Wednesday’s Workwear Report: Tweed Open Front Sweater
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Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
I love a tweedy sweater blazer for fall and this one from Anne Klein is just lovely. It does look like it has a touch of shimmer, but not so much that I wouldn’t wear it to the office in December. Pair with an all-black outfit for an easy, pulled-together office look or layer it over a bright sheath for a holiday party.
The jacket is $110 at Nordstrom and comes in sizes XS-XXL. It’s also available in ivory.
Sales of note for 11/6:
- Nordstrom – Early Black Friday sale! Up to 25% off fashion + 15% off all fragrance
- Sephora – Savings Event! 10-20% off for members, and 30% off Sephora Collection
- Ann Taylor – 25% off your purchase, and $50 off $200
- Brooklinen – Surprise weekend sale, 20% off
- Electric Picks – 25% off
- J.Crew – 2400+ markdowns
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 50% off clearance
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 20% on suiting and dresses! Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items)
- Talbots – Enjoy 30% off your entire purchase
This outfit looks old and frumpy to me. I love a little sparkle in the office in December, but this isn’t it.
I wonder how much of how we perceive a garment is how it’s styled and photographed. Like could a celebrity stylist and an arty photographer and maybe a more fashion-y model make something of this with a different outfit?
If there are any people doing this on insta, I’d love to follow them just to reimagine my closet and current possessions.
Anne Klein is generally speaking kind of a “blend in, you won’t be inappropriate” brand IMHO. I would probably style a piece like this jacket over a slouchy silk blouse tucked into wide-legged pants… not whatever is going on with this “2005 tank sticking out under sweater” vibe.
Agreed. I like a classic lady jacket look like this, but it needs a flowier pant and a top with a different texture. As styled, it looks dated to me, but I think this would look good styled differently. That said, Anne Klein isn’t going to be super fashion-forward (which is OK for me, in my conservative field but of course, this is a fashion blog and YMMV).
Yeah I read that comment and thought, no celeb is getting styled in Anne Klein….
I get that. But there is good office wear and bad and then some of us have adult shape that are not the shapes of our youth, where just putting something on me becomes an exercise in avoiding the frump. When style is for the tall and thin (and young), what is it even when you are trying to dress a body that is short and not thin? A gifted stylist could show us. But this is not that.
lol good call on the tank
the white one is even worse
I like tweed lady jackets but I hate sparkle. It reads mother of the bride to me. And I don’t want an almost-work appropriate blazer that I can only wear in December. I will 100% reach into my closet on some dark cold February morning and grab this blazer and not realize it’s sparkly until I get to my first meeting of the day.
If I want something festive then I’ll get an obviously-festive fabric like velvet or sequins. Sparkly tweed is like, I want to be fun but not TOO fun.
I think it’s the too-long top. We are wearing shorter tops nowadays.
I am wearing a with-lapel single-breasted wool tweed-ish blazer from Theory that I got about 20 years ago at Loehman’s. It doesn’t itch. Since then, even quality brand wool jackets have all been itchy as hell (like I need a full turtleneck underneath because nothing of the wool fabric can touch my skin) AND it pills, so I’d be lucky to get a few seasons before it just looks bad (and it is hard to shave tweed because it’s so lumpy / uneven). I didn’t love this blazer when I got it, but recognized the find value of Theory at Loehman’s prices. But now the quality and ease of wear (can wear with any shirt, including short sleeved ones, and not be a miserable scratchy mess all day long) really shine through.
Is there anything good new out there in 2026? While I’m grateful that the blazer fits, I’ve gained shape in the southern hemisphere and am really trying a failing to find a quality rebuilt equivalent wardrobe.
I think it’s really, really hard to tell what fabric will go the distance, in new items.
I have the best like finding quality pieces by stalking Poshmark for older items like your Theory blazer. My style has morphed into classic pieces because they aren’t so trendy that they look dated years later.
Modern fast fashion has truly destroyed the quality of items like this; and I’m talking from Chanel to Temu. This is why items we bought 20 years ago are still wearing like iron, and items from the same brands shred within two wears. I’ve found the best option is buying secondhand. I have the most success at local estate sales.
Where can I get a good-quality silk blouse that has a jewel neckline (not a button-up) or other non-button-up non-collar neckline? Printed or solid is OK. And if not actual silk, something that is such good-quality polyester that I can throw it in the washer and dryer with the rest of my clothes (good older J. Crew factory and Ann Taylor are like that, but I’m not seeing good pieces like that now).
My most recent actual silk piece is so expensive to maintain and when I try to hand-wash and iron, it never looks good (and is a solid, so it shows). And the fabric looks almost too delicate.
I know it gets a lot of hate here, but I have some washable silk blouses from Quince that I really like in shell and t-shirt shapes. I would love to look good in a button up blouse.
I’ve found them to hold up well. I generally don’t machine wash, but even when I have (on delicate), they’ve been just fine. I do steam/iron after washing.
I was not only displeased with the shape and look of the silk shirt I got from Quince, but I later found out that the company claims its organic cotton items (for children) are OEKO-TEX certified when they are not.
I like my quince silk blouses. I wear a numi undershirt and dry clean 1-2 times a year.
Fwiw, I was a big quince hater but I think they’ve recently stepped up their game and started cutting things much better. I’ve become a reluctant fan.
My silk tops (and dresses and pants) are all Quince and Equipment, purchased used on Poshmark. Great bang for my buck.
I dry clean at home using Dryel. I also steam my clothes instead of ironing.
I machine wash my silk in a lingerie bag with my regular clothing. Steam or iron it straight out of the washer (sometimes even tossing it in the dryer for a few minutes to “pre-steam” so it is easier to iron). It works really well, although silk does shrink if it wasn’t pre-washed.
Eileen fisher washable silk is great quality.
My Millennial Inheritance is a bonkers number of very high quality silk ties and bow-ties. Is there any way for a woman to use these or have them sewn into something else?
And also a lot of Harris Tweed items (with the labels inside of them). My great uncle was a slight man, but they are still a bit large for me. I am guessing that it’s not worth it to try to tailor for someone with very narrow shoulders who is a bit shorter.
No sons, only daughters. Husband is quite a bit larger, so also even the ties will not fit.
I love tweed, so I’d take the blazers to the tailor and ask if they can be reconstructed for your body. Men’s clothes have a different fit than women’s, obviously, but it would be worth trying to me! You might discover it’s not worth the money, or maybe there’s just one item that’s worth the money for the sentimental value.
For the ties, I’ve seen ideas of making them into a quilt or blanket. Personally, I would cut and re-sew them into strips to re-use as beautiful bows on packages. I love real ribbons on presents and they will get reused that way. I wouldn’t want a silk tie throw blanket.
Could you make a pillow cover out of the silk fabric?
In the 1970s my sisters and I made skirts out of ties. It was a look.
I could see turning a tie or two into a belt, depending on the cut. There are lots of videos on how to do it with D rings.
I’d google something like “silk tie sewing projects” and see if anything that comes up looks like something you like.
eBay them and buy yourself something you actually want with the proceeds.
In your shoes, if the Harris Tweed is a color I liked, I would absolutely get them tailored down.
For the silk, I sew and would use them for all kinds of projects, from pocket linings to seam binding or contrast facings.
I went to a sustainability fashion show where one of the designers made a dress out of neck ties. It was cute! I have no clue how you’d find someone to do that, maybe Etsy or a local college that has a fashion program?
Just a cursory Google search turned up a number of vendors on Etsy who makes quilts out of neckties. I think that’s what I’d do.
What would you do with an unexpected weekday off? Assume no childcare needs. Looking for inspiration for an upcoming random Tuesday I’m taking!
Yoga class, bookshop to purchase a new book, nice coffee shop to sit and read that said book, with a little nature walk in between. Or see a theatre production – I went to a random Tuesday matinee a few weeks ago by myself and it was delightful.
Weather permitting i’d probably go on a nice casual hike, see a waterfall or similar.
I love a massage! I treat myself to a 90 minute massage and then get food my family doesn’t like. The ultimate treat.
Going to the movies during the day is indulgent too!
My fave solo day-off: Massage or facial in the AM, lunch at the bar at my fave restaurant and then either an afternoon nap or walking through the antique malls.
Go to a museum
Go to a movie or show matinee
Do you have a budget for this? I’d get a massage at a fancy hotel and/or take myself to the theatre but those things get pretty pricey. More affordably, long walk (weather is still gorgeous in my part of the Midwest), reading in a coffee shop, exercise class with a friend.
I would definitely get outside for a portion of it, maybe walking around a cute downtown and window-shopping. I might also consider: swinging by the library; taking myself for a luxe and delicious lunch experience; and a massage.
How did you decide “how much” house to buy if money wasn’t the main limiting factor? By “how much” I mainly mean price, not necessarily size – and of course, nicer houses in certain locations cost more, regardless of size.
Currently, we live in a small home in a not-especially desirable area. We commute door-to-door one hour by regional train, and it’s comfortable and reliable. The house is from the 1950’s, renovated partially in 1990, and has mid to below average finishes. We like the surrounding area, which is actually pretty walkable, and it is close to nature/etc. That said – there are lots of pain points with the house. The rooms are very small. There is not much room for hosting. We are far from downtown. There is no viable guest room.
We have our eyes on an extremely beautiful home downtown – it is significantly nicer in every way, albeit on a much smaller city lot. It is a 30 minute walk to work. Neighborhood is less nice in terms of urban nuisance, but there are loads of nice places to eat/businesses/etc. It is also 2.5x as expensive as our current home.
We can afford the home, but it basically means taking the non-retirement savings that we were saving for “what if” and putting it into the house, and not adding to the “what-if” pile at nearly the same speed.
I’m torn, and trying to envision this really different version of my life is tough. What did other people do in the same circumstance? I don’t want to die with loads of money I never spent, but I don’t want to be wasteful either.
How did you navigate these decisions?
Context: Location is Toronto, Canada. Will remain child-free. 2 extremely stable AI-resistant jobs, solid government pensions + retirement savings. Partner has his dream job and will presumably retire from it, I could switch around but 99% of opportunities are downtown.
I am not going to opine on the numbers, but living in a house that I think is pretty is important to me, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I like my house; it brings me joy; and I have never regretted putting money into cosmetic upgrades even when the prior version was objectively fine and functioned appropriately. Whether it’s worth the price is obviously your decision, but it’s definitely worth something.
+1 – I very much value my home and where I live and would and do absolutely spend money on it. I don’t really understand why this would be a question, frankly. Unless you’re buying somewhere risky, it’s not like you couldn’t sell at some future point in your life. Homes are generally appreciating assets.
You’re right, we could obviously sell in future. The transaction costs for real estate in Toronto are quite high, unfortunately – in addition to regular realtor fee (5% in our area), we also have a land transfer tax that is quite significant (i.e. 100k on this home, less if we moved into a cheaper home later). It really encourages being sure about the decision…
I’d encourage you to be OK with NOT being “sure” with this decision. It sounds like you’re by nature cautious and want to ensure you don’t make a financial error here.
But you can’t foresee the future at that level. There is no way to identify all the unknowns and solve for them. You do your best, of course, and then you recognize that this isn’t a life-and-death decision. At the most, you’ll lose some money and time and need to move somewhere else. That’s OK. People do that.
When you’re an extremely financially stable person (and it sounds like you are), it’s OK to “lose” some money sometimes or even put a little foolishness into your life, for the sake of enjoying life.
We are on the brink of making a similar decision – to more than double our housing cost in order to get a house that should be far less maintenance, in a location that we love, that we think will be a solid financial investment. Like you, we have reasonably secure jobs and pensions, so it’s really just reallocating money from savings to housing. Yes, it’s a risk, but we figure it’s an investment in our lifestyle as much as the house itself. I also feel like there’s a fairly straightforward exit strategy – even (in the unlikely event) if housing declined 30% and we had to sell, we’d come out okay and be able to put a roof over our heads.
Sympathies. The one thing I learned from Love it or List It is how insane Canadian housing costs are. [And I do not understand why — you all have so much space.]
I would move. We made the opposite move (from city to suburb), with kids. We are paying sooooo much more per month and of course dipped into our savings, but truly the quality of life living somewhere that is appropriate for your circumstances and makes your day to day life better is amazing, and I have zero regrets. Price out how this would change your monthly expenses and if you’re comfortable with it, do it.
In light of your last paragraph, what’s the what-if? that you are saving for? It sounds as if you can responsibly buy the house, and I think it’s going to be worth it both in terms of long term financial stability (new house is likely to increase in value more quickly) and your happiness.
Yeah, the “what-if” money has no specific purpose, beyond just being left over money from our current life that we can’t add to tax-advantaged accounts.
Unfortunately, I don’t think the house appreciation angle is correct though – in our market modest homes increase in value much more quickly than nice homes, since so much of the value is the underlying land. The proposed home is actually a restored Victorian, but I’ll still count it as newer since it was done more recently and to a higher standard, haha.
Buy the beautiful restored Victorian. It will make you so happy, and it sounds like you are financially stable and able to rebuild your emergency fund down the road.
A restored Victorian within 30 minutes walk to downtown Toronto is only going up in value though, even at a more modest pace. I am now trolling Housesigma to see if I can figure out which house you are looking at because I loooove looking at Toronto real estate even though we have no plans to move again!
So I have a lot of direct experience with Toronto and this exact decision. Walking to work and avoiding the GO has been life changing.
I have no experience with Toronto, but I can confirm that having the option of walking to work is the best!
Confirmed DINKs. Different city but we bought the house downtown. Life style improvements are being able to do stuff on a weekday night without it being a production driving into the city – like going to see a band play on a Tuesday night. Have more of a your day back from commuting is also a great benefit – getting home at 6pm really gives you a lot more time for life.
We live in the LCOL Midwest which I know is very different than Toronto. We always had a pretty modest house budget, but you can get a really nice house here for not that much money. I didn’t and don’t want to live in a dump, but I will say that we ended up buying well below the top of our budget range and are SO glad we did. We feel borderline house poor with this house, and know we’d feel significantly more stressed out if we’d spent more money. Houses are expensive as sh1t – our basement flooded this year and we had to do almost $10k worth of repairs, we need a new roof in the next few years which will be $25k+, etc. And we’ve been lucky overall, even with these expenses we’re averaging well under the “annual maintenance = 1% of home value” rule of thumb.
Based on the facts presented here, I would do this.
My house is really important to me and I would absolutely make the trade as long as I didn’t end up being house poor.
Hi from Toronto! What general areas are you talking about (even just east/west if you don’t want to out yourself)?
We also made a move a few years ago to a significantly nicer house that was also significantly more expensive. The first few years were tight but it sounds like you have savings to cushion it. I would say we are much happier now with more space and closer/more able to walk to restaurants etc. My commute also went from one hour to 30 minutes and it is a noticeable difference. Assumingly yours could be even shorter on the TTC?
In terms of being “sure” – the Toronto housing market isn’t dropping off anytime soon, especially not for houses in or near downtown. My view is that it’s a good investment and if you need the money in the future, you can always downsize. I would say if you can afford it, go for it!
Area is south Cabbagetown/north Moss Park, depending on whether you are advocating for or against the house, haha. (House is definitely findable, haha.)
Due to the specific house and work locations, TTC doesn’t seriously shorten the commute in – down to maybe 23-25 minutes depending how streetcars line up. For transit generally, we’d be about 15 minutes walking from College subway, or right off the Carlton streetcar. So like, good not great.
I appreciate your thoughts. I’m so burned by not growing up in Toronto and seeing my own parents get burned when selling when forced to move in the US due to job changes (some recouped through relocation, although I’m sure not all). My life is very different from that on purpose, but those are formative experiences…
Whatever it costs to get the size house I need, in a great school district, with access to great recreational facilities, and near an excellent hospital.
So if you are killed on an ocean-going cruise ships (vs one of those European Viking river cruises), why do you get arrested and held in the US? And is that a final jurisdiction or do you get extradited to where the cruise ship is flagged?
Also interested. Assume jurisdiction is maritime and the victim’s country and sometimes the perpetrator’s country?
I’m in the US on a student visa from another continent and my BF (likely murderer for this scenario) is someone who has overstayed a visa and is from yet another continent, so I think I need to not be murdered on a cruise ship except in a law school final exam.
Americans who kill Americans are tried in American courts, even if it happens elsewhere (see: that trophy hunting dentist who killed his wife in Africa, for example). Extradition is sometimes necessary.
Lots of 48 hours episodes about this.
Presumably if you are killed on an ocean-going cruise ship . . . you’re dead and not available to be arrested?
yeah I assume she meant “if you kill someone on an ocean-going cruise ship…” but I did a double-take too