Thursday’s Workwear Report: Poplin Wrapped Midi Shirtdress
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Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
Banana Republic Factory has really been killing it over the past few years in the summer work dress category. I have a few still in rotation from previous seasons, and I may be adding this gorgeous shirtdress to the roster. I love the wrapped waist panel for adding some definition and shape, and the poplin fabric looks like it would be airy and cool on a hot day.
I would add a navy blazer and some comfy flats for a summer-y business casual look.
The dress is $65 at Banana Republic Factory — with 20% off at checkout — and comes in sizes XS-XL and XXSP-XL. It also comes in white and navy.
Psst: Kat just rounded up the best dresses for work!
Sales of note for 6/12:
- Another Tomorrow – Seasonal sale, 50% off select styles
- Ann Taylor – Last day 6/12: Extra 60% off sale! Readers love this blouse and I always love the variety of colors/textures for this jacket (it's a great separate)
- Athleta – 40% off tees, dresses, tanks, linen, and swim
- AYR – Ooh, good sale section — but lots on final sale. Readers love (LOVE) these comfy work pants and these jeans.
- Bare Necessities – Semi-annual sale, up to 60% off, plus get an additional 40% off clearance swim. Readers have sung the praises of these cooling pajamas and their bra-sized swimwear
- Boden – 15% off new women's wear styles with code
- Glossier – 20-25% off almost everything (including subscriptions!)
- J.Crew – 50% off tops, dresses, skirts and more
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 50% off clearance + extra 20% off 3+ styles
- Jenni Kayne – Semi-annual warehouse sale
- Loft – 50% off everything + free shipping
- M.M.LaFleur– This weekend only, 25% off jardigans (Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items)
- Nordstrom – 6900+ new markdowns added – nice selection from Boss, Vince, Veronica Beard, Theory, Beyond Yoga, and Zella
- Nordstrom Rack – Clearance, new arrivals up to 75% off! 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 – Tons of markdowns, extra 60% off 2+, 50% off one
I am looking to store some clothing with sentimental value. I moved and have a huge garage now. I’d like it there instead of taking up closet space. Anyone have experience with a specific airtight (bug/liquid proof) storage option? I have searched online for totes and have been overwhelmed with options and various reviews. Also, clear or not clear?
I’ve done this with wool items. I don’t think any plastic storage tote is really airtight, so I first used those giant ziplock clothing storage compression bags then stacked them flat in a plastic tote bag.
I wish I’d had them cleaned and aired first – one of the sweaters came out smelling bad in a hard to describe way. Like dentures? Haha
*plastic tote BOX, not bag.
How’s the climate control in the garage? The combination of heat/cold/plastic offgassing does risk damage to the clothes.
What type of clothing are you storing? And for how long? How clean and protected is your garage from weather, bugs, dirt, critters?
If you are talking about storing old college tees over winter, that’s a different scenario than storing heirloom linens and wedding gowns handed down from your great-grands.
Wool and silk, being protein fibers, are susceptible to degradation from light exposure. Colors on other fibers will fade with time and light exposure, too. I would avoid clear containers for this reason. I would also avoid compression storage for very precious things, because that can damage the fabric over long periods of time and exposure to heat. Will moisture be a concern? Do you need acid free paper to wrap things and protect them? Are you storing synthetic cloth that could get weird (I’ve had neoprene or polyester basically start to melt after a few years)?
I would not with anything I planned to ever be worn again.
If you are in a big law casual office, what are the senior female lawyers actually wearing in the summer. I’m trying to level up my game now that I need to reshop a size but I can’t figure this out because summer clothing is just so casual already. I have an emergency suit but what in the non-suit space conveys “friendly expert?”
I am going with linen blazers. Currently wearing a longer one from Abercrombie over a ponte dress.
very casual not suits but pants and blazers. summer dresses. it’s cold in the office.
Dresses in “summer dress” shapes and fabrics, but in solid neutral colors (black, navy, tan, pale blue) check the summer business casual box well. And with hemlines longer these days your legs won’t freeze in the office!
Hi, I had posted last week pondering posting something on LinkedIn about my leave… consensus was no… well, found out that the way my boss had replied to a ‘hey, is Anon coming?’ question made it sound like I had been put on leave involuntarily.. so there’s that…
However! As somebody pointed out, my absence showed my value. I actually got a phone call from a really valued contact basically checking on me, and that turned into a meeting which is kind of a harbinger of me moving towards my end game…
That being said, planning on wearing a black sheath dress with a linen blazer. Reads as ‘professional but it’s also 90 degrees and I know how to read the room’. For shoes, would you go with a low black pump or a block heeled sandal. I feel like a pump is the move… thoughts?
of those two choices, I would pick the pump. A sandal with that outfit sounds kind of “Morning Show Host.” However, I think a sleek black flat would read more modern.
Closed toes
Hi! I will be in NYC with a couple of friends next month. We want to spend an afternoon shopping probably in Nolita. Can someone give me a rec of a specific place to start and where to head? I don’t know the area so was hoping to get some general ideas of what streets to walk along. Also if there is a cute place for drinks and a late lunch nearby and also coffee. We are coming from the South and it isn’t our first trip but have only seen the major attractions like Statue of Liberty etc. We have one afternoon to shop and family time for the rest of our time there. Thanks!
For anyone here who has passed the NREMT exam, do you recall what you did to study? Or anything that was helpful? I feel like I am doing OK with the book learning, but getting a critical fail on the TSOP exam I hear is where most people fail (so there is no shame in that, many people re-take, but I don’t think I can juggle work and this sort of class twice; I’d rather give it the best possible shot now). I’m having to study on my own a lot due to work schedule but am on a group chat with fellow students and meet them when I can.
I did get a good stethoscope based on recommendations here and can actually use it now. Was told to get a good pair of personal trauma shears (any recommendations?) and a good non-LED pen light (same).
My prior background was just to have the NOLS WFA class, which is an excellent 16-hour class that I’d recommend to anyone who is even a day hiker recreationally.
I bought a study guide (mine was “Crash Course EMT Emergency Medical Technician” there probably are a few) and just reviewed a bunch of flashcards I had made over the course of my class. I just bought whatever trauma shears and pen light were cheap on amazon – I never used them during class and now work provides them. For the TSOP just take your time. It’s easy to blank on something, but you don’t have to rush as much as you might feel you need to.
Also – and I say this as an actual EMT, so with no disrespect to the profession/test – don’t overthink it. Sometimes the smartest people struggle with these tests because they’re reading too much into the questions.
Anyone have any experience with thigh society cooling shorts? Their ads are all over my social media and I’m curious. I regularly wear jockey skimmies under dresses to avoid chafing, for light smoothing, and to avoid lightweight skirts blowing in unwanted ways. However, they can be hot in the heat and humidity, so the cooling short promises are appealing, but I’m skeptical of the social media blitz. They are also significantly more expensive than the skimmies, so seeking any opinions.
I haven’t tried Thigh Society, but I have tried the Jockey cooling ones and they do zero cooling. So I’m skeptical.
i just posted blow. i have jockey cooling as well a uniqlo pair from a few summers ago. these are better. 4X the price but better.
I’m also a skimmies person and wouldn’t switch. But I also do megababe thigh antichafe gel – I like that better in summer.
I’m also curious. I don’t love the fabric of the Skimmies, TBH. I agree that they can get hot.
same experience. i fell for it and bought them. they are better than skimmies. much cooler.i don’t know that they are cooler than plain old cotton panties but they are much much much cooler than skimmies or comparable. they are not as “smoothing” as skimmies but i think that is the balance… anything that really holds you in is going to be warmer. I had posted a few days ago about an increasing VPL issue so am debating buying more. I kept clicking on them and not buying hoping i would get a coupon but the cooling ones don’t seem to go on sale in summer. ultimately they had a “buy two get 15% off” so that’s what i did. i may by more.
I do find them noticeably cooler than skimmies, but agree with the poster who said there is very little “slimming” or compression to them.
Yes I’m wearing them now and have been for years. I’ve also tried skimmies and these are much much better. And super durable.
I strongly prefer using the Megababe anti-chafing cream – easy to reapply on the go and a million times cooler than having another layer on a hot day.
Another NYC question (same OP as the other post). We want to have a nice dinner in little Italy one night and open table is showing lots of options – they all look amazing. Any recs in particular? Il Cortile and Casa Bella caught my eye. Also is there anything to see there afterwards besides just taking in that area – I am sure it will be cool just walking around. Will have a few kids aged 8-13.
I’d check out either the Museum of Ice Cream or just wander around SoHo, there is a ton to see/gawk at in that area. Unfortunately it looks like Economy Candy closes at 6, but maybe hit that first? My teenage kids adored that place.
Ooh great rec – those will be perfect- thanks!
Underwires are REALLY bugging me these days. Any recommendations for a comfortable wireless bra that also gives some lift? I’m a 38D, for reference.
I love my Knix wireless bras.
Check out EBY. I wear their Relief Bra most days and their sheer bralette around the house as a 36D.
Go to the “A Bra That Fits” subr3eddit and use the calculator there. Issues with underwires generally mean your bra is the wrong size and/or shape.
Yes, this. And D (or DD or DDD) is a cup size that has a particularly high suspicion for being in the wrong size, because it’s the lazy saleswoman’s recommendation when they don’t carry your actual size. They’ll just sister size you up to whatever they do have in stock.
I went from spilling out of a 32D to properly fitting a 28G, and it changed my life.
Listen this OP.
If you truly are a 38D, the Panache Envy is one I find comfortable. Took some time to get the right cup and band combo, though, before my old versions were so stretched out and wrongly sized that I couldn’t go by the tag any longer.
I appreciate the recommendation, but I’m fairly certain I’m in the right size. I have used this calculator before. My bras appear to fit. Underwires never used to bother me. Now they do.
Are your bras worn out? Even if you confirm your own size hasn’t changed, if your bras have been in circulation for a bit they may not be the same size any longer.
I find no underwire just folds into itself and is very hot, not what I’m going for. I use baby powder on my bust under underwire and it’s been life changing, especially in summer.
Careful with this. I put powder there for a while one summer, and it caused a number of skin tags to develop, which I had to have frozen off. Ouch. (And it was non-talc powder).
My solution on very hot days is to wear a thin camisole and put the bra on over it. Totally eliminates chafing and absorbs sweat well. I get the Uniqlo Airism camis for this.
Going to a bluegrass concert tomorrow night and had planned to wear some Western-style suede booties. There is now a decent chance of rain, so I’m thinking that suede is going to be a bad choice. What would you wear instead? I have taller leather boots, but that sounds really warm for the weather.
Are they not western style boots? Those are all year depending on the weight of the socks.
My alternative is a pair of tall Western boots. I love them, but I’m not sure I will love them as much in high humidity and warm weather.
I think with shorts or a mini skirt they won’t be much hotter than the shorter boots.
I think they’ll be fine! It’s all about the socks.
For me, it would be the shafts of the boots chafing my legs in heat and humidity. I’d probably wear sneakers.
Chafing is also all about the socks.
Sneakers.
Huge bluegrass fan here. You wear normal clothing, not a costume. If you’re not in, say, TX/LA/MS/AR, I’d be giving serious side eye to someone wearing cowboy boots.
People wear western boots to the grocery store in many states other than TX/LA/MS/AR. You’re making things up if you think people went and got boots as a costume for a bluegrass concert.
They do and they don’t. For a while 15 years ago, sundresses and cowboy boots were all the rage for girlies. So sure, you’d see boots in the grocery store in that context, and that style pops back up every now and again. And certain types of working men across the country wear Justin work boots to the grocery store and church and everywhere in between. But OP is posting on a fashion board asking about what to wear to a concert, talking about wearing short cowboy booties or tall cowboy boots, and my point is bluegrass fans wear normal clothing, not western gear unless she’s somewhere western gear organically belongs.
Can anyone recommend a good fee-only financial planner who works near Williamsburg or Richmond, Virginia? Or, if remote meetings work for this kind of thing, a good fee-only planner based anywhere in the mid-Atlantic.) Asking for a friend.
Jonathan Huss at Hussmen Financial in Richmond.
Q – I need a few new things and I know Prime day is coming up. Do we think that actual brands use Prime Day for sales instead of sketchy third parties? from an operating standpoint it’s hard to believe any of the third parties doing fakes are big enough and have enough balls to really promote a big sale during Prime day.
Not what you asked, but consider dropping Amazon. Their “deals” have gotten worse over the years. My last order was in late 2025. Since then, I’ve found that buying what I need from local stores or the manufacturer has worked out really well. And since I’m not sucked in to the algorithm when browsing for furnace filters or a new set of bed sheets, I am not tempted to buy stuff I didn’t set out to get in the first place.
Just buy from the brand shop and not some third party shop. It’s listed right at the top of the page where you’re buying from. Or skip it altogether and get the same item from another retailer copying prime day – Walmart, Target, Ulta, they all run sales and try to match.
+1.
I keep a bunch of amazon lists and have noticed that some items get a price hike and then an artificial “sale” price on prime days. Not everything, but enough to make me wonder.
I dropped Amazon several years ago and don’t miss it. They stopped offering good deals on things I actually wanted to buy and I got tired of weeding out knock offs. Besides, Bezos has enough; I would rather my spending go elsewhere.
I’m going to Ireland next month. Will be in Dublin, Killarney and Cork. I love going to bookstores (new and used). Any recommendations for bookstores in those cities?
Two years ago I asked this board for bookstore recs in NYC and got some great ones and had a really fun bookstore trip.
Hodges Figgis in Dublin.
If you buy underwear for the men in your life – what are their favorites? My husband needs new boxers and I’d like to buy him a few nice ones to upgrade for Father’s Day. Tommy John? Vuori? Lulu?
Patagonia capilene boxers, they are cool and comfy, last forever, and have fun patterns. They’re all my husband wants to wear. I air dry them after washing and it is shocking how long they keep their elastic, shape, etc.
Random Q re colleges since I have a rising senior. Will I just be spending a lot of weekends going to colleges for open houses and admitted student days? I feel like for a kid who is remarkably open to schools and has at least set for on them before (like toured but not been to the open house for a specific program or talked to students in that program), this is all helpful in filtering out where you ultimately attend and getting the right fit.
The volume of mail and e-mails is insane, but she has a list of 10 reasonable-seeming choices and maybe 10 others, all generally drive-able.
I got lucky to get into the school I wanted to attend and having it actually be what I wanted, but transferred in grad school due to fit issues and see how it would be better to nail this the first time. Kiddo is looking at looking at smaller regional colleges, not the sort people here seem to go to, where we really don’t know a whole lot of people (vs huge schools where we know tons of alumni).
Sure, you can go to all these things. Your daughter can also go alone like I did and get a feel for a place without mom since she’ll ultimately be there…without mom. It’s the rest of her life, encourage her to take the lead.
You don’t have to tour AND go to an admitted student day at the same school. Admitted student days are helpful if she applied without visiting or if she has narrowed it down to a couple of schools and needs a second look at her finalists. There are a few schools, though, that throw in an extra bit of scholarship money if you do an in-person tour or attend an admitted student day, so be on the lookout for that fine print.
If any of the colleges are not locks for admission, keep in mind that a lot of schools take demonstrated interest into account in evaluating an app. They know that she took a campus tour in September when they review her application in January, so I would prioritize pre-application tours for the schools in which she is most interested.
If your student is even remotely motivated to take action on this herself, let her decide how much visiting to do and whether she wants you to join or not.
With our student, we did a few random campus drive-throughs (no tours, just drove through). Most of those were instantaneous “no” and we managed to cross off several schools in one weekend. The one campus she did enjoy, we went for a big tour and she hated it because crowds and packaged speeches were very much not her vibe. She didn’t want a sales pitch, she just wanted to know what the dorms looked like and what a normal day on campus involved. She almost backed out until we found a friend-of-a-friend with a student on campus who was willing to just give a chill, unofficial tour.
Do you typically wear sandals to work? If so, which brands do you prefer? I am shopping for some new items for a new hybrid position and am considering whether to include sandals in my wardrobe.
What’s the best place to get some plastic organizers for a pantry and bathroom drawers? I need a few things for our new place but I can’t really stomach The Container Store charging $36.99 for a small plastic bin. I’ll keep an eye out for stuff at Goodwill but I need a few things quickly too. Is this a job for TJ Maxx?
TJ Maxx if you don’t need a million, since their stock isn’t that deep; Target for more aesthetic options; Walmart for the cheapest and most utilitarian.