December 2010

Bargain Friday’s TPS Report: Double-Layer Open Cardi

by Kat December 17, 2010 Fashion

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

Gap Double-layer open cardi I picked up this sweater a few weeks ago at the Gap, and I really like it — it’s lightweight, soft, and the gray-on-gray layers make it interesting but nothing crazy. I haven’t tried it with a belt, yet, but I think it would look great with a wide one. It’s $59.50 in sizes XS – XXL (colors charcoal, navy, black, and purple). Gap Double-layer open cardi


Seen a great piece you’d like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line.

(Disclosures)

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Coffee Break: Beirn Tote

by Kat December 16, 2010 Accessories

Jenna woven snakeskin toteMaybe my memory is off, but I remember passing up the opportunity to get a Beirn bag for just over $100 — and I regret it every time I see some fashionable New Yorker carrying the bag. They’re truly lovely. The Outnet has a number at 65% off, though — this one is a blue snakeskin with a woven effect. Was $580, now $203. Jenna woven snakeskin tote

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The Care and Feeding of Tights

by Kat December 16, 2010 Fashion

Reader S wonders about tights…

I seem to be having a spell of terrible luck with tights this year – I wear a pair two or three times and then find a hole or a run. I’m willing to pay more for tights that last longer, but I’m afraid I’ll just continue to have the same bad luck with a higher pricetag unless I get some guidance. Suggestions?

I think proper tight care could be part of your problem, but it may also be which tights you’re buying. As those of you who follow my Twitter feed know, I attended a press event earlier this week where Jenny Altman, the style adviser to Bare Necessities, sang the praises of Commando tights as being the only truly opaque, non-digging tights, as well as the praises of Wolford tights. Personally, I’ve always been a fan of Spanx tights, as I mentioned earlier — they’re pricey but worth it! (Pictured: Commando 70 Denier Matte Tights Panty Hose, available at Bare Necessities for $34.)

That said — I’ve still had $8 tights that have lasted me years, so let’s investigate further…

1) Watch your nails — both on your hands and your feet! Even though it’s the winter, your toenails should not be jagged or sharp — at the very least, take a file to them and smooth them out. Similarly, if you have long fingernails, you may want to be very careful when you put your tights on and take them off — tights are more durable than pantyhose, but some of our pantyhose recommendations might be helpful here, as well.

2) Wash your tights carefully. I’ll be honest: I don’t quite have the energy to launder anything by hand, but if I did, tights would definitely be on the list — they’re one of the easiest items to hand-launder! That said, I usually save my tights for washing with my delicates — with Woolite, on the delicate cycle. Keep them away from bras (I put all of my bras in a lingerie bag) as well as anything else with hooks — if you’re not sure what might be in there, put your *tights* in the lingerie bag.

3) Airdry. Please, please, airdry.

4) Store them carefully. I like to use a hanging hosiery organizer, but there are also drawer organizers and more.

Readers, how do you take care of your tights? Which brands do you swear by?

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Thursday’s TPS Report: Kate Fit Boiled wool lady jacket

by Kat December 16, 2010 Fashion

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

Talbots Kate Fit Boiled wool lady jacketAnd the sales keep coming! Talbots is having its “red hanger” sale, with reductions of up to 50% online and in stores (plus free shipping of $125 or more). This gorgeous jacket caught my eye. Love the “pinched collar” and pockets, and the fact that it’s fully lined — boiled wool can be itchy sometimes! There are a lot more sizes for petites and woman’s sizes, but still a few for regular sizes. Was $199, now marked to $98.97 at Talbots. Talbots Kate Fit Boiled wool lady jacket


Seen a great piece you’d like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line.

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Suit of the Week

by Kat December 15, 2010 Fashion

For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.

Sometimes, all you want is a simple, high quality black suit. I like this Elie Tahari suit, exclusively at Nordstrom. It’s got a single button, but that’s pretty much the only slightly odd thing about it — the shoulders aren’t too pointy, the lapels aren’t too wide, the fabric isn’t patterned or shiny. It’s just a wool suit. Lovely. The jacket (Elie Tahari Exclusive for Nordstrom ‘Ava’ Jacket) is $278, the pants (Elie Tahari Exclusive for Nordstrom ‘Theora’ Pants) are $178, and the skirt (not pictured, Elie Tahari Exclusive for Nordstrom ‘Bennet’ Skirt) is $158.

(L-5)

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Giveaway from Shop It To Me!

by Kat December 15, 2010 Admin

Kay Unger Mini Check V-Neck DressiconI get a zillion emails a day (seriously, it’s in the range of 500 or so) — but the one must-read email for me every day is my Salemail from Shop It To Me. I’ve written before of my love for the company and service, and that has continued, unabated.

If you’re not familiar with Shop It To Me, here’s the scoop — you tell it which brands you like, and what your size is, what percentage of sale you want to know about (I’d say do 30% off if you’re building your wardrobe and buying a lot, but do something higher if you don’t want to be tempted so often! Mine is normally set at 60%, I think). And then you pick the frequency of the email — it can come as little as once a week, but I think I get the most value out of it when it comes daily. And then, pouf! Every morning you get an email that tells you what’s newly on sale in your size. It catches the special one-day-only sale codes, and it tells you when something’s Final Sale, right in your Salemail. They’ve also recently added a brilliant “search” feature where you can log in and see *everything* that’s on sale in your size (and not just what’s newly on sale). It’s nice that you can easily adjust the view in the search — only show me things under $150! Show me things only 30% off! Only show me belts, on sale, in my size! I’m actually signed up under 3 email addresses — one to watch for my sizes, one to watch for my husband’s brands and sizes, and one to watch for my mother’s brands and sizes. (Pictured: an example of a dress I recently found in my Salemail — Kay Unger Mini Check V-Neck Dressicon, was $200, now $120 at Saks.) The service can be particularly great when you’re shopping for one particular event (e.g., a holiday party) or a particular item (like a velvet blazer to go with your new party dress.)

So when Shop It To Me reached out to see if we’d be interested in a giveaway, I jumped at the chance. And now, you can enter to win an item or outfit from your Salemail — up to a $150 value. Here are the rules:

1. Sign up for Shop It To Me, if you’re not already — you must be a SITM member to win.

2. Leave a comment about holiday party wear by Monday, 12/20, at 12 pm ET. If you’re already a member of SITM it could be which item or outfit you’d want from your Salemail, or — if you’ve only just joined — perhaps a general comment about holiday parties (what you’re wearing to your office holiday party, which party mistakes you’ve seen…). Please be sure to fill the “commenter form” in with the email associated with your SITM account (I do not recommend leaving it in the body of the comment itself).

3. We’ll announce the winner on Monday, 12/20!

I’ve already pictured one of my favorite dresses above, but here are some of the other great pieces that have popped up recently in my Salemails, and might be my choice if I won…. I think all of them could be dressed “down” for a holiday party at the office (add a blazer, keep your hair and makeup normal) or dressed “up” for a friend’s holiday party (add dangly earrings, a smokey eye, some killer heels…)

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="203" caption="Polly Sleeveless Dress, was $368, marked to $184, comes to $147 with code EXTRA20."]Alice + Olivia Polly Sleeveless Dress[/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="298" caption="Green printed stretch woven draped front dress, was $158, now $95."]BCBGMAXAZRIA green printed stretch woven draped front dress[/caption]

All right, ladies — comment away! Good luck to all!

Disclosures: Corporette charges an administrative fee for giveaways, and for this promotion Kat may receive “referral” credits as well.

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