Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
We’re heading into prime sheath dress weather right now — not only is it great for layering in spring (beneath blazers or cardigans, or occasionally on top of blouses), but it’s a workhorse in sticky hot summers. I actually meant to write about black sheath dresses (especially since I’m in the market for one myself) but was so unexcited about all of the black sheath dresses, and instead found so many great colorful sheath dresses, that I thought I’d feature those instead. Readers, have you gotten any great sheath dresses recently? Have you bought any colorful sheath dresses in the past that became favorites?
(Psst: if you like the picture at left, please consider Pinning it on Pinterest! You can follow me here.)
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Back in January — inspired by a Mint article — we took a look at tax-savvy investment vehicles such as 401Ks and IRAs. Today, let’s look at some of the other tax-friendly ways to save, such as 529s and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Just as a reminder — according to the article, “The Value of Tax-Deferred Savings.” “[u]nless you make enough money to max out all of your tax-advantaged accounts (401(k), IRA, 529, HSA, and the like), it rarely makes sense to do any investing outside them.” (Please note, I am not a financial adviser — this is all just my personal knowledge, so take it with a grain of salt.)
(Pictured: PS1 Wallet, available in 8 colors at ProenzaSchouler.com for $165.)
Like we did before, let’s go through the main questions on everyone’s mind…
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Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
With the first day of spring almost here (I believe it’s tomorrow, March 20!) everybody needs a lightweight jacket. Here in NYC it rains so much that I’m always looking for a great rain coat to serve as my lightweight jacket, but I hate double-breasted jackets. Here’s my case against them: not only do they usually look stupid when worn open, they often have to be fitted so close to your body to look good that it’s hard to fit a blazer under there — which for me is always an essential. So I thought I’d round up some jackets out there that, in addition to being lightweight, possibly weatherproof (or at least weather-friendly), can also possibly fit a blazer beneath them. Readers, have you recently bought a rain coat? What do you look for in a great one?
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Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
Pumps are all well and good, but if you’re like me — particularly while it’s still tights weather — they can be a little hard to walk in. This is why my closet has always contained a lot of Mary Jane heels, as well as other heels with straps. It can be a bit tricky to find some that don’t a) visually cut your leg at the worst possible point, and b) make you look like a little girl — so I thought I’d round up a few. Readers, how often do you wear heels with straps? Any favorite brands, or great steals recently?
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Here’s a fun question: what items do you think are wise to purchase, even if you don’t have a specific event or occasion to wear them to — and which items are best left for specific “I am going to wear this to X event” purchases? Even though we don’t belong to a gym with a pool, and we have no vacations planned, I recently bought a non-returnable swimsuit on deep discount, so it’s been on my mind.
For my own $.02: in general, I prefer to “let clothes find me.” I actually hate shopping with an agenda — if I need a new pair of jeans, or a white blouse, or a basic LBD, I have to steel myself for a long and trying shopping excursion (where, at the end, I always seem to pay through the nose for something I only vaguely like). Instead, I prefer to buy things that I actually like (perhaps helped along by the fact that they’re deeply discounted), and that I suspect I might have a use for — some day. Even now, while I hate having to “commit” to my post-baby body (which is a size or two larger than my pre-baby body), I’ve made some purchases and had to argue with myself in my head. Here’s how the conversation goes:
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Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
February can be a great time to buy cashmere on sale. Today I thought I’d see what I could find in the way of simple, classic black cashmere sweaters… Readers, what is your favorite brand for cashmere? Scored any great deals lately?
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