Wednesday’s Workwear Report: Belted Fit & Flare Cotton-Blend Shirtdress
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Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
I live in cotton shirtdresses once the weather starts heating up, and this one from Ralph Lauren looks like a real winner. For a staple piece like this one, it really comes down to the little things, and for me, the elbow-length sleeves, removable belt, and pockets are what make this one shine.
Add some great shoes and you’re ready for just about anything.
The dress is $155 at Nordstrom and comes in sizes 14W-22W.
Looking for something similar? Evereve's Perry shirt dress comes in midi and mini lengths, and this stripey shirt dress is fabulous.
Sales of note for 6/2:
- Nordstrom – Designer clearance up to 40% off!
- Ann Taylor – 30% off dresses, jackets, and shoes
- AYR – Ooh, good sale section — but lots on final sale. Readers love these comfy work pants and these jeans.
- Boden – 15% off new women's wear styles with code
- Express – Today only (6/2): all clearance up to 85% off when you take an extra 20-50% off
- J.Crew – 20% off $200, including new styles
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 50% off clearance + 40-60% off everything else
- Loft – 60% off sale styles
- M.M.LaFleur– Up to 70% off, plus new styles added! (Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off)
- Nordstrom Rack – Clear the Rack! Nice selection of Vince, Veronica Beard, Reiss and Rag & Bone, a ton of affordable work basics from Calvin Klein and dresses from Maggy London, Eliza J, and Donna Morgan
- Talbots – Buy one, get one 50% off everything!
It’s arctic AC season, and my initial solution of drinking more coffee and tea has led to me consuming WAY too much caffeine. So, recommend me your favorite herbal teas!
I’m particularly looking for naturally caffeine free (not decaffeinated) and not otherwise a diuretic. I’d prefer to avoid fake flavorings, but an happy to go from the cheapest bagged tea to a bougier loose leaf. I just can’t bring myself to drink unadulterated hot water.
I’m obsessed with the Korean Citron tea. You mix it in hot water. It is a bit sweet, but it’s a nice little afternoon boost. Otherwise, I drink roibos.
Rooibos or peppermint
I’m a coffee drinker who can only handle one round of coffee. I like licorice root tea like Aveda salon tea (which I think they sell). I wouldn’t drink too much of it since it does have glycyrrhizin (which is what makes it taste sweet). (Also, I hate licorice flavors; this tastes different.)
I personally like fenugreek seed tea, but YMMV. Again it has a sort of naturally sweet taste.
I don’t love tart fruity tisanes based on rosehips and hibiscus, but others love these! I don’t mind rooibos or chicory especially as the basis of chai (Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice is classic for a reason).
Harney & Sons and Lovare have caffeine-free tisanes that are usually crowd pleasers.
Trader Joe ginger turmeric tea. Celestial Seasoning has a spiced apple one that’s pretty good.
I had some odd bags of fennel tea lying around and I liked this tea very much – not sweet and fruity and much deeper-tasting than most herbal teas, if that makes sense. But I haven’t been able to find it again.
I love a lemon ginger tea with some honey at any time and Lipton has a nice peach mango that’s been a good mid-day pick me up if necessary.
Space heater.
Yeah, illegal space heater over stomach destroying teas!
I do a combo of spearmint and hibiscus! They’re both mild diuretics, but not as strong as a black or green tea.
Vicarious shoe shopping, anyone? MOB here, wearing this gown, but shortened to midi length as long is too formal for the wedding:
https://www.nordstrom.com/s/liquid-satin-gown/8617638?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FAll%20Results&color=400
Love the dress, but I’m stumped on footwear. I have truly bad feet, so can’t wear anything more than two inches high, and only then with a block heel, not a spiky one. Appreciate recs as to color, style, everything. Help!
I’d go with with a simple block-heeled sandal. For me, I’d do a metallic, or a color close to my skin color. If you have dark or black hair, you could go with a black shoe as well.
Congratulations! Do you know what’s wrong with your feet? Are they a tough fit in any way? (Narrow, wide, low arch, high arch?) Do you need closed toe or are you okay with strappy sandals?
That is a beautiful dress! Fancy low block heel in white/black/silver/gold as you prefer.
https://www.kaileep.com/collections/women-low-heels/products/white-crochet-lace-block-heel-wedding-sandals (I like these as a contrasting complement to the fabric of the dress)
I looked under wedding low block heels. I did not add “strappy”.
https://www.dsw.com/product/naturalizer-heidi-sandal/614471
https://www.dsw.com/product/naturalizer-nyla-sandal/614454
https://www.dsw.com/product/david-tate-taylen-sandal/602124
I would do a pair for photos and suffer through the pain and a pair to change into.
laundry(?) question: do you get those little holes in your cotton shirts around waist level? where do those come from?! do you throw out the shirt when you get the holes or try to mend them in some way?
Your shirts are rubbing on your pants or some other repetitive source. A seatbelt? A motion you make where your watch brushes your shirt? It’s not laundry if it’s always the same location.
Seatbelt, pants button, belt buckle – I used to get them from my badge reel.
I get those too – I think they come from rubbing against my jean buttons when sitting down in the car or other places (at least that’s what I think).
I don’t usually throw them away unless they get really big, but I do relegate them to casual/weekend wear only and take them out of my more formal rotation.
I think it’s from the corner of the jeans fly.
My mom is retiring this year, and I’m trying to think of something nice to get her to commemorate the occasion – she was an elementary teacher for her whole career. I know her colleagues will be getting her a necklace, as they do for all teachers, and we’re all doing a family dinner for her. Any thoughts? Budget up to $500.
A weekend getaway local to her.
That will be tough to pull off on $500. I’d do an Hermes scarf, but that’s also person dependent.
Do a weekend trip with her or some other mother daughter “experience”
Tiffany has a few sterling pieces under $500 – infinity, bean, letter. Alternatively I know of some teachers who would appreciate a backpack drive for under privileged students. $500 would buy a lot of backpacks and supplies to be donated in her honor. Lastly, free, but see if you can bring a scrapbook around to her current students and get them to sign. Post on FB for former parents/students over the years. Ask for them to share any photos/memories and what an impact she had on the students. Collect, print, add to book.
Can someone explain the bean to me? Why do people like it? I know it has staying power because I’ve seen Victorian era beans, but it has always made me wonder.