Coffee Break: Large Banana Claw Clip
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.
I haven't seen a banana claw clip in years (decades?) — so I was intrigued to see that Anthropologie has a number of them in stock right now.
The idea behind these, if you are not familiar, is that because it holds a big section of your hair, it ends up looking like a voluminous ponytail. I never found them quite right for my thick hair, which was always more likely to get tangled in it than look like anything intentional. Still, I took note when I saw them in the store because they've been so rare in recent years.
The clips are $26 at Anthropologie and available in four colors.
Readers, what are your thoughts on banana clips, either in general or for the office?
Sales of note for 4/24:
- Ann Taylor – Friends of Ann Event, 30% off your purchase PLUS $50 off $100! Readers love this popover blouse, and their suiting is also in the sale.
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Brooklinen – 25% off sitewide — we have and love these sateen sheets
- Evereve – Now through Sunday: up to 70% off! Markdowns include Alex Mill, Michael Stars, Sanctuary, Rails, Xirena, and Z-Supply
- Express – $39+ Summer Styles
- J.Crew – Friends & Family Event, 30% off your purchase! Good deals on blazers and boots
- J.Crew Factory – 40% off everything, extra 50% off clearance, and extra 20% off $125+
- Lands' End – 50% off full price styles and 60% off all clearance and sale – lots of ponte dresses come down under $25, and this packable raincoat in gingham is too cute
- Loft – Friends & Family event, 40% off entire purchase + extra 15% off + free shipping
- M.M.LaFleur – This weekend only, save 25% on dresses. Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off.
- Nordstrom – 1500+ new women's markdowns
- Sephora – Up to 50% off hair deals today only – includes Shark Beauty tools! (See our recent discussion on how to upgrade the Revlon brush.)
- Talbots – Friends & Family event, 30% off entire purchase – today only, free shipping, no minimum
- TOCCIN – Use code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off!
- Vivrelle – Looking to own less stuff but still try trends? Use code CORPORETTE for a free month, and borrow high-end designer clothes and bags!
FWIW these never worked for my fine, thin hair, either. Just slid down my head about 5 minutes after I walked out the door.
Same. While banana clips are nostalgic, this style also looks really sloppy to me — but I’m not big on hair accessories.
I have thick straight hair and they never worked for me, either!
Whenever I see a banana clip I think of Geordi LaForge.
lol
I have some clips with some kind or silicone or rubbery substance on the inside of the clip. It is not tacky and doesn’t stick to my hair but provides enough grip that the clip doesn’t slide out of my hair.
I hate these, but I do like a good barrette that holds all of my hair.
it doesn’t even work on the model– why would you want it sticking up like that?
So – we have managed 4 years without my having to get a suit for college-age sons – what is the best way/place for them to have a good experience with sizing and where we can also chat about better fabrics for our humid mid-atlantic home as well as a summer wedding in Houston. The suits will likely get a lot of occasional use, as friends are starting to marry, and interviews for Real Professional Jobs are on the horizon, and even having a go-to pants-and-shirt combo on short notice is a blessing. DH is feigning ignorance/amnesia, ugh.
DH will have to ask around.
Jos. A Bank exists for a reason–it’s great for short notice. Otherwise people tend to have a tailor nearby, or someone who comes to town a few times a year to take measurements, discuss fabrics, and have the finished product shipped.
I’d take them to Suit Supply. Husband notoriously gets overheated in a suit (both temp + anxiety), and likes their suits for summers in Houston. Cuts are more modern than Men’s Warehouse or Jos A Banks. If you are only buying one suit, I’d lean towards a blue, blue, rather than dark navy.
honestly, trying on suits from a few stores to see. Just like different brands fit different women’s shapes better. Jos A Banks *looks* more expensive on my husband than Brooks Brothers does because their fit model is just better for him.
Honestly, for a first suit I’d just go to Macy’s.
My college ago sons both have suits from mens wear house. there are certainly cheaper and also more expensive options, they have real people working there which i found useful. this is really only an option if they’re standard size.
I’ve had good luck shopping at JCPenney for my young-adult son. Very basic but respectable coordinating jackets and pants.
i took my son to Kohl’s for a suit for speech and debate, but i noticed Costco had affordable ones also. my husband last got a suit from Macy’s and we told the guy we were buying it for a wedding but would most likely only wear it for funerals after that. sigh.
DH is a bit of a menswear nerd, and we’re also on a pretty serious budget. styleforum, ask andy about clothes, and Derek Guy/die workwear! are great rabbit holes to go down to get a sense of what tailoring can look like. He will also see some good illustrations of how to pair separates like pants and a sport coat in a way that makes sartorial sense.
As far as recent excursions to outfit a teen in our house, Macy’s has been sad. The local menswear store’s core clientele is wedding suits, which tend to be lighter in color, and very slim cut. Neither are great choices for a suit which will see occasional use. That said, they will either have a couple of navy or dark gray option. Lightweight wool in a medium to dark gray will be the most versatile option, and if the store offers in-house tailoring, so much the better. Tailoring is usually included in the purchase price, so that can tip the in-person vs online calculus. If you’re in a mood to rummage, we’ve also had good luck at antique stores/Goodwill, but be prepared to pass on orphaned jackets. You will see some really nice jackets whose pants have worn out or somehow become separated, but are suit fabric and not meant to be worn as a sport coat. Final point… if son is done growing, and you go with a nicer suit, get a 2nd pair of pants, so that if he wears through the first, he’s not stuck with an orphaned jacket. Some guys wear through the crotch of pants like it’s nobody’s business.
I feel like this is what J. Crew and Bonobos are for. Just caution them against getting the really tapered pants that catch on their calves when they sit down.
I know that the fashion discussions on this blog tend to skew either (1) overly conservative, (2) in favor of “soft pants” or other barely acceptable workwear or (3) towards nonsensical notions of what the latest “fresh” items are for the office, but I find the frequent pronouncements in the comments section that only interns wear high heels to be puzzling/not aligned with my experience. I’m an equity partner in NY Biglaw, and plenty of our equity partners are still wearing heels, especially for big meetings/events, and I get a lot of compliments on my shoes. Support staff and junior associates tend to be the ones wearing sneakers/flats, but if that’s the impression you want to give, more power to you.
my takeaway from those comments would be that you work in an office that is dressier than the average US workplace.
But this isn’t a place for the average US workplace.
Yes, I agree. I think there are a lot of posters who are not in NYC / Biglaw or other similar settings, with a disproportionate number who work from home.
If you are buying health insurance (my employer sponsored insurance is too expensive), for you, spouse, and dependents, where do you start? The exchanges? A broker? And do I look at classic insurance and also HDHPs? The dependents are two older teens, one of whom is still <18, who are either going off to college or will be soon, where the local options that work well here may not matter 9 months of the year. I assume that the whole family needs to be on the same plan HDHP / traditional plan (but maybe not?)? Have never done this before.
DH had great and cheap coverage for a long time, so I never needed to look before. Looking for future years, not immediately, which is a relief.
I do think you may have a hard time finding a cheaper option than your employer sponsored option unless you have a low income.
This. Seems like an absolute fools errand.
Agree. You cannot just abandon your expensive work options if you want a family plan that is cheaper, especially if both you and your husband have workplace options that satisfy the Federal requirements. I sense your income is moderate to substantial with two working parents. Your best option may turn out to be getting your college aged kids on their own individual plans when they hit 18 – either via their college or via the Marketplace or Medicaid. Eligibility will vary depending on where they go to school (and in what state).
I’m interested in the answers you get back. I am curious as to whether the market can ever be less expensive than an employer plan.
I’ve never heard of anyone getting less-expensive coverage if they have employer-sponsored available…
The whole family does not have to be on the same plan. For years, my husband and daughter were on his employer plan and I was on my own employer plan because that actually ended up being less expensive overall. The math doesn’t always work out that way, though. It’s often cheaper to have the whole family on one plan, especially when you factor in the savings from having a single family deductible and OOP max.
you said not looking for immediately, in which case if both kids are off to college by the time you are actually looking, you might look into the school plans for the teens. i also find it unlikely you will find decent coverage that is less expensive than what is offered through your employer. Did DH get laid off? switch jobs? and no, the whole family does not need to be on the same plan