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1) Five career questions to ask yourself before, ‘What is my passion?’
2) Target is still killing it with their under-$75 bags. This Merona satchel in a dark teal-blue is sublime, or try it in one of the neutral colors.
3) The Atlantic covers women’s fashion in D.C. and why we’re all wearing so much Ann Taylor. I don’t agree with everything in the article. Most women in corporate America are walking a fashion tightrope, ours just happens to be more precarious than most.
4) Need a winter coat for under-$150? This camel coat from Uniqlo is sublime. For some color, try this BB Dakota Cantina coat. And I love the sleek, modern look of this grey coat from Kenneth Cole. Plus-Size? Check out this navy coat from ASOS Curve.
5) What it costs to have a baby at 26 vs. what it costs at 36.
6) It’s almost sweater dress season! This jacquard printed Felicity & Coco dress in shades of purple is cool. This a-line Vince Camuto has a great graphic print. And you know I had to own this Taylor dress in royal blue and black.
7) Fast Company teaches you to master the art of following up on a job interview, pitch, etc..
8) Looking for new commuter flats? I am smitten with these Yosi Samra flats in pale leopard. I also love these rose gold ones.
9) The Pentagon is promoting ‘Lean In’ groups to boost female leadership in the armed services.
10) Stella & Dot offers chic, affordable jewelry that’s surprising well made. I love their Resilience Cuff in rose gold. Their Arabesque link necklace with green stones is also spectacular.
11) Lemon & Stripes offers seven steps to organize your finances. These are the basics to get you started.
12) Yesterday, I talked about fall nail polish. This butterLONDON polish set has six of the colors I was talking about (navy, teal, berry, pearl, cranberry, and grey) for just $39.
Eye Candy. This Alexander McQueen dress has a soft blush color with a gorgeous lace jacquard accent.
*image found here.
I’m glad someone finally weighed in realistically on the baby stuff (#5). I just turned 30, and while my family is very open-minded (not all got married or had kids young, and a few adopted children), I hate feeling like I’ve “put things off” by waiting to become a parent. My usual answer is that I haven’t found the right guy to be a good father to these hypothetical kids, and I’d rather be an “older” mom than struggle with a rough marriage and raising children at the same time. But I hadn’t thought about how a future father and I might also be in a better place to be parents if our careers are much more stable in our mid-30s.
Yes to #5. I like that it doesn’t say one method is better or worse really, just that there are different things to think about and that people should THINK before they do anything with major financial implications, whether it’s getting that college degree, buying a house OR having children.
And once you’re thinking about it, keep thinking about it some more.
I didn’t really understand the Ann Taylor article, not being from DC and being from a very laid back casual place, where even the wealthy are wearing jeans and flip flops every day. It sounds like a terrible social climate though, I hope it’s not as all encompassing as they make it sound.
I thought the Atlantic piece was sort of vile. It’s really just mocking women who need to dress professionally to work and don’t have the time or inclination to cultivate some sort of edgy, offbeat style. I’d like to see what the suggested alternative is. Ann Taylor’s not my favorite and I rarely find stuff there, but the style isn’t all that far off what I wear, or what’s featured on this blog.
Woah, I couldn’t get past half that AT article. Has this person been to DC? Have they walked into an Ann Taylor in the last 5 years? I agree with the fashion tight rope thing, but everything else comes off as a paranoid tirade against some conspiracy to keep women in their place.
Yeah, I’m working on more in-depth write up for next week. I needed to simmer the anger down first.
I clicked on this piece because I’ve recently found myself showing up at work and chuckling when I realized I was wearing head-to-toe Ann Taylor, a brand I don’t think of as a go-to. Then I read the phrases “capitalist burqa” and “corporate office submissive” and how my “self-esteem has been almost beaten to death by the beauty-industrial complex” and… what? WHAT?? I shouldn’t have to mention that I’m a farrrrr-left feminist, because not having to defend myself against bizarrely personal judgements based on my clothing is generally part of the whole “feminism” thing.
PS – How can you turn a trend away from high heels (connotations of being sexy, painful, and/or unhealthy) to the more practical ballet flats as giving in to the patriarchy?
I am a bit pissed at the Atlantic article. I am a late 20-something professional who just got her first real job after getting an advanced degree. I finally have money to spend on clothes (not just jeans and t-shirts) but it’s a really precarious like. I can’t wear the edgy stuff to work (and I wouldn’t want to) but finding fun, comfortable, stylish, professional attire for women is challenging. Ann Taylor is safe and I like there stuff! What is so bad about that?
I wear a lot of AT because it’s cute and office-friendly. Also, I have more important things to worry about than if my clothes are feeding into the beauty-industrial complex, such as DOING MY JOB. Gah.
I find criticism of women’s office wear to be downright amusing when compared to men’s office wear. There is little variation in men’s wear (for most) and requires men to cover up and look interchangeable. My work tends towards more casual clothing, but still shorts aren’t really allowed even though the temperature is consistently over 100 degrees in the summer. Pants, shirt, usually an undershirt, socks, and shoes make for many uncomfortable men. The men in higher positions tend not to be sloppy dressers. Who knows? There could be a slight correlation.
Yes, I do realize that there is some variation in men’s clothing. My boyfriend has more clothes than I do – shirts in blues, purples, pinks, greens, browns, grays; vests; cufflinks; bow ties and ties. But in the end, he always wears long sleeves, long pants, and a buttoned up shirt to work.
Admittedly my work still tends towards more casual clothing, which gives women a lot of options in clothing. I see the GS-13/14 woman and SES choose clothing that demonstrates not only their personality but also how they want people to treat them. They don’t wear revealing clothes, neither do men. They have a “uniform”, as do most men. They don’t wear loud “look at me, look at me” clothes because work isn’t about that – although now I want to know if the fighter pilots would react to it!
This is the first time I’ve heard someone refer to ballet flats as submitting to men. I’ll have to remember that when I put on flats of any sort because heels hurt my knees and sneakers are hot when it’s 100 degrees.
The Atlantic article is ridiculous. The picture of the Ann Taylor display makes me want to shop there! I must have been brainwashed into submission by the male patriarchy.
Thank you so much for including my post! xo, Julia