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– Thanks to Allure for giving Corporette a shoutout in this post on whether colorful nail polish is appropriate for the office! (Last time we took a poll, 45% of readers said color on your nails was appropriate so long as it was in the red/pink family.) (Pictured: Nail polish, originally uploaded to Flickr by EmreKanik.)
– The Careerist wonders who actually uses all those flex-time policies.
– The Quickbase blog has answers to the top 8 complaints about bosses.
– The Simple Dollar advises how to know the right size for your emergency fund. Meanwhile, Mint tries to demystify the health savings plan.
– Nomadic Matt's Travel Site has some new-to-me tips on how to save money while booking international flights.
Did we miss anything? Add 'em here…
Em
This might be needlessly mean, but I kind of hate The Simple Dollar (but can never seem to stop myself from clicking on links to it). It seems like 50% unsupported generalizations, 25% vague inspirational writing making obvious points, and 25% “Pull yourself up by your boostraps!” social conservatism.
AnonInfinity
You are not alone in your opinion.
Lyssa
I think it’s time for anther nail polish post, or at least discussion. The trends now seem to be a lot of more “unsual” (not red/pink/warm brown) colors- I’m seeing a lot of professional-ish women, particularly on TV, with nails in grays, blues, purples, and blacks. I’m on the fence – I’ve got a purple-ish gray that I used and thought that it looked good, but wasn’t quite sure if it was apprpropriate, and I’ve seen a few women wearing dark blues lately.
AnonInfinity
I’m getting a manicure tonight, and I was just wondering whether gray is still in because I love it. Thoughts?
Lyssa
I think it’s still in. I’m on the fence about whether it looks OK for senior partners/important clients/etc. though.
Back when I was a teenager, really bright/unusual colors were in, and I remember a lot of older folks giving me negative reactions to it. But they were a lot brighter rainbow colors (and I was 17), not more neutral and dark colors, like gray.
AnonInfinity
So true, re: VIPs. *sigh* Maybe I will get something very subtle or go for the plain ol’ pink.
I already miss the days in law school where I could wear all the funky nail colors I wanted.
Anonylawyer
I’d totally do reds, mauves, nudes, and browns for VIPs. Reds are classic (and my personal favorite).
Lyssa
Of course, black was in then, too- but in a grunge/gothy type way, and it was taken as somewhat edgy. (As in, my parents would sigh and shake their heads.)
But now, I’m seeing a lot of women wearing very short, well-maintained nails with a dark, high quality looking, super-shiny black polish, which looks really put together. But I’m still not sure that people who matter wouldn’t look at it and (internally) shake their heads and sigh if I tried to wear it professionally.
(Of course, I have very fair skin and very long, skinny fingers. I probably can’t get away with as much as someone with shorter, darker fingers.)
LV
Oh, I rock any sort of nail color I want (and have pale long fingers- why would stubby fingers look better?
It’s a law firm. My nail color is probably the least scandalous thing going on.
Cat
I don’t care if gray is still in – I still wear it (I am also interested in trying one of the chocolatey browns this fall, but I wear vastly more black/gray than brown, so it might not be the best choice).
I alternate between light pinks, light or dark gray, and in winter, Essie Wicked (actually got complimented on that one from a partner – conversation started with “huh, what color is that??” so at first I thought they were being negative and said, “oh I wanted a break from the pale pink, decided I could be a rebel this week since we’re just on calls” but the response was “oh, I actually like it better!”). Goes to show, you never know…
Em
To be honest, red/pink as “acceptable” nail colors has always seemed pretty arbitrary to me. Unlike most work-appropriate make-up, it’s not simply accentuating what could be natural colors, so why are red nails inherently more conservative than blue ones?
Lyssa
It used to be that nails were supposed to match/coordinate with your lipstick, but I don’t think that’s the case anymore. Of course, you wouldn’t wear green lipstick, so maybe that’s why it seems weird. And I guess the color that is similar to your skin tone is probably ideal, but dark reds aren’t going to be close to anyone’s skin, but I guess they’re in the same family?
eek
I got Butter London’s Yummy Mummy two weeks ago and really like it. Apparently it is a universally-flattering color. It has some shimmer, but not a crazy amount and the color changes a little depending on the light, but not bad. It’s more beige-y than anything, though someone thought it looked gray but they are color-blind. I also like that if it chips, it’s not as obvious as darker colors.
http://www.butterlondon.com/lacquers/choose
Nonny
Personal opinion: I cannot see the attraction of walking around with blue fingernails. They would make me feel like a corpse.
Anonymous
But there are so many different shades of blue. I recently rocked OPI’s “Dating a Royal” (royal blue) in my conservative law firm. I was mindful of not wearing clashing colors in my outfits while I had the manicure, though. The Crayola colors are in this season. I have done and seen yellow, kelly green and orange, all with success.
Anonymous
I don’t mean this as an offense but I simply don’t understand this (apparently somewhat common) point of view. Please do explain! Why would it make you feel like a corpse? I mean, clearly blue is not your natural nail color. And with an electric blue or a navy, those colors practically don’t occur in nature in any setting. To me it seems kind of like saying “I don’t wear red clothing, it makes me fee like I have a sunburn.”
And that’s assuming that corpse nails are blue. The actual color of, for example, my nails – if I were dead and devoid of blood – would probably be a light beigy color. Which is a completely work-appropriate nail color. So all I’m saying is that I genuinely don’t understand the blue nail color = corpse sentiment.
Anonymous
gah, *feel, sorry.
Nonny
Well, I’m not saying my opinion is *rational*. And I often see shades of blue on other people’s fingernails that are quite pretty – for instance, one of the secretaries here is wearing shimmery turquoise nail polish today. But for some reason I just cannot bring myself to do it. Maybe I have too vivid an imagination. Although your point about completely bloodless nails being closer to beige is a very good one and might require me to reassess.
Perhaps I could do starter blue polish on my toes and work up.
Anonymous
I find it’s always best to start on toes – then you get used to it :)
E-beth
I’m with you (in that I feel like a corpse in blue polish). It might be because I often find my hands looking a little bluish when I am sitting all day, and I don’t want to exacerbate that look. The one time I did try a blue/purple/gray polish, it was light and matte. I might feel differently with a dark, shimmery, or more vivid blue. Like you, when I see it on other people, I don’t dislike it on them, and I often wish I could pull it off unselfconsciously.
I always thought that the reason red/pink is considered acceptable is because those colors are associated with youth, health, and all the other things that trigger positive responses in people who meet us. Silly? Of course. But consistent with historical preferences for more “lively” color.
Anonylawyer
I wear whatever colors I want. I currently have OPI’s Pompeii Purple on my nails, which is a fuschia. I generally gravitate towards reds/pinks/oranges/browns, but if I found a blue or a purple that I loved, I’d totally wear it to work. I actually wore blue to work a few weeks ago (OPI’s Hong Kong Collection blue) and got tons of compliments. My issue is that I have a strong preference for shimmers over cream polishes and I haven’t really found the perfect blue or purple shimmer (for me).
MissJackson
I’ve worn the Hong Kong collection blue to work before, too! I never thought I’d like blue polish, but I love that one! I’m thinking of trying a darker blue this fall.
lurkerette
I’m new to reading the comments, have we already discussed Shellac nail polish? I LOVE it!
Little Lurker
Reading the comments will change your life.
Lyssa
And steal away large portions of it!
BB
I’ve finally decided to take a LONG break from Shellac after getting my nails done biweekly for about 6 months. Over time it has definitely made my nails thinner, and they have started to flake, so I get chips in just over a week vs. closer to two. So bummed. My nails look horrible now. I think I might do weekly “natural” manicures for a while until they recover. I miss my Shellac! I’ve never, ever been able to wear nail polish for more than a day before.
rocknroll
I have an article to add to the roundup:
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/more_grooming_time_associated_lower_earnings_for_white_women_study_finds
What do corporettes think about this? I would like to know what the stats were for minority women.
Anonymous for this
To all the lawyers out there: imagine that I am your friend and have just asked you for a reference for an attorney to handle claims after an auto accident. What “insider” tip or advice would you give me along with the name of your colleague who handles these types of cases?
My husband and I are planning to engage an attorney to handle claims related to his recent encounter with a drunk driver (husband has totaled motorcycle, broken arm and sprained wrist, and the drunk driver has charges of DWI and felony hit and run pending against her) and I am curious if there is anything special we should be aware of when meeting with attorneys.
Thanks in advance for any info you care to pass along.
Blonde Lawyer
I would make sure to ask your lawyer about the intricate laws regarding med-pay in your state. I would then ask your lawyer to discuss the benefits with you of using medpay instead of your health insurance initially. Your husband’s personal car insurance likely has pay that he receives for his medical bills. If you end up recovering from the DD, anything paid by your health insurance has to be paid back, in most states. The medpay, however, does not get paid back, in most states. In some states, you can’t make a claim against medpay and your health insurance. In my state, I tell clients to use up medpay first and then run the remaining bills through your health insurance. Be careful with this though because most health insurance companies require a claim to be filed within 90 days of service so you have to keep careful track of how much medpay you have left.
Also, your health insurance doesn’t get paid back unless you make a demand or sue the dd. In exchange for your effort, they will likely accept a fraction of the amount they paid instead.
Examples – Husband’s medical bills = $15,000. $5,000 was paid with med pay. You recover $45,000 from DD. You currently owe health insurance $10,000. They might agree to only take $7,000 and you keep an extra $3000. You should try to get the health insurance to reduce what you pay back by whatever percent of total recovery your lawyer is keeping.
AnonInfinity
I have no advice, but you might want to try posting on the Weekend Open Thread. Not too many people post general stuff on these threads!
Blonde Lawyer
Also, even if you are contingent, you have to pay the expenses up front. Most firms will want to get all your medical records. If money is an issue, try to negotiate with your doctor to get them for free. You don’t have to say it is for a suit. Just say, “I need a copy of my medical records.” They might not charge you. When we request them on your behalf, we are charged the ridiculous rate of $3/page or something like that. Some states have statutes capping the amount doctors can charge for providing law firms medical records.
anon
Ask who will actually be handling your case. Some plaintiff’s firms will hand your case over to a paralegal who manages everything, and the attorneys only show up for depositions, mediation, and court (in the unlikely event that you get there). Many of these paralegals are incredibly knowledgeable and do an excellent job, but it helps to know who you will be working with from the start.
Also, start thinking now about what a “win” is for you. What do you want out of this process? Do you just want your family covered for the medical bills and the damage to the motorcycle? How much time and effort do you want to devote to this very long and very frustrating process? Do you want something more – after all, she was driving drunk? It helps to have what a “win” means to you in mind when interviewing potential counsel.
Anon for this
Sadly, I have been in exactly your position. My husband was on a motorcycle, hit by a drunk driver. His bike was totaled as was the guy’s car. He has been in and out of the hospital, had multiple surgeries and lives with chronic pain.
Get a lawyer. Have them come to you in the hospital. Figure out who you click with. Don’t talk to the insurance companies until you have the lawyer. Think about what you say in the hospital. If you litigate, those files will be in evidence.
If you are in the SF Bay Area, I can give you some names. If you need more help, I can ask for our attorney’s recommendations in your area.
My heart goes out to you. It is a horrible process for the injured person and the spouse.