeting as soon as you are comfortable telling, be nice (but not apologetic) about it, and be firm that you are coming back after leave. More advice to come when you get there …

      1. Apologies for posting twice in the same thread (different topic) :)

        Congratulations!

        At my lawfirm (biglaw, Silicon Valley), one of the new associates showed up two years ago for her first day of work nearly ready to pop (at least 8 mos pregnant). She went through Orientation with her class and then pretty much went on leave. Ended up being really smart because a lot of her classmates got laid off. However….there was TONS of snickering (male and female) about the GALL this woman had to show up and then have a baby. I thought it was pretty cheeky, but I also think you can’t time everything in life perfectly. I was taught in b-school (by a bunch of conservative MEN!) that you have to “earn” the right to be pregnant, and well, this woman didn’t. Quite frankly, the fact that she was quite young (like 26 or 27), didn’t really help people sympathize–it wasn’t like she was 40 and had been “trying” forever. Still, I think it’s a completely personal decision and that people at work had NO BUSINESS commenting on it.

        I’d like to think that people are more enlightened and family-friendly, but the fact of the matter is that in this biglaw environment, I’d be really wary of telling them much earlier than say, a few weeks before you start. It can affect a lot of things–group placement, you reputation, your start date (and whether you get to start at all). So just play it really close to the vest. It’s (sadly), the best course of action in this difficult operating environment.

        And yes, employers can fire (or defer the start date) of a pregnant woman, as long as they do it as part of larger layoffs, so….just be careful.

        1. People like those are the sort that will resent a young woman whatever she does; no use trying to please them. I’ve encountered some of them everywhere I’ve worked, but by far the vast majority of people working in law firms do not hold such views. I don’t see any advantage to waiting to tell, either — in fact, they would probably appreciate as much advance notice as reasonable. New associates’ time can be promised to someone before they even arrive.

        2. Ugh, I’ve been thinking about this a fair amount recently. I’m a 3L, will be clerking next year so pregnancy isn’t an option for me during that year. But by the time I’m done with clerking I’ll be almost 29…and I’d like to have 2 kids… It seems I’ve read from several people (anonymous internet comments on other blogs, that is) that if they could start over, one thing they would change would be to have their kids earlier, that way they’d be able to focus on their careers once the kids were out and getting older. And also gives them more time to try to conceive if they end up having fertility issues. Versus disrupting their careers as a 3d-5th year associate, when they have considerably more responsibility vis a vis maintaining client relationships. What is one to do?! I hate that this burden falls so strongly on the woman.

          1. I am in the same boat. I will be turning 29 soon. Would like to have 2 kids, or at least 1. Cannot for the life of me figure out when. It seems impossible, but people do manage it. A friend in a very large, very corporate firm who just started about a year ago (post clerkship) just found out she is pregnant. It’s not an easy juggle, but the firm is dealing with it (as is she, working & trying to pull all nighters till the 8th month). My guess is that it will never really be easy,no matter when you do it, and you will always have to deal with tradeoffs whatever choice you do make, but you just have to go and do it at some point and trust that you’ll manage to find a way to juggle it all.

          2. I had my kids as a 4th year associate (2 in one year) and then 7th year. I joined the firm as a 2nd year (post-clerkship). Honestly, I think the bigger problem is not timing the pregnancy/adoption and maternity leave, but what happens afterwards. OK, so you come back. Now you have a child, or maybe more, who need you. How will you juggle childcare, illnesses, stuff around the house, kids’ needs, etc with a full work-load? I’ve been out of law school almost 12 years and my first son is 7 1/2. I’m still working on the answer to that question. The biggest disruption to my career was not my extended maternity leaves,** which are now behind me. It’s my ongoing desire to be an involved mom to my three sons, two of whom have special needs, while also being a damn good lawyer.

            ** Leave #1 == 5 mos
            ** Leave #2 == 6 weeks, only a few months after coming back from #1, had 2 kids in 1 year.
            ** Leave #3 == 9 mos

          3. I know, it’s the “worst” part of being a woman, IMHO, the inequality of how much pregnancy/children interfere with our careers vs. those of men.
            Good luck w/your choices. I’ve been terrified of the changes that come w/kids for awhile, but I’ve come around to the thinking that you can always ramp your career back up after having kids (if you want to), but if you miss your fertility window, you’re pretty much screwed wrt having biological children (notwithstanding expensive and stressful fertility treatments). And you just don’t know what your fertility is like until you try, unfortunately.

      2. Big congrats! I, too, recently became pregnant and had to deal with telling my boss and everything. I told my boss in week 19. Pretty late, but he’s fairly oblivious to these kinds of things.

        I second the recommendation to wait until you are at least showing to tell anyone, because as heartbreaking as it is, many pregnancies don’t make it past the first trimester. So, I’d do what the ladies above have suggested, and talk/meet with someone (supervisor, HR, etc.) about your situation when you get closer to your start date. This avoids the surprise of showing up with a baby bump, provides sufficient notice to the firm of your situation, and also saves you the risk of telling too early.

        Best of luck!

  12. Question re: Brazilian Blowouts.

    This is a new hair treatment to smooth your hair. It’s supposed to be much better for your hair than the traditional brazilian and japanese treatments (the claim is it actually improves hair), it supposedly has no chemicals, and — most importantly — has no formaldehyde. I am seriously considering it.
    But would like to know whether any one has actually tried this? Does it work? How long does it last??

    I have relatively long wavy hair and really just want to simplify my morning routine so I can wash & go but have my hair still look neat & professional (which is hard to do already if you have wavy long hair w/o blowdrying it, and I do not want or sacrificing the length)

    Sorry for the thread hijack, just really want some unbiased info & don’t want to wait till the weekend.

    Thanks in advance!!!!

    1. I posted this question here a couple of weeks ago before deciding to get it myself. It’s not a brazilian blowout, but a keratin treatment (actually the brazilian keratin is the one you should avoid as it does contain formaldehyde, ask your stylist to make sure the one she uses contains none). Anyway, here’s my analysis since getting it in the end of march:

      Pros: straight hair out of the shower; no frizz; easy and manageable hair everyday!

      Cons: expensive (I paid $250+tip for the treatment and this is based on a discount through my mom’s friend, then had to buy $40 worth of special keratin shampoo + conditioner from a beauty store); also because the keratin stays on your hair throughout the 4-6 months, it really weighs down your hair, making it flat-looking and also it looks greasier so it feels like I have to wash my previously-dry hair more often (which is a catch-22 because the more often you wash, the less time the straightening will last, i.e. from 6 months down to 4 months).

      Hope this helps!

      1. Is a brazilian blowout different from what you got? I am a bit confused on the terminology. . .
        But straight hair straight from the shower sounds fabulous!

    2. My stylist has started doing this lately and mentioned it to me at my last visit. He said that his clients have been happy with the results. I haven’t tried it yet, though. I am still getting over the price of balayage/glosses – had never done any color before this past year …

      2. My favorite french blogger, Garance Dore (garancedore.fr/en or just .fr if you read french), got this treatment in NYC and loved it based on her blog posts about it. She also posted a pic of her hair after and it looked fabulous-long and straight but with a little wave. Her hair before was quite curly (but beautiful!)…just FYI.

    4. ok i know this is ridiculous, but when i first saw a salon offering a “brazilian straightening,” i was pretty sure they were going to try and straighten my pubes.

    1. I thought it was a reference to Office Space until I noticed the tag for it — “The Personal Shopper” :)

      1. ohhh, thanks! i would always wonder what that stood for. totally did not notice the tag.

  14. I post almost every day. I am not tied to anything except my own law practice and my own taste in clothing and accessories.

    The navy blue blazer shown today is very collegiate and very boring. Also, a jacket of this type, while it looks like a “classic”, will actually go out of style very quickly. Each year there will be changes in the cut of jacket shoulders, sleeves, lapels, etc. which will render last year’s “classic” jacket obsolete.

    2. Respectfully, isn’t that true of all clothes? Cuts/colors/lapels/fabrics/etc. will always change. Why bother buying anything?

      I would just happen to disagree with you. I guess my shopping philosophy is just different, that’s all.

      1. I think see what you mean. How do you buy anything if things are always going to change, and that’s what you’re afraid of? I don’t see that happening with this blazer. Maybe some of the other stuff we see here, but not this.

        Sure, I think we’ve all got some things from a few years ago that we thought, for sure, were “timeless.” And we all know they’re still not… ! ;)

    3. Michael Kors gave an interview on something similar – he was asked why he always wore the same thing – a black blazer and jeans – when he was a fashion designer constantly reinventing what everyone else should wear. He responded that if you looked at a timeline of photos of him you would see that over the years the shoulder pads have gotten larger or smaller, there have been one button, two, three, and four buttons, different lapels, etc.

      I hear what you’re saying – even the most classic concept is constantly changing, so the idea of “investing” in pieces of clothing is maybe not the wisest move — But some pieces are going to last longer than others (remember the short sleeve cardigan fad a couple years ago? That concept didn’t even last a season)

    4. I don’t know. I have classic pieces that I bought 5+ years ago that still look classic to me.

      1. I agree. A good trench coat in a classic style will look good twenty years from now. Same with other simple and well made items like slim skirts, cashmere sweaters, etc. Moreover many deviations in fit can be altered by a good tailor to take the item into a new era ( I was at my tailor’s the other day and a very dapper 60 something yr. old gentleman was getting a bunch of gorgeous sports jackets altered to be narrower “for a modern fit” — he looked fabulous, they were all seville row jackets).
        Certainly suits that looked good in the 80s and 90s are dated looking now, but it’s not a “year to year” thing as suggested by the OP. The way I see it, if a well made blazer lasts me 5-6 years, that is a good thing. Enough said.

    5. Re: it being boring … the thing about a plain blazer is that you can pair it with a fantastic, fun top/necklace/scarf/whatever you want. I think it’s a great multi-season, multi-year piece.

      1. Yes. “Interesting” blazers tend to look wrong in most places, and on most people.

    6. That may be true with some clothing items, but not basic blazers. This jacket would have been perfectly stylish five years ago, and it will still be five years from now. There aren’t any extreme features on this, such as shoulder pads or a boyfriend cut, that are subject to noticeable changes in trends.

      This is a great basic blazer, I would wear it with gray or white, maybe even a subtle gray houndstooth or plaid print, and possibly an accent color like purple or yellow.

      1. I work for the gov, so I only wear suits to court. I have a big trial every few years in federal court, so I tend to buy suits in the months leading up to my big trials. I had one 3 1/2 years ago, and recently pulled out all my suits and tried them on. Most of them I bought 3-5 years ago, and I wouldn’t wear a single one of them today. I thought they were so classic when I bought them, but the cuts look frumpy today. I do have some blazers that have stood up to time, but not my suits. I think I just need to accept that I need to update even my “classics” every few years.

        1. That’s interesting, I see where you’re coming from. What in particular makes them look dated to you? I have a couple of suits that I bought 3-5 years ago, basic 1 button pantsuits from J.Crew, and they look very much like the suits they sell now. If only we could zero in on what to look for in a suit style-wise to help it stand the test of time…maybe this is a good idea for a future Corporette post?

  15. I like this blazer, but I have trouble with navy because so many of my skirts, dresses, and pants are black. Not to mention shoes… Anyway, I was wondering how you all care for your Jackie cotton cardigans from JCrew? I have been washing mine at home in cold water and then hanging to dry. (I store them folded, but I admit I hang to dry b/c it is more convenient in my laundry room.) But they seem to pucker around the buttons and button holes. It is a hard spot to iron or to reach with wrinkle release spray. Any ideas? Should I just send them to the dry cleaner? Because of this issue, it seems that the Land’s End fine gauge cotton cardigans hold up better for me.

  16. Just an FYI for Lands End purchases (I didn’t see this above). They have a lifetime guarantee, and they really mean it. A good chunk of my casual clothes, bathings suits, and winter outerwear are from Lands End, and they will take returns, no questions asked, at any time. If you still have the paperwork, or they can look up the item in their system, you get the purchase price. If it’s been a while (I think more than 2 years), and your purchase is no longer in their system, you get the last price the item was sold for.

    It’s really great. I’m in the process of losing weight (83 lbs down) and I’ve returned bathing suits, shorts, winter coats, etc. for store credit, then purchased new ones in my new sizes.

    1. Wow, that seems exploitative. I think the policy is meant for defective items, not items you get tired of or grew/shrunk out of or didn’t want anymore for whatever reason.

    2. Wait, you are returning clothes that have nothing wrong with them other than you lost weight and they are now too big?

      I’m not okay with that.

    3. I had to post again because I am just appalled by this behavior. You’re getting a “free” transition wardrobe on the company’s (i.e. other customers’) dime. I guess you would think nothing of buying a special occassion dress and then returning it, either? Esp. since you you sound like you think there is absolutely nothing wrong with this practice and are recommending it to others? I certainly hope people like you represent a very small minority.

      1. I honestly did not think that I would be beat up about this. The first time I wanted to send something back, I asked first to find out exactly how the policy worked, and if it was possible to send something back that was in good condition, but just too big. I was told that they will take anything back for any reason. Since then, I’ve spoken to Lands End customer service representatives each time I’ve sent items back in order to get the necessary information (order number, date of order, etc.), and told them why I want to return the items. They have never indicated that there was any sort of problem.

        The company’s example of their own return policy involves a woman who bought her husband a car, then called Lands End and asked to return it when he did not like it.

        I have been honest with the company, and they have told me that there is not a problem. There is no deception involved. I would not, as someone suggested, buy a special occasion dress, wear it, then return it as if it had not been worn. That behavior would be deceptive.

        1. Personally, I do think it is deceptive to say something is “too big,” which sounds like it was too big when you ordered it and did not fit, so you are returning it. You are returning it after you wore it and because circumstances changed and you no longer want it (but want to get your money back anyway, even after getting the intended use out of it). I don’t see much difference from returning a special occasion dress. Nonetheless, even if it is technically allowed under their policy of taking back anything, that doesn’t make it “right,” but I’m guessing nothing will change your mind about that. Lots of things are legal, but that doesn’t mean I go around doing them because they benefit me.

        2. So you actually said “I’ve been wearing these items regularly for years but now I’ve lost a lot of weight and they are too big. Can I return them?”

          1. @Anon: Yes. The first time I asked about it I told the representative that I had a coat that I’d bought several years before that I had worn, but that I could no longer wear because I had lost weight and it was now too big, and I asked if I could return it. I told her that returning it had not occurred to me earlier because it was worn and I had purchased it so long before, but that I had read an article that mentioned that this was a possibility at Lands End. The representative told me that the article was correct, and that I could return the coat for store credit in the amount of the last price the coat was offered for because it had been purchased too long ago for the order to appear in the system. I’ve had similar conversations with the representatives each time I’ve returned something because it’s now too big (I’ve done this 3 times), and they have always said that there was no problem, and that items can be returned for any reason.

            As I said, I was honest with them. As I stated above, I read about this is a widely read magazine (it was either in “Woman’s Day” or “Family Circle”), which described someone exchanging a coat she had worn for several years for a new one (in the same size), because the old one became ragged and “worn” looking.

          2. I feel as though I am reading a very contentious depo transcript!

            Q: So you return items after wearing?
            A: Yes, but…
            Q: Please just answer the question.
            A: YES!

            Although I am not sure that returning these worn items is worth all of the trouble, and I myself would never do this, as a former GAP employee (fully aprised of their generous return policy), turned lawyer, I can support Toni. Lands End probably permits her to return the merchandise, no questions asked.

          3. I too was a former Gap (BR) employee, in the late 90’s. The managers and other employees would always comment on people who abused the generous return policy. It’s no longer nearly as generous. There are always ways to take advantage of the system. I sometimes shop at a last-stop outlet for Nordstrom (one step lower than the Rack), and there are items there that are not even sold at Nordstrom (other dept store brands), and clothes and shoes that appear to have been worn every day for the last 10 years. Just because you can doesn’t mean you “should.” Ok, I’m done…

          4. Toni –

            I think there’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing. If Land’s End tells you that they’re happy to replace the clothes, then I would take them at their word.

            Maybe it’s like Birkenstock or Doc Martens or Dansko or some other shoe company that I heard of that takes their brand shoes back and replaces them for a new pair, even if you’ve work them for 10 years and they’re all messed up. Because they want you to keep wearing their shoes and recommend them to others. (As you are doing for Lands End.) It’s part of their marketing strategy.

          5. another former gapper here, between 2001-2005. gap’s generous return policy is now not generous, in large part because of exploitative consumers with this sort of behavior. it’s now 30 days, with receipt, except for defects, period.

            in an effort to keep things civil, i will just say that regardless of lands’ end’s policy, it doesn’t make it right to rent clothes for free and trade up, forcing the company to absorb all the costs. this is no different than the people who buy party trays of food at costco and then take them back half eaten and get a full refund because costco, like lands’ end, guarantees its products. yes, people do this.

            if a person used the product, enjoyed the product, and there was nothing wrong with the product, it is absolutely shameful to take it back and get a refund. the rest of us who shop at these stores are subsidizing this type of behavior in the form of higher prices.

  18. The blazer is always a great choice…. especially for work, and even into dinner. I wear them almost every day, so it’s great to see new ones!! Glambassadors NEED these! And they know where to get the best ones….
    glamalert.com/glambassador
    xx

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