Hello, seriously cute sheath dress from Theory. We love the slightly unusual color (”dark tanzanite”) — we’d wear it with a black jacket or cardigan and pearls for a sharp look, or with any number of other colors for a kinder, gentler look: gray, white, purple, taupe . . . On sale at ShopBop — was $295, now $147.50 (limited sizes only, alas). Theory Ennah Dress

As a late graduation present, I was considering asking my folks for a classic strand of pearls.  This turned out to be more complicated than I had thought.  Is it (still) true that younger women shouldn’t aspire to larger pearls?  I don’t want to buy a strand that will look silly when I’m in my 30s and 40s — what’s the largest I can get away with in my 20s?

The article she linked to explained that larger pearls were for older women — the largest sizes being for women “45 and up,” with the smallest sizes being intended for “older teens, 16 to 24.”

For our $.02: We love our 7.5 MM x 8 MM pearls and wear them all the time — several times a week.   They stodge up a questionable outfit and make us feel like we belong when we’re at an event with much bigger wigs than us.  As for the size, we would say that if you’re wearing suits you’re old enough to get this size of pearls (which, according to the website, is the last size of pearls acceptable for women under 35).  Go to the store and try on different pairs — you’ll eventually find one that feels and looks at home on your neck — and THAT’S the size and length you should get.  (We went with 18″ and would never look back, but if you wear button-down shirts or crewnecks frequently you may prefer to go with the tighter 16″ length.)

We would recommend splurging and getting the best set of pearls you can afford — if you can, go for the top grades of Mikimoto brand pearls, sold at finer jewelry stores.  Even Zales sells a set of mid-level Mikimoto pearls.  If you do end up buying this mid size (6.5 through 7.5MM), don’t consider it money spent on something you can only use for 15-20 years — another look that’s hugely popular among older women is the double- and triple-stranded pearl necklace, and you can convert a single strand necklace INTO a double- and triple-strand necklace if you want to (either by resetting the pearls or getting a special clasp to link the first necklace with a second necklace).

As for larger white pearls — 8.5MM and up — we would actually recommend going fake.  You’re in good company –  Jackie Kennedy, Michelle Obama and Barbara Bush have all notoriously gone for large faux pearls.  (And if you want to wear them and you’re 25, go for it, we say.)   (Another option that would probably carry you from your 20s through your 70s would be to really go all out and get a rare colored pearl, a la Nancy Pelosi’s Tahitian pearls.  (Hers reportedly cost $80K!))

We’re curious — what are other people’s thoughts on pearls?  What would your advice be for our reader?   Do you wear them frequently?  Did you inherit them or purchase them for a specific event, like your wedding?  Have you upgraded a set recently?

We’re heading into the season where you should be able to get some killer deals on coats, and thus far ShopBop is winning the race — massive markdowns up to 70% off. Today, we like this empire coat from Shoshanna. While it’s only a midweight jersey, you can wear it in both the fall and the spring (both with trousers to work and jeans on the weekend). We lurve the chevron detail on the pockets, sleeves, and collar. Was $440, now $220 at ShopBop (NOT a final sale). Shoshanna Stitch Detail Empire Coat

Photo credit:  work it out, originally uploaded to Flickr by IamSam

If you’re like us, here’s where you get stuck with the workout resolution:

- you find working out on machines at the gym to be mind-numbing and not that great of a workout

- you find classes at the gym to not fit in your schedule reliably (in the morning they’re all either way too early or way too late, and at night they’re all way too early) — plus if one last-minute thing comes up at the office your good intention of making the class is blown

- you don’t really know what to do beyond the gym

If you’re looking to slim down quickly — lose the Christmas calories — then you need to do cardio.  If you’re looking to lose weight in the longer term, you should be doing both cardio and toning (toning will improve your metabolism and help you lose weight, but you probably won’t see six-pack abs or Madonna arms until you’re near the bottom of your weight range)

After the jump: some solutions for the busy, intelligent woman…

The Gym

If you’re heading to the gym, we highly suggest getting a heart rate monitor — especially if you’re trying to do a program like Weight Watchers, which lets you offset some food calories with exercise calories.  Calorie burn, as estimated by gym machines, is notoriously inflated — and you should be careful also not to fall into that age-old trap of thinking you can have pizza for dinner just because you worked out for 45 minutes.  You may want to look into interval workouts to really rev up your metabolism — even shorter workouts can be more effective if done with intense bursts of energy.

In addition to bringing a magazine, you may want to try to offset the boredom by bringing a friend, an audio book (we’ve heard great things about SimplyAudio.com), or — if you have TiVo — try putting some recorded shows on your iPod with the help of this tutorial.  (We have NOT tried this yet — we will try it soon and let you know how it goes.)  You also, obviously, can download shows via iTunes.

Pros: If you’re already paying for a gym membership, hey! At least you’re using it!  Good job.  Plus you can catch up on your tv-viewing and wade through your magazine pile.

Cons: In cold weather you have to dress for the gym and then undress for the workout… plus, see above re: mind-numbing boredom.  In our experience it’s the easiest to fall into a rut this way, also — your body will get used to the exercises and it will stop being effective after a while.  (Do your best to stay focused, and switch machines every so often.)

Home Exercise Equipment

In all honesty, we almost never used the treadmill, bicycle, or rowing machine we had when we lived with the ‘rents, and accordingly we haven’t made the investment in gym equipment for our already-packed NYC apartment.  However, if you can really commit to using it — and it can be done, as our friend L can attest — then you’re doing great.  Smart Money just ran an article on which new machines are worth the money.  If you’re truly time-starved, you may want to look into equipment such as the ROM (if you’ve ever used one please let us know your thoughts — we just saw an advertisement for one recently and were intrigued).  One caveat:  Because most machines focus on cardio, you may want to pick up some toning videos (we recommend some favorites below) to add some muscle and definition.

Pros: You can work out in your pajamas if you want, AND fully enjoy whatever you have saved on your DVR.

Cons: You may have a very expensive and unsightly coat hanger on your hands.

Running

In terms of calorie burn and flexibility for your schedule, running is by far the best exercise for the busy woman.  However, if you’ve never been a runner, the very IDEA of running can be exhausting.  But trust us — it is entirely doable with the Couch to 5K program from CoolRunning.com.  This online program — free, by the way — gets you up off the couch and on the street or treadmill with an easy-to-follow, minute-by-minute schedule.  At the end of 10 weeks you’ll be running for 30 minutes solid.  (Really.)

Pros: You can do it anywhere, gym or no gym (as long as you’re dressed appropriately for the weather) — and when that last-minute emergency comes up at the office, the 10-minute delay won’t matter at all to your workout the way it might if you were trying to make a spinning class at the gym.  Also, if you run outside you can maximize the time you set aside to workout — you don’t have to spend 15 minutes in the locker rooms getting ready to workout or ready to leave.

Cons: Running can be incredibly hard on the joints, particularly if done outside on concrete.  Treadmill running is actually less of a strain on joints (but harder on muscles).  If you’re running outside you may want to look into reflective gear, such as these arm and leg bands from Brooks (available at Dick’s Sporting Goods for $10).

Exercise Videos

Exercise videos can be a great way to get the workout you need, even in limited space in your apartment or house.  Minimal equipment is needed — most videos can be done with a set of 3- and 5-lb weights and a mat; with the more recent videos you don’t need much more than a 4×6 space in your apartment to do the workout.  (Some of the ones we recommend below, like the Jari Love line, may require heavier weights, or step aerobics equipment, such as The Firm TransFIRMer.)  Note also that you can try videos for next to no cost — try ordering them from Netflix or even your library.  Half.com is another great place to get new and barely-used DVDs for lower prices.

If you’re new to the video genre, some videos we recommend:

Toning Videos:

- Kathy Smith: Lift Weights to Lose Weight, Vol. 1 - 2 - For the intermediate. If you have 20-25 minutes to spare every day, you can alternate workouts for your arms and legs — or do the whole workout for a 60-minute toning workout.
- Women’s Health: The Wedding Workout - For the newbie. 11-minute segments allow you to work your arms, legs, and abs on different days, or do a 35-minute workout all at once. (And no, you don’t have to be a bride-to-be to own it. There are only a few annoying comments about punching the photographer out, and that’s during the optional 11-minute cardio segment.)
-Get Ripped! with Jari Love: Slim & Lean - This 60-minute toning video will leave your bits and pieces feeling like jell-o. For the hard-core workout bunny.

Cardio:

In our experience, it’s actually really hard to find a good video that is just cardio — if you have any suggestions please let us know.
- Cardio Kickbox - For the intermediate-advanced. This is only 25 minutes but it is hard-core cardio.
- 10 Minute Solution - Carb and Calorie Burner - For the beginner who really thinks she has no time. This is high-intensity stuff, done 10 minutes at a time.

Mixed Cardio & Toning

- Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred - For the intermediate. Again, this is only 25 minutes, but it’s an amazing workout if you focus and commit to it.
- The Firm - Ultimate Calorie Blaster - For the intermediate. This is a great 45-minute step-aerobics video — basic moves at a high intensity.

Pros: Much less monetary and space investment compared to home exercise equipment, and total flexibility with your schedule.  We also find it easiest to zone out during these workouts (while still following the nice person on the television) and still get a good workout.  You’re much less likely to get bored, also, because there’s always a new routine to try.

Cons: You have to have be pretty motivated to do the videos on a regular basis.  It’s also very difficult to find the right mix of cardio and toning with a video.  Finally, it can be hard to get a great workout when you need to kick it to the next level — it seems unlikely to us that you’ll ever get a bikini body just doing workouts alone.

Personal Trainer

A personal trainer may seem like a great idea if you’re a busy woman with more money than time.  Almost every gym can introduce you to a personal trainer; most will even let you work out with a friend, with the trainer, for a discounted rate.  (Full disclosure — we’ve only worked one-on-one with a personal trainer for about 3 months, back in early 2008.)  For advice on choosing a personal trainer, check out this article from About.com.

Pros: Your commitment should be much better to the gym — you have money invested, and you’ve got someone waiting at the gym for you.  When we went to our trainer we were required to cancel our appointments 24-hours in advance or lose the money we’d paid for the session.

Cons: Very expensive.  Furthermore, in our limited experience, the workouts weren’t that great — if we had spent the time running or doing a workout video, it would made much better use of our money and time.  You also have to nurture the relationship in ways that you may prefer not to — had we been more vocal about not liking the workouts then it may have been a better experience.  We would ONLY recommend this to someone who’s already very near her weight-loss goal, and looking to tone up — in other words, for the girl looking for a bikini body.

As our tone may indicate, we tend to run or do videos most of the time (but we’re trying to get back into the gym!).  What do you guys do?  Are you kicking things into higher gear because of New Year’s resolutions — and if so, how?

Happy New Year!  While the late December sales weren’t that impressive compared to the late November sales, there are still great deals to be found.   To wit:  this lovely pebble-grained leather Dolce & Gabbana tote,  now on sale at eLuxury.  We love the tasteful, almost stately look of the bag, especially when paired with the tiny dash of exotic fun from the faux leopard fur.  Size-wise, this is a keeper: 12″ by 15.5″ x 5.5″ — enough to fit tons of papers and folders of all sizes.  Was $1,795, now $1,079 at eLuxury.com.   Dolce & Gabbana Miss Exotic Tote with Leather Detail

Saks has a 75% off sale going on, online, now — the sale prices won’t hit the store until the 26th. We recommend sorting by price and heading to the $80ish price range — TONS of $350-$500 dresses marked to $80ish. Everything is what we call “lucky sizes” — in other words, not everything is available in all sizes. If you’re wearing maternity clothes (or will be soon), tons of great stuff on sale; also tons of great Nanette Lepore (for some reason).

Photo credit: Under the Mistletoe, originally uploaded to Flickr by DawnEndico