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Weekend Open Thread

J. Renee - Arden (Black Fabric) - FootwearSomething on your mind? Chat about it here.

6pm.com has a number of “comfort shoes” on sale today, including this simple black slingback from J. Renee. If your office has a more formal holiday party (we used to call it “prom” at my old firm), this is the kind of shoe that you will wear but once a year, but will pull out year after year. At $29.23 (was $83.50) (and free shipping!) it good for the party, but your bank account also. J. Renee – Arden (Black Fabric) – Footwear

270 Comments

  1. Just a quick thanks to you all for enlightening me about what it’s REALLY like to work as a lawyer before I went through with law school, etc.

    Any similar words of wisdom on earning an MBA?

    1. I went back to school to get my MBA after working about 15 years in finance and accounting. I spent the first 10 years of my career in public accounting working for a large regional firm. The work was specialized but I learned much in that time. I branched out from public accounting to work as the controller in a large manufacturing operation and now work as the CFO of a hospital. I think an MBA is probably a much broader degree and perhaps affords you much more opportunity than law school. People go to law school to become lawyers. People who have earned MBA degrees are working in finance, marketing, operations, manufacturing, management, human resources, sales, research and development in every industry under the sun. If you are looking for particular insight on the work atmosphere for an MBA I don’t think you can give an answer because the opportunities are so varied and diverse.
      I have found my MBA to be beneficial in my niche because it tended to broaden my perspective from the strict numbers game that I have always played.

      I think an MBA is a good degree but, and that is a huge but, many people say that if you don’t go to a top tier school for your MBA it isn’t worth the time and effort. I’m not entirely sure that I agree with that sentiment and it probably depends on where you live. I live in Colorado and the graduates around here are largely from state colleges and universities because that’s what we have. There are a few private schools that are highly reputable and that helps you get your resume noticed among a large stack of other resumes but I don’t think it is essential to have a pedigree of any sort. Now if you are living in other areas I would think this could be an entirely different scenario.

      There are also 2 schools of thought regarding earning an MBA. There are some that think you should move directly into a graduate program after you finish your undergrad work. Then there are those like me who really think the MBA was more beneficial by working first and then going back to school. Now, granted, it is much harder to go back to school if there is a husband and children involved (which was my case). But there are also learning opportunities that are much more beneficial if you can apply them to real life situations. For most jobs, an MBA wouldn’t be a requirement for employment and you might be able to get your employer to pay for your MBA if there is a tuition reimbursement program at your job.

    2. I didn’t see the earlier post but just wanted to bring it to your attention that you can get both a law degree and MBA at some schools. That was a selling point for me in choosing a smaller regional school. I had to take summer school and night classes but was able to graduate with both degrees in three years.

    3. In my opinion, and take that with a pinch of salt, an MBA is most valuable to:
      (a) career changers. Engineers who tire of their jobs and want to move into marketing, retail employees who want to get into something more lucrative, etc. Often, these are also people who are unsure what field they want to move into and an MBA gives them a closeup look at options.
      OR
      (b) people who need to get a graduate degree and who otherwise cannot progress in their jobs e.g. analysts in i-banking or consulting.

      If you already know what field interests you, or if a career change isn’t your goal, then I would argue that rather than spending a ton of money on an MBA you can spend the time either working in that industry to move up, or getting a more focused degree (Executive coursework in Marketing / MS in Quantitative Finance) that will help you pursue opportunities in that area.

    4. Hmm… I now have both. I think both are versatile degrees, but I have more friends/business associates with law degrees doing a broader variety of work than the MBAs. I practice law and enjoy, and got the MBA to augment my skill set with my business client and I think it has made me a better business lawyer. I did BigLaw, and while I didn’t like the quality of life, I liked practicing law.

      Where you go to B school really depends on what you want to do. If you want to to the business equivalent of BigLaw, ie I-Banking/Wall street, then the similar rules apply, ie best schools, best grades , hellacious work schedule etc…. If your getting the MBA to enhance what you already do the prestige factor is not so important as doing well in your program and getting as much out of it as you can. If you plan to stay local, a local program is fine, if you want to move, and will need to rely on the degree, be sure your program has sufficient recognition and network (or that you do).

      1. Small threadjack – Divaliscious, how did you decide on getting an MBA after law school? I also want to do business law, and so to me an MBA (I already have my JD) is logical, but everyone at school told me to get an LLM. One of the last things on Earth I would like to do is MORE law school, so I’m glad that it seems acceptable to get your MBA after your JD. :-)

        1. AS-

          I actually originally want to do both, but I didn’t want to do 4 years, as I went back to school after working several years. As my client sophistication increased, and my client base was more senior, I could always manage the documents, but felt a step behind on some of the business stuff. In my experience, as you get more senior, if you are in-house, your role transitions more from purely legal to business counsel, and there is a fair amount of presumptive knowledge in a meeting full of SVPs. As I am often the only woman (or one of 2) and the only person of color (again, or one of 2) I did not want to be a step behind – in fact I don’t have the luxury of some of my male, non-people of color, colleagues. I have found it to be very helpful, and I just completed my program. My law school, now, has the 3 yr joint program…..

          I don’t think a corporate LLM (I think G’town and NYU) would be more helpful than an MBA unless you want to teach, because it is likely theoretical, and my clients need decision guidance, not papers and law review articles….

    5. I have not attended law school nor business school, but I would like to offer some general thoughts. The best education to pursue is one that supports your career goals. And, the only way to know if a career is a good fit is to get some kind of experience in that field. This experience could be through any means including volunteering or even extensive shadowing. I can’t tell you of the number of nursing graduates who bail after a few months because they don’t like bein around sick people and hospitals or the teachers who are miserable because those 3 months off in the summer don’t make up for their intolerance of children. A fellow engineering graduate who had no engineer related experience prior to graduation had no idea about what engineers actually do. She has bounced around several jobs and is now working in an office where her family has connections. Not only is she miserable, but she is a disaster by profession standards.

      Also, please keep in mind that the economy has produced record numbers of unhappy employees. People feel trapped in their current positions and are just trying to be thankful to have a job. Others are unhappy due to the loss of certain perks and now feel like the sacrifices they make are no longer worth it. Ther are 100 things that I love about my job and 100 things that I hate. In the end, my profession gives me a sense of fulfillment even if my employer does not.

      1. ST-engr – great advice. I wanted to get a degree in psychology because the subject fascinated me. But, in the end, I did not want to spend my life providing therapy nor could I see myself as a academic. On the same note, I had a cousin who was pursuing a job in criminal justice, but then she was surprised that she would probably end up as a probation officer talking to actual criminals.

  2. One final left tomorrow and everyone else is done already.. I can’t wait to be done and enjoy the christmas season!

    3. I just finished last night! 8 hour take home final. I’m thrilled to be done with this terrible semester and halfway done with law school! Congrats to everyone who has finished :)

  3. I am really disturbed by the piece on incest currently being discussed on ATL.
    I would really love to parse out all the legal arguments in a civil fashion- something that is only possible on corporette.
    If this topic is too intense for the weekend, then go ahead and ignore me. I won’t feel bad.

    1. With a topic like that, you should never read the ATL comments. Actually, I can’t think of any reason to ever read ATL comments unless the thread is specifically about your own firm.

      1. Yes. I usually avoid it, but for some reason I read that David Epstein’s lawyers legal argument. Apparently the arguments was based on SCalia’s dissent in another case.
        I sometimes really hate our profession. :(

    2. I’m hesitant to go look at ATL – but I’m assuming its somehow connected to the David Epstein thing (I read an article on Slate).

    3. I have to say, I was surprised at the number of actually literate and thoughtful comments on the article (interspersed with the garbage that’s much more typical of that blog, ofcourse).

      As for incest…the whole story has really made me think and maybe I will be able to get back to you with some legal parsing.

    4. Yikes not that I have any power but I would definitely like it if that discussion did not move to that board. Some of the commenters were making valid legal points, but it was such a touchy subject it just degenerated very quickly.

  4. What’s your favorite workout song? I’m trying to start exercising again after a decade off, and I’m thinking a good set of tunes might inspire me.

    1. “Hey Mama” by the Black-Eyed Peas. :) In my first work-out playlist, it accidentally hit right about the time I was tiring, and had the perfect bpm (beats per minute) for my workout, and it just perked me right up. So, it’s an oldie but still a really reliable one for me.

      BTW, there are a number of websites that talk about how to determine what bpm is best for your workout and how to find songs in that bpm range (or edit songs you have to fit that range), and I think there are even iTunes playlists that are organized this way (though it’s been a while since I looked). I’m sure others on this website can even give better tips on that.

    2. This is embarasing, but I like listening to Lady Gaga when I run.

      1. Same here, but I’m completely not embarrassed! I find ridiculous pop music best for my elliptical workouts.

      4. Don’t be embarrassed by Lady Gaga. My husband (who works in a very macho, male-dominated job that requires fairly intense physical training) secretly LOVES to work out to Enrique Iglesias!

        1. Rhythm Divine is one of my all-time favorite workout songs. I have it loaded up to play just at that point when I’m having to push to finish the workout. Tell your husband he has good taste :)

    3. I have loads of suggestions since I obsess over this all the time but I’ll give you a sampling of some of my favorites:
      Empire State of Mind – Jay-Z (especially when running in NYC)
      Stronger – Kanye West
      Fell In Love with a Girl – The White Stripes
      Run Run Run – The Velvet Underground
      Eye of the Tiger – (cheesy but it is motivating!)
      Low – Flo Rida (primarily because my team used it as motivation for me in a relay race)

    5. “Eye of the Tiger” and “Baba O’Riley” (The “teenage wasteland” song by The Who) are oldies but goodies!

    6. Dating myself here, but I think my favorite workout song is “Violet” by Hole.

      1. Eh, I used to run with mix tapes in my Sony Walkman cassette player. No worries about dated music here. Love all these suggestions — I’m downloading them now, and actually looking forward to my next workout!

    7. As a teenager I used to work out to Venga Bus by Venga Boys. It still gets me going.
      I have found that Euro club music also has the right bpm for cardio.

    8. You can get loads of free workout music podcasts if you do some searching: Cadence Revolution and MotionTraxx are two that I use. I highly recommend the entire “Parade of Athletes” album by DJ Tiesto that he did for the Athens Olympics. Great stuff there if you like electronic dance music.

      1. Try googling the blog “kiss my black a**” if you want to start jogging. It’ helped me tremendously!

    9. Love and second some of the other suggestions on here, a see a lot of my workout mix already. Here are some others if you don’t mind an eclectic taste in music :)
      Going the Distance by Cake
      Lose Yourself by Eminem
      Don’t Let it go to Your Head by Fefe Dobson
      Remember the Name by Fort Minor
      Roam by the B-52’s
      The Look by Roxette
      Right Now by Van Halen
      Go your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac
      Shut Up and Drive or Disturbia by Rihanna

    10. Okay, I’m a nerd, but for jogging the cadence of the chorale in Holst’s “Jupiter” from _The Planets_ is perfect.

      1. Jupiter always makes me want to waltz around. Cardio, certainly, but kind of hard to do on a treadmill :-P (Yay for music nerds!)

    11. I recommend the Indie Soup podcast. It is free and there are lots of old episodes on iTunes. I listen to each one a couple of times and then download the songs that I really like.

      JogTunes is also OK and also free with lots of old episodes on iTunes, but I prefer IndieSoup.

    12. Tightrope, Janelle Monae. Perfect bpms- it’s the first song on my running mix, and always gets me going!

    15. Mock me if you must, but I once had the best race ever with the Chicken Dance on repeat on my ipod. Granted, it was only 5M and I was a running novice, but it amused me the entire way and the bpm were right on. My trainer (who is awesome) posted recently about the value of exercising with music: http://www.fitnessmash.com/2010/09/the-power-of-music/

      1. This is hilarious. I love the chicken dance, but I’m not sure I could stand it on repeat for an entire race. May have to work it into my mix for my next race though :)

        1. 5:54 Anon here… It wasn’t my plan at the outset of the race to listen to the Chicken Dance the WHOLE time. It was just one of the songs in my (generally more hip) mix, but came up early and I found myself hitting repeat until, before I knew it, the end of the race had arrived! This is why I have the usuals like “Eye of the Tiger” but some funky ones like Chicken Dance mixed in there. ;)

    17. Nelly’s Heart of a Champion is a good one.
      I also love Survivor’s I Can’t Hold Back, Europe’s The Final Countdown, and Warrant’s Mr. Rainmaker.
      I also have the Olympic theme music on my IPod, in addition to God Bless the USA.

    18. Awesome question and awesome responses, especially as I got an iTunes gift card as a Secret Santa gift :) Going to do some downloading right now!

      1. Really cheesy pop music keeps me running. Pussycat Dolls’ Don’t Cha puts pep in my step every time. I will definitely have to incorporate some of your suggestions into my running mix.

    19. I have millions. Making gym mixes is one of my favorite things to do, especially when I’m feeling lazy about working out :)

      toxic- britney
      the distance- cake
      dirty- christina aguilera
      heaven (remix)- dj sammy
      burning love- elvis
      ten minutes to downtown- the get up kids (great for a sprint)
      canned heat- jamiroquai
      the middle – jimmy eat world
      rock your body- justin timberlake
      outta my head- kylie minogue
      the runner- manfred mann’s earth band
      jump- the pointer sisters
      rock dj- robbie williams
      10000 nights of thunder- alphabeat
      about you now- the sugababes
      you make my dreams come true- hall & oates
      mr brightside- the killers
      hotel yorba- the white stripes
      can’t stop- red hot chili peppers

      and pretty much all of “graduation” by kanye west

    20. Rocky’s theme, of course, or Chariots of Fire,

      BUT if you really want inspiration to get you to the gym, download a good novel from audible.com or books on tape, or your local library,and listen to that. If the book is good enough, you will WANT to go the gym to finish listening to the book.

      From a 30 year runner and very recent gym attendee!

      1. And “1 Thing” by Amarie

        Giggling…sorry if I am posting too much…its the first weekend of really being out of school in 2 years…..

    22. Very timely! I just started going back to the gym again and made a workout mix from what I already had in my iTunes. Random songs I haven’t seen mentioned yet include

      Little Bird – Annie Lennox
      Much of the American Idiot Musical Soundtrack
      Much of the Burlesque Soundtrack
      Feel Good Time – Pink
      Closer – Ne-Yo
      Dancing with Myself – Billy Idol
      Let’s Get Loud – Jennifer Lopez
      Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson
      Hung Up – Madonna
      Like a Lady – The Sounds
      Escape – Enrique Iglesias

      @ Bridget: me too re: Hey Mama :). I am also planning to get many of the songs listed here. Thanks ladies!

    1. Come up with maybe 3 strengths about yourself you want to get across and examples that support your points and find ways to weave those into your interview. Do your homework on the company/firm. Be confident. Be enthusiastic. Don’t trash any previous employers. Good luck!

  6. Holiday tipping: I’ve figured out what I’m supposed to do around my office by asking others, and I know Corporette has covered that before. But what about people in personal services? I.e., dog-walkers, nannies and au pairs, house cleaners? I find my compass is often off base on gift appropriateness and amounts, and I would love to hear what others are doing.

    1. I just heard on NPR this morning that the appropriate amount to tip weekly/monthly service providers is the equivalent of one week/ one service worth of pay. So, if you pay your dog walker $60 per week, then give them that as a holiday tip. Tip your house cleaner the equivalent of the cost of one cleaning, etc.
      I’m not sure where the line is regarding people to tip, though. For instance, I won’t be tipping my hair stylist for the holidays, because I tip him on a regular basis. Apparently, that isn’t supposed to matter, but to me, it does.

    2. I tipped my aesthetician (works out of a derm’s office) with a $50 gift card (I see her every month or two for microderms that cost $150). She was great about getting me in to see one of the derm’s ASAP when she thought I had a possible staph infection.

      I don’t know if it was enough. Although I also felt weird doing it to begin with. I don’t mind the financial part, just awkward whether it was going to offend her because it seemed kind of like a “more service worker” than “medical worker” thing to do.

      Anyway, I’m still agonizing.

      My other somewhat unual tip scenario is what to do for the folks who cut my dog’s nails at PetCo. It’s not always the same person (but frequently is). A nail trim is $10 or $15 (can’t recall). Should I get them each gift cards? There are usually four people working. If so, how much? I don’t normally tip throughout the year (and havne’t seen anyone else do it in that setting).

      1. If you decide to do something, why not get them $5 or $10 gift cards to Starbucks or whatever is close to the grooming place.
        Not everyone can take tips, but I think it’s a nice token of appreciation. I do this with my mailman (happy holidays card & $5 Startbucks card inside).

        1. I feel like the tipping expectations are getting out of control! I don’t think you need to tip the people who trim your dog’s nails AT ALL. It would never have crossed my mind, and I certainly hope they wouldn’t be expecting it. I am going to tip my maid who comes every other week and give my secretary a nice gift.

          1. I forgot to mention that I also intend to tip the mailman. We’ve done it in the past, and he always keeps our mail when we’re on vacation as a nice gesture.

          2. b23–do you live in the US? Federal employees like mailmen can’t accept cash gifts for doing their job. Also, the post office has to hold your mail if you put a vacation hold on it, right? I never thought of it as a gesture, just as a basic postal service. Of course, if you’re outside US, none of this may apply.

          3. I worked in retail service type-place in college with a lot of repeat customers. We didn’t expect tips, but we got them. When you are putting yourself through school making $8 an hour (with no help from family, just lots of loans), those $20 starbucks gift cards are really, really appreciated. While I don’t think you have to tip, I think it’s a great idea if you want to.

          4. I live in the U.S. and every year growing up my mother gave our postman a Christmas gift. I don’t know whether they’re supposed to take it, but ours always did.

          5. Correct that they cannot accept cash gifts, but a gift like food (nice container of pecans down my way) or the like is ok. I’m with you, I have a great mailman and like to thank him.

    3. What about for a personal trainer? I was thinking I would just get her a plant or something else small, but now that I heard the story on NPR this AM, I am wondering if I should just give her a card with cash in an amount equal to the cost of one session (which is substantially more than I was planning, but I can afford it if that is the proper thing to do). And does it matter that I have only been seeing her for about 6 months?

      1. I give my trainer a bit more than the cost of a session but I have been training with her for over 4 years and she is amazing. I know it isn’t expected and we are now good friends (I see her more regularly than anyone else outside of work!) and she usually gives me something fitness related each year as well. She is one of the few I don’t feel is obligatory. She has mentioned (not as hints I promise) that other clients have given her workout gear of some sort – a pair of lululemon pants or a jacket so I think that is appropriate (if you know the person well) as is a gift card. But cash is always a pleaser.

  7. Hey all,

    I am a frequent poster here — my dad recently met a COA judge who I would love to clerk for at a work event and told him about me/mentioned I would contact him. I am writing the email now — any suggestions about things to avoid/things to include?

    Also: should I address him as “judge” or “chief judge”?

    Thanks in advance!!

    2. The formal address portion of the letter should read “The Honorable Chief Judge _____” and your salutation can read “Dear Honorable Chief Judge _____” to be absolutely formal or “Dear Chief Judge ___” which is more familiar. I find saying “judge” is just more familiar than “your honor” and would defer to the more formal address when you aren’t acquainted.

    3. Hmm, my judge was the Chief Judge of the COA, and in correspondence, referencing him as Chief in the salutation, but otherwise Judge is usually sufficient for all but the most pretentious. For example

      chief Judge NAME
      Court of Appeals
      blah blah blah

      Dear Chief Judge Name
      blah blah blah

      it would be an honor to meet with you Judge Name blah blah blah….

      1. Thanks all for the feedback. I went with Dear Chief Judge Name…, I couldn’t bear to write “the Honorable” in an email. Apparently he was very friendly with my dad, so I think it’ll be ok.

        Also, divalicious, I love how your write blah blah blah… in your comments to suggest a letter, it is hilarious. Props to you for the COA clerkship.

  8. Corporette Ladies — I need your help! I am a senior associate at a relatively conservative mid-size firm in Chicago. I am pregnant with my first child and just finished my first trimester. I’m getting close to the point where I am going to have to start investing in some maternity wear and I could use some advice from other Moms / Moms-to-be out there. I hate to spend a lot of money on maternity clothes, but I need things that will be appropriate for both day to day (we are business casual however people tend to dress on the conservative side) as well as client meetings etc. I’m used to spending a fair amount of high quality clothes that I can wear for multiple seasons, but I’m at a loss here. Where can I find maternity clothes that are appropriate for the office and that won’t break the bank? Also, if you have any suggestions on putting outfits together, particularly for client meetings, I would appreciate it.

    TIA!

    2. Get a good flyaway cardigan and a solid pair of pants. This will get you far. IMHO, your best bet is probably a long cardigan NOT in the maternity section. Things marked maternity seem to be designed to maximize the belly, and they are often made rather poorly. Dark, solid colored tops and long, regular (non-maternity) layers gave me a lot of mileage, and I still wear some of those items post-partum. I found some good temporary options at Goodwill.

    3. I just went through this myself. Basically, don’t buy too much stuff because you won’t wear them for long (even though it feels long at the time). Try a Pea in a Pod, Ann Taylor Loft online, maybe some consignment stores. I loved my “real waist” pants from Old Navy Maternity. I bought mostly black and white and things mixed and matched quite well. For client meetings, I wore a black dress and a non-maternity cardigan or jacket on top and I didn’t look very pregnant. Invest in some comfortable flat shoes!

    4. Suits I got at Pea in the Pod (2). Gap has nice dresses that you can wear for work. I would wear non-maternity blazers for a while for meetings – it doesn’t really matter if you can button them or not.

    5. My most favorite maternity pants are the under belly ones from motherhood maternity. I have them in heather gray, black, amd kahki. They have held up well through two pregnancies, and were dressy enough when I interviewed during my first pregnancy. They are also so comfortable–seriously I sleep in them sometimes, lol. I also found wrap shirts that I liked at Sears and a couple of plain, long sleeved shirts at Gap I think. They look good under a cardigan or a blazer. (I wore lots of my pre-pregnancy blazers just left unbuttoned and also got a maternity one, from Pea in a Pod, I think for court.) Personally, I could never find anything at Target. I found a dress online from Old Navy that was a simple black wrap dress that ended up being very versatile.

      1. Pea in the Pod stuff was really nice, as was the GAP stuff. The other maternity stores were a little hit and miss. I found some things at Old Navy and Target, but many of the clothes there were just too big through the shoulders (and I’m not even really petite).

        While I didn’t use them last time, I love the Bella Band this time around. I’ve been able to get away with wearing my old jeans and it just feels more supportive than an undershirt or tights.

        If anyone you know offers to lend/give you maternity clothes, say yes, even if they are bigger/smaller/taller/shorter than you. Some of my favorite things were loaners.

    6. My office has a great tradition of passing along maternity suit jackets and other more expensive pieces to the next pregnant person. If your office doesn’t have a tradition like that, it would be nice to start one later on. I had a few trials while I was pregnant, and would’ve had to spend a fortune if it weren’t for our maternity clothes box.

    7. Congrats!

      I an 6 months pregnant now and a BigLaw associate, and also dealing with the clothing issue.

      BOTTOMS: I find that the dress pants at Pea in The Pod are made out of cheap material, but still priced at about $180. Outrageous! You can get the Gap modern boot cut maternity pants for 1/4 of the price (look for sales, they have them every week now), and they are the same quality as Pead in the Pod and super comfy. I bought two pairs of Gap maternity pants, one black maternity skirt from Old Navy, and one Japanese Weekend dress. I also spent a small fortune on designer maternity jeans because I wanted one cute pair of jeans. I am still managing with the bella band to wear all my normal pants and skirts too, so you really won’t need that much in the beginning for bottoms.

      TOPS: As for tops, I agree with other posters that maternity shirts just make you look bigger than you are. Long, fitted (ruched) tops with long cardigans look way better. I got a coupe of long tops at Ann Taylor that I mix up with the longer tops in my existing wardrobe, and I have made do just fine until now.

      SUITS: You can still wear your suits with the bella band well into the second tri–proobably in the beginning of the third too–as long as you are ok with not buttoning the jackets. I am still wearing mine. I also have a few suits one or two sizes up that I think will work with the bella band until the end.

      1. This is a bit late but I wanted to suggest that – especially once the unbuttoned blazer trick doesn’t work anymore – one of the no button shawl cardigans (is that the right description??) which are so popular this season is a great replacement.

        Also for the 2nd trimester, just getting a regular suit in a larger size is a good option since that can be your post-baby suit until your weight goes back down.

  9. I think it would depend on the etiquette within your jurisdiction, but in Canada you probably would want to go with “Mr. Justice X” or “Chief Justice X” if he really is the Chief Justice of that court. Not sure if it is different south of the border….

    1. Thanks! As I said upthread, went with Chief Judge X. (He is actually Chief Judge. Otherwise his colleagues might be upset at his spontaneous promotion…)

  10. Reporting on lined tights-

    I found a pair of black fleece-lined tights by Legale at TJ Maxx for $4.99. Their sizing was on the small end, which I am not, especially as a pear shape, but they fit. The first time I put them on (to try them out), I decided not to take them off and planned my entire outfit around the tights because they are incredibly comfortable. They do look more like leggings than tights, but I love them so much I don’t really care.

    Today I found another pair of black ones at Target. I love their Merona tights and find they fit better and are more comfortable to me than Hue tights so I am very excited about these. They are called Brushed Lined Tight and (of course) are not up on the website yet. Their sizing seems a little better to me as well and are $10.

    Just wanted to pass along my findings to those who were also intrigued by Kat’s post on the Plush ones, but were looking for cheaper options in other sizes. Now if I could only find them in other colors…

      1. I’m pretty sure they just went up to 5’11, at least for the Merona ones. But maybe they come in larger sizes that I couldn’t find in store? They probably follow the sizing of regular Merona tights, so you might be able to size up, but they probably don’t come in tall sizes. I can’t remember the sizing for Legale ones, but I got the larger size and I’m moderately tall (5’7, but long legged) and I don’t think they would fit someone much taller than me. But my knowledge of the Legale ones is restricted to what I saw at TJ Maxx and read on the packaging, so perhaps there is hope?

  11. Most of my casual wardrobe needs to be pitched, so I’m on the hunt for replacements. Can anyone recommend good longer-length short and long-sleeve tees for everyday after work use? I picked up a boat neck tee from Talbots on clearance recently, but all of my jeans and casual pants are low-waisted enough that some skin pokes out when I bend over or reach up. Not the look I’m going for. I need something longer to accomodate low-rise (not super low though) jeans. I think my torso is average, possibly on the longer side. Thanks in advance!

    1. I’m wearing a long t today from Eddie Bauer–length is pretty good. Also, Fair Indigo offers basic tshirts that are pretty generous in length.

    2. I am not sure how casual you want to go, but I have had good luck with Alternative Apparel’s unisex short sleeve t-shirts. They are just tight enough to look feminine but the cut is casual. They are longer in the torso and have washed remarkably well. Not sure about their long sleeve ts though.

    3. I just picked up some by Gap on sale – you might check them out – also there are a lot of sale items on macys.com right now.

      1. There is a wonderful sale on three dots tees on 6pm.com I just bought 5 for under $100. The one three dots tee I have has lasted ~60 washes and I still get compliments on it.

    5. I’ll second Eddie Bauer. I picked up several short sleeve tees there earlier this year and am very happy with them. I think they’re almost too long, but I’m short-waisted so they are probably perfect on someone with an average to longer torso.

      1. Third for Eddie Bauer, at least for short sleeve. I bought lots of scoop-neck t-shirts this summer for under suits (EB, Land’s End, Talbots). The EB were BY FAR the nicest substantial cotton (thick, not see-through), and were not expensive (around $14-15 short sleeve). They also are a nice length (I am short, but I found them long on me). The Talbots had a weird curved cut at the bottom that came out of my pants (too short), and the cotton was not as nice as the EB (although they were about $28). I found the Land’s End ones to be see-through and cheap, consistent with their very cheap price. I have since bought about 4 more of the short-sleeve scoop necks from EB I liked them so much.

    6. C&C California and some Michael Stars shirts. I’ve also had pretty good luck with Splendid tops. All three brands can be found on sale/ eBay/ etc. on a nearly regular basis.

    7. I like JCPenney’s house brand of t-shirts, called St. John’s Bay. They are inexpensive, consistently well-made, and fairly long. They have a variety of neck styles (crew, scoop, v, etc.) but I prefer the crew neck.

      1. Just mentioning — I am not normally a Lands End shopper, but ordered some gifts there for in laws recently, and decided to try their modern fit tees. Very pleasantly surprised — great price, nice quality, not remotely boxy, & totally long the way I like them.

        1. I second this – Lands End tees are wonderfully long, and of great quality fabric. Just get modern fit and about two sizes smaller than you usually would – I’m a size 8 normally and ended up happiest in a Land’s End extra small tee.

    9. Lands End Modern/Fit 1 tees — all about $14 to $18. Love them, swear by them–everything else is too short on me.

    10. Lands end has some very nice coton-modal ones on sale for $12.50. I had bought one earlier at the full price and bought 4 more today!

      1. I live in the St. John’s Bay at home and running errands because they are not as thin and tight as many other T-shirts.

    11. I recently tried Old Navy – I’m surprised at the quality and they’re holding up pretty well.

    1. If you’ve never checked it out, check out the jewelry selections on Novica.com. It’s a project associated with National Geographic that highlights artisans across the world. They’ve got MUCH more than just jewelry, but I’ve loved the jewelry I’ve purchased from there. Bonus: your purchase is accompanied by a hand-signed thank you note from the artist herself.

      Personally, I think this one is pretty fun:

      http://jewelry.novica.com/necklaces/beaded/$50-to-$100/pearl-and-rose-quartz-beaded-necklace-heritage/170943/

      1. Thanks to a mention on this blog I learned about Novica-ordered a beautiful pair of earrings for my stepmom for christmas. Thanks, Corporette!

    2. Etsy is always a good place to find jewelry, though searching can be a bit overwhelming because of all the options. I put in “beaded necklace” and found these on the first couple of pages:
      http://www.etsy.com/listing/57362763/green-peridot-and-aqua-multi-strand?ref=sr_gallery_34&ga_search_query=beaded+necklace&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=9&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade

      http://www.etsy.com/listing/57310355/summer-breeze-three-strand-mixed-blue?ref=sr_gallery_16&ga_search_query=beaded+necklace&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=10&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade

      http://www.etsy.com/listing/58663078/boho-layered-necklace-autumn-earthtones?ref=sr_gallery_39&ga_search_query=beaded+necklace&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=6&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade

      http://www.etsy.com/listing/34504219/pacific-opal-swarovski-and-coin?ref=sr_gallery_40&ga_search_query=beaded+necklace&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=3&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade

      http://www.etsy.com/listing/63562177/vintage-upcycled-periwinkle-flower?ref=sr_gallery_31&ga_search_query=beaded+necklace&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade

      The Met Museum Store sometimes has fun jewelry (though it can be pricey). I liked these:

      http://store.metmuseum.org/necklaces/medieval-disc-rosette-necklace/invt/80007392/

      http://store.metmuseum.org/necklaces/egyptian-princess-turquoise-necklace/invt/80005937/

      And finally, check out Coldwater Creek. I don’t like their clothes (I think they are geared to an older demographic), but they can have some really great accessories. Be sure to check the “outlet” section of the website. I found these:

      http://www.coldwatercreek.com/product-detail/54124/60379/capri-multi-bead-necklace.aspx?refLink=outlet-jewelry.aspx&Skn=outlet

      http://www.coldwatercreek.com/product-detail/53554/59719/seed-bead-chain-necklace.aspx?refLink=necklaces.aspx

      http://www.coldwatercreek.com/product-detail/54371/60583/pearly-stone-necklace.aspx?refLink=necklaces.aspx

      http://www.coldwatercreek.com/product-detail/49834/55722/stardust-triple-row-necklace.aspx?refLink=outlet-accessories.aspx&Skn=outlet

      1. I agree about the “older” demographic … they have shifted dramatically in the last ten years. I went into one in a high-end shopping place and felt like it was for ladies who are no longer working. I am early 50s fwiw.

  13. Ladies, I officially feel old. My fill in doctor graduated high school the same year I did! I’m 29 and this is the first time I had a doctor who was a “peer.” Obviously it is no big deal but it was definitely one of those “oh, this is a first” moments.

    2. Trying to remember which anniversary of my 29th birthday I am on…I know its double digits…..

      1. Love this sentiment! I’m going to start celebrating the “anniversary of my 29th birthday”! This year is my 1st!

      2. My sister gave me a “21” pandora charm for the 21st anniversary of my 29th birthday. Cracked me up.

  14. Thanks to whoever recommended the Merrel Yarra boots on here a long time ago – I just got some and have been wearing them all week in NYC, where it’s been in the 20s and my feet have been nice and toasty.

    In that same vein, the Chevron puffer jacket from Land’s End is really, really warm and the hood is amazing.

      1. Not any more so than puffer jackets in general. I wear an XS/0 regularly and got the jacket in XS. It’s not super form fitting (a la baby phat puffers), but it doesn’t look like I’m borrowing it from my mom, either. There’s enough room to wear a suit jacket underneath. Land’s End says that their XS is about a size 4, and I would say that that is accurate. In terms of warmth though, I can’t recommend it enough.

        1. Thanks! I have been so cold the past 2 weeks in my regular puffer, I may have to order this ASAP.

  15. Any recommendations for a gift in the $60 range for a woman who just had her first baby later in life? I’m a bit late and the registry has basically all been bought up. I’m thinking a baby item, but would also be open to more mom-oriented items.

    (The woman is my boyfriend’s former admin assistant at his law firm, if it makes any difference. She was the best!)

    1. Not sure if the price point works, but a food delivery of pre-made healthy portioned meals might be nice…you could make it or order it. I know I was often too tired to eat, and more so after my second which was mid-30’s…. I can only imagine its even worse if you are older…

    2. From what I’ve seen, no one ever registers for as many consumable items as they will need (blankets–seriously, my sister used like 10 a day and still did laundry daily, pacifiers, diapers, etc). You could put together a cute basket of these very usable items.

      1. I second this. Crib sheets are a big one. I bought two and got one as a shower gift and then thought, “how many sheets can one baby go through, anyway?” Answer: about 7 in one night, when they are too big for one size of diaper and a bit too small for the next size, and also still spitting up a lot. I personally did not like the flannel receiving blankets and found smaller knit or fleece blankets a lot more useful – and believe me, I did use them a lot. One very useful shower gift was a humidifier, which she absolutely will need the first time the baby gets sick. Ditto a really good ear thermometer. Organizers for the bathroom/diaper changing room are really helpful. A lot of people buy the cutesy stuff but what you end up needing are the workhorse items that you don’t need until 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning or that you run out of all the time. Barring any of that – believe me, a Target or Babies R Us gift card will not go amiss. Seriously. I got $450 in gift cards between my 2 showers, and they were all spent within four months of my son being born. Not paying cash for diapers for four months was pretty great. :)

    3. Books. For $60 you can get a great selection of children’s books and then throw in a book for mom (e.g. Babies for Dummies, Babies 411 or my personal favorite – a medical reference book regarding infants and children).

      1. Yes on books! I like the Sears series – The Baby Book, etc. For the actual baby, you can’t miss with Sheep in a Jeep (plus the various sequels.)

      2. I work with young children and parents – still swear by the Gessell Institute series (Your One Year Old…). My favorite and very fun/practical is “Your Child At Play” by Marilyn Segal. Starts with Birth to One! Finally, you can google around and find 365 Tv-Free Activities You Can Do With Your Child: Plus 50 All-New Bonus Activities (365) as well as 365 outdoor activities. I also love stacking cups, the rings on a spindle too. Or a boppy!

    4. I usually do a fruit-and-cheese basket from Harry & David, figuring that new parents don’t really have time to cook and/or shop for healthy food.

      1. I’d avoid books for mom on parenting — too many different philosophies, too much potential to insult someone or give them something that they will find totally useless.

        I have a 3.5 month old, and the thing I most appreciated for me was a gift card to an upscale day spa for a manicure and pedicure. On the baby side of things it was diapers – big diapers. I got a box or two of size two and size three diapers which really came in handy when trying to figure out if he had moved up a size. Instead of having to run out and buy a whole box I had one to test and then others to get me over the hump. Of course, if she is cloth diapering this wouldn’t work.

        I also really like the Sassy toys. They are super developmentally appropriate, and my son loves them. Finally, depending on what you are looking to spend, I’m all about the Moby Wrap. I will be buying it for all my first time mom friends from here on out.

        1. Ugg – the sleep deprivation is eating away at my brain. For $60 you can get her a Moby and a few children’s books or something more mom oriented. Although I can’t stress the Moby enough. Got us through a 5 course meal with one nursing break, a 4 hour viewing at a funeral home and just last week my Judge’s Christmas party. A fantastic way to keep my baby happy and allow me to go hands free but keep him close to me for chores or baking or even some light exercise.

    5. Not sure if these were on the registry or not, but I love all of these things and use them everyday:
      – a Bebe Au Lait (or other brand) nursing cover;
      – a SwaddleMe in microfleece;
      – a Bundleme
      – the Fisher Price Rocker/Sleeper ($40 on Amazon)
      Or, you can always go for something personalized, like a silver key chain from Blue Nile with her baby’s name on it. Giraffe blankets are popular these days but they are pricey. If you get clothes, be sure to get at least a 6-9 months size or larger. Gift certificates are always great, too, and making a homemade meal for her would make her very happy I’m sure.

      1. I’m 33, and my baby is almost 3 months old, so I have suggestions for items that work for us.
        *The fisher price rocker sleeper is great. I use it for travel and also at home.
        *”The Rookie Mom’s Handbook”, which is a book that gives ideas for how to get out of the house and do activities with your baby. It is the most helpful book I have read so far. I’d be house-bound without it.

        *Very basic clothes in larger sizes and diapers in bigger sizes are very helpful. My baby grew very fast- from preemie size to 3-6 month size in 2 months- and I wasn’t prepared for that.

        *Baby wipes /diapers/baby basics– giant box of wipes, large tub of vaseline, along with baby tylenol, baby orajel and gas drops. I would ask her what brand of diapers she is using and get several boxes in larger sizes for her, or get the boxes of diapers from a local store so she can return them if they aren’t the right brand. Laundry soap– dye and fragrance free. Mesh laundry bags (lingerie bags) to hold small items like baby socks that can easily get lost in the wash.

        *Gift cards– target, diapers.com, grocery store.

        *white-noise machine (that makes nature sounds, rain sounds, etc), or the teddy bear that makes womb-sounds.

        * Tummy time mat

        Strangely, the most helpful gift so far wasn’t a gift at all– it was the small plastic storage box that my aunt used to wrap her gifts in. It was the perfect size to use for the baby clothes he grew out of. (saving them for potential baby number 2).

        1. One of my favorite gifts was a grocery store gift card – if you have a baby, you have a late-night diaper run.

          Ditto on no parenting books – all of them seem to boil down to, “unless you do it *my way*, your child will not sleep/will not eat/will be an axe-murderer or holy terror.” OK, maybe that’s snide, but even the ones I liked were pretty dogmatic. A new baby is overwhelming enough.

  16. Anyone clerk for a nightmare judge? My co-clerk and i almost walked out today. It’s really bad. Any advice?

    1. Yes, many years ago. Can’t really give you any good advice, I ended up quitting. I was really worried about antagonizing an appellate judge in my district by leaving after only 6 weeks, but I just couldn’t take it. It doesn’t seem to have been a problem, but she was the lone dissent from a decision on one of my cases that was pretty clear cut. Oh well. This judge would insist that all of her staff meet her at the main entrance (someone drove her to work, she did not drive, and she would call from the parking lot) to carry in her briefcase and purse, and any files. If she had a lot of files, I could understand it, but she would call even if it was just her purse. Altough only her secretary would have to do down for just her purse. And there was nothing physically wrong with her. That was really one of the minor quirks, most of the problems were much worse, but that one still just astounds me. I guess it’s good to be queen.

      1. Normally I would side with the comments below, but your judge sounds like a god-awful brat (yes, I just described a person who is likely old enough to be my parent and has the title of judge as a “brat”). If that’s just the tip of the iceberg, I’m not sure that I would have stuck it out either.

    2. Stick it out. One day, you’ll be really really glad to have had this experience. It’s temporary (right? 1-2 years?) and is the best character-building opportunity of your life. DO NOT sit around moaning and groaning with your co-clerk. Suck it up, grit your teeth, and “make it work.” Yes, even in law, Tim Gunn’s advice is invaluable.

        1. My judge was a handfull (God bless the dead). I *barely* made it to the end of my 1 yr USDC clerkship (hallelujah for the 2 month early exit to have my 1st born daughter). In the end, glad I gutted it out. Because you know what, ogres at law firms ARE EVEN WORSE! Sorry… had to break it to you.

      2. OP here, we are not on set appointments.Boss has made it clear they won’t help with career development as we are the help. Boss has possible mental health issues, other judges have expressed concerns. I do not know how to cope with this.

        1. Can you go to any of these judges in confidence and ask for advice? If someone is expressing concern about a colleague’s mental health, and is in a position of more authority/power than you are, perhaps he or she will have some constructive suggestestions.

          1. I second this. If other judges have expressed concerns, I’d ask one confidentially for advice.

        2. BIG HUGS! I interned at an appellate court during law school and while my judge seemed normal enough, for whatever reason she HATED me and mostly ignored me. I was later accused of stealing a file when I bailed on this “honor” early (although they did apologize when the file turned up, too funny).
          ANYWAY, maybe some of the attys who practice regularly before your judge can throw you a lifeline. Probably everyone knows about this. Think about what you would like (aside from GET ME OUT OF HERE) and try to craft a strategy. For example, asking a practitioner for an informational coffee date and saying you like their practice area, etc. The elephant in the room will be your judge, but don’t worry about that. Just be calm and confident and you will prevail :) … and take care of yourself!!

          1. I dunno about this. This raises big ethics red flags for me. I would definitely check your jurisdiction’s ethical rules re: job seeking for judicial clerks before approaching anyone.

        3. My brother is clerking for a judge with dementia. This judge can literally not keep track of a train of thought for more than 5 minutes…they discuss complex case law and by the end of the conversation, they need to start over because this person cannot remember the beginning.

          On the upside, he’s writing and operating way above his paygrade. I think the stress of such horrendous supervision is ultimately not good for him, but I also think 5 or 10 years from now he’ll look back and realize what a crazy amazing experience it is.

          In other words, my sympathies.

  17. I’d love to do a little poll on Corporetter’s line of work. Sometimes I feel like the only non-lawyer here, but surely that isn’t true.

    So, ladies, can you share what you do?

    I have worked as an engineer and a publishing executive. Currently my “corporate” role is as a technology trainer for a non-profit entity.

    1. I am a general surgeon in her first year of practice after residency. I wear a long white lab coat to clinic three days a week, and scrubs the rest of the time.

        1. Actually, the challenging part is what to wear under the lab coat in clinic. All the cute blazers and cardigans are too redundant and would make me crazy hot. I tend to wear silk pattern blouses and trousers or skirts, but I have to be careful — I don’t like to wear white or cream under the coat, not enough contrast. Also, I have to be careful about my work clothes because I’m never 100% sure I’m not going to come in contact with bodily fluids on any given day. Don’t wear suede shoes for the same reason.

          I am branching out with shoes, as the one place to show some flair. I love the blog for the fashion, but also for the comraderie among women who have made their careers a priority, while also trying to do any number of other things in their lives.

    2. Louise, we have very similar jobs and careers!

      I did work for a non-profit in tech training but hated the crooked management, so I went into the corporate world after a stint in publishing.

      Never would’ve guessed anyone else had a similar path. Wow. Thank you for posting.

      Always dreamed of being a lawyer and stumbled onto Corporette on day. Really liked it and just kept reading.

    4. Not a lawyer either! I’m a Project Manager for (mostly) IT projects in the banking industry. My background prior to that was with non-profits (arts and environment).

    5. I’m a knowledge manager at a management consultancy. A very casual consultancy, I could technically get away with not only jeans but ripped and distressed jeans every day – the consultants do. I don’t, because I like dressing up too much. :)

    6. I have software engineering degrees (BS + MS) and I work as external relations manager (lobbying, investment, technical regulations etc.), but I do not to PR.

    7. I am a civil engineer and I work for the government. I read Corporette because I need some professional polish and there are virtually no female engineers around to look for as an example. I have been posting here for a while, but recently took a break to study for the PE. In the past, I posted under the screen name ST. Someone else started using it while I was gone. I am sure the new ST is great, she certainly has good taste in screen names :)

      I also think that Ru is an engineer. I love that we rock some engineering girl power!

      1. My observation is that once an engineer, always an engineer. Going into publishing did not knock the geek outta me! (And I use the word “geek” proudly. I think women engineers, once we polish up a bit, often have a fabulous, if unique, sense of style.)

      3. I have a BS and MS in engineering (aerospace and mechanical) but am now a lawyer. Had lunch w/ my engineering gal-pals yesterday and they looked confused and shocked when I said I was stopping by J. Crew after. I think my interest in clothes has definitely increased since I left engineering.

        1. Yay engineers turned lawyers! I am a Chem-E and am obviously now in law school. You’re not a patent lawyer are you?

          I was interested in clothes in college, but it always felt weird to dress up to go out to e-quad! Now in NYC, I always feel underdressed…

          1. I’m an IP litigator (primarily patents). I considered patent prosecution, but realized litigation was a better fit for me.

      4. Yes – I’m a civil engineer working for government, too! Good luck on the PE…one day, I’ll get the courage to apply for it.

      5. Another engineer here – software (that still counts as engineering, right? ;) ). Glad to see other engineers/former engineers here! I too could wear pretty much whatever I want to work so long as it covers a reasonable % of my body – but I feel like I’m finally at a point in my career where I don’t need to dress to blend in and can actually dress like a female :)

        1. And I love this blog for giving me pointers on how to dress like a woman while staying decidedly office-appropriate. I don’t really have any role models for this in my office.

    8. I am Chief Architect & Director of Strategy & Technology, Marketing and R&D for one of the largest fast moving consumer goods companies in the world. Basically, technical strategy and system / process transfomation.

    9. I am a lawyer (and I absolutely love it), but I spend the entire workweek and a good portion of my free time with other lawyers. I am always happy to see non-lawyers on this blog talking about their experiences, so please keep it up.

      1. Lawyer in a small firm in a small town in the Deep South. Most of us wear pants to work every day; blue jeans are fine–our clients are generally not local so we don’t have to worry about dressing for them. Still, as the only woman attorney, I generally try to look “business casual” most days.

        I love much of what I do–plaintiff’s work, but reading the BIGLAW posts makes me think that lawyer work is still one of the most stressful jobs out there. For instance, with our federal court deadlines, I had 5 major briefs/ responses due in the 14 days spanning Thanksgiving, with no “credit” for the holidays. Many, many 14+ hour days, and the judge will probably get around to reading it all sometime in mid to late January!

    10. I’m a newly minted lawyer, working in a small-ish office of a large multinational tech company. Within my office I work solely with other lawyers, but I work remotely with business and technical people, as well. I really love my job and am extremely blessed to have found it, especially in this market. Before law school I worked in banking.

      My office is business casual, and my typical outfit is a dress or skirt/pants and a blouse with a jacket or cardigan. I almost never wear full suits.

    12. Humanities professor at a small college in the midwest. Most of the clothing I see here would be aspirational for me, price-wise, but I love the conversation (and occasionally nab something that’s recommended and fabulous and affordable).

    13. I’m in finance but I also teach at a local community college. I have an MBA and plan to get a doctorate in organizational development . Eventually I plan to become a self-employed writer, consultant (to small businesses) and executive coach in addition to the college-level instructing that I do currently.

      I also love Corporette for the fashion ideas and I like hearing about the working lives of other women. My daughter is a college student who wants to become a lawyer, so I am collecting tips for her.

      Most of the time, this is a great community.

    14. Interesting – I am always curious, too, about others’ jobs. I am a consultant at a software company and ABD in economics.

    15. I’m a lawyer in state government and I LOVE my job – I got into it right out of law school and it’s been an amazing experience.

    17. I’m a social worker, working with low-income senior citizens in NYC. I’m also a recent post-Master’s degree and in my late 20s. In other words, I can’t afford 99% of the items discussed here but the ideas of who wears what to different events is really helpful.

      People have mentioned maternity clothes donations and such but I really wish there was some type of option to volunteer to take clothes off the hands of people who no longer fit into their size 6-8 clothing hehe, I can only imagine the amazing wardrobes in some of the closets of the posters here!

    18. I’m in technology management at a Wall Street financial firm. Recently MBA’ed. Until recently I worked in a business formal office (suits every day) but now we’re business casual, which I find very difficult. Suits were easier, but I look out of place if I wear them now.

    19. I’m usually a lurker, but am so interested to see these varied responses. I’m a physician-scientist at a major academic medical center. I both see patients clinically and manage a basic science research program. I was in training forever (as you might imagine), and Corporette has been _so_ helpful as I move to being in the “boss” role.

    20. I work for a pharmaceutical company (not in sales or in a lab!), and mostly love this blog for the community of career-minded women. And occasionally for the fashion advice. :)

    21. Thanks to everyone who responded. Great mix of careers and levels of experience. I also come to Corporette for the community of intelligent, motivated women, since my need for career-oriented clothing is pretty minimal these days.

      1. I am a PhD clinical psychologist in my own private practice. Love the variety on Corporette. Even though I thought I would “wear whatever I want to wear,” it is always clear that patients have expectations … so it is in between business casual and suits. I wear jackets/blazers and skirts with heels and hosiery every day. Dressing down means slacks for me…but I love it.

        Happy New Year and bountiful great deals on shopping for those Corporette’s who dive into the sales pits.

    22. I’m a little late to the party here, but as one of the non-lawyers I wanted to chime in. I’m an MBA and technology consultant who works in the banking industry. We are business professional, and we don’t all wear suits every day (although most do a few times a week). I generally wear dress slacks with cardigans/sweaters. We are a pretty conservative bunch consisting of a lot of Talbots and Brooks Brothers clothing – definately nothing “fashion forward” here so I appreciate the Corporette gain who understands this type of dress!

      1. ok that was supposed to read “Corporette Gang” I shouldn’t type while listening to a conference call!

    23. Also a little late, but I wanted to post since I work in a different field than most of you ladies. I work for a public agency as a Environmental Health and Safety specialist. I specifically support the agencies construction groups, so I have the challenge of trying to look put together and professional when I could get call to the field anytime. Anything that can’t take a little mud won’t do, so luckily I am in a business casual office and can get away with some nice trouser jeans most days. Love this blog, it has really helped me become more put together!

    24. I’m a Strategic Communications Director for a large aerospace firm. Love hearing what everyone does!

    25. Finance analyst doing internal strategy for Fortune 500 company. And some days I am the only woman I see. Thanks Corporette for filling that hole.

    26. This is so interesting! Thanks Louise for starting this. I love how varied the careers are here.

      I’m a corporate/securities litigator in San Francisco Bay Area biglaw, after switching from another litigation practice group. I wear slacks or a skirt and a sweater pretty much every single day, though the fabulous Eponine has introduced me to Classiques Entier dresses from Nordstrom – the first work-appropriate dresses that I’ve found that work with a pear shape – so now I have a few dresses in the mix.

  18. I know there’s mixed feeling about Express here, but they just had a big sale and I got two pairs of their Editor pants. I have no idea what it is, but they fit amazingly well, as do my other psirs. So flattering. Wish the fabric was “actually” nicer/wool, nicer, but they look pretty good. Very pleased.

    2. Ditto! They also have suit jackets to match some of the editor pants. I have the gray and black sets.

    3. I got some editor pants from my MIL for Christmas and the 2S fit perfect! The regular was way too long for someone 5’3″, so I was happy to find out they have short sizes!

  19. The New York Times has an interesting article re: whether the cost of a degree from an elite school is worth it:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/weekinreview/19steinberg.html?_r=1&hp

    This is timely considering the dust-up in the comments the other day re: whether law school is a worthwhile endeavor.

    I went to a top 5 law school and I feel like it has really opened doors. Expensive though for sure. I would do it again. Anyone else?

    1. Afterthought: I went to a no-name school for undergrad and came out of there loan-free. So perhaps the hefty law school student loans were more manageable than they would have otherwise been with 2 expensive degrees. Do some of you who are regretting your legal education think you would feel differently if you did not also have the debt?

    2. I think for law school it matters, but the article was talking about college = undergraduate. For undergrad, I don’t think it matters so much; what matters is what you do while there. I can think of 5 people off the top of my head from my high school who didn’t go to the top programs they could get into as undergrads but who are doing really fabulous work now; I could think of more if I sat down and made a list. And it’s because they made sure to not ‘get lost’ while at college.

      After just making my first student loan payment for law school, I’m also appreciating how I went to a smaller school with a bigger scholarship so I didn’t have undergrad debt.

    3. I went to a mid-ranked, not-that-prestigious university in my home state with a big scholarship for undergrad and then took on the debt to go to a top law school. I’ve never regretted it. No one has ever asked me where I went to college and I have never heard my colleagues ding a candidate because s/he went to a lower-ranked undergrad, but they ding candidates regularly because they didn’t go to good enough law schools.

      If I’d gone to a better college and done just as well there, then I suppose I probably could have gotten into an even better law school. But I’m not sure that would have made much of a difference in my career, since I didn’t aspire to a SCOTUS clerkship or the solicitor general’s office or anything like that.

      So my anecdotal experience leads me to recommend that, if you’re sure you want to go to grad/professional school, you should go to a reasonably solid but inexpensive undergrad and then go to the best grad/professional program you can. OTOH, if you’re pretty sure you are not going to continue after your BA (impossible to decide at age 18, probably), going to a top school is likely to help you in your career.

    4. Again, it depends on what you want to do. If you want to work in finance – is it worth it to go to Penn or one of the other Ivy League’s – probably so. If you want to work in the humanities or teach K-12 – State U is probably going to give the bang for your buck, unless you get academic scholarships. If your get academic scholarships, or can go without taking loans, go to the best school you can get into….

  20. Wondering if anyone has used Invisalign and wouldn’t mind sharing their experiences with it? I have a few slightly crooked teeth (no money for braces when I was growing up) and I’ve been becoming increasingly self-conscious about them. Considering Invisalign as a possible solution but I’d love some info about people’s experiences and results, as well as the time and cost involved (I’ll be paying for it entirely out of pocket, unfortunately). TIA.

    1. I did it in high school (6-7 years ago) and while it was probably less traumatic than metal braces, the results weren’t quite as good as I’d hoped, which may have been attributed more to my orthodontist’s skill than the system itself.

      (Disclaimer: I’m a law student, not a dental student, so I’m sure I’m butchering the terminology here.)

      I don’t know if improvements have been made since I did it, but if the angle of any of your teeth need to be altered (as opposed to spacing narrowed), they cut a hole in the front or back of the tray and then cement a post onto the tooth that needs to be re-angled and put another post onto the tray a few inches down and then you have to hook disposable elastic bands from post to post. Pain in the ass. I thought it was bad on some of the molars, but I had an incisor that had to be re-angled and the band ended up going over my two front teeth to get the right angle of torque. It was REALLY noticeable and not in a normal “she has braces” kind of way, which defeats the purpose of Invisalign. Plus, they really ate up the inside of my mouth. (Best example with pictures I could find online is here: http://tinyurl.com/23573sn)

      I had them on for about a year and a half (25ish sets of trays) and I still have a bit of a gap between my two front teeth, but other than that everything’s even and straight. I would try to have an honest talk with your orthodontist. If his/her answer is “Well, I *guess* you could do Invisalign,” I’d go for metal braces instead. I think the cost was around $5000 (dental insurance didn’t cover them at the time), but again, that was 6-7 years ago.

    2. I just started them. I’ll be doing 21 trays ( you switch trays every two weeks) so it will probably take me 42 weeks. The first few days were uncomfortable (not painful) but it’s gotten better. Most people (coworkers and friends) have told me they couldn’t tell at all that I have it in when I speak, so I guess that’s good.
      My teeth weren’t too bad, but they were definitely starting to shift. There is a certain point of movement that after which you are no longer a candidate for invisilign and have to do regular braces. I wanted to do it while I still could.
      My orthodontist did my evaluation for free and showed me a computer animation of how my teeth would shift and look when I am done. I think most do this free of charge. The total cost will be $4500- I paid $1600 up front and will divide the rest up into monthly payments. I’m sure this depends on your orthodontist – I was planning to pay it all at once, but he offered it (no interest) so I took him up on it.
      I don’t have the issue A had with the posts, but they do cement tiny anchors on to a few teeth and the trayshave little indents that snap over them. They’re mostly on back teeth and are tooth colored, so somebody would really have to be looking closely at my teeth to notice them.
      Sorry I can’t give you more info about the results, but so far, I’d say it’s been a good process. I have a friend who only wore his at night and it took him twice as long to get through the process. I try to wear mine as much as possible, but you can’t eat with them in so I take them out for a few hours every day for meals and training (I do endurance sports and have to eat during workouts, which sometimes last 2-5 hours).

  21. It looks like I may be heading to Japan for a few weeks for work. For anyone who has experience with the legal world in Tokyo — is there anything I should know about the dress code? Any other differences it might be helpful to know about?

    1. I think there were comments about this here before, you may be able to find them through the search feature.
      The only thing I recall is cover up more on top, but skirts can be a bit shorter.
      I’m sure others will be able to be more helpful. Sounds exciting!

    2. You’re not Japanese, so you won’t be expected to follow the dress code 100%. As Lucy pointed out, Japanese tend to be more conservative about necklines and bare arms, but less conservative about skirt length. I would say that women wear more skirts than pants, but you are free to wear pants if you would like. Business casual is not very common there, so you’ll probably want to stick with suits unless you’re told otherwise.

    3. I’ve traveled for business to Japan before, but not for law.

      I am assuming by asking the question you are not a native Japanese, and if that is the case, don’t worry about making mistakes – because the native Japanese you will be around will view you the way Americans view small children anyway, and there’s no possible way you can learn all the subtleties of Japanese etiquette before you leave. Overall, dress is much more conservative – what people have defined as “boring” on this board (dark conservative skirt suit, plain blouse, plain 2-inch black shoes) is actually pretty perfect for Japan, although I’ve heard that it is loosening a little bit. I’d err on the side of caution at first, as first impressions are big over there. Do be aware that most younger Japanese women carry very expensive accessories and although their work clothing is plain, it is usually designer. FYI, if you are shorter and petite, Japanese department stores are a treasure trove.

      Rather than worrying about dress, if you don’t know much Japanese business etiquette, making an effort to learn as much as you can before you leave will help you more. Be aware there are a lot of deep-seated prejudices against outsiders, Caucasians (if you are one) and young women (not necessarily in that order) that still exist in Japan. It’s gotten “better” over time but “better” is a relative term. It still isn’t anything near like the U.S., still. As I said, you can’t possibly learn the subtleties of etiquette and behavior before you go but a small effort to learn the rudimentary basics will pay off for you. Ditto with an effort to learn a little of the language.

      In Japan, on the surface everyone is extremely polite and overly solicitous. Generally, they are only involving you about 5 (maybe 10) percent of their communication, a huge portion of which is nonverbal or is expressed verbally through slight nuances translation can’t really pick up. Japanese who deal with outsiders a lot become masters at “handling” people – saying what they think you want to hear and shielding a lot of the back-end communication that goes on between Japanese. A lot of Japanese communication is centered around maintaining harmony and preventing confrontation, and remember, this is a culture where the emphasis has generally been on the collective, not the individual. This is not to say I didn’t like working in Japan – on the contrary, I loved it, and would go back any time. But outsiders can live in Japan for 20 years and only scratch the surface of truly understanding what Japanese natives say and do. Don’t stress out too much about this – just go, do the best job you can, and have a great time. I’m jealous. :)

      1. I worked in Japan for 3 1/2 years in the legal field and I would agree with the above advice. Stick with very conservative suits with neutral colored blouses, low heels, simple jewelry, so that people don’t remember you for your fashion choices.

        Enjoy the food, expect to stay out late drinking with your clients/co-workers (and feel free to get a little tipsy, this will lead to a sense of camraderie (sp?) which is otherwise hard to get).

        Hmmm…that last bit of advice sounds crazy, but honestly it was my best way of making inroads into having closer working relationships with my colleagues.

        The good (?) thing is that you are a foreigner first and a female second, so the usual strict rules about interaction between men and women won’t apply as much to you.

        That being said, I heard of a large financial company that was bought up by a Japanese version of the same, and all of the (foreign) women execs were taught to serve tea.

  22. THREADJACK!!!

    I am cleaning out my closets and need to find a charity that can use lightly used shoes (size 6) and clothing (size 4 and size 6). They’re good, but I am running out of space and Alan wants me to make room for some of his stuff in the closet now that he is staying over a few nites a week. He says I have to many clothes and mabye he is right.

    Is there a charity that takes this stuff. I don’t see the homeless as wearing Jimmy Choo shoes or Ann Taylor blouses. I don’t want to throw these out, but they are definitely very good, since I wear them anyways.

    Alan

    1. Hm, Alan, are you posting under Ellen’s screen name? Planning on throwing out some of her shoes? Bad idea. H#ll hath no fury like a woman who finds her favorite shoes missing…

    2. If this is even remotely serious…

      1st: Alan, do not thrown your gf’s stuff out. You will very likely quickly find that your things are not welcome in her closet.

      2nd: Goodwill & Salvation Army take just about anything. If your stuff is leaning towards professional wear, consider Dress for Success.

    3. Ha, and the troll reveals himself. Feels almost as bad as accidentally saying “I love you” at the end of a business phone call, right, Alan?

      At least now we won’t be seeing any more of Ellen.

      1. Ha ha! I have this nagging, ongoing fear that I am going to tell one of my bosses “I love you” at the end of a conversation some day. Because I’m usually being assaulted by my children whenever I’m on the phone and it can be slightly distracting. Or towards the end of the conversation the gears in my head are already turning about what we’ve been discussing. I can be slightly absentminded – I leave my keys places when I’m thinking through something – and I can just see myself making this gaffe. Please, no!

      2. I totally did the “I love you” thing at the end of a business call, when I was a reporter. The person I said it to was the chief of police. I was mortified beyond belief, even more so when he told the rest of the department and then they started sending me flowers, signed with the chief’s name, and my fellow reporters in the newsroom responded by sending the chief frilly valentines signed with my name. Freakin’ co-workers. :)

        1. It’s funny enough, but the flowers and valentines are hilarious. My sympathies, but I’m chuckling.

      1. I was really hoping to find a big “FOOEY” at the end of that post for even more substantial proof

  23. HIJACK–
    I am looking for a pair of semi-dressy brown boots with about 1.5 to 2.25 heel to wear with pants this winter to work. My office is very casual–blue jeans lots of the time for the guys, and I occasionally indulge, but need something tht will work with nice slacks. I have a pair of black Merrell spires from several years ago that work well but apparently they are not making the ankle zip ones this year. I’m having a very hard time finding anything–also size 6 or 6.5 in boots.
    Has anyone tried the brand Gabor. I did find one pair Ilike at endless but do not know anything about this brand.
    http://www.endless.com/Gabor-Womens-91-553-Ankle-Boot/dp/B002GYWTXE/ref=ord_crt_shr?ie=UTF8&fromPage=cart&refURL=%2FshoppingCart&asins=B002GYWTXE%2CB003GSM65A

    Thanks in advance.

    1. I don’t know this brand, but I know Naturalizer has been having a big sale on boots. My email shows sales going on at Eddie Bauer, Lands End and J Crew, too, and they all have boots you may like.

    2. I think they are British, good reputation for quality overall, though I haven’t tried on anything by them in several years.

    3. I have a pair of plain 2″ brown boots (knee high though) from Jcrew that I love, though I got them a few years ago. I don’t know if they still have them but I would give their website a look!

    4. I recently switched from Merrell boots to Naot ones, and they are even more comfortable. I have the Allure style and love them. Many of Naot’s boots are built on the same footbed, so all should be comfy.

      Zappos has a large selection of Naots, but they are pricey, so I look for them on eBay. Scored my Allures for $115.

        1. Thanks so much. I have seen the Naot in a style i like and wondered how comfy they are!

  24. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good dermatologist in DC? Bonus if they take BCBS insurance.

    1. I saw Dr. Sandra Read for a big, painful cyst that needed to be removed (and a couple follow up appointments) and she was great. She’s on K St and takes BCBS.

  25. Looking for recommendations on basic cotton (or mostly cotton) turtleneck shirts. I wear them all winter for casual outfits under wool sweaters. They last forever, but I’m realizing that my old standards are looking really tired.

    I’d like ones that are fairly fitted and long enough to either tuck into lower-rise pants or at least not show any skin when I bend over. I prefer opaque enough fabric that I can wear a white one without a sweater on top. Mock turtle or full fold-over neck style okay.

    How are the Lands End ones? Upthread someone recommended their regular t-shirts, but to size down for a slimmer fit. True of the turtles, too?

    1. Lands End turtles are great. I just got a cotton-modal turtleneck with button cuffs from there, it is a nice thin knit – but not sheer and not bump/lump showing (which is what I need). The one I have is long – mid hip length and plenty long enough not to show anything when bending over.

      Get a “modern fit” in a size smaller. I am an 8 normally (sometimes a 6) – got the LE small, fits perfectly.

      1. I saw the modal t-necks at Lands End, but it looked like they had buttons up on the shoulder? Wouldn’t those show as kind of lumpy under a sweater? I didn’t see the one with buttons on the cuffs. Do have a link for them? Thanks.

    2. Thanks for the recommendation, Lynnet. I’ll check them out next time I’m near an Old Navy. For years, their “Perfect Tee” was my go-to short sleeve t-shirt, but they changed manufacturers and it wasn’t quite right. I’ve never really looked at their cold-weather clothes.

    1. Pretty sure she got scared off after she insulted a few people who had the guts to finally tell her off.

      1. Yeah, alot of people seemed pretty annoyed by her and weren’t shy about letting her know it.

      2. Seriously? You’re still hating on her months after all the “anons” managed to drive her off?

        She struck me as young and over-eager, and I’m not saying we would be BFFs if we met in real life, but she was hardly deserving of all the bile that others seemed to constantly heap on her. I don’t blame her for leaving, but I have to say I’ve never felt as comfortable about this site after the way she and others have been driven off.

        1. I agree. I’m sorry Shayna left, but don’t blame her for not returning. She pushed several people’s B1tch Buttons.

          To me, the unfortunate part is her detractors were almost completely anonymous. If Shayna had been bullied by someone with a more unique yet anonymous handle, I could put that person in my mental “Mean Girl” file and ignore them from now on.

          I have no problem with people disagreeing, as long as they are civil about it. The Shayna Haters Club was not civil.

        2. What were the complaints against her, anyway? I’m seriously asking; other than the size thing (which, as I recall, she earned pretty well), I never even saw a basis for complaints against her. But, like I said, I’ve not exactly read everything ever written around here, so it’s quite possible that I just missed it.

          1. Oh, by she earned the size thing, I mean that she earned it by losing a substantial amount of weight (or, so she said. I suppose anyone can say anything on the internet, but I generally take people at face value.) I didn’t mean that she earned catty reactions to it.

          2. If memory serves, I think many people took issue with the fact that she had a strong opinion about everything, even when it wasn’t clear that there was a basis in fact for her opinions. Example – she frequently had advice for people regarding law school or law firm employment, but she was neither a law student nor an attorney. I think that rubbed people the wrong way. It isn’t to say that she isn’t smart, or great at her job (something to do with tax i believe?) but that there wasn’t a basis for the specific advice. I can kind of see their point – I’m a lawyer, and I don’t jump into the MBA discussions because I have zero to offer apart from conjecture.

          3. I guess that I can see that (although I don’t think it justifies the hating, and particularly not the anonymous attacks), thanks!

      3. She had also posted a ton of personal info and a few people suggested that she should be more careful – I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s still here and just changing her handle or posting anonymously.

    2. Man, people around here can be mean. I thought she seemed nice and always willing to offer advice and opinions. It’s too bad someone chased her away.

      1. I agree with this. I may not have liked every single thing Shayna said and other posters may have valid beef with her, but I thought the way she was derided and chased away was really unfortunate. People would make snide or catty remarks about her even when she wasn’t commenting. It was a cautionary saga to observe.

    3. I’ve wondered what happened to her, too. I never saw any reason to complain about her that I can recall, though, of course, I’ve hardly read every comment here.

      I agree that people can be mean around here. First time I really noticed that, in fact, was one time when Shayna mentioned her size (4, I think), in a way that was relevant to the discussion, and some “anon” (not that I object to using anon in some circumstances) made a nasty comment about her constantly mentioning her size. (I was still fairly new to the board, and, although I recognized her as a commenter, I didn’t know her size, so I’d assume others didn’t as well, and it really was relevant to her comment.)

      Left a bad taste in my mouth, and I’ve proceded with caution here since.

    4. I was thinking about her this past weekend, as well. So nice to know so many people miss her.

      1. I was thinking about her recently too. There’s a Shayna on the Jezebel community that reminds me a lot of her and her comments here, so maybe she found a different community to participate in.

        1. ShaynaLK on Jez was the same Shayna we’re talking about here. Same avatar. But she apparently left shortly after she was starred, but I never interacted with her there & have no idea why.

      2. Yes. It was unfortunate how she was bullied! I always remember the exact posters who are mean enough generally and always avoid getting into a conversation with them.

  28. I seem to remember the hawking of ebates and her own blog seemed to irritate some folks.

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