Which watches do you wear on a regular basis (if any)? Do you collect watches on either a casual basis (“cute watch!”) or a serious basis (“this is where I spent my bonus”)? If you do have multiple watches, how do you choose which ones to wear? Have digital watches (or other digital technology) changed your relationship with watches?

There was a WSJ story about this recently(ish), mostly about men's wristwatches habits — they're getting more colorful! As the article (gift link) notes:

More guys are clocking the appeal of unobvious designs, according to Eric Macaire, executive director, global buying and merchandising, at British retailer Watches of Switzerland. Lately, he said, his customers are going for timepieces with pop-colored dials, innovative treatments (such as textural or laser finishes) and cases in less-typical materials such as bronze. 

With a little off-menu thinking, you too can avoid the usual suspects and find a ticker that stops short of weird, yet is just different enough to earn compliments. Such stylish conversation-starters can be found at all prices, from a few hundred bucks and up. You just need to know what to look for. 

Nice! But in my experience the whole world of watches (and people who care about them) is a very specific subgroup of old money and people who aspire to that sort of thing. It felt really fun discovering that world back in the day when I hemmed and hawed for years before deciding on a classic Cartier tank… which I now never wear because I prefer my Apple Watch.

(Also, there was an incident early on when one of my babies spat breastmilk on it, and… it suddenly seemed like a stupid thing to be wearing casually.)

So I'm curious — are watches status symbols to you? Are they a mode of expressing your personality so much that you swap them in and out for different occasions? Or are you more utilitarian with a basic Apple Watch or other wearable tech that tells the time? (Or are you anti-wrist watch altogether and just rely on your phone or computer screen?)

The post Which Watches Do You Wear in 2024? appeared first on Corporette.com.

Are Louboutins appropriate for the office with those sexy red soles? Reader J wonders…

What do think about wearing Louboutins in the office? Is the red sole too sexy?? I have a pair of Simple 85s, which are not high at all. They're conservative, black kid leather, round toe, surprisingly comfy, but they have this in-your-face scarlet sole. I'll be working at a bank that has a reputation of being somewhat laidback, but I don't want to make the wrong impression… Help please?

When I was a first year associate I was completely jealous of another first-year associate who had done some serious shopping during her bar trip — LV bags, Hermes scarves, and Louboutin shoes. She had a classic kitten heel Louboutin, with the trademark red sole. This was before Louboutins were quite as “big” as they are today, so the red sole really stood out, and I thought, looked fabulous. So for my $.02, yes, simple Louboutins are appropriate for the office.

Reader J has a slightly higher heel — the 85mm version, which is just over 3″. Even this I don't have a problem with — it's a classic, gorgeous shoe, and so what if there's a red sole. (Pictured above: Simple 85 Pumps, available at Saks Fifth Avenue for $595.)

Hunting for investment heels? Some of the bestselling, highest-rated designer heels for work in 2024 include:

Update: I'm seeing a lot of chatter on Twitter and in comments about whether Louboutins are appropriate for assistants or interns. Does it shout “I'm not here for the money” the same way a Birkin bag does? To me, a $600 pair of shoes and a $10,000 bag are in entirely different leagues. I suppose my rule would be that if you can buy it in one paycheck, it's appropriate for any woman of any level.  My guess is that Reader J can swing a $600 pair of shoes in one paycheck given that she works at a bank — my answer might be different for the unpaid intern. (But even then I see so many teenagers walking around with Louis Vuitton bags (which generally start around $1000)…)

But this isn't to say that ALL Louboutin shoes are appropriate for the office. For example, I would say that any of the platform shoes pictured below are pushing it for most conservative offices — the office hallway, alas, is a far cry from the red carpet. (Fun question: can you guess which pair below is the most expensive?)

Readers, what say you? Is the Louboutin red sole appropriate for the office?

(Check out other comfortable, work-appropriate shoes in the Corporette Guide to Comfortable Heels!)

The post Are Louboutins Appropriate For the Office? appeared first on Corporette.com.

Reader A has a great question about dressing better than her boss — specifically, she wonders, must she carry a lower-end bag than what her boss carries, or would a work-appropriate designer bag be OK? Here's her question:

I know the blog has discussed before if it's appropriate for younger folks to have designer items in the office. Mine is similar… basically, do I have to stick to brands below what my boss has? It's an ad agency. I'm in management, she's VP. She makes double what I do. She carries a Kate Spade tote and lower-end Coach purse and acts ashamed of spending so much if anyone compliments her bags. Does that make it inappropriate or unwise for me to carry similar?

Great question!

Can You Carry a Better Bag Than Your Boss Does?

This reminds me of one of our earliest posts that kind of went viral: the intern who wanted to carry a Birkin bag. I still agree with my advice back then that if you carry a bag that starts at $8000 (and according to Bonkers Closets they go up to $300K) that it's sending the wrong signal at the office, particularly if the main reason you're carrying it is as a status symbol.

(We've also discussed when “must” you carry a designer bag to work — and how to deal when your offensive client uses your designer bag to “joke” that he's paying you too much. Ah yes, and how to deal when your boss tells you dress too well.)

Back to Reader A: Kate Spade and lower end Coach are in different ballparks than a Birkin. (In fact, I put them in tier 2 and 3 of our last discussion on how to upgrade your handbag collection.) When you're starting to build your working wardrobe I think it's a great idea to spend a bit of money on a bag that's going to be durable and is exactly what you want. 

I think it's a bad idea to purposely buy a cheap bag just so you don't upstage your boss — you'll need a new one in a few months, to say nothing of the ethical considerations of buying fast fashion.

Don't go into debt for a bag — and know your office (a diamond-encrusted Birkin is probably not appropriate for any office), but in general: buy what you want and don't worry about it. If your boss specifically asks about it, you may want to brush it off with a comment like “thanks, I'd been saving for it for a while!” or “it was a killer sale!” — but even that is unnecessary.

In case we can be of some help in your shopping, we of course have some advice on which handbags and work bags are really worth it…

Our Latest Favorite Handbags

Hunting for a great professional purse? In 2024, readers are loving affordable crossbody bags like those from Cuyana, Tory Burch, Lo & Sons, and Madewell.

In terms of a designer bag to suit your life as a professional, readers have been loving affordable(ish) luxury brands like See by Chloé, Polène, Strathberry, DeMellier, and Mansur Gavriel, as well as more designer bags like Chloé (particularly the Marcie line) and Mulberry. (If money is no object, Loewe and Bottega Venetta are always worth a look!)

Our Latest Favorite Affordable Work Bags

Some of the best work bags for women as of 2024 include great totes from Cuyana (with a zipper), Tumi, Tory Burch (lightweight, a laptop tote), Lo & Sons, and Madewell (north/south). Also try this highly-rated organizing insert or these clever pouches with some of the less structured bags! If you're looking for a budget tote (or one in a specific color) check this Amazon seller (22K+ good reviews) or this Amazon seller (60K+ good reviews).

(Looking for a luxury work bag? Here's our latest roundup…)

Our Latest Favorite Luxury Work Bags

As of 2024, some of our latest favorite luxury work bags (large enough to hold papers and a laptop!) include Bottega Veneta, Mulberry, Saint Laurent, Kaai, and Demellier. Of course, note that a lot of our readers who are in big jobs note that they love their (more affordable) Lo & Sons bags, as well as their Tumi.

Looking for work backpacks to splurge on? Montblanc, MCM and Senreve (also!) are great, and readers are always huge fans of all things Tumi. Some of our favorites…

Bags Similar to the Red Bag Pictured at the Top Of This Post

Similar to the red bag pictured:

Readers, what are your thoughts on designer bags and younger workers — what do you think of as work-appropriate designer bags? Would you advise someone against dressing better than your boss? 

Social media images via Deposit Photos / NicoleClaudia.

The post Dressing Better Than Your Boss: Designer Bag Edition appeared first on Corporette.com.

Ladies, how often do you buy purses and bags? Do you prefer to make one big purchase and buy a quality, name bag — or do you prefer to make more frequent, smaller purchases? Does having a trendy bag matter to you, or do you want a classic style? 

I've been thinking about this recently because I've been helping a friend look for her first big bag purchase in a while — she's finally out of the diaper bag phase of her life, has almost 2 of her 3 kids in school, is settled into her “forever” house, etc. 

Accordingly, she and I have been trolling resale sites like Tradesy and The Real Real, as well as discount sites like Last Call and Rue La La. She's inclined to make one big bag purchase, and carry the bag everywhere — and she'd like to find a designer bag for around $500.

(We've yet to find the perfect bag at that price point — I've suggested she look at discounted but new Furla bags for quality, stylish bags, as well as lightly used bags like Mulberry, Ferragamo, and Saint Laurent.)

In the past I've gone the other way, buying bags frequently but at lower price points. In my lawyering days before kids, there was a steady stream of discounted bags that I paid between $150-$350 for, all with original MSRPs of $500-$700.

(You can see a lot of them pictured/discussed in this older post on purse budgets.)

They were all quality, leather bags — lots of Cole Haan, Furla, Botkier, Dooney & Bourke, with the occasional Coach or Kate Spade thrown in — but none of them really qualified as “designer” bags on the same level as my friends with Chloe, YSL, Prada, Chanel, Bottega, etc.

So I've wondered over the years — should I have just saved the money up and spent my “purse budget” on a single designer purse each year, instead of four or five little ones? Would that be a better “investment”?

Here's the interesting thing I'm finding while looking for a purse for my friend: a lot of the designer bags I'm seeing seem incredibly dated to me. Much, much more so than the fun, sometimes offbeat bags my closet is filled with. Some of the bags I see are particularly tied to very old memories, such as:

• Christian Dior Diorissimo Saddle Bag (above, upper left)– I remember being at a summer associate event in the early aughts and seeing one of the slightly older associates brandishing this bag — the summers all said, “ooooh,” and she smirked and said something about it being an affordable luxury now.
• Balenciaga Motorcycle Twiggy Blue Satchel (above, lower left) – This is the bag I swore would be my treat myself to when I finally stopped gaining anonymous-blogger stress weight (in 2008/2009!) and could fit into my size 4s again. (Still striving on that goal…) Even now I would love to eventually splurge on one of these bags some days (the line is still sold new at stores like Net-a-Porter), but they feel very tied to that time period now in my mind.
• YSL Muse Tote (above, upper right)– I remember going to an event in 2011 or 2012, and another blogger had gotten this bag for her “push present.” I'd just had my first son, J, and instead of a push present we'd decided to put the money towards his 529 — pragmatic, sure, but after seeing the pretty pretty bag I wondered if it had been the right decision.
• Chloe Faye Medium Flap Shoulder Bag (above, lower left) – This is the bag I would get if money were no object now, but I wonder, will it feel “2016” to me one day, like a time traveler from my past?

Maybe there's a benefit to buying bags that were more affordable — because they were never “in” they can't ever be out? Or perhaps the sheer volume of bags from my youthful spending days kept any of them from being associated too strongly with one time period.

I have memories attached to them, to be sure — ducking out of work to make it to the rare sample sale for the Kooba black patent leather bag, or taking my red Botkier Trigger bag with me on my honeymoon, even though I'm sooooo not into red bags, just because it was just the best organized bag I'd ever seen?

(I saw one years later on Bluefly in a cobalt blue and bought it, and got compliments on it then too. You can get a silver version for $65 right now if you want.)

It's interesting that Kooba is still selling its Jonnie bag ten years later, and Botkier is still selling a version of the Trigger satchel, as well (both pictured below). But maybe the more designer-y bags are an “investment” because their resale value is higher than my other bags?

So many factors to consider, so I'm curious to hear what you guys think.

Anyway: what do you guys think? Is there such a thing as a designer bag that truly stands the test of time? Do any of your designer bags qualify, and if not, does it matter to you if you get a year or two's worth of wear out of it? Do you have a special kind of fashion math that applies to bag purchases? Where is your “sweet spot,” price-wise, for designer bags?

Psst: we've talked before about how to upgrade your handbag collection, if you're curious, as well as whether a lawyer “needs” a designer bag, and WHEN to upgrade your bag (if the intern with an Hermes bag is frowned upon).

Update: Our Latest Favorite Designer Bags and Luxury Work Bags

Hunting for a great professional purse? In 2024, readers are loving affordable crossbody bags like those from Cuyana, Tory Burch, Lo & Sons, and Madewell.

In terms of a designer bag to suit your life as a professional, readers have been loving affordable(ish) luxury brands like See by Chloé, Polène, Strathberry, DeMellier, and Mansur Gavriel, as well as more designer bags like Chloé (particularly the Marcie line) and Mulberry. (If money is no object, Loewe and Bottega Venetta are always worth a look!)

As of 2024, some of our latest favorite luxury work bags (large enough to hold papers and a laptop!) include Bottega Veneta, Mulberry, Saint Laurent, Kaai, and Demellier. Of course, note that a lot of our readers who are in big jobs note that they love their (more affordable) Lo & Sons bags, as well as their Tumi.

Looking for work backpacks to splurge on? Montblanc, MCM and Senreve (also!) are great, and readers are always huge fans of all things Tumi. Some of our favorites…

The post Designer Bags, Purse Budgets, and Investments appeared first on Corporette.com.

Can younger women buy quality suiting pieces like Armani and St. John, without looking old? Reader J has an excellent question: how to buy quality workwear without looking old.

I recently bought this Armani Collezioni jacket on an impulse. The price was too good to pass. But after I got home and tried it on a few more times, I start to wonder if this jacket would make me look too old if I pair it with a black skirt or a pair of black pants. I’m in my mid 30s and I thought this jacket could add 10 years if I appear all in black. What do you think? What should I wear with it to show the fine detail of the Armani design without adding 10 years to my age? I’d really appreciate your advice.

What a great question. I think some pieces — particularly higher-necked, conservative pieces — can tend towards looking a bit “older”. Here are a few tips off the top of my head for how to look your age, but I'm really curious to see what the readers say:

Avoid wearing “frumpy” pieces with it — make sure if you're wearing pants that they fit well (and aren't too big) and that your heels look classic and stylish (to me, this would mean avoiding a stacked, chunky heel)

Consider pairing it with a younger, trendier piece — for this particular black jacket I might look for a bright royal blue pencil skirt, or perhaps try it with a pair of cigarette/ankle pants

When all else fails:  Own it.  If you feel like a million bucks in it, it will not age you. In the Saks video, the model is kind of slinking around — it's a bit too sexy for the office, but you see what I'm saying:  “old” isn't necessarily the first word that comes to mind when looking at the video.

Readers, how do you avoid looking “older” in some pieces of clothing? Have you found any no-fail ways to look your age no matter what you're wearing?

Pssssst:

Some of our latest favorite Chanel-style jackets for work in 2024 include these, but in general check brands like Chanel, St. John, IRO, L'Agence, Sandro, ba&sh, and J.Crew. On the budget side of things, check out Mango and White House Black Market.

Updated stock photo via Stencil.

The post How To Buy Quality Pieces Without Looking Old appeared first on Corporette.com.

Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you're buying one for the first time or replacing one you've worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.

Satchel or shoulder bag, ladies? Every year we do a hunt for a basic black professional purse that is not a tote, which gets a special roundup of its own. (Here's our roundup for purses from 2014, 2013 and 2012). I've always had a preference for shoulder bags myself — I like to keep my hands free, and I don't like a strap crossing my bust — so I was really shocked to see how few shoulder bags are out there right now, particularly in the non-designer realms.

Satchels, crossbodies, and bucket bags really dominate the market right now. We talked about the crossbody bag a few weeks ago — I'm curious about your thoughts on bucket bags for work, as they seem a bit boho-casual to me. (But: I do love this bag for the weekend.)  

Anyway, lots of beautiful satchel bags that look ladylike and professional… ladies, what is your favorite kind of purse for work? Have you found any great stylish, professional satchels recently?   

(Angie at YouLookFab had a fun debate on bag shapes this a while ago — to pick up where she left off, are YOU Team Satchel, Team Shoulder Bag…. or are you Team Tote for work?)

Update! Our Latest Favorite Stylish, Professional Satchels for Work

Hunting for a great professional purse? In 2024, readers are loving affordable crossbody bags like those from Cuyana, Tory Burch, Lo & Sons, and Madewell.

In terms of a designer bag to suit your life as a professional, readers have been loving affordable(ish) luxury brands like See by Chloé, Polène, Strathberry, DeMellier, and Mansur Gavriel, as well as more designer bags like Chloé (particularly the Marcie line) and Mulberry. (If money is no object, Loewe and Bottega Venetta are always worth a look!)

Ivanka Trump has really become a force for professional bags and shoes lately, and you can often get great deals on them at spots like 6pm. This simple Ava Dome looks great — was $150, now $89 (available in black, coral, and beige.) Ivanka Trump Ava Dome Satchel

This Cynthia Rowley satchel comes in both black and white, and I like the gold-tone hardware, the zippers, and the sale: it was $325, but is now marked to $140 at Off Fifth. Cynthia Rowley Dylan Leather Satchel  (Also in the “under $300 and on sale” price range: this nice Brooks Brothers satchel, which I really like but for the calf hair, which feels too wintry to me.)

There are so.many.contenders from Kate Spade — it's almost hard to pick just one. (Maise! Leslie! Candace!) I'm going with the Devin Satchel, which not only has been around for a zillion years if memory serves, but also has clean, soft lines, and comes with a shoulder strap. The pictured bag (in smoke) is on sale for $266, but it also comes in black, beige, white, light green, and dark pink for $398. Kate Spade New York ‘Cobble Hill – Devin' Satchel   (Another classic in this price range: the Amorous satchel, from Minkoff.)

I love the look of this Stuart Weitzman satchel — as do others, apparently, since Zappos has very few in stock. (Other bags I love from the brand: Weitzman's Diplomacy satchel or Grabbag satchel.) I really like the tassel, the double zip, and the leopard print lining. It's $795 at Zappos. Stuart Weitzman Bishop

I don't quite know what it is about this bag that I love so much — it's just so crisp. The hard angles, the accordion sides, the soft pebbled leather… love. The pictured bag is $2750, but here's a very similar but more affordable option. Saint Laurent ‘Small Sac de Jour' Grained Leather Tote

There are a TON of noteworthy designer bags here — Bottega Veneta, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Chanel, Chloé, Prada… I've been drooling over this Louis Vuitton satchel for a while now — designed by Sofia Coppola because, allegedly, she couldn't find what she wanted in the store. (I own the LV Alma bag in Epi leather, and am always a fan of that if you're not into logos.) The SC bag is $5000 (call to purchase). SC BAG MM

Like this feature? Check out other recent installments!

(L-all)

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