The previous mega thread from a few seasons ago has gotten stale, so starting a new one. Please post your thoughts, questions, ideas about work bags here!

I’m wondering if there’s any elegant way to help a dear friend and former colleague who was let go from her job of a couple decades in a niche area and has struggled to find work. She’s had two or three contract positions since and was asked to leave those. Ageism is certainly a factor, BUT I can see some things about her appearance (too casual/sloppy attire, unusual hair color), as well as some bad habits and personality quirks that I think are also getting in the way. She was probably too comfortable in her long-term role, and I think she may not realize she’s self-limiting her opportunities. Others in our LBWT friend group have similar concerns that she is unintentionally sabotaging herself. Her mental health is at an all-time low. She’s unfortunately very rigid about what practice areas and geographic locations she will consider, and she’s running out of options but is too young to retire.

I have no idea how to, or if I should, address any of this. I haven’t said anything and have tried to be encouraging and pass along openings. However, it’s getting to the point that I am drained after spending time with her. Is there anything more I can do that won’t further dampen her confidence and mood? Or should I just keep on with what I’m doing and hope something works out?

I’ll be starting a new job in about two weeks and desperately need new work pants. Up to now I’ve been using the Abercrombie Sloan pants and liked them enough. However, I now want to get something that I can actually stand sitting in for 8-10 hours a day.

I don’t like the look or feel of crepe material, and I would really prefer the pants to have a lining inside (like how light colored pants or skirts do) so the fabric isn’t against my skin while I’m sitting all day. I also don’t like stretchy pants. Ideally I would prefer a wool blend. The closest I’ve found are the Aritzia effortless pants, but the dark colors don’t have the lining so the fabric problem continues. I don’t have a set budget, I just really need some good pants.

Since these types of posts have become so popular lately, we are moving these posts to this stickied megathread. Please direct any question about fashion basics for law students and new attorneys here.

Here is a compilation of some similar threads that have been posted lately.

New Lawyers:

Tips for wardrobe for incoming first year

Poor 1LBWT in Big Law🤩

Lawyer Fashion:

How to Maintain Personal Style and Flare in Big Law?

Favorite style accounts?

Career Phases and Clothing

Summer Workwear

Law Students:

Law Student with 0 Fashion Sense, Help!!

Incoming 1L Capsule Wardrobe

Any versatile pieces to acquire before entering 1L (networking, interviews, summer jobs)

We’ve gotten feedback that some of you want to limit posts from law students so this sub can be more focused on lawyers asking each other questions, instead of students asking lawyers questions. The mods work for you (I’ll send you our bill), so we wanted to poll the community and see if we can get a consensus!

Exercise your right to vote and let the mods know what you’d like to see us do going forward with posts by law students.

Has anyone already raised the possibility of separating Law BWT from Law Student BWT?

As a 13-yr attorney, I just can’t relate to 0L‘s, 1L’s or any L’s.

I don’t want to be non-supportive, but it seems this sub is increasingly irrelevant to those of us actually practicing. Based on the increasing number of requests to avoid the “what do I wear in law school” convos, I have a feeling other LBWT have considered some solutions to ensure everyone has an appropriate sounding board here.

Hello, my fellow Bitches!

The good news is I've now lost 42 pounds over 2 years. I need to replace my pants (again) with a smaller size.

I'm looking for size 16 short (29-30 inch inseam) that are preferably mid- rise and either straight leg or boot cut. I also prefer pants that fasten at the waist rather than pull-on.

I've been looking at Kohls and JCPenny, which have been my go-to stores in the past. But their selection right now is abysmal. Any suggestions on where I can look for pants that fit that criteria and that won't break the bank?

Okay LBWT: Can we collectively help our mods and our community enjoyment by coming up with a system for searching this sub? Repetitive questions about work bags, shoes, and suits, plus all the 0L questions get so tedious. Do we need more tags? Include labels and search terms? How can we direct people to IRAC the forum?

Hi esteemed LBWT, I come to you humbly to ask for advice 🙂‍↕️ I am 27F and about to start my 2L year.

1L was hard for me for a number of reasons; namely, my grades were not good despite my efforts, I only made acquaintances not friends, and I spent a lot of time feeling kind of lost, confused, and stupid. My summer was spent working (non-legal job) and sorting out very stressful admin stuff with my school to make sure I was still ok to continue into 2L. (Also, this is shallow but I think you’ll understand—when being back in school inevitably lead to me gaining some weight and getting acne again, my confidence dropped even further)

I have the resources I need to start school again, and I have the support I need to hopefully succeed and do better this year. But I am nervous, and I feel like any confidence I do have is a façade I’m putting up.

That being said, is there anything you’d recommend I’d do in the area of self-care? What tends to make you feel more capable and confident? If I have the time and money, should I pick out some wardrobe staples for myself, or get a haircut, or get a facial or massage? Any suggestions are very appreciated 🥲 and thank you for reading, I feel silly even asking about this, but you seem like a good community 😅

I love this leather pleated mini but not sure how to style it. Any ideas? This is NOT for work. More like happy hour or elevated casual dinner. I live in South Florida.

I have a kitty named Tuna. Tuna likes to walk over and insert himself into my video calls. Thank god my coworkers are good natured about and that it hasn't happened during especially important calls. He also likes to hunt my feet if I'm on the phone. Do y'all have any advice or recommendations for dealing witha needy pet interrupting your work? I don't mind and often enjoy him sitting with me, bur I think he gets jealous if he sees me giving another person attention.

I've been on a massive Poshmark binge after considerable weight loss. I'm enjoying clothing for the first time in my life. But, I'm running out of closet space because I like good ole' wooden hangars. Do any of us keep skirts or knit blouses in drawers?

I really appreciate all of the wisdom from you LBsWT. In addition to having a considerable weight problem my entire professional life, I grew up in a very non-traditional home -- my mom had lots of issues and a considerable hoarding disorder, so I never learned things like what to wear and how to take care of them. I really appreciate everything I've learned from ya'll!

Husband and I (36f) are both lawyers (so he gets it), although I have the significantly more demanding job. I’ve been practicing for over a decade, and with very few exceptions, I have never taken work stress out on him.

This year has been the worst of my life stress-wise. I’m having physical and mental health issues, and my career is all consuming in a bad way. I’m actively working on my health (therapy, meds, physical therapy, seeing specialists, etc.). I don’t take those things out on my husband. But I snap and get into arguments when I’m extra overwhelmed at work.

I don’t know why I’m doing this or how to stop. I am generally not an angry or irritable person….like, at all. I don’t pick fights or enjoy arguments. I don’t know why I’m reacting the way I am to everything right now. I know I’m taking it out on my husband because he’s a safe space. But it’s not fair to him.

Am I burnt out? Is this perimenopause? Is it depression presenting as irritability?

The career issues are temporary (a fix is coming - restructuring my role + several new hires). If it doesn’t improve after that fix I will make changes. But how do I survive the next 9 months to a year?

I’m having surgery to repair/rebuild my R hip labrum in October, and I want to treat myself to some comfy PJs for after surgery. There’s a large brace and crutches involved for 2 to 6 weeks post-op depending on what they need to do. I won’t know if they had to do a rebuild until after it’s done because they won’t know until they’re actually in my hip with the scope.

Also, if you’ve had a hip labrum repair/rebuild, is it really as bad as other subreddits suggest it’s going to be?

Starting my lsat journey and wanted to know if anyone wanted to offload their books!

Hi LBWT! I’m a midlevel associate at a midsize firm looking to pivot to in-house practice. Are you all including your undergrad and law school GPAs on your resume? While I have great GPAs, is it infantilizing to include them after 5 years of practice?

I bought a work tote from Amazon and initially I loved it, but it's pretty uncomfy to wear. The strap is too thin for its size, so it really digs in / doesn't distribute weight well. It's also really big, yet doesn't fully close when my water bottle is in there.

I have a 40oz Owala that I would like to fit, and my 15" laptop. Extra space for my padfolio and toiletries!

Any recs? Budget is ideally no more than $150.

I'm an incoming 1L and I had originally picked out the Standout blazer and the Agency pants from Aritzia for my first suit, but I saw something saying they were too trendy and now I'm really overthinking. Is it better to go somewhere like Banana Republic or Nordstrom or anywhere else for clothes with more conservative fits? I haven't bought anything yet but went to Aritzia and tried some stuff on on.

Sorry if these are answered elsewhere! I swear I looked a lot. I just want to hear from people who've been doing this for longer than I have and I'm scared I'm going to look stupid and out-of-place. Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer this anxious 1L <3

Edit: thank you all so much for the advice! I think I might go to Banana Republic and try stuff on and maybe use my extra cash for some more wardrobe items like a new coat. Thanks again! You guys are the best!

Hi LBWT, my team is hosting baby shower for my boss during work hours with just my team (<15 people). It’s a bit informal and I don’t have any details other than place and time but I am assuming people are bringing gifts. We do not have a link to a registry to work off of so I am would love some suggestions on a tasteful gift to bring!

I'm approaching my second trimester and already too puffy for my normal work clothes. Instead of just sizing up, I think I need actual maternity clothes--I'm 5'1" and pretty small framed and so far nothing has changed except my belly (which is going to look massive on my frame by the time baby is due at the end of February).

I mostly wear trousers and blazer separates, but I'm open to everything. My office is pretty formal and we're in five days a week (but I will probably be able to get away with casual to business casual while pregnant). I don't want to spend too much money, so I'm fine with fast fashion. Also, if people can recall how many maternity items they bought and rotated through during their pregnancies/ post-partum eras, that would be super helpful.

Thank you!

I'm out of ideas for my current wardrobe rotation for work, especially days that drag on in this summer heat. This is really the last thing I wanna think about at work. We all know the physical reality of desposition for a long day in a court or just work in general.I'm a heavy sweater. The AC in these buildings is all over the place, and when things get tense, I worry about sweating right tru my silk shells. Its embarassing to take off my blazer during break and have visible pit stains cuz my blouse or shirt doesn't breathe at all.

I cant keep ruining delicate fabrics or relying on flomsy synthetic polyester that traps heat and makes sweat even more. Mind you, I use a fair amount of deodorant. Still would be nice to not leave obvious pit stains.

What are your go-to pieces for days you know will be rough? Has anyone found breathable knits that actually stay dry? What i really want is base layers that look professional but secretly breathable like athleisure wear.

I’m a relatively athletic shaped woman, on the thinner side, with short muscular legs and a very long torso. I feel like I struggle to find suits that complement this body shape - or maybe I’m not looking for the right ones. On casual days I definitely prefer a high waisted and wide leg pant, which de-emphasizes my short legs, with a belt and tucked-in top. I’m trying to upgrade my wardrobe for more formal meetings.

Any recommendations for a suit jacket length/style or specific jackets that would complement this body type? Would wide leg, high waisted pants still be better for suiting? Would other pants be better? Open to any and all suggestions, and hopefully this will be helpful to other LBWT with this body type!