Tuesday’s Workwear Report: The Stella Top
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Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
Where are we buying beautiful blouses in natural fibers in the year 2026? Tucker is one of the best options out there. They have a wide array of silk blouses in solids and prints, including this vibrant red number with a mock-neck collar.
Pair this with a pair of navy trousers or wear it under a gray suit for a non-boring office look.
The blouse is $275 at Tucker and comes in sizes XXS-2X.
Sales of note for 5/15:
- Nordstrom – 3800+ items in “new markdowns” — I kind of wonder if they've started marking down stuff for their Half-Yearly sale that usually starts the week before Memorial Day. Good deals on Veronica Beard, Vince, Reiss (esp. coats), as well as Wit & Wisdom and NYDJ
- Alexis Bittar – Vault sale! 100s of re-issued archival styles up to 70% off, plus 25% off all full-price styles too
- Ann Taylor – Extra 40% off sale
- Boden – Up to 50% off with new styles added
- J.Crew – 40% off your purchase and 50% off dresses
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 50% off clearance + extra 20% off orders over $125
- Lands' End – Up to 60% off sitewide + extra 60% off sale and clearance
- Loft – 50% off your purchase, and 5/15 only: take 60% off the LOFT Versa collection
- Mango – Weekend exclusive, 30% off everything, and free shipping with $260+
- M.M.LaFleur – Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Supergoop – 20% off sitewide + free Glow Stick (also, free shipping with $50+)
- Talbots – Extra 40% +15% off all markdowns, plus Summer Fridays One Day Sale (5/15), $19.50 pocket tees and $29.50 relaxed chino shorts.
- Theory – 25% off sitewide
- TOCCIN – 30% off select items with code! (You can't stack codes, but on full price items try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off!)
- Vivrelle – Looking to own less stuff but still try trends? Use code CORPORETTE for a free month, and borrow high-end designer clothes and bags!
This is so crazy. I’m destined to buy this top. I literally had a dream last night where a woman I saw in the dream was wearing it. I’ve never looked at the Tucker website previously, so I don’t think I’ve seen the pattern in real life before.
Haha, I love when this happens. Buy it! It might change your life :)
Do it!
I wear a lot of linen in the hot and humid DC summer (or, the hot and humid DC spring this week).
What bras/bralettes do you recommend for this weather? I feel sweat just pools in the cups. 34 C, so I don’t need crazy support – I often wear bralettes and go without on weekends, but I need something better for my metro/walking commute.
Try Title Nine’s “work to workout” bras. They wick sweat. I know it’s probably more support than you need, but I think the sweat wicking is more important.
Try the ThirdLove cooling options. (But, I think some of the sweatiness is inevitable!)
Literally commuted on the Red Line with delays this morning – I like Truly Bras (the line from Nordstrom, not Target, I think the quality is higher).
So maybe this is kind of TMI but in perimenopause the ‘bathing suit areas’ sweat has gotten intense. If I have to commute in during the summer months I will pack a small zip bag with an extra pair of undies, a small pack of intimate wipes, and a deodorant lotion. I’ll wipe down areas/swipe on extra lotion and swap out for a dry pair once I’m in the office.
This is one of THE WORST things about peri, if you ask me. Was not expecting to become a sweating machine in that particular area.
I have always been someone who sweats a lot, and I’m about the age to start peri. I had not heard that this part may get worse. You’ve done a public service today by sharing this information. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing this, I thought it was just me. This is not an issue I’d ever had before.
Just wanted to share a celebratory moment – I’ve just fixed my retirement date – mostly very excited to be able to start working on my various retirement projects, but a little bit scared to be falling off the financial and emotional security of working. 12 weeks an counting!
I am six weeks in, after a 40+ year in corporate law – welcome! Life is really great here, and the easing of pressure is amazing!! Congrats!
Congratulations! Please share what some of your various retirement projects are.
Congrats and would also love to hear your plans!
Thank you. I will be taking on a Chairman’s role for a charitable and social organisation in the City of London. I am working my way up the hierarchy at the moment and will be in charge for a year from October 2027, so there are a lot of committees to run and events to plan for. That will keep me busy for the first 3 ish years. I hope to spend some time on my house and garden, get fit again, and breath after a fairly traumatic last few years.
Question: I have tried several of those microfiber hair towels – I know they are supposed to be better for your hair. But they are so thin, and don’t absorb nearly as much as my normal body towels do. I air dry my hair, so really rely on the towel phase to absorb a lot. Is there a better option for hair towels? One made of something other than microfibers? Thick and absorbent? Appreciate any help!
I think it’s not that they’re too thin, but that they’re too small. So I just use multiple. Would love it if someone made a big one though!
I guess this is counter-intuitive, but I use thin towels for my hair, like turkish towels or those cheap scratchy ones. The thicker towels are too heavy and I hate the feel of them.
I love Sand Cloud’s other products so maybe this one would work? Half terry = lighter weight but still absorbent. https://www.sandcloud.com/products/classic-hair-towel-grey
I have these and love them.
My daughter uses a men’s cotton t-shirt.
That’s what I do. It must be 100% cotton. I wrap it right from the shower without any “toweling” and keep the wrap on for 10-15 minutes.
Maybe it depends on the towel? Because I handle my hair the same way and feel that the microfiber towels do a good job. I’m not using the small hair towels, I use either microfiber bath towels (HOMEXCEL 6 Pack Bath Towel Set) or microfiber hair towels that twist/button like a turban
I feel like a lot of people missed the point on yesterday’s afternoon inheritance post. The OP said that she “stood to inherit” when her parents die, which means we can assume she is in fact their intended beneficiary, and also that they “have millions and millions of dollars and pull in more in investment INTEREST every year than they could possibly spend down in a lifetime.” It was very, very clear to me that this was not a case where the OP was trying to thwart them from a luxurious caregiving scenario in an unlikely worst-case, both-have-dementia-and-live-decades situation. It sounds like they could easily do that and still materially improve their heir’s life earlier than they otherwise intend. Yes, it’s their money and decision, as she acknowledged multiple times, but the framework a lot of posters seemed to miss was that they do already intend for her to receive at least some of it.
She never gave actual numbers (perhaps intentionally). “Millions and millions” could very plausibly mean in the neighborhood of $5 million, which is really not that huge a sum when looking at end of life health care expenses. If they have $20 million or more, I agree they have more than they could ever need for healthcare, but it still doesn’t give her the right to access their money now. She kept repeating “I know it’s their money” but she clearly didn’t understand that. You don’t complain about someone else “hoarding” their money unless you feel you’re entitled it.
I don’t think the fact that she believes she’s the intended beneficiary when they pass changes anything. First plenty of people lie about that to keep the peace (it’s happened in my extended family) and second, even if they do fully intend to give her a significant inheritance, it’s still their money and their prerogative to say when she gets it.
Why not believe OP? I’ve seen my parents’ estate planning documents and printouts from their financial planner. It’s very possible OP’s assumptions are correct.
I understand where OP is coming from. Houses and college tuition are far more expensive relative to income than they were 30 years ago. Social security will be gone by the time she retires. The parents are amassing more money than they can possibly spend and excess cash won’t change their lifestyle. Meanwhile that money will have a huge impact for OP. While they don’t owe her any money now I think it’s selfish to hoard if they’re objectively set for life already.
The vast majority of people underestimate end of life costs. There were numbers on the thread yesterday as “worst case scenarios” that are very far from worst case scenarios.
Maybe they do have tens of millions, but she could have shut down a lot of the discussion by saying that and the fact that she didn’t provide the numbers suggests to me that it isn’t in that realm.
The responses to this post were so off-putting. End of life care is expensive, yes, but so are the results of not sharing excess with your kids. It’s ok to call hoarding excess hoarding. Framing it as a “responsible decision” is kid of gross when we know good and well most people won’t be in this position to have 24-7 in home care–are they irresponsible or is this a societal problem that needs fixing (not by individual hoarding.)
Nobody suggested someone isn’t responsible if they can’t save huge sums of money for retirement. Those who save even couple million obviously have more than most. But there’s a huge (multi-millions) difference between the X I’d be ok retiring with if push came to shove and the Y at which I’d start giving away money with abandon. You can’t plan your whole life around unlikely scenarios and I’m not going to work until I’m 80 out of fear I might get dementia and need millions of dollars. But giving large sums of money away doesn’t make any sense to me if there’s any plausible chance you might eventually need the money.
I did pause at the “worked really hard” and “hard earned money” (even if they did work hard, I don’t think it is possible to work tens or hundreds of times harder than someone else just because it is possible to have that much more money).
I thought the question was okay (many people need to put some more thought into their plans), but the rhetoric was off. Since it was a question about broaching a topic, rhetoric is relevant! It’s hard to judge and stigmatize people and also understand them and encourage them to feel empowered to make different decisions at the same time.
I missed this post yesterday, but I really am firmly on team ‘I think it makes sense to give money to people when they need it and not wait until you’re dead.’
My in-laws have not only a very healthy retirement but also long term care insurance. They’re very well off and yet… they’ve never offered financial assistance to any of their kids. My oldest niece and nephew are college aged and I know it would be such a huge relief to them if my in-laws helped with their student loans… one of my husband’s siblings needed a large sum of money and husband was basically guilted into contributing an even share (despite the fact that we have 3 kids and a decent but not BigLaw level income) even when FIL could have EASILY just… funded all of it. I see the scenario from my own lens and yeah… if we’re lucky enough to have the funds, why wouldn’t I want to help my kids when they actually need it.
+1
I’m team you get to do what you want with your money. I would help my kids sooner, but OPs parents aren’t doing that for their own reasons. I cannot fathom a world in which the OP should ask them to do otherwise. It’s not her money. If you need more, go earn more yourself.
+1. Also her tone was really off-putting, calling them ‘paranoid,’ saying they were ‘hoarding’ their money, etc. If any of that tone has come through in real life, that may be why they don’t want her to have the money. If I had money to give to my adult kids, nothing would shut down a gift faster than a sense of entitlement to it or the idea that they thought I was doing something wrong by keeping my own money.
Same same same! I come from a very wealthy family and the only thing I’ve ever encouraged my parents to do is spend more on themselves. It felt really icky and reminded me of my entitled cousin.
This was my general take on yesterday’s thread.
If yesterday’s OP is in dire financial straits and really needs help, she did not convey it in her post. It sounded more like she wanted to be free from having to make decisions about financial priorities so she could live a lifestyle above her present means and was disgruntled that the older generation wasn’t supporting that dream.
I guess, assuming they didn’t inherit any money themselves. But if they did—share w your children!
Even if they did it is still their money. I’m so grossed out but these suggestions that the parents are “hoarding” their own money. It is theirs people. Not OPs. If I had a kid like OP, I’d be donating it all to charity.
Couldn’t agree more, 10:38. You can’t “hoard” what rightfully belongs to you. If they want to make gifts to their adult children that’s lovely and generous, but the entitlement in these comments is so gross and if I caught a whiff of this attitude from my kids I’d be leaving everything to charity.
This. Both of my parents (boomers) got significant, life changing inheritances when they were in their mid-40s that funded a second home, paid off their mortgage, and funded college tuition for my sibling and I. They keep insisting ‘it’s not all that much harder to save today than it was back then’ ignoring that they never had to save for college, had a huge chunk of their mortgage wiped out, and were able to afford a second home at my age.
I plan to help my kids when and if I can afford it vs. complaining about ‘not knowing what to spend my required pension withdrawal on this quarter’ (actual conversation from Mother’s Day brunch while I gritted my teeth).
I do think it’s a little hypocritical to not give your kids an early inheritance if you acquired your own wealth through early inheritance. But OP didn’t suggest that this happened.
While I think yesterday’s OP was in fact acting entitled, I do believe there is a real disconnect between prior generations and the current ones coming into adulthood. The concept that hard work, scrimping and saving, and making responsible decisions will get you ahead is just not the reality any more. The deck is too stacked against young people. They are bright enough to see that there are no prospects for them, regardless of how hard they hustle, the way there was for their parents and grandparents. I don’t think our society as a whole has really grasped the impact the despair this is causing will have over the next several years.
I’m worried for my teens, honestly. And they are bright, academically motivated, etc. How do I prepare them for the current reality without crushing their spirits?
I don’t think this is really relevant to OP, but there is a disconnect. I won’t inherit anything and have no dog in this fight, but it’s historically anomalous to contribute nothing to adult children and deliberately plan to leave nothing behind. I feel that when retirees take out a reverse mortgage to fund extra vacations with the plan of leaving absolutely nothing behind them, they should at least refrain from criticizing their adult children for not having kids or for continuing to rent despite having full time jobs doing needful work.
eh unless her parents acquired all this wealth very recently through a lottery win or something like that, they probably already did a lot to set their kids up for success in life. It’s still very possible to be successful if you come out of school debt-free and with parents who will help make career connections. And a potential future inheritance takes the pressure off having to save for kids’ college and retirement, even if you don’t get it until your parents are gone. I think part of why the question rubs me the wrong way is that wealthy parents normally do so much for their kids as they launch them into the real world and there seemed to be a lack of appreciation for all that. My wealthy parents don’t send me cash as an adult but the gift of a fully funded education and knowing I’m likely getting an inheritance when they die have been life-changing and I can’t imagine feeling I like deserve even more.
10:31, I am in complete agreement with you.
My parents saved enough that I’m not making my dad come live with me in a noisy 2-story house that he doesn’t want to live in because I know he should be able to pay for 10ish years of assisted living.
To do that, he and mom never really took vacations and drove entry-level cars into the ground. They rented sh*tty apartments in safe areas with good schools and college was debt-free with some scholarships and working as an RA, along with some funds from them.
They launched me well enough. The care that he’d eventually likely need (when ADLs mean he’d need a lift, maybe help with bathing/feeding/toileting) would likely take me out of the workforce and keep me from travel. I think that paying for assisted living while I drive him to the doctor and have him for weekly meals is not unfair. He gave up his home of 50+ years in another state to follow me to a big city he didn’t choose to be in when my mom died. Aging is hard, even with money. We don’t want to spend into a situation where we’re aging without it. 2008 was no joke.
This is me. One inheritance but yeah, my parents have a lot of money and it wasn’t earned by them so it feels a little different? They seem to enjoy having two vacation homes? My mom offered recently to let me start borrowing her jewelry. We are not in an income bracket where we would attend galas where I would need to borrow jewels! It feels very disconnected.
We are doing fine, but I would put extra money towards stressing less about funding my kids college or even some extra babysitting. Stressing less about our own medical bills. They went on five cruises last year so I wouldn’t feel that bad!
My longer response got eaten, but call them out if they are funding themselves excessively. Tell them you have bills and are not interested in hearing about their fifth cruise. No reason to grit your teeth in silence.
That is not how one speaks to Lovey Howell.
In my city soooo many parents help their adult children buy houses and pay for private school. I’m sure there are other perks of funded children also. BUT are all else elders planning to be 100% healthy and then die in their sleep or have something happen that finishes them off quickly? I feel like my math needs to factor lingering in the highest a cute care for a decade (and then I die broke).
The people I know who’ve received this sort of help are mostly Asian-American and there’s 100% the expectation they will take care of their parents in their old age, either by funding their care or letting their parents live with them, or both. I haven’t received anything from my wealthy parents post-college, but I also know I won’t have to give them a dime for their healthcare needs and they don’t expect to live with me. It seems like a fair trade to me.
SEUS and this is very common in the Tradwicks sort of crowd. No family business usually (but if so, often in real estate development or some sort of finance job with no anti-nepotism policy like most big companies and law firms have).
I know some families are still counting on their kids and grandkids to care for them if that’s expected in their culture (unfortunately it’s not always even possible). Others seem to think that because they don’t want to live that way, therefore it’s not something to worry about. (But realistically, most people who are suffering need, want, and seek help and care.)
there sure were a lot of opinions on that thread, but there also were several versions of what I think is the only viable answer: my FIL hates taxes (not US), and this motivated him to give some things to his children alive instead of in a will. My parents once gave my sister a loan and are now forgiving it but by bit, and they gift me an equivalent amount for fairness, which is of course lovely. I think you can have a conversation on tax optimisation, but I think most other angles would cross the line of telling your parents what to do with their money.
I’m really surprised everyone thinks in-home care is the gold standard. You will be extremely isolated and vulnerable to abuse from caregivers unless you have able-bodied family checking on you daily. I speak from experience as I had a sibling that needed in-home care for many years due to profound disabilities (and isolation mattered less because of lack of capacity).
Well, I’ve spent enough time in assisted living and memory care facilities to know that in-home is the only option I’m going to want. I’d sacrifice those issues over endless bingo games and singing to stay in my house in peace.
Only imagine it not like that, for a minute. The best case scenario we’re not afraid of. Imagine just financial crimes that you aren’t aware of and can’t stop. Or physical abuse. Or medication theft. Or people running their only fans account with some really twisted stuff. Or just not showing up. Or bringing their boyfriend or kids along because that care fell through. Elder abuse and fraud are a real thing and you can’t rely on luck to avoid it.
That could happen in any setting, but no one goes in your home to check and if they do, it’s not a forensic accountant.
Seriously. In-home health care is like why I was nervous about a nanny in-home (vs in-center care). No eyes on you. You can’t rob the baby. And someone is in the baby’s home when the nanny isn’t. Who checks on the elder and make sure the credit card isn’t used or there isn’t a meth lab being run out of the basement and the diapers are actually changed? And if you need nursing care, you likely need it 24/7, so 2-3 people coming in if it’s not your home also. G-d forbid the power goes out or some other emergency happens.
Can you share your favorite tops to wear to work that don’t require tucking? It’s 96 degrees where I am and I want to feel more free.
I really like my boxy linen t-shirt from Linen By Hannah on Etsy. It’s very slightly cropped so be aware if you’re long-waisted (I am definitely not).
Something like this – structured, but skims the body, and 100% natural fibers. I find at least 1-2 tops like this every season:
https://www.lillypulitzer.com/castine-short-sleeve-top/022167.html?dwvar_022167_color=62241I
Oh, that’s very cute.
Similarly – I just ordered this over the weekend after Abra raved about it:
https://tnuck.com/products/white-eyelet-sofia-stitch-shirt?variant=47979472879838
I almost did, especially because there is a skirt that goes with it, but “hand wash” made me balk. Still lovely though and I bet it would do OK in a machine on gentle.
I have a couple of poplin tops from JCrew (not recent, unfortunately) that can be worn untucked. A lot of linen tanks seem to be cut short enough to wear without tucking, too.
J Crew Factory has some gauze popovers.
Beautiful top, but I wish it didn’t have the little frill at the wrist. Makes it uncomfortable to wear under a blazer.
Tell me about period swimsuits. I know they’re supposed to absorb the blood, and I can see that for light spotting or if you’re staying dry, but I just find it hard to imagine a full flow staying contained and invisible when you’re soaking wet in a clear pool (or worse, sitting on the white concrete just after a swim). I recall swim diapers, but the liquid just flowed right out (but could be ignored since you couldn’t see it and babies don’t care).
They’d be for my 11 year old, who just started. We swim a lot in summer and she’s uncomfortable about tampons (or other internal things) for now. But I need some reassurance that period swimwear wouldn’t just leave her with an embarrassing problem!
I’m sorry. If I were her (and I was once!) I would just not swim that week.
Talk to me about Cicaplast and the other LaRoche sunscreens. I’m looking for a daily driver. I have longer hair in layers and I feel that I spend the summer months with it getting stuck to the sunscreen on my face. I have an office job, but I am wary of sun damage, so will wear sunscreen all the time now that it’s light out before and after work and I like to go on walks at lunch.
I have this one, and it’s one of the few sunscreens I can wear with my makeup and not feel like a mess.
https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/la-roche-posay-anthelios-sunscreen-for-face-spf-50/ID=prod6119052-product?ext=gooFY26_GOO_Retail+Demand+Gen_BeautyPriority_NA_PMAX_CA_FOS__pla_online&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22671020792&gbraid=0AAAAAD7MwhQ9smxcI0MVEb2tAM8yxgV2q&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlLDQBhDjARIsAPlIefF_DsDZudtwRimDF00SVJLFtwiaWTT_YLpnpTDp6UacAx2FktlmABkaAmBpEALw_wcB