This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
This brand is new to me, but the shoes look like great basics — and I love how they come in a huge variety of colors. (This pictured “low block heel” has 29 colorways — including a bunch of different nude shades in beiges, browns, and more.)
Another great thing about this brand: they come in four different widths, with a really broad size range (4-12, with half sizes). The brand notes that their “handcrafted stretchy leather upper is padded with an ergonomically-designed insole, proper arch support.” Nice!
The shoes are made to order, so they take 3-4 weeks to deliver and are only eligible for a 14-day return policy. You can also make a fit appointment at their NYC or Chicago locations.
The pictured shoes are $325.
Sales of note for 9.10.24
- Nordstrom – Summer Sale, save up to 60%
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Bergdorf Goodman – Save up to 40% on new markdowns
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off wear-to-work styles; extra 30% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything; extra 60% off clearance
- Lo & Sons – Warehouse sale, up to 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – BOGO 50% everything, includes markdowns
- White House Black Market – 30% off new arrivals
Anonymous
Following up with the poster yesterday struggling with cynicism at work, I find that my cynicism about things can also include (private) humor. For example, I worked for a very large multinational that frequently did mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. There was a constant spate of cost savings initiatives for more than a decade, with implementation of the smallest things ( no more color copies) to outsourcing and off shoring.
There was a problem with an acquisition, and management hit the panic button directing we must save every penny we can find. Fine. HR dude in our division sets up a SWAT team of only young people — interns, early career, etc. because a fresh view is needed. Cynically, HR dude is being what we now call performative, and the chances of interns finding any significant savings is pretty low. But, they have brainstorming sessions and a few of the people involved were a bit full of themselves and their fresh view that was going to solve all our problems.
Led by HR dude, the intern team recommended that we get rid of all the water coolers with five gallon jugs that were delivered by a service, and save that money. Some poor finance person kindly remarked that we’ve had the water coolers for along time, and does anyone know why? Finance person gets slammed for “looking for barriers” and HR dude approves getting rid of water coolers.
So, starting on a Thursday afternoon into Friday, the water coolers are removed from our large regional headquarters. Friday is a pretty empty day in the office, but on Monday morning, people start calling facilities, their managers, and anyone they think of looking for water. HR dude is in a meeting, and the early career / intern team decides to ignore the calls because it’s just people being spoiled. Around lunch time, the health & safety manager shows up with his VP to inform HR dude that the company is legally required to have drinking water available, and by the way, none of the water fountains work because when they needed to be replaced, someone decided to just get water coolers and the fountains were turned off. Since no one was responding to their calls and service tickets about the water, someone filed an OSHA complaint.
Cynically, this was all so stupid and arrogant. I never said a word, but some five years later, I still snicker every time I remember this!
Anon
This made me laugh too! So typical of so many things I’ve seen!
Anon
i literally LOLed reading this
Anonymous
it sounds like where they failed was getting rid of the Health and Safety manager. That would have saved money!!!!!! Why get rid of just the water coolers!!!
Anonymous
Haaaaaaah!
Anon
Dying laughing. That is so typical. “Looking for barriers” – like OSHA compliance.
Anonymous
The situation is almost exactly Chesterfield’s Fence. “There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, ‘I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.’ To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: ‘If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.'”
Anon
Exactly!
Anon
Laughing in solidarity because I have SO been there.
anon
I’m the poster from yesterday. This is priceless! LOL.
Winter
Reposting since this came out right after posting on the morning thread:
I have an eye doctor appointment this week, and I will probably get new frames. Looking around the office, it seems like people are still wearing bigger styles. I wasn’t ready for that last time, and my glasses are still small. Any advice on what to consider? What’s in style for glasses? I wore giant glasses in the 90s…is it time to do that again?
brokentoe
Glasses can be a great way to anti-frump yourself. You don’t have to go for the XL frames, but take a look at Warby Parker or someplace like that that tends to be more fashion-forward. Some companies (including WP) have a feature on their website that allows you to “try on” different frames using the camera on your computer for a live idea of what you’d look like. Even if you don’t choose bigger frames, color or unexpected shapes can make your look more current.
Anon
+1 to WP. I went in a tried on a bunch and bought the ones all the youngsters there were fawning over. I get compliments on my frames All The Time, and they’re not giant.
Anonymous
I think you need to think that “larger” to you may not be all that large if you’ve been wearing a small rectangular style. When I was at my yearly appointment the other day in an expensive suburb of a large city, it looked like what was “hot” right now were square shapes and updated cat eye that have a little of a vertical piece on the sides or rounded with the vertical on the side. Check out some of the designer styles (Tom Ford, Chanel, etc.). You may see some kooky things you would never wear, but you’ll also see a lot more conservative styles. These sources offer a good cue on what is in. Before you choose your frame, ask yourself if it would blend in with what you’re seeing from them. I’m usually a you do you person when it comes to style. But as I’m getting older, I’ve realized that outdated eyewear is one of the fastest ways to artificially age you. I take the time to try to find something that makes me happy and also looks current.
anon
YES to what outdated eyewear does to someone’s overall look. It makes a huge difference.
Anon
Agreed!!
Anom
This is why I prefer a full service frame store. I feel like I get better guidance from sales people on an up to date look. I’m mostly a contact lens wearer and I’ve got a small head so I need the extra help to find the right pair and buy infrequently enough that I don’t mind paying more to get the help.
Anon
They’re probably not actually that big – they just seem big to you.
ALT
Last time I needed new frames, I went to Warby Parker and told them what I had at the time (smallish square) and what I wanted (something more fun) and they pulled a ton of frames that fit what I was looking for. I highly recommend going j to a store if you can!
Anon
And yes, small, rectangular frames are REALLY outdated.
Anon
The way frames look on your individual face is so much more important than trends when it comes to glasses.
Anonymous
Yes, this!
I’ve worn glasses daily since the late 80s and my only concerns when buying new frames are that they suit my face shape and that they will work for my prescription…
Anonymous
How it looks with your face shape matters, but you also should pay attention to what is current. If you were still dressing like every day was the 80s, I would say the same thing. Styles change for better or worse. OP literally asked what’s in style these days.
Anon
I think there is always some way to stay up to date though!
Anonymous
I still see people getting clear acetate frames. Either truly clear, or with a soft pastel, white, cream or lighter tint.
The clear acetate frames don’t read as giant since your skin shows through the frame, even though they will feel larger to you, so they might be a compromise for you now.
I went from small to large glasses about a decade ago, and I can’t overstate how great it felt to have a larger surface to see through. It’s very, very nice to look through larger frames compared to the smaller ones.
If you wear glasses with nose pads now, remember that you can have them on acetate styles as well as traditional metal ones if you like the fit with pads. They just shave off the wider bit on the nose side of the frames and add the pads.
Anon
It might be worth trying them without pads though (I sooo do not miss them).
Anonymous
Oh, for sure! But people have different nose shapes and sizes, and different nose bridge shapes and sizes, and nose pads are great for making a wider range of frames accessible for more people. In particular, glasses are not, on the whole, made for lower nose shapes and that’s a real issue for people of African decent, whether in the US or elsewhere.
No Problem
The only thing I will caution about regarding larger frames is the weight if you have a strong prescription. Even with the highest of high index available, two of my larger (not even actually that large) pairs of glasses are just so heavy on my face and give me a headache. I stopped wearing them entirely and wear an older (smaller, rectangular) pair whenever I wear glasses (I wear contacts most of the time). If anyone knows of a retailer that will give a weight estimate for new pairs based on your Rx and the lenses you choose before they’re made, I would be over the moon and would definitely shop there.
Winter
Thanks all! I actually think this will be a fun shopping project. A little tiny makeover!
anon
Do you consider yourself to be handy around the house? If you have a male partner, is he handy?
I am perpetually confused by how the men in my life, who all have white collar office jobs, acquired a seemingly vast knowledge of tools and home repair stuff. My husband, who is a lawyer and the son of of a doctor, owns a zillion tools and confidently does things like messing around with electrical outlets, and using concrete saws, and putting various types of additives in the power tools the keep the gas from going bad. When I ask him where he learned it all, he just kind of shrugs.
My dad is extremely handy, but he comes by it honestly (he worked in a garage all through high school, and his father also had a background as an auto mechanic before moving into a particular type of skilled assembly line work) – my brother is also very handy, though, and I know that he did *not* acquire this knowledge directly from my father because he was very much a disaffected youth and did not help out around the house. I have no idea where he picked this stuff up.
I have owned basic tools since I went to college (hammer, screwdrivers of various types, level, small saws) and I know how to use a cordless drill, but that’s about it. Are you handy? Is your (male) spouse handy? Do men have secret meetings where they learn how to replace washing machine parts? Or are the men in my life atypical?
Anon
Neither myself nor my husband is handy at all. We outsource everything more complex than changing a lightbulb. My mom is the handiest person in our extended family, but still not super handy.
Anon
My husband is reasonably handy and I can do basic things but am not very interested in doing more of than that (I’m kind of a klutz and uninterested in doing more work on the house than absolutely necessary). We mostly just learn by doing things, and googling or watching videos about what we don’t know. He also used to hang out with a friend who was a mechanic and we both worked in science labs so we had to learn how to do all kinds of random things, even though we both have desk jobs now.
anon
My husband and I recently renovated a house mostly on our own. We’ve learned how to do it as we went along. Obviously, we look up a lot of things online, but mostly it’s that learning how to do one thing makes you more confident that you can do the next thing, even if you’ve never done it before. Neither of us is any more handy than the other.
The confidence you’re seeing in men is partially that confidence of having done things before, even if not the same thing. And partially just the usual male overconfidence.
Anonymous
I’ve always found the phrase “comes by it honestly” to be amusing, because how does one dishonestly come by a skill?
To answer your question, my H is very handy, and everything is self-taught. I’m less handy, because I’ve honestly never wanted to learn to do those things. I do know several women who are just as handy as my H, though, and a couple of men who are less handy than I am.
Anonymous
My husband is NOT handy. Such much so that our 3 year old, whether it is a tear in clothes, building a magna tile structure, or touching up paint, comes to me and not his dad to address the issue (my husband is otherwise the favored parent by 100x). I came by this from watching This Old House and New Yankee Workshop on PBS since I was like 5, along with having access to a sewing machine and freedom to experiment at will on scrap lumbar or making doll clothes, and several architecture classes in high school. I’m the friend who will beg YOU to build your lkea furniture for you. My dream vacation is to be a customer in residence at Thomas Moser furniture and build my own dining room table and chairs.
I have two bothers, and we are all close in age/raised in the same house, and neither of them is handy. My dad wasn’t very handy, but he is a problem solver (actuary by trade), so I think I get it from him. However, my husband loves making things (we’re both lawyers and find that not making a tangible thing is a downside to this job), largely food related. So he makes his own Brandied cherries, makes me homemade bath salts and bath bombs as Christmas stocking stuffers, his own blends of tea, etc. but power tools- no, not for him.
Runcible Spoon
I just love the concept of “customer in residence”!
Anon
Yes, I am the handy one. My husband is not. I have acquired all the power tools we own. I grew up without cable and my Saturday morning entertainment was Norm Abram and This Old House. My dream job is to be a finish carpenter. I took a couple of years of shop class in high school. More importantly, I also watch YouTube videos when I need to figure out how to do something. It’s really not that hard to do basic maintenance, all you need is YouTube, not a VocEd degree.
Anonymous
It’s a product of men being socialized to try stuff and told not to worry if they mess up. I learned to use a cordless drill during covid and I love it. You tube is your friend for learning stuff. And Home Depot often has DIY classes.
Cb
I am not handy at all, my husband is an ace ikea furniture builder but knows his diy limits. He will fix wobbly taps wherever he goes (holiday rentals, his cousins house) but that’s about it. So we pay men with thick Scottish accents hefty wages to mock our incompetence / fix everything for us.
anon
My husband is the same while I can do none of those things. I do the typical female tasks. It works for us.
Anonymous
I’m fairly handy. I’ve always been a tinkerer (I was one of those super-cool high school students putting together model cars in the basement). I’m also an experimental scientist and, especially, grad school, got very comfortable with tools and just trying things. If you have a project you think you can do just try looking at a few youtube videos. Also, expect to have to redo steps as you figure out what you did wrong or imperfectly. Patience and confidence are the most important thing in home repair (in my opinion).
Anonymous
Lol. This is exactly why I am not handy. I come from a long line of engineers and contractors, and I have been on many a job site with them and I should be much further ahead than I am, but I lack the patience to tinker.
anon
I am reasonably handy. Grew up broke, with a natural inclination to take stuff apart and (not always) put it back together. Spent plenty of time watching dad, neighbors, family work on cars, home DIY, etc. which taught me that most stuff is not that complicated if you take it piece by piece, plus a healthy dose of don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough. As to the replacing washing machine parts, everything has a manual – there is the owners manual and the service manual. Track down a copy of the service manual and you will know what parts are in the washing machine. I will say on the handiness, this really varies regionally – my Canadian friends regardless of income level are much more handy whereas SEUS (other than really country) tends not to be.
Anon
“Do men have secret meetings where they learn how to replace washing machine parts?”
Yes, they are scheduled at the same time as our meetings about braiding hair, which apparently many (most?) men don’t know how to do
Anon
I saw a social media post recently from a woman DIY’er who said she was born with the “how hard can it be?” gene, and that resonated with me. I figure that lots of people dumber than me have done X so, surely, I can do it also. My husband does not have this gene, so I am the primary doer in the family. But, generally, it may well be that more men than women have this propensity when it comes to home improvement.
Anon
I had that mindset in my 20s and reupholstered a vintage armchair – twice! – with the help of a book and some tools and upholstery fabric I bought at an actual upholstery shop. No staple gun, I pulled fabric taut with the special tool and tacked it down with a hammer and upholstery tacks. I don’t know who I thought I was, but it was successful. These days it just sounds like WAY too much!
Anonymous
I’m reasonably handy, and excellent with anything put together from a kit. I don’t touch anything to do with electrical or plumbing which would make the home insurance invalid, but I know how to change plugs and and gaskets. I’ve had some sort of tool box since I was a kid, the first one a gift from my grandma.
Compared to other people in my family, of which none are tradesmen, I can’t compete, even though I’d love to – my biggest weakness is physical weakness. There are limits to how much I can lift, hold and safely work with.
Anon
I have no brothers and Dad is the king of tools. I went to a blue-collar middle school where I took wood and metal shop and mechanical drawing. I liked them but wasn’t allowed to take in high school because of conflicts with trig and calculus. I worked on habitat builds and loved it and my first house was a fixer where I did the cosmetic stuff but used a pro for things like jackhammering and sistering a beam with water damage.
Anon
I’m the one in the family who does car repair (we rent, so not much in home repair). Ironically, our family backgrounds are the reverse of what you would think: his grandparents were farmers, his parents were military, and mine were execs.
I got tired of mechanics trying to pull a fast one on me and doing a bad job at whatever they did manage. So I acquired tools and knowledge, not always in that order.
Anon for this
I am not especially handy, but there are some things I have learned how to do by watching YouTube videos (how to operate a string trimmer and change out the string, for example). I think a lot of people (both men and women) learn some basics by watching others (a parent, a professional who they have called to fix/install something, a TV show or three, or tutorials online) and then can apply that knowledge to more complicated or related tasks.
I have a group of guy friends that will help each other on household tasks that require more than one person. They get to all hang out together, share tools, and learn how to do a task together (like installing a ceiling fan, wall mounting TVs, building a deck, or laying patio pavers). Usually one guy kind of knows how to do the task, someone else has a necessary tool, and the other guys get to contribute manual labor in return for learning how to do the thing. Secret meetings? Not secret, but actual meetings? Yes, in that case.
Peaches
Thank goodness for Youtube. Whatever problem I have, it’s likely that someone else has also had that problem.
Anon
I am the older child of two daughters, so I was the one who always “helped” my Dad do home improvements. That is how I learned: (1) what the tools are called/can do and (2) not to be afraid of trying stuff – electricity excepted!
During COVID, my husband and I have done a lot of home stuff that we typically would outsource ourselves because we don’t want anyone in the house. These are things I had never done before (e.g., replace doorbell) but are not difficult. My tip is to find youtube videos! There are a lot of mostly middle aged men who do a really good job of explaining how to do things and why to do it X way and not Y way. My main tip is that the ratio for how long it takes me to do something compared to how long it takes the guy on the video is about 10:1, so put aside enough time to do the thing you need to do before you start.
Anon
My partner is handy. He is a tinkerer and I think mostly figured things out along the way, and probably learned some stuff from his dad who is very similar. Neither of their jobs have anything to do with handiness. My dad became handy for similar reasons and to save money by not having to outsource things. And my mom is handy because she’s a let me figure this out kind of a person. I do not have a handy bone in my body, but I feel surrounded by handiness. So I just hold the flashlight.
Anon
i am not at all handy. neither is DH, but DH’s dad is super handy, as is his sister. the stuff just comes naturally to them whereas DH is a whiz with a spreadsheet, but give him a set of instructions to assemble a basic piece of furniture and it takes 10x as long as it should. his brain just doesnt work that way
Sallyanne
Neither my husband or I are handy. My MIL is the handiest person I know—remodel bathrooms and kitchens with that can do attitude. My 20yo daughter is also very handy and loves to build with legos and it’s not uncommon to hear some sort of banging coming from her room and then walk in and see a new shelf system up.
Anon
I’m not super handy, but I also don’t have to call people to fix everything. I came at it by being crafty. If I’m interested in something, I want to know how it works. That means I can often fix things because I have that mindset.
Anon
I am handy and will do light plumbing, electrical, carpentry, mechanical and appliance repair. Pretty much anything unless it involves gas lines, soldering (although I’m considering learning that skill), structural work, or heavy equipment.
My husband, an engineer by trade, is…less-than-handy. For real. When something in the house needs work, I provide the brains and he provides the brawn. He does sincerely try to do things himself but usually makes them worse or gets stuck and calls me in to fix it. How he does this sort of thing for a living (for decades! With accolades!) but then completely disassociates from that knowledge at home is a puzzle I have yet to solve. He generously helps friends and family with no issues, but if it involves our own house it’s like his logical side shuts down.
We both grew up blue collar, although my dad was far more hands-on with this sort of thing than his dad so I assume that is where I come by it.
Anon
The men in your life are basic, and have fallen into what society expects of them due to traditional gender roles. Just as women will be judged if their house isn’t clean, men will be judged if their cabinet hinges are wonky or whatever. They’ve just been socialized to do this stuff.
Runcible Spoon
Nice shoes, but my wide-toed duck feet can’t tolerate pointy toed shoes. I’d snap a pair up in a heartbeat if they sported a more rounded toe.
Anisette
[deleted by mgmt]
Anon
OOooohkay.
ANON
WHAT IN THE WHAT
Anon
The new E L L * N????
Anon
Is this Ell3n’s new handle?
Anonymous
I’m another who avoids pointy toe shoes.
If these were round toe, I would probably consider them, though.
Anon
If your toes are up in the pointy part, the shoes are too short for your feet. Pointy toed shoes elongate the foot mainly because they are longer than the foot. That pointy part is supposed to be empty.
Anonymous
Weird question, but: has it gotten a lot harder to google people recently? I’m not stalking anyone in particular but every so often I’ll wonder about someone I knew years and years ago. I used to be able to give them a quick google and find them relatively quickly, but it feels like it takes forever now. (Or: are people paying to make themselves harder to find?)
Anon
I think there are just more people with a major web presence which makes it harder to find people who have the same name but aren’t living their lives prominently online. Their results get buried under their (often younger) doppelgängers and are harder to find. Older people might be less likely to show up in things that get posted online if they don’t have the type of job that gets them in the news or on a company website and they hide their social media from search results.
Cat
if you don’t use a full name on social media, don’t need to make yourself publicly contactable (like being a partner at a law firm), and aren’t a prominent citizen that gets mentioned in articles or society recap type stuff — you’d be surprised how little pops up!
Anon
It is harder to find anything you’re looking for on Google recently.
Based on some search results that closely mimicked search results I was getting from You.com, I think they’re trying to incorporate AI somehow.
Anonymous
Agreed. Not just people, but all other search terms. It seems I don’t event get the next page button at the bottom sometimes (but 30,000+ results were found??)
Anonymous
Yes, they seem to prioritize ads / revenue sources in their search results… And that’s not counting all the content buried on other platforms/ apps/ private groups that google cannot access. ie, it’s difficult to locate a recipe from so-so’s blog from 10 years ago, similar sounding recipes from paid sites will be pushed out and jammed down your throat.
Siiigh I miss the “golden age of internet” circa 2000-2018ish when lots of info was in random blogs and forum sites
Anon
Has anyone bought shoes from this brand and can comment on quality?
Anon
Does anyone else get migraines or asthma attacks from artificial fragrances in cleaning products and how do you go on vacation?
Self-managed VRBO & Airbnb all use fragranced washing detergents, and are more likely to have candles and reed sticks (my nemesis!) but can be accomodating about cleaning without it being too smelly.
Commercial cleaners and properties are better as their laundries don’t use fragrances, but so many hotels have artificial smell auto-spray in hallways and lifts which kill me (only slightly exaggerating there, but it can be life threatening for me).
There’s so many things, from trash bags to toilet paper that can be scented.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to vacation somewhere fragrance-free?
Unfortunately camping is out due to not being able to walk far or carry much due to to joint/ligament condition.
Nesprin
Yes- I have scent triggered asthma, to the point that I had to move offices due to someone who dropped a bottle of perfume.
I take antihistamines+ asthma controller meds and carry backup prednisone when I travel. There’s lots of controller meds out there and if you’re unable to travel it’s probably time to think about changing to a stronger mix for travel.
Anon
Unfortunately it not something meds can fix, as it’s multiple chemical sensitivity so the only thing is avoidance. I have an oxygen prescription, Epipen and migraine medication.
Each time I get exposed to something that sets it off, I become more sensitive so it’s a horrible thing I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
Anon
I will never understand why people think it is better to cover up bad smells with fake chemicals than it is to actually clean the thing that is causing the bad smells in the first place.
Anon
+10000. When I smell foul, stale air, the last thing I think is “you know what would make this better, some chemical mango scent!”
Anon
I just learned a little tidbit about Febreze recently. When it was first introduced, it was actually more or less odorless. It was a new kind of encapsulation technology where the Febreze molecules encapsulated the offending odor molecules to neutralize them. But people didn’t think Febreze worked because it didn’t smell like anything to them, so Febreze started adding very strong scents, and then people bought it. I think Febreze smells like just about the worst thing on the planet, and I’m someone who has smelled pure civet so that is really saying something!
Anon
There’s no accounting for stupidity.
Anon
I’m also quite sensitive to these, but I also have enough trouble with motion sickness that I haven’t traveled that much in the last few years. But even when I did travel a lot, I didn’t have much of a problem in hotels, so I don’t know if it’s changed a lot recently or if it’s just the kind of places I stay vs. where you stay. I suspect that it might actually be more of a problem at higher end places or AirBnB, like you mentioned. You could stay in motel or lodge style places, where you don’t have to use hallways or elevators and everything is open to the outside.
anon
I don’t have any good solutions, but:
-I imagine that major hotel chains have someone to discuss disability accommodations and that turning off the artificial scents for the duration of your stay may be a reasonable accommodation
-I have smoke-triggered asthma and the mask that works best for me is the kind made by 3M with round, replaceable filters used in hazardous workplaces. My mask has N95 filters, but I think one can also get VOC filters. I look bonkers in it, so I reserve it for when I’m all out of other options. I saw someone with delightful patterned covers for their filters, which may be an option to look less bizarre.
Anon
Oh yes, I wear respirator mask in public and find that people give me a lot of personal space!
Anon
People have come to think laundry products have to have a “fresh” scent (often linalool/limonene) that is left behind on their clothing, otherwise they don’t perceive it as clean. It’s also true that when you are constantly surrounded by the same scent, you become “noseblind” or anosmic to that scent.
That’s why some dude who has worn the same fragrance daily, say Dior Sauvage, for a year or so now feel like they need 6-8 sprays, when they only needed 2-3 when they first started wearing it. (looking at you, coworker, and no, it still doesn’t make you Johnny Depp.)
And that’s why laundry detergent manufacturers keep upping the laundry fragrance game. The same users who thought their laundry smelled incredibly fresh last year now no longer have that “fresh” experience and seek out stronger products – NEW IMPROVED FRESHER SCENT and scent beads and all kinds of other atrocities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linalool
I am a hobbyist perfumer and I cannot stand the detergent/fabric softener aisle at the grocery store. I can handle a hotel lobby scent because it’s usually not pumped into the rooms, and usually their sheets and linens are fairly scent-free. Maybe because they know many customers would otherwise have issues. With an Air BnB or VRBO, I’d definitely ask first. Believe me, it wouldn’t be the weirdest question they’ve ever received, and if more people speak up, maybe more people will become aware that these laundry scents are not good news.
Anon
Atrocities is an accurate description!
Anonymous
I’d focus on properties that are very open to the outdoors. Think open air lobbies, outdoor paths to rooms, rooms with private outdoor space and big open doors and windows for cross breezes.
Anon
I have not tried “Pure Rooms”, but I did bookmark it (these seem to be hypoallergenic rooms located in regular hotels, though they use wooy wellness advertising).
Anon
Haha I love the word wooy. I say it but hadn’t seen it written.
Now I want to stay in a wooy wellness room just to see what’s up.
Anon
I had not heard of these, thank you!
Anonymous
Yes, I get both migraines and asthma attacks. I hate fuing scented anyting.
Come to Eurooe. Real hotels in Europe do not have hallway sprays, scented trash bags or toilet paper. B&Bs and Airb&Bs and “Boutique” hotels may have reeds and candles, but not real, boring proper chain hotels. Ask for an allergy friendly room, of course, but a no frills place wont have the budget for reeds.
You cannot get away from the laundry detergent, though. I bring my own small extra pillow and pillowcases, and that works out for me, because I get my own scent free fabric closest to my face.
Anonymous
Mostly it comes down to migraine medications, but I would consider a travel air purifier with a charcoal filter for the room itself.