It can be really, really tricky to find a great dress that is polished and sedate enough to wear to work, but then is interesting or elegant enough to also go to a cocktail party or holiday party after work. So let’s discuss — what are you looking for in day to night work dresses? Do you add additional details like a statement necklace or ring to make it feel more festive?

These are some of the most polished, elegant day to night work dresses that I love…

Stylish Day to Night Work Dresses

Marycrafts

This dress is almost always under $50, and feels fancy because of the twist detail at the waist. It’s available in sizes 0-22, at Amazon, in a bunch of colors.

Karen Kane

This Cascade dress has been a reader favorite for years because it’s so easy to wear — it’s stretchy, it’s flattering, it’s a little bit dramatic, and you can hand wash it. Score! It’s $118 full price at Nordstrom and other retailers, often available in sizes XS-3X as well as petites.

Adrianna Papell

Aw, I’m kind of excited to see this Adrianna Pappell dress back in stock — it was a reader favorite for years, and then it disappeared for a bit. But it’s a great dress for day to night looks.

It’s $129-$159 at Nordstrom and other retailers, available in regular and plus sizes.

M.M.LaFleur

I’ve always thought M.M.LaFleur’s Jillian dress was a gorgeous, elegant dress that would be just as appropriate in a conference room as well as at a cocktail party. It comes in a bunch of different colors, and a new “everyday satin” fabric, for $365 full price. (There are a lot marked down to $220 right now, though!)

Black Halo

In general, Black Halo makes beautiful, stylish, super polished dresses — it’s hard to think of an item of theirs, over the years, that wouldn’t be appropriate for both day to night. The pictured dress, the Jackie, is their classic, and also comes in a jumpsuit form. It’s $375-$435 at Nordstrom and other retailers.

The Fold

Man – we have featured so many drool-worthy dresses and blazers from The Fold over the years, it’s hard to say which is my favorite, but this hot pink dress may just be it. SO. FABULOUS. One of their iconic dresses, the Arlington, is also great for day-to-night looks.

The pictured dress is $595 at TheFold.com.

What are you looking for in a day to night dress, readers?

The post 6 Stylish Day to Night Work Dresses appeared first on Corporette.com.

What are your best tips on how to make friends as you get older, readers? Have you found that there are certain phases of life when it’s much harder to make friends? (How do you think the pandemic changed existing friendships and created or inhibited new friendships?)

How Jane Fonda Says to Make Friends as You Get Older

I just saw this great clip of advice from Jane Fonda on how to make friends as you get older. The clip is kind of adorable, especially the way Sally Fields reacts to her advice, so do watch it — but her advice basically boils down to “be really intentional.” Tell your acquaintance you’d really like to be better friends! Make dates! Pursue the friendships!

My Tips on How to Make Friends As You Get Older

I think Jane Fonda’s advice is great! At least one good friendship of mine came about in that manner — there was some cocktail party or some after-work thing I attended with a group of people from my law firm, and one of the other women and I really hit it off. “Let’s hang out more!” she said, and we cheers’ed to that and decided that night what our next hangout would be.

(We decided to see the Affordable Art Fair together. Spoiler alert, it is not that affordable!)

I wound up being a bridesmaid in her wedding, and had I had any bridesmaids in my wedding, she would have been one of them. (I had a really small wedding; my brother was my man of honor.)

This kind of takes us back to our discussion about where to meet people to date — but all of those tips apply to meeting new people to see if you hit it off. Alumni events! Charities! (Readers always recommend the Junior League.) Networking groups! Hobby groups and classes! Athletic classes and groups!

{related: how to make new friends and network}

The other tip I might offer is to let existing friends know how much they mean to you. I just had a phone call last week with a good friend, and at one point said, “You know, this is going to sound really weird because we haven’t talked in like a year, but you’re one of my closest friends.” And she immediately said ME TOOOOOOOOOO!!! And we laughed about how it can be kind of hard to say that stuff to friends!

(I’ve also seen a meme on Facebook — something along the lines of “Tell your friends you love them. Make it weird, you say it so often.”)

For my $.02, I think there have definitely been phases of life where it’s been easier — and harder — to make new friends. Among the easiest:

• School!
• Doing the 2L summer associate thing and then going back to that firm to work — at my old firm I think our summer group was 50 people, and the group of people we started with was something like 40, with about 98% overlap.
• New parenthood — there are soooo many opportunities to talk with other parents, either among the interminable “mommy & me” classes, or the period when you’re hanging around waiting to pick your child up from daycare/school. Plus, all of my sons’ playdates also had at least two parents present, at least up until the point where you feel comfortable dropping your kid off at someone else’s home. (Even Lamaze class was great for us — one of my closest newer friendships is a couple we met in Lamaze. Plus — bonus! — our kids are almost exactly the same age, so we’ve even been able to do some family outings together.)
• I can also see it being easy to make new friends when you move to a new city, if only because you have to put yourself out there and be really intentional with friends.
• (Readers, I’m curious if you’ve found other times when it’s really easy to make new friends!)

Times when it hasn’t been the easiest to make new friends:

• Almost every other time, I think!

So readers, what are your best tips on how to make friends as you get older? Do you think there are differences between making friends (the logistics of how you make friends, that is) at age 20, age 40, and age 60?

Stock photo via Stencil.

The post How to Make Friends as You Get Older appeared first on Corporette.com.

Here’s a fun question: what to wear to an holiday office party? We have six ideas below, all great whether it’s for your holiday company party, your SO’s office party, or some other holiday networking party.

As a general rule, pick two from the categories below and mix with regular workwear, unless you are 100% sure cocktail attire (or black tie!) is appropriate. A good clue: if the party is on a workday and all employees are invited (not just management types), take our suggestions here. 

As always, I suggest young businesswomen avoid showing cleavage, as well as what I’ll call “unexpected” skin (think cutout dresses, etc). Even bare arms may not be appropriate — know your office!) You should also be wary of anything requiring a special bra.

We’re shared some of our top picks for your holiday office party below…

{related: all our best tips on holiday business etiquette}

{related: here are some fancy but easy updos for the office or beyond}

Festive Blazer

Hunting for festive blazers for 2023? Stay tuned for a bigger roundup, but on the affordable side we like J.Crew Factory and Loft — and this Eliza J one is almost always in stock. On the more expensive side, check Reiss, Paige, and L’Agence.

I’ve always loved a festive blazer. Not only can you maintain a maximum of professionalism, but I often find that a layered look is the best way to dress for the holiday office party: party blazer + statement necklace, or party blazer + bright work dress, for example. You can also use your festive blazer to extend the life of your weekend clothes and wear things that wouldn’t normally be appropriate to wear to work.

For example, a jumpsuit, a heavily sequined top, or even something like a leather skirt or a lace top that requires a strapless bra — all of these things look great beneath a festive blazer.

You’ll be surprised how often you wear it, and how many years you’ll get wear out of it — your own holiday parties, your SO’s holiday parties, vague networking events, even “desk to dinner” events where you really don’t feel like donning a dress or anything sparkly. Personally I’ve always preferred the structure of a blazer, but a sparkly cardigan can also work here.

{related: what to wear to a business cocktail party}

Polished Party Skirts

A party skirt is one of the easiest things to find and wear, but be wary of spending too much money on it — it will be memorable, and because it kind of is your outfit, it’s going to be hard to wear it again year after year.

Keep the hem length appropriate for the office, and note that the fancier (and less office-appropriate) the skirt feels, the more subdued your top and shoes should be. Note that some skirts straddle the line between office and party — they’re less festive, but more versatile (and you can pair them with something else sparkly on top).

Some Recent Picks for Party Skirts To Wear to Your Office Holiday Party

Below are some of our favorite polished party skirts as of Oct. 2022 – we’ve primarily avoided miniskirts because they show a lot of leg, which isn’t appropriate for every office party — but know yourself and your office. (As someone who’s only 5’4″, also, I find that a lot of “mini” skirts are almost knee-length on me.)

{related: the best semi-formal attire for business events}

Selected Sequins, Lace, and Leather

Sequins, lace, and leather aren’t usually office-appropriate — we’ve talked specifically about lace at the office and leather skirts at the office before.

But when deciding what to wear to your office holiday party, you can break some of these rules, provided that you’re not going all out.

Example: a sweater with a few sequins on it, or even a sheer sequined camisole (worn with an opaque black camisole beneath it) are fine, particularly when paired with a festive blazer or fuzzy cardigan.

But the all-sequin legging or all-sequin dress can be… well… a bit much for an office holiday party.

Some of Our Recent Favorite Office-Appropriate Sequins, Lace, Velvet and Leather

Note that regardless of how it’s shown on the model, you should a) not wear a sheer top to an office party, and you probably should not wear a crop top or anything that exposes your belly. Depending on the office environment you may want to keep a cardigan, shawl, or shrug with you if your top exposes a lot of your arms, such as with a halter top.

{related: what not to wear to a black-tie affair for work}

Party Pants

Another great option: party pants. Paired with a regular work staple like a button-front or a cashmere sweater (ooh, or this DvF ballerina sweater), party pants are celebratory and happy, but not too crazy. Look for velvet, jacquard, limited sequins — and tuxedo pants or dramatically wide, flowy trousers can also be great for this kind of event.

For my $.02, I’d avoid any pant that makes people wonder if they’re actually seeing skin (such as black lace underlaid with a beige satin), and in general, be wary of leather and of too-tight leggings.

Recent Picks for Festive-but-Professional Party Pants

Stay tuned for our favorite party pants to wear to holiday office parties in 2023!

Work-acceptable velvet pants can also work here!

{related: how to do black tie on a budget}

Office-Appropriate Party Dresses and Jumpsuits

For my money, this is the hardest one to get right. Sometimes a bright dress or blouse feels festive but will feel like a snoozefest at the party itself. Sometimes a lace dress will feel ladylike and elegant, but other times it may feel like you’ve unwittingly gotten dressed for a wedding when you just have a step up from what you would normally wear to work.

A few notes in general: Watch your hem length, as well as cleavage. I wouldn’t recommend a dress with bare shoulders (i.e., strapless) — layer it with something else like a cardigan or blazer, but if you end up taking that layer off, don’t worry too much.

Sometimes a party dress can be worn to work; sometimes that’s going to be harder.

Recent Picks for Jumpsuits and Party Dresses for Professional Settings

Some of our favorite jumpsuits and party dresses for professional settings include these as of Oct. 2022… depending on the event, you may also want to check out our latest favorite colorful sheath dresses (great for alumni events, or just get darker colors like navy).

{related: where do you draw the line between wedding wear and office-wear?}

Desk to Party: Cocktail Jewelry

It’s true, statement necklaces aren’t as popular as they once were — but I still say there’s nothing better for an office holiday party, and no better way to instantly jazz up a regular work dress or the like. Add one other thing from this list and you’re golden.

More Holiday Party Accessories

As of Nov. 2023, these are some of our latest favorite party shoes — also consider using shoe clips on some of your regular shoes if you’re on a budget! These under $50 ones are best sellers at Amazon…

{related: here’s our roundup of the best foldable flats}

How to Save on Holiday Party Attire for Office Parties

A general note: Rent the Runway is perfect for these kind of purchases, particularly if you have several parties to go to over a few days. (Or, hey, it’s a perfect excuse to set up a date night or girls’ night out if you don’t have several parties.) Other great deals can be found at Nordstrom, Poshmark and more!

(Want $30 off your first Rent the Runway order? Here’s our referral code.)

{related: what to wear to a black-tie dinner for a benefit}

Ladies, what are your favorite things to wear to office holiday parties? Have you seen any fashion gaffes with regard to office holiday party attire (or been victim to any gaffes yourself)? 

Stock photo via Pexels / cottonbro.

N.B. This post was originally written in 2015, but updated substantially in Oct. 2022.

The post What to Wear to a Holiday Office Party appeared first on Corporette.com.

Here’s a fun little question for today: what are your red flags when you’re dating someone (or your friends are dating someone) — the things that make you question whether this person is worth the time and energy of dating?

(If you’re married or partnered – what have your red flags been in the past? Have you ever seen a red flag come up after you’ve married, and what did you do?)

I’ve written before about how one of my red flags was kind of an internal one — if I rolled my eyes at someone I was dating, I knew it was time to break it off (or, at least, closely examine why I was dating someone I had contempt for). For example, one of my former guys never quite made it to the official status of “ex” because we only went on six or seven dates, despite him being a handsome, smart guy.

With this particular guy, every time he told me more about his past, such as why he had gone to the law school he did, why he worked where he did, or even why he had chosen to buy that jacket — my eyes involuntarily rolled back in my head.

I caught myself doing it once, and tried to rationalize it as me being too judgmental. I caught myself doing it a second time, and then a third (did I mention he was very handsome?) and finally realized we were just totally different animals when it came to decisions.

I couldn’t respect his decisions or the processes through which he had arrived at them, and I had to break it off. Does it mean that his decisions were wrong? Nope, not at all. It just meant that I had a strong feeling those decisions were different ones than I would have made.

There are SO many great comments in that older thread — I thought I’d summarize some of them here. Common red flags the readers called out include:

• racism, misogyny, smoking
• YOUR reaction: are you excited to spend time with the person — are they worth missing time with friends or something else (e.g., yoga class)
• compatible lifestyles/goals, similar enough family backgrounds that you can understand each other’s perspectives
• whether you could be yourself around your date — whether that’s “having real discussions about things that are important to me,” “feeling comfortable looking like an idiot in front of him,” and/or not hiding “harmless idiosyncrasies” like wanting to sit on a specific side of a table
• “In retrospect, my test should have been that the guy needs to make you feel better about yourself, not worse.” (I LOVE THIS ONE!)
• How your date treats their mom and other family members…

Here were some more specific dating red flags that were great…

One divorced commenter noted that being a bad fighter was a deal breaker:

If I disagree and the BF is condescending, nasty, cutting, or biting, it is OFF. My ex husband was like that and while it wasn’t bad early on, once the passion died down, what was left was a lot of ugliness. You don’t forget the hurtful things your partner says in a fight. So, I really pay attention to how a guy handles disagreements.

One commenter found that there were three kinds of ways men react to smart girlfriends:

I found there were three types of men: those who don’t want a smart girlfriend, those who want a smart girlfriend because it makes them feel smarter, and those wanted a girlfriend they could love regardless.

The first type were easy to spot. The second type though, they were hard. I knew my now husband was the third type because he was interested in my work, but asked questions about it instead of trying to show how much more he knew about my field than I did.

One commenter had a very specific “black tie and baseball game test”:

I have the black tie and baseball game test. This is after date 8-10 when I’ve decided okay I like you, enjoy spending time with you but is there any point in carrying on. I need to be able to take you to a black tie event and not babysit you. I don’t want to worry about 1) you sulking in a corner because you’re not having fun or 2) saying something stupid that will embarrass me.

At the same time I need to be able to take you to a baseball game and drink some beer and relax. You can’t be stuck up and not be able to enjoy yourself. If you can do both, I can probably take you anywhere.

Readers, over to you — what are some of your big red flags when dating? What red flags did you ignore and wish you hadn’t? Hindsight being 20/20 – what should have been your red flags?

Stock photo via Stencil (red flag waving on a beach).

The post What Are Your Red Flags When You’re Dating Someone? appeared first on Corporette.com.

How do you dress for a work-related black tie — on a budget? Whether you have a formal holiday office party coming up, or you’ve been invited to a charity black tie on behalf of work, you now probably have two primary questions: a) how to dress in a formal dress and still maintain a professional demeanor, and b) how to do it without breaking the bank.

Ladies, what are your best tips for doing black tie on a budget? Any amazing scores to share?

{related: what not to wear to a black-tie affair for work}

The Dress

What you’re looking for: a simple floor-length gown, preferably in a solid color. Look for one that says “classy” more than “sexy” — and for one that is missing a prom/bridesmaid vibe. If the black tie is at all associated with your work (or your SO’s work) you want to avoid cleavage and unexpected skin — and make sure the dress is properly hemmed with your shoes so you’re not tripping over it.

{related: the best semi-formal attire for business events}

Buy basic.  A solid-colored, floor length gown is always going to be a stylish thing to wear, and provided your accessories are different, you can wear it from year to year even to the same event. While buying, watch out for trendy elements (peplums, capes) or memorable details (sequins, cutouts, etc) because that will decrease your ability to wear it over and over.

{related: what to wear to a black-tie dinner for a benefit}

Do consider haunting consignment and thrift stores (particularly in the ritziest area of town) — these can be great places to pick up dresses for a fraction of the cost. Lisa at Amid Privilege has some great ideas for alternatives to a dress; Ms. JD has a good breakdown of what the differences are between “white tie,” “black tie,” and “semiformal.”

Note that Nordstrom has affordable dresses; if you need one at the last minute check Zappos or Amazon first.

{related: what to wear to a business cocktail party}

Borrow from a friend.  Find a friend with a similar body shape and size to yours and ask her to borrow something from her closet. If you both have separate events coming up in a short time frame you could even go shopping together, choose one dress, and split the cost of it.

Rent one from Rent the Runway — they offer regular and plus sizes, and will send you two sizes of each dress you rent, and often have deals where you can pick out a second dress entirely for just a bit more.

They’ve expanded their inventory to include coats, clutches, jewelry and more — even jumpsuits. I love the feature where customers upload pictures of themselves in the dresses to review them, and include details such as their bra size, their weight, their “normal” dress size, and more.

(Want $30 off your first Rent the Runway order? Here’s our referral code.)

{related: here’s our roundup of the best foldable flats}

{related: here are some fancy but easy updos for the office or beyond}

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Affordable Black-Tie Evening Gowns

Hunting for generally affordable evening gowns for black-tie work events? Some of our favorite brands include Lulus, Dress the Population, Eliza J, XScape, and Alex Evenings.

Hunting for plus-size gowns for black-tie work events? For affordable options we like like Kiyonna, City Chic, Reformation, Anthropologie, and eShakti — also check out bridesmaid brands like BHLDN and Birdy Grey. If you’re open to spending more, check out Marina Rinaldi and Lafayette 148 New York (limited options).

{related: what to wear to the wedding of a colleague}

Formal Accessories

I would suggest you spend the most money here if you plan to be going to a lot of these events. Look for chandelier earrings, a wrap that is appropriate for the occasion but also provides some warmth, and a clutch. Bonus points if your clutch is big enough for your back-up shoes (see below).

Regarding the earrings, I love my diamond earrings, but you can also go for an inexpensive pair. Statement necklaces are also a great place to spend the money.

The Shoes

Satin shoes are usually considered appropriate for black tie, and these can usually be found pretty inexpensively.

Check 6pm, and when you buy a pair, plan to wear it for all of your formal events — so go as neutral as possible. Note also that if the shoe is embellished with beads or sequins it may be a poor match for a long hemline (it may catch, rip, or tear the dress, or trip you!) — so keep that in mind as well.

If you want to wear the shoes with a shorter dress, you can always accessorize your shoes with brooches, pins, and shoe clips, of course.

In the past I’ve had silver satin as well as black satin, and felt they were versatile.

In terms of comfort — there may be some sacrifice here.

If you plan to be doing a lot of walking on the way home, or plan to be going to an afterparty with significant dancing, you may want to look into foldable flats (but watch out if your dress is hemmed for heels!), or in true budget circumstances, thin flip flops.

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Polished Party Shoes

As of Nov. 2023, these are some of our latest favorite party shoes — also consider using shoe clips on some of your regular shoes if you’re on a budget! These under $50 ones are best sellers at Amazon…

{related: here’s our roundup of the best foldable flats}

The Undergarments

Shapewear, of course, can be hugely helpful for whittling your waist, slimming your thighs, or even just smoothing/tightening everything.

For the absolute smoothest look you probably want something like Spanx– it can be an expensive purchase, though, so don’t buy something just for that one event.

Instead, ponder whether a bodysuit, camisole, or waist shaper might be best. (This may be a reason in and of itself to avoid a strapless dress!)

Psst: As of 2022, some of our favorite foundational garments include this line of waist-shapers, these comfy shorts to prevent chafing while wearing skirts without hose, this full slip for wrap dresses and shirt dresses, this half-slip to prevent clinging, these pantyhose, and this bra.

If it’s cold out, you may wonder: bare legs? Tights? (Fleece tights?!?) It all depends on the weather, how much you plan to be outside, and more.

If you’re going straight from the town car to the front door of the event, don’t worry about it too much. In the past I’ve stalked TJ Maxx and flash sale sites for major discounts on tights from Wolford; a sheer pantyhose will also work, of course, and provide some modicum of warmth.

The Hair

I’ve seen a huge spectrum — some women wear their hair the normal way; some women wear their hair a slightly more polished way (e.g., a blow out), and some people go all out for a fancy up-do.

If you’re on a budget, I’d suggest practicing some of these work-appropriate updos, but perhaps adding a sparkly pin or brooch in your hair.

Further Reading:

• How to Dress for Black Tie Affairs on a Budget [The Budget Fashionista]
• What Makes Budget Black Tie Work [Amid Privilege]
• Savvy Shopper-At-Law: Black Tie on a Budget [Ms-JD.org]

Stock photos via Stencil. Note that this post was originally written in 2015, but significantly updated in 2022, except where otherwise noted.

The post Tales from the Wallet: Black Tie on a Budget appeared first on Corporette.com.

I’m working on a monster post about what to wear to your office holiday party, and in the meantime found all these great articles about office holiday party etiquette, which we haven’t discussed in forever — so I thought we should discuss today, as a bit of a precursor to the “what to wear to your office holiday party” post. (Although of course feel free to share what you plan to wear to your party this year!)

{related: all our advice on holiday business etiquette}

The Rules for Office Holiday Party Etiquette

For my $.02, it comes down to some simple rules:

If it’s your first holiday party, don’t assume — talk to others so you know what to expect, because there can be a huge variation in office holiday parties. Some offices have a midday Santa hat+suit kind of luncheon; others have a Friday night affair at a hotel ballroom. (One of my old offices did the hotel ballroom for the low key affair, and another black tie ball in January just for attorneys.) 

If you can’t ask anyone, look for clues — if it’s a Friday night after work, odds are good that people are going to be still wearing their office clothes (with one small tweak like a party blazer or statement necklace).  If it starts at 5, it may be over by 7. Another way to gauge the formality: where the event is held. If it’s chosen for locality (the closest hotel ballroom, the closest restaurant, etc), odds are it’s going to be more low key than an event a bit further from the office.

Do not get tipsy, let alone drunk. Save it for the office after party or when you’re at an event that isn’t affiliated with work. (Many moons ago, we also talked about what your drink says about you at the office cocktail party.)

Make it about the people, not the food or drink. That’s a good hallmark of any party attendee, but it goes doubly here.

Talk to everyone. Fight the urge to huddle in the corner with your friends, or only try to network with the VIPs. It’s a great time to smile and laugh with your subordinates, as well as support staff. A corrollary:

Don’t just talk about work. If your boss comes over and needs to discuss a project, that’s one thing — but assume that people want to talk about anything but that. Politics and religion are still dicey topics, of course, but there are a ton of other party-appropriate conversation topics.

If the next day is a work day, it’s business as usual. 

Some General Tips on What to Wear to Your Office Holiday Party

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Statement Necklaces

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Work-Appropriate Holiday Tops

Note that regardless of how it’s shown on the model, you should a) not wear a sheer top to an office party, and you probably should not wear a crop top or anything that exposes your belly. Depending on the office environment you may want to keep a cardigan, shawl, or shrug with you if your top exposes a lot of your arms, such as with a halter top.

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Office Holiday Party Shoes

As of Nov. 2023, these are some of our latest favorite party shoes — also consider using shoe clips on some of your regular shoes if you’re on a budget! These under $50 ones are best sellers at Amazon…

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Festive Blazers

Hunting for festive blazers for 2023? Stay tuned for a bigger roundup, but on the affordable side we like J.Crew Factory and Loft — and this Eliza J one is almost always in stock. On the more expensive side, check Reiss, Paige, and L’Agence.

Some Of Our Latest Favorite Polished Party Pants

Stay tuned for our favorite party pants to wear to holiday office parties in 2023!

Office Holiday Party Etiquette, Further Reading:

• Holiday Parties and You: All the Basics You Need to Know [Above the Law; guestpost by me!]
• 23 Rules of the Office Holiday Party [WSJ] (amusing!)
• Office Holiday Party Etiquette [Boston Globe]
• Career Advice for your Office Holiday Party [HuffPo]
• Office Holiday Party Etiquette [Monster.com]
• 14 Survival Tips for the Office Holiday Party [Business Insider]

Ladies, what are your best etiquette tips for the office holiday party? Care to share any fun stories about misunderstandings of office holiday party etiquette? 

Pictured.

The post Office Holiday Party Etiquette appeared first on Corporette.com.