Grim Times

I am thankful that I am still in school and will not have to look for a 'real' job until next year.  I am job searching for a summer position, but times are tough.  Big firms that hired numerous summer associates either cut the number of positions, or cut their programs altogether.  Now, top-tier students are competing for lower paying summer jobs at mid to small firms, which were typically the domain of the non top 10% students.  Needless to say, people are stressed.  

The fashion industry is probably even more competitive; it's hard to get the experience needed to even begin to qualify for a job, and many people want to somehow get their foot in the door to the glamour that the industry represents.  So, at this year's WWD Career Expo, 2000 people were competing for only 20 jobs.  But that doesn't even mean that the employers represented at the Expo will be hiring from that pool of people.  Many of those jobs will probably be offered to a friend of a friend, or someone who has some other kind of connection to the people doing the hiring.  

This leads me to the point that networking, whether you work in the legal field or fashion, is so important.  The few people I know who have secured jobs for summer got an interview because they knew someone in the firm, or had a former boss who knew of a person who needed a clerk.  Being new to Philadelphia definitely puts me at a disadvantage in this respect.  I'm not discouraged just yet, but I am feeling that I need to continue to meet people, so that when they hear of something coming available, they just might think of me.  

[NYP]

Goodies

Today while on my hunt for some of the items on my wardrobe wishlist from yesterday, I got derailed.  MAC called my name and I could not resist!  To be fair, I did need the Prime Eye eye base.  I have been piling on moisturizer to combat the dry air and wind that attack my face, leaving it parched.  This effort has resulted in my eye makeup creasing and slipping, which I hate.  I blink and my eyeliner leaves a line halfway up my eyelid!  I have yet to put this to the test, I'll try it tomorrow and report back.  

Less necessary was the SPF 15 lip conditioner in 'Pink Fish' from the Hello Kitty/MAC collaboration.  It was too pretty to pass up.  I am feeling ready for spring, and it was a fresh color that will brighten up an otherwise light makeup day.  

I also hit up Sephora in search of a deep conditioner.  I had never colored my hair, with the exception of those drugstore colors that wash out in 12 shampoos that I tried in high school, until 3 months ago when I decided to get highlights and have since gone for a couple touch-ups.  My previously fine, soft hair has taken a beating and has become more brittle and dry than I have ever experienced.  One advantage is that it gives it more volume than I would normally have, but I still don't like running my fingers through damaged hair.  While I am debating whether or not to get them touched up once more, or whether to go with lowlights and try to grow it out, I still want to keep my hair looking shiny.  I decided on this Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx Hair Mask and I think I am pleased.  I left it in for 25 minutes and my hair is feeling soft, but not too fine or weighed down.  I will know for sure when I blow-dry my hair tomorrow and actually style it, but as it air dries at the moment I am liking what I see.  Also a plus, it smells great!

Oscar Worthy

I just saw Natalie Portman present several awards, alongside Ben Stiller, at the Oscars and had my breath taken away by her choice of dress. In a sea of black and white, she had the audacity to stand out in this striking pink number.




Honestly, the photo does this dress no justice. Under the lighting of the Oscar stage, the bodice was incredibly striking and the shade of pink was much deeper. I will have to look for a better, closer, photo to hit the internet. Still, she looked fantastic in the color and it suited her frame so well. Definitely my favorite look of the night.

Hello Emily

I have been dreaming of a new pair of shoes for a while now, but have held back because I was not sure exactly what I wanted. I need professional shoes because I hope to have a job for summer and therefore have to re-build the workwear portion of my closet. However, I also want shoes that are just fun and can be paired with tights and worn now, but also transition into summer. I think that I have found a pair that will satisfy the 'fun' category from Frye. Meet Emily:



I love the color; I tend to go for basic black or brown, so I need something that 'pops.' It also comes in a lilac, but I prefer the navy. I also adore the thick heel, and at 4.5" it will put me at a lovely 5' 8" tall, which is a plus.

In Need: Workplace Edition

When I moved from west to east coast, I did a major cleaning of my wardrobe. I keep it pretty sparse anyway, I like to only have items that I actually want to wear and throw out things that I haven't been worn in a year, but my closet is far too lean for even my taste. Things I discarded include many basics that simply had seen better days and were not worth hauling cross country as I was leaving my job and becoming a full-time student anyway.

At this point I don't even have a good pair of office appropriate black pants. I also lost several pairs of shoes leading up to our move, but those were due to our pomeranian being a puppy and going through a 'chewing phase' that also claimed a pair of yoga pants, one of my favorite navy/cream striped tees and a purse handle. Now I am looking for a summer legal job and to that end, I need to begin rebuilding. It will be slow going though, because I am supremely picky; even the reality that I have few things to wear isn't enough to spur me into spending money if I am not in love with an item.

On my list of needs:

- Black pumps: The heel must be substantial, both in height and in width, and it cannot be patent leather - I hate the way it scuffs.

- Wool black pants: I actually need 2 pairs, one slim-cut and another more swingy, but not too wide-legged as I am not tall enough to carry it off well.

- White button-up shirt: The material cannot be too flimsy and I like a bit of embellishment, but not too froufrou.

- Silk camisoles: I needs something to put beneath a suit coat, but I feel too constricted with a long-sleeve collared shirt. Needless to say, they cannot be too low-cut or look like they are supposed to be lingerie.

- Dresses: I used to hate dresses, opting instead for pants. However, I have come to love the simplicity of a dress, it's an entire outfit and there is no mixing/matching dilemmas to confront. I have a few cocktail dresses, but I need more everyday dresses that can be paired with a cardigan if necessary or worn alone. I also want to be able to dress them up and down so that they can take me from day to night if the need arises.

If I had one of each of the above, I would be in a much better place than I am now, both for interviews and for everyday work wear.

J'adore

I am currently in love with the idea of moving to Paris upon graduation. I have this daydream that I become an attorney either directly for, or with a firm that represents, any number of brilliant French designers, whether the 'big' names or young start-ups. I could work with people whose work I admire and have a reason to wear fancy clothes (to show my respect for their style, bien sur) instead of boring, conservative suits.

Things to know about this fantasy:
1. I do not speak French (well, unless you count the words 'croissant' and 'pain au chocolat').
2. I have no connections to any legal people in France...actually I have no connections to anyone in France. Period.
3. My day dreams do not involve me having to do any work; I merely prance around the streets of Paris in pretty dresses, eating croissants and attending fashion shows.

I obviously have an active imagination. But, I do love having a goal, no matter how inconceivable it seems in the moment I dream it up. My lovely husband is even on board with this plan. I believe that part of our tax refund will be spend on Rosetta Stone so we can at least cross off number 1 above. 2 and 3 still need to be worked out, so if anyone has a brilliant idea that will help me never to have to actually work, or will put me in touch with legal/fashion bigwigs in Paris, I would adore you forever. Merci!