Frugal Friday’s Workwear Report: Cotton Crochet Sweater Polo
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Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
If you work in an office that’s bare arms-friendly, this crochet knit sweater polo from Banana Republic Factory is going to be a hit this summer. My style has always veered toward the preppy side, so something like this is really speaking to me.
I’m usually cautious with crochet knits because they can be a little too revealing, but this looks like it’s going to be safe. I’d pair it with a midi skirt and flats for a casual Friday look.
The sweater is $42.50 at Banana Republic Factory — with 20% off at checkout — and comes in sizes XXS-XXL. It also comes in navy, white, and tomato.
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
What are the most comfortable designer flats? What would you get if money were no object?
Depends on your foot! For me it’s AGL and Roger Vivier.
Could I have my younger feet back? Because I feel that by the time I could afford nice shoes, I was firmly in Ferragamo Vara territory (except that they run narrow and my feet can’t abide that now). Only Varinas come in a W (which I think it’s a typical wide, but a not-narrow shoe in the toe area).
Good heavens, friends. I’ve been on HRT for less than a week and I nearly broke down sobbing at my desk this morning over some ordinary speedbumps that I’d otherwise encounter every day in local litigation. Feels way worse than the occasional hot flashes and mood swings I went through while white-knuckling through peri. Please remind me that the overall health benefits of HRT are worth this.
Oh no. Hopefully it evens out. If not, is a lower dose an option?
HRT is usually at a very low dose. IDK if you are on estrogen and progesterone, but I am on both and have never had this or any other symptoms (dose went from regular BCP to low-dose BCP to very low doses, all without incident).
Can you reach your dr via my chart to let them know of this side effect and make a follow-up appointment?
Isn’t HRT supposed to make you feel better, not worse? I would contact your doctor ASAP.
FWIW, I cannot tolerate either progestins (in BC) or progesterone. Progestins make me fat and depressed, and progesterone makes me break down in tears as you describe.
+1
Oh man, I’m worried about menopause because progestin makes me unhinged…. Was on the mini pill and thought I needed a divorce, until the pharmacy forgot my refill. 3 days without the pill, I loved my husband again…
And I had a blood clot when I was 21 so there are limits to what I can take.
You don’t have to take HRT. It seems like a lot of the symptoms attributed to perimenopause are related to metabolic issues, which can be addressed in other ways. And a lot of the mental issues are more related to the burdens on 40-something women than anything else, so HRT doesn’t help there.
I’m sure they can tweak your HRT. Progesterone withdrawal can feel this way to me.
If the side effects aren’t worth it, you don’t necessarily need it. As a BC survivor, I’m not allowed to take it, and honestly, I’m ok. Centuries of women got through without it.
Very much a get-off-my-lawn moment: this is knit. It is not crochet. It is a textured knit, not a cable, although perhaps incorporating a tuck stitch to keep that definition in the columns without turning it into just an offset ribbing with staggered yarn overs and decreases. Do better, Banana Republic.
I had barely looked at it, but took a look after your post. I agree it’s definitely not even attempting to be crochet-like. Maybe it’s deliberate to help with SEO. But if I were searching for crochet, I would be disappointed in that top as a search result.
lol, this seems to be more and more of a thing. Advertise a job as hybrid when it’s not. Set your dating profile to attract people who you don’t actually want. Like it’s not thought through to the end somehow. Or maybe it’s always been a thing, like throwing around money to impress a date, but complaining about gold diggers at the same time.
I had the same reaction. This is not crochet in the least! It’s a cute top, but let’s at least get the terminology correct.
Preach! You will never, ever see actual crochet at a Banana Republic price point. Actual crochet uses more yarn than knitting, and must be done by hand and the price will reflect that (or labor is being exploited to make it). There’s no machine-made crochet. Knitting is really more suitable for most garments anyway.
my husband just started working from home and it’s driving me nuts – as soon as i come home it’s like he wants to say every thought he’s had all day the second i walk in the door. does this pass?
No.
No
For those who are on GLP-1s: I’m eating what is to me a ton of protein (100g+/day) and lifting three days a week, and the scans say I’m losing 2 lbs of muscle per month. Granted, I’ve only been on Wegovy two months, but this seems excessive. My workouts are still feeling good, and I certainly don’t feel weaker. Any thoughts?
The body doesn’t have a way of losing only fat without losing muscle. Does the muscle loss seem excessively out of proportion to the weight loss?
I may have a job opportunity in Tampa and would love to hear thoughts from someone who lives there. Would it be reasonable to expect to get a small but very nice single family home in a nice neighborhood in the $1-$1.5M range? What do you think is important for a liberal couple in their 40s without kids to know before they consider moving there?
Curious what y’all think, is a sleeveless top acceptable at work?
I fear my fine arms will be too distracting.
For some reason I am not able to post on the mom’s page, so I am posting it here! We are considering renting a passenger van for our upcoming road trip with the in-law’s. Has anyone done this before? Would you suggest it? There will be 6 of us total (4 adults and 2 toddlers) + a dog. PS- I like my in-laws haha, so I am ok with sharing a van together for the drive. It would also help out with entertaining the kiddos.