Wednesday’s Workwear Report: Faux Leather Tweed Jacket

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1. Now that (false) Spring has arrived here in the Upper Midwest, I’m thinking about raincoats. I’m determined to get in my 10K steps a day, outdoors whenever possible, which means I need a great raincoat. Not a trenchcoat, but knee length, provides some warmth, a hood, and cute. I like the ones that have some swing in them (can’t think of the right name for this right now, but they are wider at the hem). Any recommendations? Price not a concern (I’ll look secondhand if needed). Would like to get an excellent one that will last for years, that will keep me warmish and dry on my rainy walks, and that I will look forward to putting on.

   1. Eddie Bauer Girl on the Go

      1. This, in the version with the removable, insulated liner.

         1. +1 I’ve had one for about 3 years after seeing it recommended here. Also living in the upper midwest the removeable liner is so handy.

         2. i originally bought the uninsulated one and a few years ago when looking for more of a winter coat i tried the insulated one on — i hated it. very puffy, not flattering. but a lot of other people like it.

            my pros for it: a bunch of smart pockets, including inside the coat. nice deep hood.

      2. The Eddie Bauer is not so “cute” but the version with the removable liner is such an MVP of my spring and fall wardrobe.

      3. Thirding the Eddie Bauer one. I have the unlined version for NorCal and wore it in this week’s storms. I actually wish I had the insulated version because I run cold. It’s very cute and functional though.

      4. eddie bauer just filed for bankruptcy, and when I looked recently the site only had one or two colors. I’d say buy it now if you like it or if you want another color at Sierra or Kohl’s or whatever.

      5. This.

         My only wish is that these had pit zips.

   2. I have one that is REI’s Coop brand that fits your description. It’s several years old so the exact style isn’t available anymore, but it looks like they have a couple of similar ones now.

   3. highly recommend Stutterheim! it’s actually waterproof. I have the Mosebacke and love it. note that it runs slightly large (usually a M but I got S in this and it fits).

   4. I love my Rain Rebel Jacket from Lululemon. It checks all of your boxes!

      1. I was just coming here to recommend this one!

      2. Yes. Consider sizing up though, it runs a bit small.

   5. Also in the Upper Midwest. Last spring (high 30s, rainy but not a full-on monsoon) I saw a woman in an Ilse Jacobsen softshell raincoat that looked fabulous.

   6. I like all of these raincoats but the models are in such casual outfits. I really want something I can look OK in if I have to go out when I’m at work (between buildings in a city), in what pre-COVID was business-casual attire (pants + fun jackets + flats).

      1. Girl on the Go in a dark color will play along with office attire.

      2. The LLL Rain Rebel looks great with business casual.

      3. I have a previous version of Athleta’s Rianout Ridge Long Trench that I’ve really liked for this purpose.

         1. Same – it’s been everywhere with me. To work in my business casual office. On domestic and international city trips where I want to look put-together but stay dry.

            I love it – it’s literally the best rain coat I’ve ever had.

      4. It’s very girly but I love my Rain Sister’s rain coat. It’s extremely well made – soft lining, deep hood, nice pockets, and it always cheers me up on a gloomy day to have a pretty coat on.

         1. how is sizing on those? i love the idea of a fun coat for dreary weather

            1. European sizing, not mall brand sizing, and true to the sizing guide. I’m almost always a UK 10 and was in these.

      5. Honestly, a classic trench with umbrella.

         1. I prefer to have a hood in truly rainy weather.

      6. check out everlane? they had some cute ones. i’d also check boden.

   7. Brooks Brothers has great light trenches that are business appropriate. I have a short one with a Swing back, which is I think the shape you are looking for. Mine is really old, so no link.

   8. OP here – have the Ilse Jacobsen and Stutterheim on their way from Nordies now – thank you! will hit up Eddie Bauer and check that one too. Thanks all!

   9. Check UK brand Joules, I think you can get them from Next in the US.

      Also, Scandi brand RAINS.

   10. I’m in the upper midwest too and love my Canada Goose rain coat. Warm, water repellant and has a structured hood. I wear it on daily walks as well.

2. For the lawyers here: do you do pro bono? I am a bigger firm business / corporate lawyer. I used to do a lot of work for nonprofits for nonprofit corporate lawyer advice starting up, doing their 501c3 or 4 or 6 application, etc. Then life got busy. I’d like to get back in, maybe helping more individuals through a local org that says it will help with training. But should I? Really worried that I won’t be any good at what I don’t do as my main job but also really seeing later on in life how many people need basic legal help but can’t get it. Are these “we will train you do do a basic will and POA in a day” to do a service project remotely as helpful as hoped IRL?

   FWIW my day job never hesitated to tell me it was my job to master new areas (often because no one else wanted to and a paying client had asked).

   1. Do some searching for your area. My firm did an annual “small business pro bono help” training in partnership with ACC – so you could help someone set up an LLC, register a trademark, etc.

   2. What about landlord-tenant assistance? You need to learn local eviction laws but the rest is mostly contract interpretation.

   3. Check out the American Bar Association Center for Public Interest Law (CPIL), where “…staff and members lead efforts related to children and families, death penalty representation, domestic and gender-based violence, elder law, election law, gun violence, homelessness and poverty, immigration, veterans, and pro bono projects…” (www.americanbar.org/groups/public_interest/)

   4. Longer reply in moderation; short version: Check out the American Bar Association Center for Public Interest Law (CPIL). I’m not a lawyer so can’t directly answer your question about mastering new areas, but my understanding is that nobody does pro bono without some basic training and yes, the IRL efforts are helpful. And as an ordinary citizen, thank you for wanting to do this.

   5. I think direct service to individuals is worthy and great if you can get trained and get support. In my state, the state provides forms that are supposed to be DIY for advanced healthcare directives and related docs. A lawyer who sits with an elder who ensures the wishes are filled in clearly and gives the elder the confidence to sign the document is a huge advantage over no lawyer.

      If you’re looking for something closer to your day-to-day: it can be really helpful for some nonprofits that run leanly to have a pro bono lawyer to call for general questions and to guide them to the right kind of specialist (that they would pay) when needed. If you have any friends on boards of not large local nonprofits, they’d probably jump at the chance to have this kind of advice available.

   6. Do it! I was a lawyer in Biglaw and Midlaw, and chaired committees that focused on recruiting pro bono lawyers. Most basic pro bono work is pretty straightforward, and a smart transactional lawyer can develop competence in it pretty quickly. You’ll be far more valuable to a client than if they were to go it alone. Now I’m a state court trial judge, and I can tell you that a smart transactional lawyer who is used to providing a high level of service for demanding clients will do a far better job than many lawyers who regularly work in these areas of law.

   7. Partner in Big Law. I do no less than 100 hours of pro bono each year.

   8. The TLDR: yes, do it. Even if you help only two people a year, that’s two more people than would otherwise have help. It might take only a couple of hours, and yes, it is actually helpful.

      Depending on what city you’re in, your local bar association might have a clinic. I know the DC Bar has an advice and referral clinic once a month, which is a popular pro bono option for government attorneys who are otherwise conflicted out of many pro bono things. I’ve done it a few times–a paralegal does the first-round intake, you then go through the papers with the client, and there are specialists in things like tax law present at the clinic to help with more complicated questions. I think people really appreciated the peace of mind from that. Also, when the ICE surge was happening this summer, I helped a family fill out financial and custodial power of attorney documents so that the children could be properly looked after (including being picked up from school) if something happened to the parents. A lawyer isn’t necessary for those types of papers, just a notary, but the parents really appreciated the explanations of what the different options meant so they could feel confident they were granting only the rights they were comfortable granting and no others. I think the training for that was about 2 hours, and it was plenty for the purpose.

      Also, if your firm has a pro bono office, talk with them. My firm sends out a weekly email with pro bono opportunities, and flags clinics and short-term opportunities, especially non-litigation opportunities. Last week’s newsletter had 9 options in 5 states.

   9. If you’re in a firm then your pro bono/community service work should facilitate business development. Who are your potential clients? What types of service projects do they do? How can you leverage your legal experience to get in front of decision makers who could hire you?

      Drafting wills for seniors is unlikely to help you develop relationships with people who might become your clients, unless you’re a trusts and estates lawyer. But serving on a board or getting involved in the chamber of commerce or trade association might open some connections for you.

3. As part of my midlife crisis I think I’d like to get back into caring about fashion. I’ve had various excuses to let it get away from me – I work from home, I’ve been a 14-18P in recent years, I don’t have the patience for uncomfortable shoes, shapewear, or even bras that dig. Anyway: any tips? Where should I start? Should I try to overcome my excuses or redefine what fashionable older lady looks like? Early 50s.

   1. Black pants that fit hemmed for flats and a good jacket game. Start at Talbots since they have the best range of sizes and see how you do with outfit. You can find jackets a lot of places but the key is to have pants that fit. Bonus if they have some back elastic and are washable.

      1. I would not start with black pants. Black pants with a colorful blazer is a very outdated look, which doesn’t sound like what OP is going for. Try olive or navy pants instead.

         1. Black pants are such a wardrobe stable that it makes way more sense to have those sorted out before other colors

   2. There’s nothing about personal style that requires you to wear uncomfortable shoes, shapewear, or bras that dig!

      Get a good feel for what YOU like; then you can pick and choose from trends that work for you (or don’t). I am not an early trend adopter, but I leaped onto the wide-leg pants trend as soon as it showed up, because a) I love that look and b) it really suits my body shape. I’m sitting out a lot of other pants shapes, because I don’t like them.

      I’d suggest looking at the week of outfits series on cupofjo to see examples of a whole range of women wearing all types of clothes. It’s not going to be shopping advice for you, and none of it is workwear for a formal job. But it can be permission-giving for wearing clothing that comes out of what suits you, personally. Since you WFH, you have lots of leeway to enjoy what you’re wearing!

      1. This is good advice.

         FWIW, I don’t wear uncomfortable shoes, shapewear, or bras on a daily basis, but I still wear clothes that make me feel good and look at least reasonably polished. Especially in the current stylistic era, there is no reason to be uncomfortable.

         I would also not underestimate the power of a good haircut and basic 5-minute makeup routine. Even a minimal layer of intentionality adds polish to anything you wear.

      2. that would be so great if it were Corporettes!

      3. I love the week of outfits on Cup of Jo–good rec. It’s great to see all types and sizes of women’s bodies wearing joyful, intentionally chosen, clothes that suit their owners needs and personalities.

         1. I like the concept, but the outfits don’t often translate to real life for me. They are usually colorful and costume-y to look fun in photos.

   3. What kind of clothes do you need or wear most for your lifestyle?

      Are you looking to up your game for zoom meetings, for instance, since you work from home? Or do you want to focus on looking and feeling more current in casual clothes?

   4. Rather than diving in with the emotionally complex which pants are on trendy dressing room existential angst, I’d look for add on pieces that make you happy – a fun necklace, an impractical jacket to wear to brunch, some bright flats to pair with boring jeans. The goal is entirely to make buying updates fun, not stressful. Once you get a few new items you like, it will naturally follow that you will be motivated to buy a new pair of jeans, etc. to go with the outfit you’d like to make.

      1. Ha — I tried that as a maternity obscuring tactic during my first trimester. It turned out that I really needed bottoms that fit. It was a necessary condition for any other styling I have done, then or since.

         1. Yeah, I understand where anon at 9:29 is coming from and think that’s advice that works for plenty of folks. But personally, good pants are the foundation of my wardrobe–I know shopping for pants f***ing sucks but for me, it would be hard to feel good about anything else if I wasn’t happy with the pants I was wearing.

            1. This is where a good tailor comes in. Perfectly fitted pants that are the right length will make the entire outfit.

            2. Unfortunately, it is very hard (or impossible) to tailor pants with stretch, which many women need especially when they are peri/post-menopausal because of body changes.

            3. They don’t have to fit perfectly. In fact, that allows for zero flux. They need to fit generally: not straining, not hitting at weird places (for me: waists up by my ribs or where the crotch hangs oddly low), fabric in excellent shape. Pants that fit then should be reasonably flattering to a body of that actual size. I swear it’s possible. I found the “Ryan Curvy” pants at Banana Republic Factory worked for me and bought in both colors. Best $ spent in 2025.

            4. Stretchy pants, other than athletic pants, make me feel terribly frumpy. You can wear real pants at any shape if you get them tailored. And they are not that sensitive to weight; I can wear the same pants even with a 10-12 percent fluctuation in body weight.

            5. Granted I’m younger than the OP, but stretchy pants are not what I’d be reaching for if I was trying to up my fashion game. A good pair of jeans, a wide legged linen pant, something in a cotton twill…with tailoring if necessary. With stretchy pants or leggings on hand for WFH days where I can’t be bothered :)

            6. I have the Spanx wide legged pants that are stretchy. They are very comfortable and I don’t think they are frumpy.

   5. Make sure you’re wearing a properly fitted bra. A good one will be comfortable and not dig in. I recommend the sub A Bra That Fits on R*dd*t. The have a calculator that uses six measurements to help find your correct size.

   6. The Jo-Lynne Shane and So Susie blogs would be good sources of inspiration. They are both in their 50s and feature polished casual outfits that are age-appropriate but still stylish. Jo-Lynne does a lot of try-ons where she analyzes what does and doesn’t work for her and why. You can learn a lot from her thought processes even if you have a different body type or style preferences.

   7. A couple suggestions:
      – google “dopamine dressing” and see if anything speaks to you.
      – on instagram: GraziaHeartsGiorgio is 50s, corporate style + elevated casual looks. ClaraInfante is very simple, clean lines but also comfortable. MamaInDenim is 40s and posts “outfit formulas” with lots of corresponding pics for inspiration.

   8. I cannot tell you how much my mental health improved (as did my speed out the door in the morning) when I stopped trying to make Size X pants and bottoms work for me and bought about 5 different pairs of pants in Size X+1. One work pants with elastic back in 2 colors and two more casual pants and one pair of jeans.

   9. I would start small and buy a few new pieces every season that you genuinely like from a brand that you’ve had good experiences with in the past. It’s not so much about being fashionable, but giving yourself the pleasure/confidence of wearing pieces you enjoy and that fit you well.

   10. I’m older than you and I refuse to think of myself as an “older lady.” You’re a fashionable woman!

   11. Another alternative to consider: Maybe get into caring about all the intensely negative impacts of the fashion industry, and go all secondhand in your endeavors! Really worthwhile.

       1. no no no
          OP needs to go into a store and try stuff on. And have an ability to get an item in its current offering in other colors, etc. Used, unless in-person consignment stores, is an expensive way to try on clothing.

          1. Yeah, I’d be more inclined to tell her to take up sewing or tailoring as a hobby than take on the extra job of secondhand shopping.

             1. High end consignment stores don’t have any of these issues.

                I’d also suggest some inconvenience is worth it if we can cut down on the major environmental impacts involved in the fashion industry.

             2. Trying to get pants that fit is a TASK. Asking her to save the planet while she’s at it is piling on.

             3. I think it’s unfair to expect people to save the planet by buying junk that other people have discarded. Better to buy a few well-made pieces in natural fibers new and wear them for a very long time.

             4. The planet is dying because no one feels they should be responsible for their actions and other people should be better.

             5. The planet is dying because of rampant, unchecked capitalism, corporate greed, and a complete failure to regulate polluters for the public good. Blaming and individuals in light of all this is unproductive. Not electing to go all second hand — which has its own trade offs — doesn’t mean you believe that no one should be responsible for their actions.

       2. Ma’am, this is a Wendy’s. (It’s a shopping blog!)

   12. Early 50s is not older lady…..

       1. Sure it is.

4. Niche question- for those who take large files home or to court, what is your mobile file wheely storage cart? Mine is old and just bit the dust!

   1. They no longer make my exact one, but a search for wheeled briefcase brings up similar ones to mine – boxy rectangles with briefcase like locks at the top. Always preferred to have one big rectangular compartment for jamming binders into, compared to any sort of internal organization.

      1. This shape, but made of backpack fabric rather than the weird stiff pleather.

      2. Thanks! And yes, this is exactly what I’m looking for. I stack files on top of one another and am not looking for any particular organization.

   2. IANAL but I’m surprised you still have so many paper files!

5. I want to upgrade my jewelry collection to medium-nice (thinking like $200-$300 pieces). Maybe some pearl and diamond earrings (lab is fine), a couple of necklaces with gold or jewel pendants. Where should I shop for these? My mom used to recommend Ross Simmons, is that still a good place? Any others?

   1. Vintage vintage vintage. $200-300 in mass market gets you gold plated and that’s worthless. Look for real gold, you’re much more likely to find it in vintage pieces. Etsy is a good source as are local antiques markets. For super basic every day, Costco also has a surprisingly good selection but you need to up your budget.

      1. With gold prices so high, will vintage really be much cheaper than new?

         1. Yes. Dealers often don’t follow and price according to the gold market like mass retail.

            1. On what planet?

      2. +1 to vintage and also look for auctions. I use LiveAuctioneer but look for local auction houses if I can, as I like to try to preview the item before the auction.

   2. I don’t love buying jewelry online (actually I don’t really love buying anything online), so I’d be visiting whatever local jewelry store you have in your area. Department store jewelry counters should also be solid in that price point.

   3. Try Costco.

      1. this

         1. +1

   4. Quince. I bought a ring there and it’s nice.

   5. For that price point I’d check out estate or vintage pieces. Ross Simons is still reliable and I’d rather buy there vs. mejuri or the other ‘demi fine’ places that are basically gold plated trash.

   6. I’d browse The Real Real, especially because in most cases they allow returns.

   7. I like Monica Vinader. The gold is vermeil, but I tend to stick with the silver. If you can be patient, they have really good sales a few times a year.

6. How are you guys wearing wide leg pants? Now that snow is almost gone I need to figure out proportions. I feel like my shoes and hems and tops are all wrong.

   1. 1 centimeter above the floor, basically almost touching with shoes on. Pointed toe flats or boots.

      1. +1, I wear these with shoes that vary less than an inch in heel height.

   2. Chunky loafer with at least 2 inch heel. I find wide legs need a little heel to fall nicely on the front of the foot.

   3. By putting them on one leg at a time ;)

      I wear them with Chelsea boots or a heeled bootie, pointed toe flats, a fashion sneaker, or Birks (clog or sandal). They do look best with a longer hem IMO, so there’s a drape across the top of your shoe. The easy option for tops is something fitted and tucked in; slightly more challenging to execute would be something with more volume in a French tuck: hardest degree of difficulty would be going volume on top and bottom, like a boxy short-sleeved button down.

      What shoes and tops are you wearing? What looks wrong about their proportions?

   4. Either cropped or very long but not in between. I only wear wide-legs that are fitted through the hips. With high-shaft ankle boots, those weird square-toed flats, or low-profile fashion sneakers. Tops are fitted or boxy and waist-length.

      1. +1, except I have a pair that’s pretty wide all the way up. The in-between length reminds me of having a growth spurt and nothing quite fitting right.

7. Niagara Falls question – we’d like to go to the falls for the 4th of July celebrations this year and want to be able to watch fireworks from our room. I understand that the best view of the falls is from the Canadian side. Is that true of the fireworks too? It seems weird to go to Canada to celebrate 4th of July!

   And I think we only need to bring our baby’s birth certificate since we’re driving, right? I don’t think we need to get a passport for him to go to Canada by land; I know he would need a passport to fly.

   1. Honestly, in these times, I would not want to mess around with the ID for the baby.
      Just get a passport. FWIW, we got the passport for my kids within 3 weeks of the appointment at the post office.

      1. +1

8. Are there any “dealbreakers” for you for someone you are hiring, in terms of physical presentation? Thinking white collar, not blue collar, so for people like your accountant or attorney or investment advisor, are there things that put you off hiring them in terms of how they dress or present themselves? Is messy hair a problem? Small stains on clothes? Leftover nail polish or bitten fingernails?

   I know these are subjective and possibly irrelevant ways to judge someone, so please don’t be rude in the comments.

   1. The only thing I judge on is hygiene, are they clean, that’s is. Otherwise idgaf if their last haircut was a year ago or their nail polish is chipped. Unfortunately I know I’m in the minority though.

   2. I think there are different levels of acceptableness as you climb the ranks. Someone hiring for an internship or their first job with a poorly fitted blazer or a small stain isn’t a problem. Hiring for a senior level though, if they have a small stain, you wonder why they didn’t have something else they could wear.

      I’ve met my accountant maybe 2x in person and we’ve been working together for 15+ years, so no there.

      1. I think it’s a combination of rank and whether a polished appearance matters in their role. If I’m hiring a 22 year old who will interact with clients then they need to prove they can show up in clean clothing with tidy hair when it matters. I don’t care if they wear a colorful blouse and slacks instead of a navy suit to the interview though.

      2. A couple of times I have argued against hiring someone whose physical presentation signaled an underlying problem with attitude, understanding of the job, and/or skills. One example was a man who showed up to a business formal interview with a presentation component wearing beach shoes with no socks, a too-tight casual shirt with no undershirt that exposed chest hair, greasy unwashed hair, and an unkempt beard. This was for a job that involved making presentations to people at the highest levels of state governments across the nation. I pointed out that the man’s physical appearance echoed many other signals that he was not capable of handling the job but was overruled because some of the senior men on staff thought “he would be fun to have a beer with.” He turned out to be a failure at the job and not at all fun to have a beer with. Mangement was reluctant to fire him because it would have amounted otherwise an admission of their hiring mistake, and it took them years to drive him out.

   3. I’d expect a groomed and clean appearance. Unless they’re the local savant and everyone kind of knows that they’re the absent-minded professor in appearance but actually great at the substance.

   4. At a zoom interview last year the candidate was wearing a baseball cap with “FERAL” embroidered on the front. He wasn’t a great candidate for other reasons but that didn’t help.

      1. Lol. Professional attire is more relaxed these days, but that would be a no for me.

   5. something that might have happened on the way over (ripped hose, drop of coffee on white shirt) is one thing but no matter the job one should look pressed. i’m not sure what messy hair is these days but i probably have it.

      1. I spilled coffee on myself on the way to an interview once. I got it mostly cleaned up but the interviewer made a comment on it. The guy is now disbarred for gardening related crimes, so it turned out to be a good thing but at the time I was heart broken for being judged based on a very normal occurrence.

   6. I think physical appearance is important for many jobs. On my team/in my field, people present at meetings and conferences and to the press etc. which means basic hygiene is not enough- I need a trustworthy and professional appearance.

      I have a mixed performer as a senior member of my team and she is a terrible dresser. Like would cause you to side eye her if you passed her on the street. This is a challenge for me because it makes me feel like I can’t put her on a stage when in fact sometimes her job requires her to be on a stage.

      If she only ever needed to do desk work this of course would not matter! But it factors into my personal evaluation of her and her growth.

   7. Yes. All of that would be unacceptable.

   8. My last OB had visibly bitten nails. I didn’t care because she was amazing and also obviously because she used gloves in her care, but boy, I’m a nail biter and I would definitely stop just on grossness grounds if I were an OB!

   9. If you are talking about a professional I am hiring to provide services to me, as opposed to an employee I am hiring, I would not hire a slob because it reveals a lack of professionalism that I’d worry would carry over into their work. I am also less likely to hire someone who looks very slick and sales-ey, especially a man, than someone who looks polished and professional without that extra sheen. Again, that’s because the slick sales-ey look seems to be correlated with trying to sell me junk I don’t want at an extortionate price.

9. W/r/t the Nancy Guthrie case – they’re saying there’s no match on the gloves to CODIS. Would family have given blood as a matter of course to rule them out?

   1. I would assume they gave DNA to rule them out of anything found at the scene already. Not an expert, but I don’t think that would apply to CODIS anyway if they haven’t been previously arrested/convicted, right?

   2. They would’ve given a DNA sample (maybe blood, maybe not). Sheriff released a statement that all of the Guthrie siblings and spouses have been ruled out.

   3. Yes. For the example if an apartment with multiple residents is burglarized, the DNA samples will not be tested unless all the residents have given samples to rule them out. The DNA lab cannot develop a profile without ruling out known individuals — it would end up as a mixture of too many contributors. Such a mixture is suitable for comparison to a known suspect, but actually useless in identifying an unknown suspect. CODIS rules also state that a mixture cannot be compared to profiles CODIS, you need a suspect profile.

      Source: worked with DNA evidence as a prosecutor

10. How much do you worry about FDIC limits at banks?

    1. For the short term where I need a single account to hold a down payment for a house: I don’t.

       For the longer term: well, frankly, I don’t keep more than $500k cash, which is the FDIC limit for a joint account.

       1. Or to put it more simply: if you’re over the FDIC limit for long enough to be worried about the FDIC limit, you have substantial room to improve your financial strategy.

    2. I’m in a banking adjacent field and I don’t worry about them. If the US government won’t stand behind cash held in major banks, FDIC-covered or not, we have MUCH bigger problems to worry about.

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