Wednesday’s Workwear Report: Alpaca-Blend Tipped-Collar Sweater
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Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
A few months ago, the builder-grade racks in my walk-in closet completely collapsed under the weight of my wardrobe. I had to take a good, hard look at some of the pieces I was hanging onto and let a lot of things go that weren’t working for my current stage in life. It wasn’t just a fashion conundrum, it was a “structural integrity of my house” conundrum.
I got rid of a lot of stuff, including a lot of ill-fitting, pilling sweaters. My new setup has dedicated sweater shelves, so I’m excited to fill them up again. This embroidered, collared sweater from J.Crew looks like it would be a cute option for a business casual office or weekend wear.
The sweater is $198 at J.Crew and comes in sizes XXS-3X. It also comes in four other non-embroidered colors.
(NB: I used the ClosetMaid Impressions System in my closet and am loving it. I would say that I’m reasonably handy, but nothing special, and I was able to do the whole thing myself, so it’s a great DIY option.)
Sales of note for 10/23 (ALSO, friendly PSA – check any NAS or Amazon Prime Day purchases for the return policies…)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase + $50 off your $200+ purchase
- Brooklinen – Friends & Family – 20% off sitewide and 50% off select bundles
- J.Crew – Up to 40% off select fall styles. Also, donate any gently worn coat in one of their stores and get $25 off your next purchase of $125+.
- J.Crew Factory – 40% off new arrivals + extra 15% off orders of $100+
- M.M.LaFleur – 72 hours only, save 20% on jardigans (Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items)
- Nordstrom – 5840+ new markdowns for women, up to 40% off
- Talbots – 50% off one regularly-priced item, 40% off everything else
- Theory – End of season sale is on with extra savings (new prices are marked)
I really dislike the collar on the sweater. There is something tradwife about it.
yep, the collar + the twee ‘print’ is not for me.
I think it’s adorable but $200, yikes.
yeah I love it but not for this price
I don’t love the printed version for me, but the solid color options are nice.
This looks like something I would find at Old Navy
It’s a collar. I love collars on sweaters.
Something about a plain crew neck sweater feels unfinished.
There’s a yellow option that’s really cute. Less twee.
Is there a matching set you like that is not made from the ubiquitous ponte-like fabric (spanx pioneered it, my cat claws that material) or ribbed knit? I’d like an easy uniform on weekends and am struggling to find a fabric I like.
Pact makes nice cotton sets.
Vuori has some in cotton.
I know I’m in the minority but I hate matching sets. I think they make me look like a toddler.
I love the column of color look but I don’t think the sweatpants-adjacent material does any adult any favors. It was cute when I was in college and schlepped to class with juicy on my rear. Not so much these days.
+1. If you’re a grownup the matching set is not a good look. I like twill joggers paired with a cozy-enough top in a different color.
I feel like we are going to look back on this “matching set” era like the leisure suits of the 70s or the wind-breaker material neon track suits of the 90s. Yet, I am still drawn to them and love them for teleworking!
Sorry, I do not have any great suggestions, but And my cat also loooooves to claw the ubiquitous ponte-like fabric you mentioned.
I have bought a few sets from Rhone. Most recently the Dream Glow mockneck and Dream Glow trousers. They look a little like PJs but both the top and pants are cut so well. I have them in brown and I feel very glamorous when I wear them, mostly on flights.
Has anyone had an older (5years old) Roomba lose directionality following replacing the spinning brushes that haven’t worked in years? It’s old enough that the website no longer supports it. Take off the brush thing and leave off? There are almost too many YouTube videos.
Doing a bit of re-decorating and realize it is time to upgrade my picture frames from the pretty cheap ones I have now. Where is a great place to shop (online or otherwise) for good wood frames?
I should add: avoiding Etsy after very mixed experiences with them.
Etsy is just a platform, for different sellers, not a brand. Agree you can get something bad but I wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand. Read reviews carefully and message the seller.
I think OP’s point is that she doesn’t want to scour reviews to find a reliable seller. Don’t get me started on the junky drop shippers you have to filter out when browsing mainstream retailers these days.
Michael’s has a framing department.
Pottery Barn and its relatives (West Elm, etc.) have nice frames, and you can see some of them in their stores.
I’ve had good luck and home goods. But I suppose that depends on your definition of nice and how much time you want to spend on this.
I also have good luck with Home Goods. But it really is luck of the draw with what’s in stock and your style.
It’s expensive, but a local framing shop is your best bet.
I’ve had good luck with Simply Framed.
What kinds of things are you framing — original art? Posters? photographs that will sit on a bookshelf?
A big-box craft store will have a framing department, and also sell ready-made frames in standard sizes.
A local framing shop will do the best job for you, but it will be expensive, so I’d save that for original art.
Depending on how cheap your current frames are, a slight upgrade might be the generic art you see at a big-box decorating store, which can sometimes have nice frames you can reuse, or art at your local thrift store.
I’ve got a $300 J Crew gift card to spend and am not sure what’s a good bet as I never shop there. I’m a short pear with a bust, interested in natural fibers. Is their cashmere any good? What about a merino sweater? Inclined more towards classics in vibrant colors than whimsical prints but TBH could be open to anything if anyone has bought a major winner there recently.
I get pretty much all my sweaters there, I don’t think you can go wrong with any kind of sweater.
Currently wearing their cashmere crewneck and I like it. I bought it a few weeks ago in the beige color.
Their simple 100% merino wool sweater changed a couple of years ago and is thinner now with a waistband that flips up all the time. Most of their other sweaters are wool blends.
Cashmere is still nice, even though (like everywhere) thinner than in years past. Wait out their sale cycle, though – at some point in the next month it will probably go 40-50% off one day.
Definitely on Black Friday/Cyber Monday if not before
+1 to waiting for a sale. I like J Crew’s shorter and semi-fitted options. If you’re petite it’s rare to find cashmere that isn’t oversized.
I love the 2025 cotton rollneck. It is always excluded from promotions and tends to sell out quickly.
I usually have good luck with the quality of their footwear.
Conversely, does anyone have an elegant elevated set to recommend? I used to have a matching merino set of pants (lined) and a 3/4 sleeve top (also lined) that was fantastic and very elevated (sort of a less-St. John-y version of that sort of outfit). I think in the 60s/70s, there was a look called the Galatzine it was based on? But I can’t find that now — just pieces to wear on a plane that are elevated PJs.
I like Eileen Fisher for this.
Frank + Eileen has some good options.
Is there something like a Honda CRV that is 3/4 that size but the same shape and height? I can find cars a LOT smaller, but want something that I could survive a car crash in (my city has a lot of giant trucks in it).
I miss parking a VW Rabbit and the CRV is great but at work I face a lot of compact spots that it barely fits in.
Maybe the Honda HRV?
Just want to flag that this car is not AWD. That is a deal-breaker to me and I was surprised to learn this.
There are some HRVs that are AWD; I have one!
A slightly older CRV or slightly older Volvo XC60? Or the current Volvo XC40 (though we know a lot of people who complain about this being too small, so just be wary).
I love our Volvo x40. (Ev) I specifically got it bc I wanted something small.
I have an electric XC40 and I think it’s the perfect small crossover.
Subaru Crosstrek? Not sure if it’s small enough for you, but smaller than the CRV.
Have you looked at the BMW SUVs? I rented a compact car in Europe ages ago and they upgraded me to an X1, which wasn’t available in the US at the time. I’m used to small sedans and felt comfortable driving it. I’ve heard good things about the larger X3 too.
No — had bad experience with one with several 4-figure fixes happening monthly.
I bought a KIA Seltos last year and love it. It’s considered a subcompact SUV, great size for hauling groceries, etc but not too big. I have parked it in small spaces, no problem.
Subaru Forester might fit the bill. Surprisingly large amount of cargo space.
Mazda CX30 is a “subcompact SUV”. Quite small and hatchback shaped, but a little taller than a regular car, and has all wheel drive. I have it’s predecessor, the CX3, and love it.
Suzuki SX4 hatchback was my fav mini SUV feel vehicle before kids. Size of a Honda Civic but sits higher like an SUV.
I had a Subaru Impreza (AWD) that was great for city parking, and great for driving in the snow. I don’t know if they make those anymore but the Crosstrek looks to be almost the same size.
I love my Chevy Trax as a small SUV!
what is a general range for Bar/Bat Mitzvah gifts ($$) for close friends in the NYC suburbs? My son is going to his first one next weekend. I know to do a multiple of 18, but am not sure if it’s more like $54 or $108 or more for a good friend.
Growing up it was more in the ~$54 range so I feel like there has had to be some inflation!
Is your suburb fancy? $108
Front door wreaths: yea or nay? How do you decorate your door between Nov 1 and winter? It feels too early for pine and holly but too late for other greenery.
I have a fall wreath that is up from September through the end of November.
+1. Mine is primarily the reverse brown of magnolia leaves, so it looks appropriate IMO for the whole season.
I do them but they double as a security feature that makes it harder to see our porch and packages. You’ll find haters but I like them.
How does a door wreath accomplish that for you? Are deliveries left in the wreath somehow?
I assume she has an enclosed porch and the wreath blocks the view of the interior of the porch.
It’s on a gate that separates the house from the street.
I do a fall wreath from September through November, its fall foliage. Switch to Christmas December 1. I love front door wreaths, I change our seasonally.
Not on my door, but next to it (birds like to hang out in them.) I like pine November-March.
As you can see the twinkle of a Christmas tree through my blinds starting in early November, the Christmas wreath goes up then too.
My husband won’t “allow” Christmas decorations until after thanksgiving. Really I think he sees decorations as clutter. He tolerates my Christmas decorations but only for a limited time. When I’ve mentioned, ie, getting a pretty spring garland for the mantle, I was met with a pretty strong negative reaction. He has to like our home too.
Say you’re resigning a job you hate, you want to look sharp and memorable in a professional way – what do you wear? Just curious. Mid 40s. What do you say when asked where you’re going if it the answer is you’re starting your own practice but don’t want to discuss in detail? I’m in an industry where people openly say I’m going to x company at y position, so the stuff I’ve heard from finance – that you can’t say – will raise eyebrows.
There’s nothing to gain with a revenge approach, if I was starting my own business I’d absolutely tell people, be gracious and nice and hope for referrals. No one but you will notice your outfit. And I say that as someone very into clothes.
I would wear whatever makes you feel sharp, confident and prepared and extra professional – like, what do you wear for an important presentation? Or even an interviewing outfit, if it’s not wildly more formal than your day to day
Wear the outfit you feel best in.
Just say that you are not ready to share your new role yet, and stick with that reply. I don’t think there is any benefit for you to dance around sharing some info while being cagey with details. Either be open or don’t share.
Is anyone swearing off Audi based on the CEO’s Trump rally speech?
Yes. My most recent two cars have been Audis. I’m currently in the market for a new car and it’s not going to be an Audi.
It’s absolutely idiotic for a CEO to attach themselves to him and this (or really any) point.
What? Oh, no! I love my Audi but… ugh! I actually swore off getting it serviced at the dealership a while ago so all I can do is stand on the sidelines and sweat never to buy one again.
Anyone have an opinion on Puerto Rico as a spring break destination? This is for my boyfriend, his 13-year-old son, and me. My BF and I have traveled together, and we’ve gone with his son and the whole extended family, but never just the three of us.
I am pretty well-traveled and like active vacations and visiting cities where there’s a lot of walking around, eating out, etc. My bf prefers a relaxing by the beach type vacation. The 13-year-old likes reading, artistic things, and playing sports. So I’m looking for a place that has both relaxing and active options, and is warm at the end of March.
And if you have any alternate destinations within the US to consider, let me know!
I think PR is great for this balance! I like more active vacations and have friends who like more relaxing ones, and we were able to get a good mix
I sent a middle-schooler there for a school-sponsored spring break eco-adventure trip and she loved it. They did go to the beach but did a lot of cultural adventures and explored the ecosystem.
PR isn’t currently in the greatest condition, there’s still clean up and rebuilding happening. I would really suggest just getting a passport and going to a Carribean island. If you’re insistent on staying in the US you could do key West but it’s not that warm.
+1, something like Costa Rica sounds promising.
Why are you assuming the issue is not having a passport?
It’s well known that people often pick PR precisely because of passports. Not always, but often enough that this assumption isn’t a wild leap.
“Clean up and rebuilding”??? Are you talking about Maria? That was in 2017. The tourist infrastructure has almost entirely recovered and given how important tourism is to the economy telling people to stay away is doing more harm than good. I am not sure where else in the Caribbean would be better in terms of hurricane damage in the last decade.
Don’t get me wrong. I love both Costa Rica and Belize, but PR is an entirely reasonable destination.
I’ll toss out Palm Springs/Joshua Tree for consideration. There are hotels with nice pools for your BF, easy outdoors / hiking access and restaurants for you, (and hiking at the national park is more “driving to a cool rock formation and walking around it” than “10 mile mountain climb”– although you could also hit the PCT and other more intense trails on a day it’s just you and the nephew). And, a fun arts scene for the nephew. It should be warm but not miserable hot that time of year.
USVI and PR are both great places in my opinion.
I’ve gone to PR (Rincon) in February before and the weather was perfect! Amazing beaches on that side of the island. The east side of the island also has a really cool bioluminescent kayak trip you can do at night and that was worth it too! The rainforest was an awesome day hike too!