The best work blazer for summer.

I went to lunch a few weeks ago with a friend who works at a big law firm.  She was wearing a cute striped blazer, which is about as wild as you can get with prints in a work environment like that.  (Speaking of big firms, this article is nightmare-inducing.)  I told her I liked it, and she said it was her favorite work purchase ever, because it feels like a sweatshirt.  

Even better news:  it's perfect for summer in the office over a sleeveless blouse, comes in petite, regular, and tall sizes, and is 40% off today (with code BRWED40).  SOLD.

Put it with a white, sleeveless blouse with a fun collar detail, 

a delicate gold pendant necklace,

a bright yellow pencil skirt, 

sharp navy pumps,

And a roomy bag.

Cool enough for warm weather, warm enough for chilly office a/c, polished for the office, comfortable for wearing all day.   

Is your skirt smiling?

Good tip: if your pencil skirt is "smiling" at you, it means it's too tight across your hips.  If not, you're good to go!

(Via Corporette.  Images: by Youngium Koo/I'm KOO via The Cut; model Irina Denisova plays Faye Dunaway from Bonnie & Clyde for fashion editorial called "Segnali d'Autumno," by Paolo Leone for Glamour Italy, via This is Glamorous.)

Things every (office) working girl needs

For today's installment of Work Week, I'm rounding up the ten most essential things a working lady needs in her arsenal to weather long days, late nights, demanding bosses, random nighttime events, meetings (of both the pointless and important varieties), and ridiculously freezing office a/c.  One caveat: for nurses, teachers, freelancers, and other non-desk-job ladies, your list might be different -- but I'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments.  

Cole Haan Nike Air pumps.  These don't come cheap, but they're so worth it: these are the most comfortable heels.  (The good news: they go on sale often, can frequently be found at discount places like Nordstrom Rack, and the Cole Haan outlets carry them at reasonable prices.)  These are what people should give college graduates in lieu of fancy pens.

A classic trench coat.  Fabulous for those days where you oversleep, wear something boring, and get asked to do something fun later.  J. Crew Collection's Icon Trench is gorgeous.  Dear J. Crew: PLEASE make this in tall.  Love, Me.

A good work bag that fits a laptop, but isn't embarrassing to take out for a dinner or a drink after work.  As an aside, I'm a huge fan of Cole Haan's bags (and no, I don't work for them, I swear).  They're not inexpensive, but the quality is unbeatable: I had one in law school that I used to lug around my ridiculously heavy textbooks and laptop.  The strap frayed (the weight I was carrying was ridiculous -- I blame you, Business Organizations casebook), and they replaced it twice, happily.  The third time, I realized I was the problem, and they gave me back all of my money.  I was so impressed -- and the bag was so beautiful -- that I got it again after I graduated.  And it still looks perfect, four years later.  For deal hunters, the outlets typically have a good selection at great prices, and they're the same bags that they sell in the regular stores.  And for more more beautiful work bags, check out See Jane's suggestions today.

A pouch -- separate from your wallet -- that you can keep in your work bag for receipts and other random scraps of paper (you never know when your Miranda Priestly will be demanding "that piece of paper I had in my hand yesterday").

An umbrella you can jam in your work bag.  You and your hair will be thankful.

A nice-looking watch.  This Timex is timeless and perfectly priced.

A cheery calendar for brightening up predictably dreary offices and cubicles.  I love Snow & Graham's.

A picture frame for a photo of the people you love.

If you drink coffee or tea, an excellent leakproof mug for when you're in transit, and a pretty mug for when you're in the office.

And a kit of totally unglamorous things that someday, you'll be grateful you stashed in a drawer somewhere: a lint roller, breath mints, under eye concealer, a spare umbrella, a hairbrush, bobby pins and a rubber band, deodorant, a nail file, safety pins, and Band-Aids (regular and the special kind for blisters), and an extra phone charger.

PS: bonus suggestion for lawyers or those in similar suit-requiring professions: take the the ugliest suit in your closet (you know there's one lurking back there that you will never wear unless 100% of your clothes are at the dry cleaners) and keep it in your office.  On the day you get caught in a downpour or you show up wearing jeans and a tee shirt and get a random phone call to go to court or an important meeting, you'll appreciate it.

What are your working-lady essentials?

(Top image of Peggy Olson via here, originally by AMC.)

The best work advice I've ever gotten

For Day 2 of Work Week, I'd like to share the best piece of work advice I've ever gotten.  I used to work at a big law firm.  When I was a first year associate, one of my assignments was calling a particular government employee to ask a question.  I called and called, but got no response.  So I emailed the team, laid out what I had done, and said that I hadn't gotten the person on the phone.  I apologized and said that I would try again the next day.  A moment after I hit, "send," I got a phone call from a fourth-year associate who was on the same case.

"Don't ever say you're sorry for something that isn't your fault," she said.  "You called the guy a bunch of times, and he didn't answer and he didn't return your calls.  You did your job, and you don't have anything to be sorry for.  If you apologize, it makes it look like you messed up, and you didn't."  She explained -- and she was right -- that especially as a woman, the tendency is to be humble and to be polite, which translates into apologizing when things don't go the way that someone else wants them to go, even if it's because of something you couldn't control.  But at work, while it doesn't hurt to be nice, it's important not to take the fall for things that aren't your fault. 

The takeaway: when you screw up, take responsibility.  People will respect you for it.  But when things don't go according to plan and it's not because you did something wrong, don't apologize.  It puts the blame on you when you don't deserve it.  It's hard at first -- the urge to apologize feels so natural -- but it's worth it in the end.

And in case you're curious, the second best piece of advice I got, but which sounds absolutely terrible: "If a partner calls you and you don't know why they're calling, don't answer.  And don't call back until you know what they want and what you're going to say."  As a first year I was aghast at how bad this sounded, but as the years went on, I learned that more often than not, it's a smart move.

I'm curious: what's the best work advice you've gotten?

Image: Mary Tyler Moore image via Pinterest, original credit unknown.

Should you check your email?

In the back-to-school spirit,  this week's posts are going to be looking at the grown-up's version of school: work.  To start off the week: a handy infographic for figuring out whether you should check your email.  For those of you are like me and all too frequently answer "yes," this is a helpful reminder for us all (click to enlarge):

PS: an interesting article from the New York Times about the meaning of work, written by my college philosophy professor.  I am apparently no more intelligent at 30 than I was at 19, because I still find him extremely confusing (and wonder why "because you have to eat" isn't mentioned anywhere), but regardless, an interesting read.  And: Go Irish! (That's me on the right. :)) 

Images:  Hot air balloon desk designed by Boys and Girls and Twisted Image via Design*Sponge; chart via Explore, originally by Wendy McNaughton for Forbes; bottom image via someecards.com.

Summer work outfit

Yesterday's summer date outfit featured this Tibi striped tank, which costs a pretty penny, especially for a tank top.  Since it's a bit of an investment, let's look at how a piece like this could be worn to work (since, sadly, we all likely spend more time going to work than we do going out to dinner). 

One work caveat: I like wearing lots of bracelets, but I find that a bunch of bangles just isn't functional for work: a) you jingle everywhere you go, which at best whispers (and at worst, shouts) "unprofessional;" and b) I always end up taking them off the minute I sit down at my computer because the banging against my desk drives me nuts!  This Leighelena bracelet is a nice balance because it's not hard like a bangle. 

What are your work outfit dos and don'ts?  I love this navy and pink combo, but if brights are on your no-way-could-I-wear-that-to-work list, you could always swap out the pink skirt for a more muted red or yellow, since the pink straps will be hidden beneath the blazer (I'm a huge fan of this J. Crew navy schoolboy blazer, by the way -- I wear it to work all the time, and it comes in tall!). 

(Anthropologie earrings, Kate Spade necklace, Maya Brenner necklace, J. Crew Schoolboy Blazer, Tibi stripe tank top (also seen here), pink J. Crew No. 2 Pencil skirt, Neiman Marcus tote, Leighelena bracelet, Michael Kors tortoise watch.)