Suit of the Week: Ann Taylor

64 Comments

1. I am considering staying on an extra day (really only a half day) in Miami after a conference, so I would have one afternoon/evening off. What would you recommend doing (I’ll be on my own)? Any great women’s clothing shops? things to do that would be fun solo? best food? I’ve been to Calle Ocho before, but that’s about it.

   1. I love wandering either in South Beach proper or in the Lincoln Road area. It feels so decadent just to be able to saunter around outdoors in the winter and it will never grow old for me.

      1. same

   2. I would always recommend coming in a day early vs. staying a day late. I’m always ready to go home by the end of a conference.

   3. South Beach has the best people watching, IMO. If it were me I’d go to dinner somewhere fancy at the bar or Pura Vida if I wanted more casual, then get key lime pie at Joe’s Stone Crab, then take a walk up ocean drive in the evening for people watching, and maybe post up at a cocktail bar for one drink. Don’t eat at any restaurants on Ocean Drive itself — they’re all tourist traps. South Pointe Park is another nice place for a stroll, but I’d go there before dark if I were alone.

      1. +1 for Joe’s Stone Crab! Dinner and dessert there would be top of my list this time of year. They have great fried chicken (and so cheap!) if you don’t like stone crab.

   4. I would Uber to Vizcaya and have a wander around during the day, enjoy dinner at Macchialina or some intimate small place on Espanola Way, and otherwise happily rot poolside or in a beach lounger at my hotel.

   5. Go see the famous murals.

   6. I did a paddleboard/kayak tour by myself (other people on the tour, but no one I knew) at sunset in January a few years ago, and it was so much fun.

   7. It’s not by the shopping areas, but the Faena’s spa was fantastic and their restaurant was also excellent. The art was also surprisingly good. I would get a spa treament, shower, change, and then grab a drink/dinner there.

   8. There’s an area called the Design District that is really fun, it has a lovely restaurant called Le Jardin that is well worth the price!

2. My high schooler really wants a great Sadie’s dress. She is bookish and so are her friends, so she doesn’t know where to shop. I am no help. Belk and Dillards didn’t appeal. Apparently the styles are like HoCO dresses — very short and tight. Where can you actually try these things on? Or is just mail order? She has challenging dimensions and we may not have time to get something altered, so leaving the store with something that works out of the box is something I’d gladly pay for at this point. Bridesmaids stores? I have no idea. She doesn’t have a similarly-shaped friend she could swap with (which is how we did it back in the day).

   1. My teen and her friends all shop at Windsor for school dance dresses. They have the short tight homecoming styles, although this time of year they will begin to stock more of the long prom styles. They are cheap and probably manufactured with unethical labor practices, but that’s where the kids are shopping.

      1. +1.

   2. What do you mean by challenging dimensions – plus sized, large bust, very petite? That will help narrow down options.

   3. You can’t try things on. Especially not at this time of year when in store options will be clearance or formal for proms. Have her look at Lulus. The user reviews typically include many photos, so she can look for someone with her proportions. Also, the materials are super stretchy and often have tie backs, etc that make them fit a wider range of bodies. We’ve never had issues with returns/refunds with Lulus, and they ship very quickly.

   4. Asos might be a good online store

3. I don’t want high rise pants. I didn’t care for low rise pants when they were a thing. Why can’t we have ordinary, classic suit pants? I am finding classic suiting increasingly difficult to find.

   1. Check Lands End and Talbots

      1. Even the pants I ordered from LE in November were high to the point of being uncomfortable. And I’m 5’8″ with a long rise. I hear you, OP. I am so sick of trying to find pants.

4. my brows have gotten lighter over the years — i’m not sure something like a growth serum would work because I worry that would just make me hairier but not necessarily darker. i’m hearing bad stories about microblading now — anything else i should consider besides daily brow makeup?

   1. I’ve tried brow tinting, but it lasts only a couple of weeks before fading. So I am in the same boat!

   2. You can dye them at home.

   3. I get my eyebrows threaded once a month. A lot of other women there get them tinted at the same time. Seems worth a try.

      1. How much does it cost for a threading/tint?

   4. I got mine microbladed after doing a lot of research into providers. Before microblading, I used a brow dye I got on Amazon.

   5. I’ve got blond friends who swear by Just For Men.

      1. This. Lots of tutorials on YouTube.

   6. I had nano brows done about two and a half years ago. I went with nano because I liked the look better and it is supposed to be better for mature, sensitive skin. I did a lot of research into providers and I was very happy with the results. At the time, I had them done because my brows had gotten very sparse and I was tired of filling them in with a brow pencil every day – it was a lot of time and didn’t look great.
      They have faded over time and are less sharp than when first done, but they are not so light that I am ready to have them done again. In addition, I’ve regained some brow hair, although it is generally very light. So I now use the Benefit tinted brow wax every day to darken the light hairs. I’m fine with this, because it’s very quick and much more natural than what I was doing before. I will say that if you have hair but it’s just light, I don’t know that nano brows or microblading will give you what you want, because the light hairs on top will somewhat obscure your results.

   7. I dye mine at home (Ardell Brow Tint) and it’s easy & cheap. Lasts for a few weeks; easy enough to do again.

5. I need help finding a link – I remember reading a hysterical blog post summarizing the Nicola Pelz wedding planner lawsuit drama around the time that the text messages between her and the planners were released. It was a long blow by blow with embedded images of the text. I may have even shared it here. I can’t find it now and really want to reread it to support my mental health. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

   1. Might have been the fug girls?

6. It’s like I pulled a hangnail and the side of my finger by it got infected, but not only is that not the case, I cannot remember any precipitating event. But the skin to one side of one finger is dark pink (vs my usual pasty pink), swollen (visibily now, but subtle, since it’s the side of a finger by a nail), and warm. It’s like I’m trying to burn out the funk. Of course, a storm is coming, so I can see someone at urgent care in about a week (doctor is longer). Can I really do anything? There isn’t a wound to clean out or put antibiotics on (and the funk is inside my skin, not on the surface). Just let the immune system do its thing? Soak it? It’s only a bit of pain when I type or do something like play my violin (pressing down on the strings), so like a 2/10 for nuisance level pain.

   1. Can you go to a pharmacy or urgent care walk-in? You do not want to mess around with infections. At a minimum draw the current boundary so you can see if it’s growing.

   2. Soaking it in warm salt water certainly won’t hurt, and neither will antibiotic ointment.

      1. +1 for warm salt water.

         I’m wary of antibiotic ointment personally. OTC isn’t going to help you if it’s serious.

      2. I think it depends on the antibiotic ointment; my doctor recommended some and cautioned against others.

   3. Soak it.

   4. I have gotten these occasionally, essentially a pimple but somewhere else on your body. Soaking it in warm/hot salt water is a good idea – something like 15 minutes at a time a few times a day. Then neosporin.

      If you see red lines coming out of the area, or get a fever, 100% go to ER since you can’t get urgent care

   5. You could try a warm compress. But if it doesn’t get better before the storm, I’d see about going into a walk-in urgent care and getting an antibiotic. A mid-level practitioner is fine for this type of thing.

   6. If you can’t see someone at urgent care (can’t you just walk in though?), you could try a telehealth appointment and see if they’ll send in an antibiotic prescription.

      1. +1 it’s probably a paronychia.

   7. An old home remedy that actually works for minor wounds/swelling like this: soak in a strong solution of (bearably) hot water and Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), twice a day. Just leave your hand in the water until it gets cool. The Epsom salt draws the moisture out and reduces the inflammation. Do NOT use for deep cuts, of course!

   8. Honestly I’ve had these on occasion and while soaking is probably a good idea, I can squeeze from the outer edge of the swelling and get some pus out, then clean and put some antibiotic ointment on it. It’s always been fine and clears up immediately. I’ve done this…5 times maybe? I don’t bite my nails but have a bad habit of biting at hangnails.

   9. I’ve had this, and sr one soaking in very warm salt water four or five times a day. Also, elevate your hand above your heart when you can.

7. Sigh, I really dislike being the person to bring up the fact that all the names that have been thrown out for this conference that we are putting on includes only middle-aged white men.

   And then seeing that the two approvers on speakers are middle-aged white men.

   And that the women/POC names that were mentioned during the meeting were flippantly dismissed with “no, we need BIG names”.

   And that this is the second meeting where this has happened, where it’s just men, men, men added to the shortlist of speakers. Fortunately, another woman said “we can’t just have dudes” during that one, I didn’t have to be the one to bring it up.

   But honestly? Part of me wants to just let my company put on a pale, male conference and let them suffer the consequences from the online mob. Except that the people who will have to clean up that firestorm are my fellow women who will be asking how it happened in the first place. Why didn’t anyone flag it BEFORE the agenda was published?

   1. I’m sorry. Please be the one to do it. It’s not fair. But it’s something that has to be said, and if no one else is saying it, then please say it.

8. I am usually not someone who likes all inclusives but after a VERY busy year, my husband wanted to go to one for our upcoming anniversary so he doesnt have to think about anything (to his credit he is the one who plans and does most logistics if not all for all our trips) and this has been a mentally and emotionally hard year for me too. However, as we get closer to the trip and given we have gone to cancun before, am struggling to think of how not to spend the whole time simply eating and drinking (am also on a healthier-me journey) the whole time… yes, am a type A anxious person if you couldn’t tell so plz don’t be mean about my admittedly silly/privileged question.

   1. What is your question—are you wanting information on activities or outings?

   2. Does your resort offer excursions/activities? If so, I would start by looking there for things to do. Even if you just plan two day trips, you will be doing more than eating and drinking the whole time. There are all kinds of things to do in the area. Go to Tulum or Chichen Itza. Add a birdwatching or ecological park and you have enough for structure.

      1. +1. This, just pick out and do two excursions that are offered through the resort. Fight the Type A optimizer in yourself to find the very best offerings (or is that just me?) and just let the hotel handle the details.

      2. Another +1. We usually pick one or two excursions and participate in a couple of on-resort classes. Through an excursion I’ve been zip lining, snorkeled in Akumal bay to see the giant turtles, and snorkeled in a cave – all very touristy but all very fun. The Tulum ruins are interesting too, but I think Tulum may be the hottest place I’ve ever been.

         Palmaia House of Aisha is a wellness resort that looks pretty woo but I hope to go one of these days. On the more activities side of things, there’s Xcaret Arte.

   3. look up what activities the resort offers? like can you take windsurf lessons? hike and rewarded with a cenote or scenic view?

   4. Every all-inclusive I’ve been to has had tons of activities plus a gym and a spa…so instead of eating all the time, you can stay busy with activities.

   5. YMMV but I actually find that I eat less at all-inclusives than I do on a food-centric trip where we want to try a ton of different restaurants. We just got back from a long weekend in Charleston and I thought I was going to die of bloating because there were so many good restaurants to try and I wanted to fit it all in and try as many places as we could and it was way too much food. In contrast, I’ve done cruises and all-inclusive resorts recently without issues. At an all-inclusive, the food is always there and the breakfast buffet in particular really doesn’t change from day to day so it’s easier to moderate and just start the day with a fruit plate or something like that.

      I’ve always had very limited alcohol at beach resorts, so can’t help much there. I’m not a big drinker in general, and heat, humidity and alcohol are not a good combo for me. I don’t enjoy NA wines but for something like a strawberry daiquiri, virgin is just as good as alcoholic for me.

   6. Since you’re focusing on healthier you, check if there are daily group fitness options in scenic places. I did daily paddleboard yoga on a recent trip and it really set the daily tone.

9. A former coworker whom I am friendly with but not super close just let me know she was just released from the hospital after a week with a diagnosis of heart failure. She’s young–in her 30s–single, and happens to live near me. Thankfully, she said her mother is in town to help her out. I would like to bring her some food and maybe send flowers – any other obvious ideas of ways to be helpful? If anyone has low recipes that reheat/keep well, I would welcome them. I have no idea what her prognosis is or what brought this on, and I am not going to ask.

   1. Heart failure might come with a special diet. What about a gift card to a grocery store that offers delivery? Or UberEats? Anything that makes services or goods come to them instead of going out to get it. Her mom might be reluctant to leave her alone for awhile.

   2. Oh gosh, I am sorry to hear this. Perhaps a door cash or instacart gift card might be a good idea. She may have a dietary program is following, so it’s good for her to have options. Flowers are always nice! Also, random but Amazon gift cards are also nice. After I had a broken arm and several surgeries it was nice to receive an amazon gift card because I needed to buy random items (cast scratcher lol, pants that didn’t need to be buttoned, slip on shoes, etc..). That is really sweet of you for thinking of her!

   3. gift cards to whole foods/grocery stores might be more useful given that she may be on special diet – or just have tastes that are specific that you are unaware of.

   4. If you have the time, a healthy lentil soup or simple chicken stew would be really lovely. They keep and freeze well.

      If she is has heart failure, she is likely being careful about her salt content. Using fresh herbs etc… would be so nice.

      1. This sounds lovely but I wouldn’t do soup given the situation. Very likely she needs to be tracking her salt very carefully and this would make that difficult. Go with something non dietary instead or even gift some fresh herb plants and the recipe.

10. I’m a long time reader but rarely comment. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good divorce lawyer in Salt Lake City? Not many assets are involved so the case will largely focus on how often each parents sees the 2 small children (both are under 5).Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

    1. I would repost in the morning. good luck!

Comments are closed.