Thursday’s Workwear Report: Gauze Above-Knee Shirtdress
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Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
Spring in the Northeast this year has either been cold and rainy or unseasonably warm and sunny, with very little in between. I’m prepping for the extra warm days by grabbing some work-appropriate dresses that will keep me cool when I step out into the sunshine.
This gauzy shirtdress from Banana Republic Factory will look beautiful layered under a blazer, but the bright red color and breathable fabric are perfect for summer lunches in the park.
The dress is $91at Banana Republic Factory — with 20% off at checkout — and comes in sizes XXS-XXL, XST-XLT, and XXSP-XLP. It also comes in “transition cream” and “oceana.”
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!
I feel absolutely massive right now – I don’t feel like I even recognize myself and I hate how I look. I’ve been heavier than I’d prefer to be for a few years now, but now I don’t even fit in my sized up clothes. I don’t know what to do, but I’m miserable.
Get on a GLP1. That’s what you do. It will change your life.
Obviously talk to your doctor and do your research, but I do second this. I have been overweight for years and years. I started a low dose in feb and have gone from 225 to 199. I’m obviously eating less but I actually don’t feel like I’ve done anything different. The loss has all been around my stomach too. I’m obviously not like skinny but losing it around my stomach has been huge for how I feel and how clothes feel. I started working out last week for the first time in years – losing the weight has removed a block I had there.
For a healthy life there are other things you should do besides just take the shot, but I think it like mental health – sometimes you need to start the medicine so the therapy can take
Counterpoint, I had no desire to wait and deal with my doctor gatekeeping and went online to Ro. They still have doctors but you can get started immediately. And see your doctor later if you want to.
Also, this is sad, but the difference between how I’m treated by people after losing weight is starkly different. I hate that that is the case, but that also contributes to day to day happiness and feeling
I’m sorry you don’t feel good.
You deserve clothes that fit you. Buy new clothes, including undergarments and exercise clothes. It doesn’t have to be a lot of clothes, but it’s hard for anyone to feel good in clothes that don’t fit.
If there might be health factors involved, make an appointment with your primary doctor.
No advice, but solidarity. I was already not comfortable in my perimenopausal body, and I’ve recently put on a few more pounds. It sucks, and I hate this.
Hugs. If you want advice, scroll down. If you don’t, know that you will get through this stage – lots of ways, and time will heal. You have so much worth as a person and human regardless of the number on a tag.
Ideas:
– IF you can afford it, go to Old Navy, Walmart, or somewhere in person. Purchase 3-4 bottoms (like 2 pants, 2 skirts) in neutral/dark colors. Purchase 5-6 tops in neutrals or simple prints that fit you right now. You can do this for <$200. This is not forever: this is for right now. Fitting room tip: if you think you're a 14, grab an 18. See how it feels. Anything uncomfortable goes. Know these might be clothes for less than 4 months.
– Give yourself time. GLPs can speed things up, but whether you do that or not, it may take a year for you to build new habits. That's OK. Give yourself grace. Your body has changed over the last five years, speedy reversals rarely stick.
– Try finding one thing in the next two weeks you can change. I cut out super sugary drinks last week and no weight change yet but am drinking crystal light-flavored water and am saving money and also drinking way more water than before. (like, 30 oz compared to 8. I have a long way to go)
– For me, moving makes me feel better, but food is how I change weight.
I recently started a few sessions with a reputable health coach. She keeps me accountable and helps me with planning out meals and overcoming my barriers. It’s helped me a lot. Also just a kick start of trying no alcohol, added sugar, focus on protein, and movement through the day (aim for 8-10K steps). I also have been using fitness pal for tracking protein and calorie goals and that keeps me accountable. I feel so much better after just a few weeks (39, need to lose about 10-15 pounds).
I read your first few words and was like – yesssss go girl. I consume too much fitness content where gains = the goal I guess haha. Best of luck in your journey whatever you choose to do.
Coming back to say thank you – I posted yesterday asking for help looking for shoes to go with a dress I selected for my daughter’s wedding, and then got unexpectedly busy all day. Checked last night and loved your suggestions! Have ordered several. So grateful for the help. Thank you!
Reposting from last night:
Probably too late in the day for this question (so I will ask again tomorrow), but does anyone have a really cool job that dictates a different lifestyle? I’m thinking foreign service, oil rig engineer, wildland firefighter, field archaeologist – really anything that’s not a “9-5”? If so, I’d LOVE to hear about it.
Many, many years ago I worked as an implementing partner for USAID and I have a bit of “fomo” that I changed careers (though, I’m of course lucky to be in a more stable field at the moment). I pretty much left so I’d have more stability so I could settle down, get married and have kids. Now, over 10 years later, that’s not the path my life took and I wish I could go back to the “cool” career path. While I wait for the international development field to recover, I will settle for living vicariously through anyone here :)
I don’t know if my job counts as something all that interesting, but it’s not 9-5. I’m a college professor, and that means that I have classroom time, plus pre- and post-teaching stuff (planning, grading, etc.). I can do all of that anywhere, on my own timing. And then the research takes me around the world (sometimes really interesting places, sometimes not so much), and the writing happens on my own time, too.
I very much like what I do. But doing stuff on your own time/space has its drawbacks. It’s easy to procrastinate and fall into a slump of unproductive self-shaming. During the summers, when I don’t really go to campus, I sometimes feel lonely, even though I do other things.
Does anyone collect ginger jars? They seem pretty and a way to add some blue / white elements to a room (vs the jaundiced yellow vase given to me once). Is there anything to be aware of other than just get what moves you? I take it that they are just decorative now and not otherwise used for anything.
Manufactured ones are everywhere – like you can’t swing a cat in a Homegoods without taking out a small army of them – are you talking about collecting antiques?
Yes, I collect antique ones and buy what I like. Like anything there’s a range of pricing based on who made it and its condition. I live in an area with a lot of antique dealers so they’re easy to find.
They are very pretty! (I can make the jaundiced yellow vases work too, but they flatter a more retro color palette for sure.) I know someone who works them into their decor, and I think it looks nice.
I’ll be in NYC for July 20-24th for a conference. Conference will be at the SUNY Global Center and will end around 4:30 each day. I’m staying at the Courtyard Marriot a couple of blocks away. Please give me your dining recommendations and any must-do evening activities. It’s been more than a decade since I was in NYC but I will very limited free time.
Any interest in a show?
My recs are: Ragtime at Lincoln Center (sad but great), Two Strangers (rom-com), Cats: The Jellicle Ball (re-imagined classic), and Moulin Rouge (fun and closes in August).
I have had undereye bags for as long as I can remember, but one side’s bag is showing to be more prominent. It’s basically a line in the shape of a crescent below one eye, not as noticeable on the other side. I am almost 50 so I suspect it will get worse. Has anyone had any procedure to correct this type of issue and if so, are you happy with the results?
Following with interest. Same situation, although much younger. The surgery is supposed to be quick and easy, but anything that could affect vision seems hard to justify for a cosmetic reason (for me.)
Has anyone ever painted the interior of ugly particleboard cabinets yourself? Any tips for me?
I would be very concerned about how well it’ll hold up over the long term. I did this at a previous house. Hard to explain, but it was part real wood/part particle board. The particle board never looked quite right, and it was much more prone to chips and wear and tear than the real wood.
I’d consider (pretty) contact paper for the bottom and (pretty) high end wrapping sheets for the inside. Paint may be hard to adhere…
I generally hate contact paper, but I agree that this is the perfect application for a product like this. OP, you may not be very happy with how paint holds up.
What fashion sneakers are you liking these days to wear with jeans?
Golas and Adidas Gazelles and Spezials seem really popular in my area. I’m personally a New Balance girl.
+1, also low-profile Puma or Nike shapes (like, retro running shoe shape)
Office etiquette help. My office has cubicles outside of it. It has been an empty row for years and recently we added more staff, so now 3 people sit across a hallway from me. We usually have an open door habit (maybe not policy, but habit). I hear them talking constantly. Boyfriends, anime preferences, how to open documents, ‘have you mailed that yet’ – they aren’t yelling, but our cubicles are large, so they’re probably 15′ – 20′ from each other, and they talk all day. I want to have an office culture where people talk and I get that it doesn’t make sense for them to walk over to each other all day. Most other hallways don’t have people talking so much, this is very unusual for my firm. I could relocate to the other side of the building. I don’t want to ask them to stop. Is it rude to have my door shut constantly?? Sound machine? What do I do?
You just shut your door. It’s not a big deal. Say hi and be friendly when you walk by.
I think I’m hurting my marriage because of how crappy I feel about myself these days, and I don’t know how to fix it. I’m 45, DH is 47, and we’ve been married more than 20 years. We have two teens. This stage of life has, bluntly, sucked. I blame the perimenopause and midlife ennui. I’m more insecure about myself than I have been in literally decades. In short:
– I never feel like I’m enough, at work or at home.
– I’m carrying way more responsibility than I’m actually comfortable with.
– My body has changed, and I don’t want to be touched. Also, it takes me a LOT longer to get in the mood for gardening. DH doesn’t seem bothered, but I am! I do not feel even a little bit s3xy.
– I am resentful that DH was able to make a career switch that has made him much happier. He feels valued and excited about what he does. I have not been successful in making a change. To add insult to injury, we used to have the same (large) employer, so it feels extra bad (to me).
– I used to be so consistent with working out. I know what that feels like and looks like. Anymore, I cannot force myself to do it if I’m not feeling it, which I’m sure is not helping matters.
DH asks me what he can do to help, and I literally don’t know. I feel like I’m a more tired, uglier, less hard-working version of myself than I was 5 years ago and can’t seem to pull myself out of this funk. I did some short-term counseling, and it wasn’t all that helpful. Maybe it was just a bad fit and I need to try again. But in the meantime, I feel like my general disposition is affecting our closeness as a couple.
I reluctantly agreed to go back on birth control pills at the behest of my OBGYN to tackle peri symptoms–which match most of what you’ve written–and have been really pleased at how it’s evened out my darker feelings. I would also recommend considering an SSRI or other medication for depression/anxiety, particularly because counseling wasn’t helpful to you. Sending you good vibes. This is a hard time of life.
Perimenopause is medical, and stress resilience is all about sleep and nutrition and a well functioning endocrine system. My next step would be to find a really good women’s health practice that will make you feel supported and not like it’s just one more thing to handle (honestly I’d even consider something integrative if it is relaxing and restorative to you subjectively). If you are on an SSRI, you can ask your psychiatrist about adding or even switching to bupropion.
Ditto the others – SSRI and BC pills.
This is important to recognize and work on. What do you do for fun? When was the last time you felt accomplished at something you enjoy (hitting a new running PR, for example)? I personally believe that this kind of mid-life malaise is often a symptom of a lack of fun/play/joy. As women, we’re at higher risk with everything we have to deal with, whether it’s pregnancy, hormonal changes, discrimination, elder and child care responsibilities, you name it. It’s so, so vital to find a way to experience joy that’s just for you.