Law Firm Intern Worries About Reaction to Her Pricey $10K Handbag
Much of the debate about appropriate law firm wardrobes involves lawyers who dress too casually or too provocatively. But one law office intern has another concern: Is it appropriate to carry a pricey Birkin handbag to the office?
The intern, who works at a big law firm in Singapore, wrote to the Corporette blog for advice. Corporette suspects the handbag, made by Hermes, goes for around $9,000, while the American Lawyer’s Careerist column says the minimum price tag is $10,000.
“I’ve heard two conflicting opinions,” the intern writes. “(1) You should dress what you would like to be, i.e., if you want to be a partner one day, dress as such; and (2) dress appropriate to your level in the firm.”
Corporette worries that the bag will convey the impression that the intern is rich, has rich parents or a rich fiancé. Some employers will see that as a good sign, since the intern is there for the love of the job and is likely to have connections with wealthy potential clients. Others will “worry that you’re biding your time—until the trust fund kicks in, until you get pregnant, or, you know, until your sex tape leaks and you get your own reality show,” the blog says. “You may find you have to work even harder to get the respect that you deserve.”
The Careerist, on the other hand, thinks the concerns are overblown: “My advice is to bring out the Birkin, and prop it right on the conference table. And if it seems to be stirring jealousy or resentment, just hint that it’s a fake.”
