by Solange Lopes | Jan 18, 2014 | Career
Rebecca Minkoff “Coco” Clutch – $122 bluefly.com
We’ve got a clutch crush on on this Rebecca Minkoff’s cherry leather studded flip lock “Coco” clutch. Perfect for a date tonight; or a night out with the girls to release the week’s stress. We love the bright cherry color, which poses a nice contrast to the studded pattern. Colorful and edgy! I can see this clutch paired with nice jeans and an elegant top on week-ends. And for day-to-night outfit transitions at work, it will just add the right touch of color and funk to a traditional black, brown or navy corporate suit or ensemble.
It’s on sale at Bluefly for $122.39, down from $325.
Seen a great accessory you’d like to recommend? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 18, 2014 | Career
Cashmere Sweater – $53.40 – Bloomingdale’s
So after our Neiman Marcus cashmere dress pick earlier last week, our pick for the week-end is this Aqua Cashmere sweater with drape front from Bloomingdale’s. Love love its deconstructed, yet very feminine look. It can easily be sported on week-ends with a nice pair of jeans or leggings, or paired with elegant trousers from 9-to-5.
Plus it’s on sale for $53.40, down from $89.
PS: Bloomingdale’s is having a 65% off sale this entire week-end, so take advantage of the savings!
Seen a great, work-appropriate piece you’d like to recommend? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 18, 2014 | Career |
zora-alice.com
In a recent post, we discussed whether we should be in or opt out of the corporate group. Well, about that…In my years in the corporate environment, if there’s one thing I learnt, is that high school never really is over…Not even when you graduate out of college and get your first real job. Not when you spend upwards of 10 hours at work interacting (or not) with your co-workers, bosses and management. Not when you ponder over what to do to belong to the corporate group instead of feeling constantly excluded…Because this is high school all over again, except we’re older, better dressed, and we all have cars..
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You either click, or you don’t! No matter where you work, or what type of office environment you are or will be called to professionally evolve in, groups and group-think are still the norm. Just like in high school, you either belong to the group, or you don’t. And if you don’t happen to belong to the group, you’re potentially in professional danger; so you either have to try to find ways to belong, or ways to get out…all in one piece! Sounds scary? Yup, but it’s true…and for women, especially minority women, the reality is even bleaker. Faced with a leadership that is largely male and non-racially diverse, getting in to the group, and by the group, I mean the leadership group, is a real challenge! So no wonder many of us opt for getting out, most times to our own detriment…
lonerwolf.com
It’s all a facade! My sister is a clinical psychologist, and every time I recount to her some unfortunate “corporate” stories, she reminds me that in corporate as in many professional environments, it’s all a facade! We have our true personalities, and we have our work personalities. While these may naturally intersect for the most authentic among us, for the rest, they do not meet anywhere between the hours of 9 and 5. Translation: most people are pretending at work! Pretending to care, pretending to be genuine, heck, pretending to be at work for that matter! Just like in high school, some of us pretend to be cool so we can hang out with the cool kids, and not be associated with the geeky loner (except when we need help with homework of course)! So what are we to do with all this pretense? Just like in high school, we learn to spot it, adjust to it, and make it work to our advantage, not by emulating it, but by not being fooled by it…
It’s the survival of the (mentally) fittest! If high school is a jungle, the corporate world is its bigger, meaner, better dressed big sister! You know, the one who smiles in your face as you walk by in your Manolos just to better trip you? Yup, that one…And if you could at least see an end to your high school dilemmas, now that you’re immersed into the corporate way of earning your livelihood, the light at the end of the tunnel can look pretty…dim, to say the least! And rightfully so…Now that you have to survive in the midst of all the economic crisis, the raging unemployment, not mentioning the slew of natural disasters, your career may look more like a marathon than the rapid sprint past the glass ceiling. Meanwhile, as your brain is being bombarded on the daily with life’s incessant noise, you still need to be a top performer in a challenging corporate space. And this is where mental endurance comes into play, as you pick your battles, re-focus daily on your goals, shut out the noise around you and keep moving along. Just like in high school, when you didn’t quite make it into the “Popular Girls” club but kept persevering and working those grades, and 10 years later, guess who’s working for you? Yup, the entire “Popular girls” club…
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 17, 2014 | Career |
For our lunch break, in honor of First Lady Michelle Obama’s 50th birthday today (happy happy birthday), we’ve decided to round up our favorite fashion staples from our very favorite corporate sister, and First Lady of Style, Ms. O herself!
fashionbombdaily.com
The Cardigan: We wrote an earlier post about cardigans, in which we reiterated that if anyone can make a cardigan look like a million bucks, it’s Ms. O herself! Over the years, we’ve seen her sporting fashionable yet affordable cardigans from everyday brands such as J. Crew with such grace and elegance that we’ve had to follow suit and restock our own cardigan collection. From declining these in bright and unexpected colors, to merchandising them with belts and brooches, Ms. O. Has shown us that our best jackets and blazers ain’t got nothing on a well-worn cardigan. For our pick of the day, we’ve selected this J. Crew “Jackie” fuschia cardigan now on sale for $49.99!
Jackie Cardigan – $49.99 – Jcrew.com
Structured Sheath Dress – $160 – whitehouseblackmarket.com
Michelle Obama – ladyincharge.files.wordpress.com
The Structured Sheath Dress: Now you already know we think the sheath dress is the new power suit! Well, Ms. O. definitely confirmed what we already knew. Over time, from her first appearance besides newly elected President Obama to her epic epic visit to The View, she’s demonstrated how the sheath dress is an indispensable part of our fashion wardrobe. For our pick today, we’ve selected this White House Black Market structured Sheath. It’s $160, and the colorblock pattern and slimming effect will leave you wanting for more…
Kristen Blake Lambswool Coat – $144.98 – nordstrom.com
yahoo.com
The Elegant Coat: Remember President Obama’s Inauguration Day? We sure do, and one of the things we remember most is that blue topper Ms. Obama sported walking the streets of DC alongside her husband. Since we’ve seen her, countless are the ways women around the world now wear a coat. From the fashionista’s belted version, to the more colorful versions of traditional toppers, Ms. O. has given us some of the best fashion options. For our pick today, we’ve selected this Kristen Blake Lambswool coat available at Nordstrom. It’s on sale for $144.98, and the color is just amazing! Besides, the classic cut is impeccable, and offers many an opportunity to merchandise it with an elegant brooch, a statement belt, or just a great bag!
Happy birthday Ms. O.!
The Corporate Sister
by Solange Lopes | Jan 17, 2014 | Career |
elev8.com
So it’s a snow day and you get to work from home? Or you’ve arranged to telecommute one day a week for added flexibility? Even better yet, your job may allow you to work from home most, if not, all the time? Psyched…Yes! No longer do you have to worry about getting up at the crack of dawn to get ready! Or worry about dropping off the kids and barely making it to work on time! So here you are in your PJ’s, coffee cup in hand, ready to work, only…on your own terms…However, even if the boss or that annoying co-worker is not around, there are some rules you still have to follow when telecommuting:
- Be courteous! Although you’re working from home and are not in the office, it’s always good policy to remain as courteous as if you were in the office; which means responding to emails promptly, checking your voicemail and responding to messages, and if required, checking in at some point during the day. Another good practice as recommended by numerous managers is to provide a status update towards the end of the day summarizing what’s been accomplished throughout the day.
- Be Professional! It’s not because you’re taking a work call from the comfort of your home that the level of professionalism should suffer. I learnt the hard way when taking a call from home as my own home phone was stubbornly ringing in the back, and obviously forgetting to mute the call. Always remain professional even as you’re addressing a sticky work situation in your PJ’s and comfy pink slippers. The person at the end of the line could just be gauging how professional you are in all circumstances…
- Be Effective! Contrarily to public opinion, it’s actually harder to work from home than from the office at times. Despite the convenience of being in the comfort of home, there is also a myriad of distractions to keep away from. From the dishes left in the sink, to the kids running around as you’re trying to tie out these quarterly financials, to the cat litter’s smell begging for replacement, your home is like a mine field of distractions calling at you from every corner. So devise your own strategy to be as effective and productive as you can! What has always worked for me is to start very early in the morning, when everyone is still asleep. As the day goes by, I schedule time for each task, carving out some specific time slots to check email, voicemail, take coffee breaks, or even change the cat’s litter.
What are your rules when working from home?
The Corporate Sister.
