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.

Have a lovely weekend!

Hello there!  What are you up to this weekend?  We have a birthday at our house, which means Funfetti cake is the order of the day.  (And yes, for the record, this is for an adult man, not a small child.  It was even the groom's cake at our wedding.)  We watched football yesterday and slept an embarrassing amount, and today's agenda is catching up on Project Runway, riding bikes, and getting my nails done (there is an untenable situation happening there).  Hope you're having a nice relaxing weekend.  Catch you tomorrow!

PLEASE watch this video of the cast of Mad Men performing Never Gonna Give You Up. 

Do celebrity divorces irrationally upset you too?  (Thanks Jeanne!)

Good, cheap wine.

When my invitation for the Oscars arrives, I'm wearing this.

Loving Rihanna's pixie.

A lawyer with a five-page limit submitted a brief in the form of a comic strip.  Awesome.

Made me laugh.

Hilarious plush toys in the shape of organs.

How cute are these girls?

What would be your Secret Service code name?  (I love the episode of The West Wing where C.J. finds out hers is "Flamingo."  I feel for her!)

A gorgeous fall wardrobe.

This girl sounds pretty amazing, and her teammates seem like extremely stand-up guys.

Images: top photo via J. Crew 770/Behind the Line; bottom photo by Faith Durand via The Kitchn.