Punk Rock Pearls

New York magazine rounds up some alternative, dare I say... "punk rock" pearls.

I'm in love with this piece by Rachel Roy. Probably not appropriate for Bay Street though...

New Luxury Webstores

The NYT has a piece covering the newest luxury labels to hit the web. Included in their list are Marc Jacobs, Jimmy Choo, Hugo Boss, Vince, Lancôme, St. John, Theory, Kiehl’s, Lilly Pulitzer, Donna Karan and La Perla —better technology and a world-wide economic downturn have created web-believers out of these retailers.

The article has this quote, which is sooo true:
“The classic luxury brand Web site is basically a Flash site with lots of beautiful imagery, but no one ever goes to it.”
Ever tried to visit Chanel online? Don't bother...

Stella McCartney - Lace-covered pumps

I've been online shopping most of today - it's a lot easier than working on our new condo.

Anyway, Net-a-Porter.com just made my week. OMG - Are these new Stella Pumps to die for or what? There goes my "tuition bonus"...

How to Get Over a Mistake at Work

Corporette has a totally useful article on how to recover after a mistake at work. Everyone makes mistakes, but for Type-As mistakes can feel like the worst thing in the world.

This is a big issue for so many successful people — even the Harvard Business Review recently had an article on it.

The basic lesson? The best thing to do is to accept mistakes, learn from them, and move on.

What Courtney Wore Today

Courtney Love new has a style blog. It just started on Tuesday, but there is already 20 pages of content. Amazing!

You better believe that I'll be following this feed.

Wow - Alice + Olivia Designer Stacey Bendet is a fur-wearing Vegan

Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet, who launched M.A.C.'s alice+olivia collection at Beauty Bar, arrived in a head-turning red number topped with a Mongolian Lamb vest, one of her own pieces. The designer admitted to NY Mag's The Cut that she has somewhat mixed feelings about the fur pieces she makes. "I'm vegan, actually," she said. "I don't eat [animals], I don't put meat in my body. So every once in a while I think it's okay to wear it. But I made it — I'm probably going to hell."

Wow, I'm speechless.

Body Language at Work

I read a poker book on body language a few years ago and have been interested in the subject ever since. Forbes Woman has a great post about common body language mistakes people often make at work. Here are some of the more common behaviours we might not be aware we are doing:

--Tilting your head--a sign of listening that can be misinterpreted as one of submission or even flirting.

--Folding your hands on your lap--hiding your hands under a conference table or desk, for example, signals untrustworthiness; a cue from ancient times, when men would reveal their palms to show they were unarmed.

--Crossing your legs--a sign of resistance.

--Excessive smiling--an indication that you lack gravitas and seriousness.

--Folding your arms in front of you--translates to insecurity or defensiveness.

--Playing with or tugging at your hair, jewelry or clothes--can signal distress or, again, be misinterpreted as flirting.

Rise of the 'Zombie Banks'

The Financial Post ran an article called "Central Banks Warned Low Rates May Create 'Zombie Banks'".

Awesome! The article reminded me of a day in first year contract law when a student asked if a contract can ever come back after it has been rescinded. The Professor responded sternly "no, there are no zombie contracts." This prompted one of my friends to say - in their best zombie voice, with arms outstretched - "you promised me braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaains." Hilarity ensued.

Wait, I just googled "zombie bank" in an effort to find a sweet image for this post and discovered "zombie bank" is actually a thing. Investopedia defines zombie bank as "a bank or financial institution with negative net worth. Although zombie banks typically have a net worth below zero, they continue to operate as a result of government backings or bailouts that allow these banks to meet debt obligations and avoid bankruptcy. Zombie banks often have a large amount of nonperforming assets on their balance sheets which make future earnings very unpredictable.

Free WIFI at Startbucks

Big news for those of us who like to study/work at Starbucks. Starting July 1, at over 750 Starbucks locations, the company is offering free unlimited WIFI. That's sweeter than a pumkin spice latte. More here.

Warm Weather Wear

The WSJ has a useful article on how to dress smartly in hot weather. It's pretty straight-forward stuff, but still good to keep in mind. Here are the highlights:

Do:

• Wear a collar (in a shirt or jacket) if you need to convey authority.
• Choose high-quality clothes that will hold up to the work day without wrinkling or stretching.
• Cover all the body parts you'd cover in traditional business attire.
• Use color and pattern to jazz up your summer wardrobe.
• Wear business clothes in summery fabrics—for instance, cotton pants and blazers

Don't:

• Wear shorts to the office.
• Wear halters, flip flops, strapless or spaghetti-string tops or other revealing leisure clothes.
• Wear mules or other shoes that impede graceful movement.
• Wear Capri pants, miniskirts or other clothes you can't bend down in.
• Dress like you're heading for a round of golf or other sport. Unless you are.

Read like a billionaire

For those of you looking for ways to productively spend your summer, check out J.P. Morgan’s summer reading list, which after 11 straight years has come to be known as the billionaires’ book club. More here.

This summer’s books include: On the Brink: Inside the Race to Stop the Collapse of the Global Financial System by Henry M. Paulson, Jr.; Life is What You Make It: Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment by Peter Buffett; The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That is Connecting the World by David Kirkpatrick; Written in Water: Messages of Hope for Earth’s Most Precious Resource by Irena Salina; Mark Twain: Man in White by Michael Shelden; BlackBerry: The Inside Story of Research in Motion by Rod McQueen; The Principles of Thai Cookery by Chef McDang; Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong by Terry Teachout; Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century by Peter Galassi; Fine Wines: The Best Vintages Since 1900 by Michel Dovaz.

Oh yeah, I haven't read any of these yet. Since we moved, I've been spending every weekend at places like Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Ha!

Snoop Dogg tried to rent Liechtenstein

Oh man, I've always found Liechtenstein hilarious for some reason. The only times it's ever really come up are (1) a case in international law class, (2) when Switzerland accidentally invaded them, and (3) when my friend Jeff told me that he's been there and they have a Hooters.

Naturally, I'm happy to report (4) Snoop Dogg tried to rent the entire country for one of his video shoots. Even funnier, it probably would have worked, if he had just given them enough time.

We're back!

Hi, friends! I've been woefully neglient updating this blog lately. I started my summer job in May and it's been super busy since. I'm really digging the firm, but I also dig this blog so I'm going to try to keep this thing going. :)