My Latest Snag: The Everlane Sweater.
I’ve written about this a lot already, but this alpaca cardigan is my favorite acquisition for fall. I was ecstatic when Everlane sent it over — the prettiest color, the most interesting texture, and a surprisingly flattering shape (I love the trim cuffs).
P.S. More great sweaters.
You’re Sooooo Popular: The Gingham Cardigan.
Though I did a round up of the most popular items on le blog last month yesterday — below, the most popular items on the blog this past week:
+This floral blouse. (Use code TULIP for 10% off.)
+Still get a ton of mileage out of these flats, which I own in ivory and have worn for the past four seasons.
+Leopard puffer. (I’m into it.)
+Adorable way to dress your front door.
#Turbothot: Are You a Purist or Pragmatist?
I’ve written about this elsewhere (probably multiple times), but the most fascinating lesson I took away from an executive MBA program I completed a few years back was that one of the most helpful pieces of information to ascertain when negotiating (and there is an art to it) is whether the person sitting across from you is a purist or a pragmatist. That is — will this person compromise on certain things? What are the unimpeachables that are not even worth touching in the conversation? If you find yourself seated alongside a pragmatist, and you are the same way, the negotiation usually unfolds beautifully. There might be back-and-forth, but both parties understand the old give-and-take and a handshake is not far in your future. If you’re grappling with a purist — well, good luck. Set your expectations at the door. Or compromise on things far afield from their core values, like who pays for the coffee.
An example from my own real life: I sit on the board of a foundation whose assets are managed and invested by hired experts. Many years ago, several of the board members decided to place a “filter” of sorts on the kinds of investments the foundation was willing to make — for example, they did not want to own stock in any company that was in any way related to the manufacture or trade of guns and arms, as they felt it antithetical to the organization’s core values. This in turn meant that massive companies like Boeing were black-balled. The filter expanded over time such that companies like Apple were excluded for their practices in manufacturing products in Asia. The pragmatists on the board were saying: “But, hey! If we invest wisely in high-performing companies, we will have more money to do more good on the causes that matter to us!” And the purists were saying: “But, no! How can we possibly in good conscience extract any money from companies that are at cross-purposes with our own ethics?!”
I’ll let you puzzle over that conundrum for a minute.
As you can imagine, it was difficult to edge our way toward a resolution on the matter.
At any rate, I have found this “sorting hat” helpful in all kinds of avenues — as a manager, as a friend, as a colleague, as an entrepreneur. It helps me navigate around potential pitfalls and understand why certain people make the decisions they do.
Which are you?
P.S. I’m definitely a pragmatist — in the kitchen, at least. Maybe it’s possible to be a purist in some realms and a pragmatic in others?
Post-Scripts: A Pretty Shower Curtain.
+This is just the prettiest shower curtain (under $50!).
+I bought a striped sweater very similar to this one last fall from Zara and wore it at least once a week. Love the boxy style. I often wore mine with waxed leggings (even while pregnant!)
+Yet another great sweater that nails all of the trends — ribbed, heathered, puffed-sleeved, cropped.
+LOVE this sherpa coat.
+This velvet jumpsuit would be fun for the holidays.
+Still heart eyes over the fair isle sweaters at LSF (ON SALE!!) Would look so cute with light-wash denim (or winter whites!). And while on the subject of LSF: now would be a good time to purchase one of their summery florals and stow it away for next year, because the discount is outrageous!
+Another fun holiday score, though I envision it with black cropped skinny pants and major shoes, like these.
+These shoes for a little one…meep!
I agree with Claire — I believe in a spectrum & also that one can be a pragmatist in some areas and a purist in others. Funny, that — I would consider myself more of a pragmatist (definitely at work/in negotiations and in the kitchen!) and a purist in certain worldviews I hold (I sympathize with the board members who refused to own stock in companies that dealt in the gun trade, for example!) I do think it’s possible to be both, in different arenas.
LOVE that Veronica Beard puffer. I’ve been considering a much-less-expensive leopard puffer from GAP … thoughts? https://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=493859002&pcid=999#pdp-page-content
xx
I definitely think it’s a spectrum, and that it can be arena-specific. I’ve long considered myself a person of strong convictions, loosely held — and with regards to many subjects (parenting, literature, keynote deck structures), that’s true, but there are others where I’ve become much more rigid (politics, oy…). at any rate, I think the world needs both types!
Per usual, you hit the nail on the head. You are right — we need a mix of all kinds to keep things properly balanced. xx