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Tuesday’s Workwear Report: Anya Christie Metallic Tweed Jacket

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A woman wearing a metallic tweed jacket with white top and dark blue trouser pants

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

This pastel-hued tweed jacket from Cinq à Sept is giving me strong spring vibes. Styling a jacket like this is always fun. You can lean into the classic shape and pair it with a sheath dress, or push against it with something like the high-waisted pants pictured.

As a long-torsoed lady, I’d probably lean toward the classic style, but if you can pull it off, the pants look fantastic.

The jacket is $346.50, marked down from $495, at Nordstrom, and comes in sizes 0-12. 

Some of our latest favorite Chanel-style jackets for work in 2025 include these, but in general check more jacket-y options like Chanel, IRO, L'Agence, and Veronica Beard, as well as more sweater-y options like St. John, and ba&sh. J.Crew and Nic & Zoe offer a bunch of both kinds, in regular and plus sizes. On the budget side of things, check out CeCe, Tuckernuck (XXS-XXL), J.Crew Factory, and Mango. (Also check out our roundup of the best lady jackets for work!) Nordstrom has a bunch in all price points!

Chanel-style jacket in dark burgundy
IRO
tweed Chanel-like jacket in white and beige
L'Agence
seated woman wears beige lady jacket with patch pockets, buttoned to her neck; she is sitting criss-cross applesauce and wearing jeans and sunglasses.
J.Crew (exact)
woman wears multicolored teal lady jacket with gold buttons
J.Crew Factory

Sales of note for 4/21/25:

  • Nordstrom – 5,263 new markdowns for women!
  • Ann Taylor – 25% off tops & sweaters + extra 40% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 50%-70% off everything + extra 20% off
  • Boden – 10% off new womenswear styles
  • Brooks Brothers – Friends & Family Sale: 30% off sitewide
  • The Fold – 25% off selected lines
  • Eloquii – $29+ select styles + extra 40% off all sale
  • Everlane – Spring sale, up to 70% off
  • J.Crew – Spring Event: 40% off sitewide + extra 50% off sale styles + 50% swim & coverups
  • J.Crew Factory – 40%-70% off everything + extra 70% off clearance
  • Kule – Lots of sweaters up to 50% off
  • M.M.LaFleur – Earth Day Sale: Take 25% off eco-conscious fabrics. Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
  • Madewell – Extra 30% off sale + 50% off sale jeans
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 50% off last chance styles; new favorites added
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 30% off entire purchase w/Talbots card

271 Comments

  1. Does anyone own the iconic Chanel ballet slipper or low heel slingback in tan/black and can speak to comfort? I’m a classic dresser and have drooled over these for many years, but now that I am old enough to afford them, my feet (following two surgeries) are extremely picky. I need decent support and no pinching in the toes, and my experience with designer shoes has been that the higher the price, the more painful the shoe (looking at you, Jimmy Choo). If you have owned a pair, can you let me know your experience? if you have found a great dupe in a more foot-friendly brand, would love to hear about that too. Thank you.

    1. I can’t speak for the Chanel slippers. However, the Vionic Klara ballet slipper is a dupe that is featured on OrthoticShop.com. The Vionic Minna and Amorie styles also look like dupes that would meet your needs, if you want the look without potential discomfort.

    2. Not a lookalike, but I got my first pair of Roger Vivier Belle Vivier low-heel pumps, and I LOVE them for having a decent size toe box but not actually looking like they do. The spring offerings include two-tone black and ecru, though not a “cap toe” contrast like Chanel’s.

      I wear them so often that I’m actually going anon for this as they might out me, lol.

    3. I have the VanEli Aliz that is the slingback version, and they also have the ballet flat. I wear a wide anyway, so the Aliz is good in the toes. I would say their wides feel more like a regular width. Nordstrom has both versions.

      1. I have the real chanel ones and sling back steve maddens. The chanel only come in half sizes so they have always been a little big and they are basically like wearing a bedroom slipper, no support at all and the sole and heel are really thing– they are not designed to be worn all day. I wore the steve maddens to work all spring last year and they look decent enough to wear again should it ever get warm. The strap doesn’t sit quite right i wouldn’t go far in them either but they’re fine for my office. my foot is very narrow for what it’s worth.

    4. I have the naturalizer banks cap toed sling back flats. No one is going to mistake them for Chanel but they are comfortable, go with a lot of things and were really cheap.

      1. Second Naturalizer! Better quality than the Vionic IMO, and I buy them on sale in winter.

    5. I’ve always heard good things about Ferragamo and AGL for actual comfort at similar prices. Paul Green, also. Margaux has a lot of Chanel dupes also and is a “comfort” brand. I’d check out the Vara or Varina from Ferragamo and see if you like them.

      1. My Ferragamo Varas are my most comfortable heels. They have wides available so they don’t pinch my toes at all. I sized up.

      2. The Paul Green flats I own are terrific and wear like iron (if you don’t mind repairs).

        1. Paul Green is my jam, probably 90% of my shoe wardrobe and I own lots of shoes. PG ballerinas are my least favorite of all the PGs I have owned.

    6. I tried them both on in Paris. Neither had any support. Slingbacks pinched my toes, but the ballet flats were fine for me width-wise. I would have bought them but needed a half size down and none of the stores had them in stock in the size and color I wanted.

    7. I’ve been comfortable in the Demi ballet flat from Margaux. I have it in another color, but it does come in a Chanel-esque two-tone. Margaux also has a slingback style with the same two-tone option. I haven’t tried this style since slingbacks don’t work for me in general.

    8. I like the Stuart Weitzman dupes. They have better support, and the leather isn’t as fragile as the real deal.

    9. My grandmother had a pair of the Chanel ballet slippers in the 90s. They were broken in to her feet but I tried them on and I remember them not really being comfortable. No support

    10. I have the flats. I find them as comfortable as any other ballet flat, but I do not have particularly fussy feet. They do not really have any support.

    11. OP coming back to say – thank you so much! I also love Paul Green and will check those out as well as a few other suggestions. Thank you!

  2. Pet peeve that doesn’t matter at all but still bugs me so often – why do so many restaurants and brands have cheesy two-word names like “Blossom and Honey” or “Root and Vine?” Sometimes the words don’t even complement each other or make any sense at all for what the business is offering.

    1. I hate restaurants like that. Their menus always have the weirdest offerings too. Why pick such divisive vegetables like fennel for the one and only veggie offering?!

    2. Ha! It sounds like the oughts and all of the fashion blogs – Sequins and Stirrups, Daisies and Dogs, etc.

    3. Actual answer: because it probably makes it easier for people to find them on the Web. It’s a unique name because it’s two relatively unrelated nouns, but it’s still easy to spell and remember.

      “Fork and Spoon” might bring up a restaurant supply store. “Fork and Lavender” would bring up the exact restaurant.

    4. I think it’s just a trend but the origins are in the “artisan industrial” trend that was so popular about 10 years ago. “Noun and Noun” names have associations with small local businesses passed down through families like “Sutherland and Sons” vs. impersonal or overly-trendy sounding single names like “Odeon” or “Xerox”.

      It has a folksy, homey, down-to-earth feeling and with two words you can pick words that encapsulate the vibe more easily than a single name that might be off-putting or misunderstood like “Scorch”–“no, we don’t burn all the meat, no, we’re not super spicy, no we don’t have live flames tableside, it’s a *vibe*–it’s hot, spicy, and edgy” vs. “Plow + Fork” is pretty clear: farm to table eco-bistro.

      Looking even deeper into it, it has a very subtle “joined” vibe that one might interpret as an invite “Noun plus noun” feels like “you and me” or a “couple” and that brings up positive feelings (usually).

      1. Wow. This is an amazing response to something I never thought about! I can see it now

    5. Didn’t the fake company in “Jury Duty” have one of these names? Can’t recall what it was now . . .

  3. Does anyone have suggestions for a white opaque wide strap tank top/body suit/shell to wear under cardigans to the office?

      1. i’m guessing this is a typo – does uniqlo have a sensory friendly line?

        are the airism tanks opaque?

        1. Doh autocorrect fail. The airism ones are pretty opaque. The cut would be a little too skimpy for me but the straps are wide and depending on your shape it could work.

    4. Of all places, Walmart’s $8 spaghetti strap tops are my favorite for under cardigans.

  4. I need outerwear advice for my upcoming trip (Nice, Lyon, Paris). Temps look to be in the 60s for a high and 50 for a low and may be rainy. I tend to run cold. I will probably be wearing sweaters anyway but what to wear on top? Is a uniqlo lightweight down jacket ok or should I be doing a knee-length wool-looking coat? TIA!

    2. Both of those sound too hot. I just got back from Paris. Everyone was in a trench coat and then taking it off mid day

      1. Thanks. I hate trench coats and don’t have one TBH. I have a rain jacket (patagonia). Maybe just a down vest under the rain jacket?

        1. Is your goal to just be physically comfortable or do you want to look cute too?

          1. +1

            I mean, you are going to Paris and this is a fashion blog.

            Light layers. No down anything.

          2. of all the times I’ve gone abroad I have never tried more to NOT look obviously American than I have this year. A Patagonia raincoat and fleece is going to mark you from 100 yards away…

        2. Yes lol I realized this was a mistake as soon as I posted. Maybe I’ll just buy a coat when I get there! ;)

          1. I have an amazing light jacket from Paris that I bought 10 years ago. It’s a fun reminder of that trip!

    4. Bring the Uniqlo down jacket if it’s in a neutral colour. You can get a secondhand coat in France if you feel like it, but you’ll get use of your down jacket in the evenings if it’s windy walking by the sea.

      The wool coat will be both too warm and too cold.

      What you actually need is something that will be wind and water resistant, and a warm scarf or shawl.

  5. I like this jacket (but suspect the color is not rosacea-friendly).

    What do I wear for touring colleges with my kids? I assume there will be lots of outside walking, so was planning on jeans or Athleta Brooklyns and trail runners (ie, what I’d wear IRL for lots of walking and standing). Yes? My goal is to be invisible vs memorable.

    One complication is a spontaneous invitation for lunch with an admin at the cafeteria. I am thinking that this calls for more of a good casual outfit vs just neat casual clothes. But still, something like a J Crew lady jacket, nice tee, and maybe soft pants vs jeans?

    Not concerned about the teens. I assume that they are well used to what kids wear these days.

    1. just coming off it (spent the weekend at admitted students day!) I wore what i would wear on a weekend if i wanted to look cute, jeans and a sweater or a blazer and tshirt. wear comfortable shoes. There is a mix but people are casual, you definitely don’t need to wear a lady jacket unless of course you want to.

      1. Jeans and a blazer or sweater would be my instinct here. I’d wear either very comfortable flats or fashionable sneakers. I just feel shlubby in athleisure.

      2. This is what I would do too, which for me would be jeans and a sweater if it was cooler, or a casual dress if it is warm. I am not much of a blazer person, so I would not wear one in this instance.

    2. trail runners? I guess it depends on where you are touring. Huge midwestern state schools, where the culture is overall more casual and the campuses sprawl, I would expect more athleisure and Hokas. Northeast, probably more like upscale jeans and nice street sneakers.

      1. This. I’ve worked at universities around the country. Midwest and west cost are pretty casual, NE (esp in cities, less so in rural New England) is a little dressier, SEUS far and away the most formal (about everything, not just clothing).

        1. Ooh — to thread jack a bit, UNC, Duke, and UVA? I don’t want to roll in in Lilly or something from the preppy handbook, but what would you expect to see at these schools in 2025? I feel that the parents I know of kids there recently are very rufflepuff + knit vest + golden gooses, but that was never me (and I just went up a size so really struggling with outfits right now).

          1. In case you couldn’t tell from my post, I fled the SEUS as fast as I could due to, among other reasons, the fact that I wouldn’t be caught dead in rufflepuff or Lilly! So I don’t have particular advice, but college campuses always have a wide range of styles and are more casual than the surrounding areas, so I really feel like you can get away with pretty much anything you’d normally feel comfortable wearing (and if you feel out of place, that probably tells you something about the school).

          2. LOL – you could do that look if you wanted to, but I think a very polished jeans + jacket + tee look would serve you well.

          3. Out of my existing northern wardrobe, I would probably pick white jeans and a navy top for this.

          4. Okay so you can actually wear anything you want in the southeast. Lots and lots of women do, especially if you try to make friends outside the country club.

          5. Nobody is wearing rufflepuff dresses to a college tour, but I saw plenty of Golden Goose on moms on SEUS college tours.

    3. Omg just wear clothes this doesn’t matter. I’m an admin. If I invited you to lunch I would care not at all about your clothes. You don’t need fancy casual

      1. No need for this tone. Have you never wanted to blend in with what other similarly situated people are wearing?

        1. The parents are wearing whatever. Jeans and sneakers and a top of some sort are fine. By the time you’re an adult with children going off to college have some self confidence

        2. Sometimes when I feel crummy about my outfit I get distracted. I get that op would try to avoid that by wearing something that’s comfortable and makes her feel good so she can focus on the tour and how her kid likes the place. Not to be harsh but I’m glad she asked because I’d recommend a step up from trail sneaks and “soft” pants.

      2. This is harsh but OP you’re overthinking it. You’re not hiking a mountain then going to high tea. Wear presentable shoes you can walk a mile or two in (not actual athletic shoes but flat booties or fashion sneakers), jeans, and a decent looking top you wouldn’t wear to the gym. No one is denying your kid admission because your shirt wasn’t preppy enough.

      3. Maybe time to step back and stop reading a FASHION blog if people seeking ideas on what to wear is this triggering for you?

      4. Are you lost? This is a fashion blog where the whole point is to figure out what to wear.

    5. I work on a college campus and see everything! If it were me, I would go for stylish jeans, white or fashion sneakers, and a striped tee. Accessorize as you wish. I feel like this would thread the needle of being comfortable but still more polished. I would personally feel underdressed in athleisure.

    6. I seem to own business end of business casual work clothes and athleisure / gym attire. I thought I had casual clothes but when going around with my parents to their doctors, realized I had literally nothing except the extremes. I am trying to get that sharp-casual-comfortable part of my closet to develop for things like that and this. For me, it is a challenge.

        1. Ideas on what things to add that are not jeans. What ‘nice’ dressy side of casual shirts to wear for someone who does not like/wear button ups or stripes and only scoop/v-neck or deep round neck shirts can you all share for plus size?

    7. Jeans, fashion sneakers, and a plain t-shirt or sweater depending on weather. For chillier spring visits I wore a t-shirt with a Patagonia down “sweater” (lightweight fitted puffer). At least 50% of moms were wearing the exact same outfit. Stash a mask in your pocket in case someone on the tour is obviously sick–we caught a horrible virus from one student’s little brother that the parents dragged on one of our tours.

      At some colleges there were a lot of moms in Golden Goose sneakers with expensive purses. These turned out to be the colleges my daughter didn’t like.

    8. O. M. G. It doesn’t matter one bit what you wear on your kids’ college tours, even to lunch in the *cafeteria*.

  6. Bedridden with COVID. I need recs for fun, easy movies or TV shows. I can’t think too hard!

    1. feel better! i enjoyed the residence which is new on netflix. sort of like one of the new agatha christie movies

    2. I’m late to the party but 2 broke girls. So much cheese and fluff it’s perfect.

    7. The FLOW movie is absolutely charming. I also have been going through old episodes of The Children’s Baking Championship.

    8. “Our Oceans” narrated by Obama. I started watching it when I wasn’t feeling well and it was fascinating. Obama has a soothing voice and it is an easy on the brain watch.

    9. The answer for feel good, funny, not too heavy thinking/lifting is always Derry Girls – 3 seasons on Netflix.

    10. I’ve been going through Doctor Odyssey, which is extremely watchable extreme nonsense.

      1. As someone who is actually autistic (diagnosed!), it’s really cringey and ableist. It promotes an infantalizing narrative.

          1. There’s an emphasis on ‘disabled’ folks only dating other ‘disabled’ folks, overly involved parents, pushing the boundaries of the female participants, only showing higher supports needs, discouraging standards, not addressing masking.

          2. Well, it IS a spectrum. The people on the show are higher needs and therefore it makes sense for them date other people on the spectrum. They likely wouldn’t be successful in a relationship with a neurotypical person.

          3. Yikes, no the show is not well done, I get that it gives you the feel good jollies but that’s at the expense of disabled people, gross.

          4. I guess I see it as more of “a slice of life” (and a sanitized one at that) than trying to represent the whole community (which would also be interesting but a very different show)

        2. Can a tv show promote every nuanced context and narrative about a broad range spectrum like autism?
          Or are you demanding something wildly unreasonable as part of the “me first” world we are currently in?

          1. The show didn’t start completely awful there was some okay representation and variety, then they kicked those participants off…

            Also how unhinged to like a discussion about disability to ‘me first’. Especially when you aren’t part of the community.

      1. I’m a huge Liza Treyger fan so started watching this weekend. Shocked how fast I was sucked in. (And Liza rocks as the funny roommate!)

        1. She’s hysterical. I liked sesaon 2 even better, although Liza only has a cameo.

    14. Grand Designs. Especially the early seasons where the host is much more shady in his dislike of certain designs.

      1. Love that show and there are about a million seasons to keep you occupied.

    15. Upper Middle Bogan. It’s a funny Australian sitcom about a posh woman who learns she’s adopted and reconnects with her working-class birth family. It’s gentler and milder than “Kath and Kim,” but the birth dad is the guy who played Kel Knight in “Kath and Kim.”

    16. Adolescence on Netflix. 4 1-hour episodes.

      That kid deserves ALL of the awards. All of them.

      1. OP, ignore this one until you’re feeling better. Adolescence is amazing but it’s super not fun and easy.

  7. recognize there is no right answer, interested in opinions: my 17 yo drives my old subaru (160k). i got a new car last spring when he started driving. He will not be taking a car to college in the fall but we really need a second car while he’s home. i had hoped that the subaru was going to pull through but i’m pretty sure it’s about to need a lot of work (about half the value of the car). Seems to me my options are fix the car ($3k is a lot on a car worth $7k but if it keeps working and it’s ours….) get a short term lease (do i drive the lease or does he?) buy a serviceable used car. thanks!

    1. I’d probably fix the Subaru unless you think there will be another batch of expensive repairs forthcoming (which is not the reputation of that brand, right?). Setting aside the value of the car, it’s probably the least expensive of your three options. If you get more than a year out of the fixes – like your kid can drive the car if he comes home for summer jobs – you’re really in the black.

      2. How old is the Subaru? If 2010 or older, fix it. 2011 and newer models are garbage that will keep having expensive breakdowns even after you fix what’s currently wrong.

    2. Do not lease a new car for your teenager. Split the cost of the repairs with him somehow and make that his car.

    3. Look at the question another way: If you knew that for $3k you could purchase a well-maintained car for your son that had been recently fixed and was a decently reliable Subaru with 160k miles on it, would you do it?

    4. I’d fix it and keep it as the kid’s car. If I’m buying anything new it’s for me and what I want. And rn 3k for a working car sounds like a good deal.

    5. My advice: stop comparing the cost of repairs to the cost of the car. It’s a weird metric because your Subaru is probably a lot better serviced and more reliable than a similar age and mileage Subaru that’s for sale.

      It is also a silly metric because your comparison isn’t the cost of the car; it’s the cost of a new to you vehicle that would be equally reliable after the repair.

      (Also, if the Subaru is worth $7k when working fine and needs $3k of work, you would usually only get $4k on a trade in.)

      Compare the annual cost of keeping the Subaru on the road with the annual cost of a different and equally or more reliable form of transportation.

    6. Even the best of cars eventually need repairs and wear-and-tear maintenance.

      For $3k, do you expect the Subaru will be reliable again for a reasonable amount of time? At least more so than whatever winter beater you might find for sale at $3k? If so, fix the Subaru.

  8. How much more would a job have to pay you for you to take a job you won’t like?

    I work at a nonprofit and I really love my work. But, I’m underpaid and unlikely to get a raise any time soon. There are private sector jobs I could take that pay 40% more (all in the 6 figures). But I do think I would be way less happy there. My current salary is a bit tight but totally livable. I don’t have dependents or any debt.

    1. I think you might be surprised at how much you like a job that pays you what you’re worth

      2. +1000 (as someone who left the public sector for private after 15 years and now love my job plus get paid 3x as much).

    2. Industry has tried to poach me, it would double my salary but I would have to sell my soul and I just couldn’t stomach it. Maybe if it was 4-5x my current salary I could do the mental gymnastics.

    3. Not morally objectionable work, a chill environment, stability and a living wage? Sign me up.

        1. Is this the kind of situation where you’d be going from a patient advocacy group for a particular disease to a pharma company working on therapies for that disease? I have a very large dog in this fight, but I would argue that that is not morally objectionable. At either place, you’re trying to help the same people. Might as well get paid more and be part of the direct therapeutic impact.

    4. I was a prosecutor and loved my job. Loved my coworkers, loved the impact we had on victims and the community. I was paid 60k in a MCOL mid-Atlantic city with 8 years of experience (in 2023). I took a new job that tripled my salary and drastically increased my flexibility to work from home. I am not passionate about the work and miss prosecuting, but the salary was not liveable and I am gratified to be paid what I’m worth.

      1. If you’re not paid enough to live comfortably in the first place, that’s a very important factor. I assume that’s the case too for OP but I’m not certain.
        If you could make more in a different job, but you have ‘enough’ (whatever that means), then the equation is completely different.

        1. I have ‘enough’ but could make more in a different job. If it was the $60k prosecutor thing that would be a different story.

          1. I think there’s reasonable evidence that more money doesn’t increase happiness by much after a threshold of reasonable stability. You spend a lot of your life working; I wouldn’t want to make 8+ hours/day worse in a meaningful way for the sake of “more money” unless I had a real, clear idea in my mind of what the money was for and the “happiness ROI” I’d get out of it.

    5. would it just be that you’re not doing your life’s passion or would it be going to the other side, like to a lobbying firm for the opponent?

      1. More not my life’s passion. Not the polar opposite, but in a different, commercial field that I don’t think is really helpful for the world.

        If it was like selling washing machines, okay people need washing machines. But these jobs are not in something so necessary.

    6. I’m not that sanctimonious and working for a low salary doesn’t appeal to me at all, so I’d run.

      1. Gosh darn morals, so sanctimonious. People really need to get over themselves to bust unions, pollute the planet, and harm the poor for their own benefit.

        1. Actually you have a responsibility to not be a drain on society. If you’re able to earn more, you should. And you should use that extra money to help other people.

          3. You are not a drain on society just because you don’t maximize earning potential. Sounds like OP covers her own expenses and pays her share of taxes.

          4. You realize my current job really helps a lot of people right? My debt to society is more than being paid through the work I’ve done.

          5. THIS is the mental gymnastics I’d need to be paid at least 10x to be able to do… even then am not sure I would be able to sleep at night!

          6. LOL this is unhinged. Someone is not a drain on society just because they take a job that pays less than what they could make at another job.* Is an inhouse lawyer who took a pay cut to get better work life balance a drain on society because she could be making double in biglaw? And are you claiming that everyone who makes more than their basic living expenses should be donating that “extra money” or they’re a drain on society?

            *This is especially the case when they are actually doing work that helps other people.

          7. That’s such a weird take. Billionaires are a drain on society. Even though large scale charitable giving they can’t balance out the negative effects of exploiting employees, customers and natural resources to fill their pockets.

      2. the sanctimony is really something. no job is 100% good, even for the people served. it’s such a black and white view of the world.

        1. Why am I getting called sanctimonious? Literally all I said was that I like my job and what I do.

          I get paid less, sure, but not a too low amount. I said that in the first post. Just on the low end for my field.

          People need to understand that other people are allowed to make different choices. No choice is being made at you.

    7. You posed the question in an interesting way that makes me wonder at your stage of life. For most adults, the question is not “how much debt?” but “how much saved?” Savings let us take care of the ones we love and ourselves when the chips are down. So, do you have adequate savings for your age?

      1. I was just trying to explain that there were no crushing financial issues. Decent retirement, very good savings.

      2. I don’t think this is true. Most people are in debt for at least 10 years after college, if not longer. If you include mortgages, most of us are in debt for the majority of our working lives

      1. Can you say more about why? Also considering a career move and pondering the potential pros and cons.

        1. My DH made this move about a year ago. He had been at a nonprofit for most of his career and is so much happier now. He is actually rewarded and recognized for his hard work. No tiptoeing around certain donors. No going along with somebody’s pet program that is no longer working but nobody wants to cut because then her feelings will be hurt. Makes me wonder why I’m still slogging away in the nonprofit world, honestly.

          1. A big thing is that my nonprofit doesn’t have a lot of that. There’s really no tiptoeing around donors. No drama around cutting programs when needed. It’s generally well run and people are good – just on a lower budget than a private company.

        2. In a nutshell, money. I was so sick of working for dysfunctional toxic orgs with crazy boards that had no money. Buying my own office supplies, no retirement fund, no HR, etc. The corporate world is weird but the security is worth it.

      2. How did you make the switch? I’ve tried moving from fundraising to corporate giving, had some interviews, no offers.

        1. That’s exactly what I did – went from fundraising to corporate philanthropy. I guess I got lucky!

          1. I think you were lucky – corp philanthropy jobs don’t grow on trees! Maybe a little easier to get than a job at a private philanthropy like a foundation, but far rarer than nonprofit fundraising jobs.

            Pondering, if you haven’t already, you might consider whether a different kind of nonprofit would pay better and split the difference in terms of job satisfaction. There are some pretty big differences in typical salaries between sectors (like colleges and private k-12 schools vs social justice orgs) and between small and large orgs. I work for a nonprofit and am paid pretty well, but I am a fundraiser and working for a large organization and in a pretty senior role. I think there is a level of compensation below which it is hard for “the mission” to feel valuable enough to make up for the crappy pay. But I think that threshold is pretty personal.

        1. Not crazy at all. You’re allowed to make more money, even if you might be a little less fulfilled.

      2. I moved from non profit to for profit for ~3X (35k to 90k) but there was a move back to the US from a very LCOL country in there; as well as wanting to diversify my professional experience; in addition to the money. The big $ driver was wanting to have the option of living in the US in the future – my % of salary spent on regular living expenses didn’t really change but obviously I couldn’t really save effectively for a US retirement or US down payment on 35k. Did that for 5 years; now I feel like I have a lot of options opened up to me, with healthy USD savings. Maybe I was lucky in the culture of my non profits (or, unlucky in the culture of my for profits I guess?) but I didn’t learn as much useful stuff about effective, for-profit processes/mindset/etc as I hoped)

    10. DH and I have this conversation all the time. He makes $230 + $40k bonus. He said he wouldn’t consider a new job for less than $500k unless it somehow magically matched the work/life balance he has going now.

      I make about $100k working part time as a contractor (important because it’s less take-home). To get me to move into a full time role, it would take something big. Like, a job that paid for DH to stop working entirely and also not have horrible hours. For example, $400k/year, great benefits, a true 40-45 hour work week and limited or no travel.

      We both have lifestyle jobs that work so well with our lifestyle. Over the past few years we’ve each had offers (him for bigger roles internally or going to work for former colleagues, me to take a full time role at a client) and did them due diligence then decided it would be crazy to mess up our current situation which is that we both WFH and see our kids a ton, and we can have breakfast dates, lunch dates, or both take PTO on the same day and have a day date.

    11. Pay is time. I made about $200k last year. My first job out of grad school (in fairness more than 20 years ago) paid $18, 500 as a newspaper reporter. It was hard but fun work in a very competitive industry with amazing people. But it is wild to me that it would take 10 years to do what my one year of work just did. Yes, not truly 10 years, there would have been raises—but you get my drift. Being paid more and funding your retirement to get out sooner is the balance. For what it’s worth, I enjoy my current job as well (still amazing colleagues, fun, challenging in new ways but a lot less competitive). T he other thing I’ve learned is that toxic environments live at every price point. I have had both good and bad work environments at a huge range of salaries and management levels.

    12. Would you have to work harder? I don’t find meaning in my work and wouldn’t be sad to get a corporate job from that perspective, but it would take a pretty huge salary increase to get me to work even 5 additional hours per week because I just prioritize time over money at this point. And I only make five figures.

    13. I spent a lot of time in nonprofits because I wanted to do mission work. I was also overworked and underpaid for work I “loved.” I’m a consultant now and I don’t love every project I’m given. But I make over $100,000 more than where I started my career. At 40, I want to make sure I have retirement savings of course, but I also enjoy being able to travel and go to concerts/out to eat/fun with friends as well. Maybe if I was doing morally reprehensible work I would feel differently (but just don’t take those jobs), but most of us just do work that is neither life changing or life hindering. What’s also important to me is I enjoy my entire actual life not just work.

  9. I am trying to wear white jeans; every time i see them on models or in the real world they look so crisp and fresh. but – i thought the old rule was no white under memorial day? but by then it’s too hot for jeans, and i’m less interested in lighterweight fabrics for cellulite reasons. am i overthinking this?

    2. I grew up with the rule of no white shoes until Easter, but I think it’s a silly guideline. Maybe there are society women somewhere (where?) who care. But even if there are (are there??), they don’t know me, I don’t know them, and I don’t care what they think!

      I think spring is an ideal time for white jeans.

      1. Agreed. I also grew up with the rule of no white shoes until Easter, which was also the rule of no white pants before Easter and after Labor Day. I think the rule was created by women like the elderly ladies in my grandmother’s very prim and proper southern church. Those same ladies would tsk and judge when you didn’t know when to sit, kneel, bow your head, etc. In short, I long ago stopped caring what they thought. Wear whatever you want and when the weather calls for it.

        1. The “rule” was created when women wore full length skirts. White fabric was ruined by the dirty city streets. White clothing was reserved for the summer season when rich women decamped to their beach house or country home. By labor day women returned to the city so they switched back to their darker clothing. I believe it was originally a New York thing.

      2. Overthinking it, this rule was outdated 50 years ago – go forth in your white jeans!

    3. I grew up under the tyranny of those kinds of rules and just ignore them now. Haven’t been arrested yet!

    5. I grew up with no white (pants, shoes, dresses, belts, etc. – blouses were an exception) after Labor Day and before Memorial Day.

      Bleh to that; it’s so dumb. If the weather calls for it and you want to wear it, go for it.

      I do find that I have to size up in white jeans if I don’t want them to highlight every lump and bump. But since I never notice lumps & bumps on others wearing white, I am probably overthinking that.

    7. In many climates, it is cool enough even in the summer to wear jeans, particularly in the evening. If that’s not the case for you, and cooler fabrics don’t work, summer white pants may just not be a look for you.

      It is also no longer a hard-and-fast rule to only wear jeans Memorial Day to Labor Day. It’s fine to wear them year-round, as long as styled appropriately. See, e.g., “winter white.”

    8. Anyone have suggestions about where to get great white jeans that aren’t see through?

    9. If you live in a climate where it’s too hot for jeans after Memorial Day, this rule doesn’t apply in your area. The climate is a big factor.

    10. Wear the white jeans. If anyone dares to comment, tell them it’s “winter white”. As someone raised with the version of this rule that said no white before Easter (hot weather SEUS), I can assure you that “winter white” is a thing.

  10. Shop for me? I’m headed to Toronto next week for my 10th wedding anniversary. I’d like to get myself a cute thing or two to wear on our favorite activity – marathon walking around a new city. What would you get? My budget is around $100 an item and my style is preppy/trending Eileen Fisher.

    1. I’m having a hard time even picturing what a cute item would be for marathon walking in a preppy/Eileen Fisher type of style. (Maybe you are, too, and that’s why you asked?) All I can picture are soft pants, some kind of fashion sneaker, and probably a jacket or coat of some type. Are you wanting “real clothes that work the same as athleisure,” or are you wanting to get close to actual athleisure?

    2. As I’m sure you’ve seen, our weather is likely to be highly variable. I’d get a super fashionable pair of pants – I’m currently loving my barrel leg jeans in a light wash and get lots of compliments, but I’m not sure that is your style. $100 would be tight for a new coat or shoes. Maybe some of the lower profile sneakers that I’m told are just coming into style?

    3. Blue jays ball cap. They come in all sorts of colours and designs. You’ll fit right in, and a nice souvenir!

  11. I have a Boden dress that is black polyester plisse. Knee length tiered skirt. Sheer sleeves. I love it and it fits. I wish I had gotten it in a print (years ago). Where can I actually wear this? Sexy funeral? Fancy dinner out? The sheer sleeves are throwing me off-/ that makes it seem to be an evening event piece.

    2. Dinner out, theatre, opera, party, gallery vernissage…

      The sheer sleeves sounds great, they make it suitable for several seasons.

  12. The most important thing I’ve ever done was just passed, I’m beside myself. I still have half the work day but I have literally changed the world and protected the planet, I want to happy cry.

  13. How “hard” are Coursera and similar classes vs actual classes at community college or local state U that would be regular undergrad credits? I know Coursera classes are shorter. I am doing a lot of work in my class and am getting good grades. But for all that, maybe it’s time to get something I can put in a transcript. My end goal has pivoted to getting a second degree slowly while working FT, and I may need some classes like stats to do as prerequisites.

    1. I don’t know about Coursera specifically, but my general experience with on-line coursework and training is that it tends to be both more basic in terms of content and more difficult to follow than a real in-person class.

  14. I caught a glimpse of photos taken of me wearing bootcut jeans recently. I never completely gave them up but I am fully back on board now that larger silhouettes are trending. I think this may be the only style I buy for the rest of my life. At 5’8″ with hips and thighs, I look statuesque and long-legged in bootcuts and flares. Skinny jeans? Always thought I looked vaguely like an ice cream cone. Wide leg jeans? Lego (wo)man. Straight leg? Matronly.

    Side-by-side pictures are proof that I need to stop chasing denim trends that don’t look great on me anyway. I’m in my mid-40s and just want to wear what works, which apparently is the same style I wore in my teens and twenties.

    1. I’m with you — bootcut for life. IMO I am too short and hippy to like how I look in flares but a boot rocks and with well with actual boots for feet, so a win all around.

      1. YES, love being able to wear actual shoes. Also, I will sing the praises of the Levi’s 721 flare. They are good.

    2. This is inspiring me to re consider bootcut jeans. You’re right, they were great. Why don’t I have any now.

    3. Amen to wearing what we like, and for there being variety available to pick from!

      1. Responding on my phone, so no links, but I like:
        Bootcuts/flares from WHBM
        Levi’s 721 flares
        Kut from the Kloth Natalie style
        Anything labeled “baby boot”

        1. I mention the flares because the opening doesn’t seem much larger than a standard bootcut, but YMMV.

  15. How much time do you spend exercising? I’m on a fitness journey this year. Im strength training three times a week and trying to get my steps in every day plus a one or two shorter more intense cardio sessions. I’ve always considered myself reasonably active; pre covid I was in the gym or running a few time a week. But man, this means I’m devoting at least an hour per day to movement or exercise. And I’m only doing the bare minimum recommended for someone my age. It takes more time to do this than my half marathon training last summer.

    I fully take responsibility for working from home and being a couch potato otherwise but it’s…kind of a lot right? I’m not complaining and I’m enjoying every minute of it but how do people without flexible jobs or supportive partners manage this? I’m feeling lucky that I can do it but also kind of angry that it’s kind of impossible for so many people. I’m also kind of freaked out that one of the keys to health at my age is dependent on me never getting a more intense job.

    1. Modern life is not conducive to healthy living. It’s kind of awful if you think about it too much.

      As for me, I go to OrangeTheory 2-3 times a week, which knocks out cardio and strength. I enjoy running, so I try to add 1-2 days a week for running. Nothing crazy; I’m talking 30 minutes or so. I try to take a walk or stretch every day. My body feels better when it gets movement. I am trying to add more strength training but admittedly am not doing much outside my OTF class.

    2. Same. My busy-ness has gone up as my time to exercise has shrunk. My size has crept up every few years not because I’m a glutton or horribly out of shape but because of time and the effects of a sedentary job. I feel like if I retired and got more active, I might not loose weight but at least would look more toned vs just feeling so mushy.

    3. I am barely squeezing in a 20 min walk in an otherwise sedentary life and job. And I applaud myself for doing that on the days I can. Can I ask how are you strength training? I cant join classes or gym because of my crazy work and associated travels and haven’t been great at keeping up with youtube vids. Will be grateful for ideas for a beginner level!

      1. Sure! Im doing a three times a week basic lifting program focused on progressive overload and heavy (for me) weight. I hired a trainer to help me with form and make sure im on the right track going forward. I like it.

      2. If you have an Exercise coach near you, it might be worthwhile to check them out. I started about two years ago, and it is the only strength training program I have ever stuck with. Pros: it is 2x a week, and each session is 20 minutes. You make the appointments yourself, on an app, and they have extended hours – early morning into the evening. No Sundays. Last, it works. I did body scans when I started and then after about 18 months, and I have not only decreased my percent of body fat, I added to my skeletal muscle mass. Cons: it is expensive. I know this is so far from perfect, but I actually do it, so I’m trying not to let perfect be the enemy of good enough.

    4. Yes, it’s absolutely a lot. But much like the USDA recommendations, these guidelines are put together in something of a vacuum that doesn’t take into consideration stage of life, injury status, disability etc. I’ve read often enough that the daily steps is not even based on scientific evidence…

      As to the more intense job bit, the (male) executives at my company are up at 5 am every day to put in 1-2 hour workouts. So it can be down, but you have to downsize other parts of your life like your family responsibilities to fit exercise in.

      1. that last part is a good reminder. Doing something for an hour daily is big, and it will have to come from somewhere. Sometimes you can combine things but not always. I can do simple stretches while watching TV but I need at least YouTube instruction if I want to do a proper yoga session or workout. I like going for a run with my husband but our work schedules don’t align that often.

      2. Eh, I’d say it’s not the guidelines that are unreasonable; it’s daily life not including this. If you’ve ever added up in hours each day what a healthy life looks like (instead of starting with the premise that we should fit in good health), you’ll see why we are all depressed, anxious, obese messes. Sleep 8-9 hours, sit-down meals, prepped at home 2 hrs, 1 hr exercise, etc.

    5. I work from home. My goal is to run 30 miles per month, which means either running one per day or two every other day. I do a bit of walking before and after, so I usually get in about 20 minutes of cardio 4-5x/week. Other than that, I just try and hit 10k steps/day which I can usually only do when I drop a kid an activity and just walk around instead of/ in addition to scrolling on my phone.

    6. I get up at 430am, exercise for 20-30 min, shower then start taking care of kids at 6/630am, work 9-4:30, squeeze in 30-45 min walk, cook dinner/kids until 8pm, work for 30-60 min then go to bed. My free time is essentially 100% dedicated to getting in some exercise. It’s a bit depressing (I do love the exercise tho!)

    7. I try to fit fitness in to every hour: take the stairs, walk the dog often, stand or walk on a treadmill desk when on a virtual meeting, stretch, do squats while brushing my teeth, walk to the grocery store, etc. And then I also do actual workouts, but I view fitness as something I try to work into every moment — what is the more active choice I can make here?

      (I also rest when my body wants it — don’t want to sound like I’m crazy!)

    8. It is a lot of time! For me, almost all my exercise is “dual purpose” : city rec league sport = socializing + exercise; solo hiking = nature recharge + exercise; working in the garden = satisfaction of taking care of my physical environment + exercise; runs and strength workouts I pair with an intellectually engaging podcast; etc

      Also the USDA recs are great to aim for, but pretty much every study about exercise supports the idea that “any is better than none!” so don’t let the perfect become the enemy of the good. Taking the stairs at work or parking at the far edge of the grocery store and jogging in, or doing 10 squats while the coffee brews are all also good

    9. Rowing 7-9am in gym on Saturdays in winter or 6-7 M-F during the summer (DH has kids, I have them when he runs).

      Yoga at lunch at work 1x/week and Pilates 1x/week. I modify as needed so I don’t get sweaty and can freshen up without a full shower. Watch tv or listen to audio book on treadmill 1-2x/week after kids are in bed during winter. Don’t stress if I miss one of these sessions because of work or being tired in the evening.

      Family time with kids is often active – hiking, skiing etc. We’re not big on competitive sports/travel teams etc. We’re more about just being active.

      1. We chose our house in part based on proximity to my office and the kids school and hiking opportunities to minimize commute time which is a real time eater. I hate my 1990s kitchen sometimes, but not enough to drive an extra half hour every day.

    10. Bike commute, hiking on weekends, and I go rock climbing once or twice a week. I’ve been walking about getting a walking pad to use at work, not sure about the optics/effect on neighbors. If you have a sedentary job, you have to make enough money to offload things like laundry and housecleaning or exercise is your only hobby. Or you just don’t exercise and deal with the consequences!

    11. I think people underappreciate how much aerobic benefit you can get from strength training, especially if you superset exercises, don’t take long breaks, and intersperse strength with plyometric or HIIT activities. But it also sounds like you are doing more than the bare minimum, which is 150 min of moderate intensity activity, such as brisk walking, OR 75 min of vigorous activity, plus 2 strength sessions of unspecified duration per week.

  16. Has anyone used an ai app or program to help take notes during client meetings and phone calls? What program do you use? What do you like/dislike about it? Is there one built specifically for lawyers? I have been trying to do some research, but feeling overwhelmed with all of the options available.

    1. I cannot see how a lawyer could use one for client meetings without destroying attorney/client privilege.

        1. You just need to make sure it’s closed loop AI. Otter and Perplexity have these options.

          1. That is not actually settled law, and I would not want to be the lawyer who is the test case.

    2. I use Otter AI. It has some AI features built in but I normally just drop the transcript into chatgpt and have it give me a summary with my edits.

      1. Otter can be really dangerous. I disabled it at our org because it was sending meeting recaps (with transcripts) to people who were invited to, but did not attend meetings. It was dropping into sensitive meetings like HR meetings about performance or terminations. If you invited it to one meeting, it was taking that as permission to drop into all your meetings, etc. This was ~2 years ago, but we noped right out of that.

    3. A new medical specialist I saw last week asked if I minded if he used an AI tool to take notes during my first appointment last week. I hesitated, b/c I passionately hate how dumb the AI tools we use at work make people, but agreed because he said he uses it to help speed up his note taking and he seemed to be struggling with hunt & peck typing.

      I am so glad reviewed the notes once they were posted to my chart. They were almost fine, with the exception of stating that I have a history of recurring GERD. I have never had GERD, we didn’t discuss GERD, we didn’t discuss anything recurring in my medical history, we didn’t discuss anything that sounds like GERD, and his specialty is not one that would interact with GERD. It also filled in several medications that I have never taken and are nothing close to anything I have ever been prescribed. I am not willing to have non-existent pre-existing conditions and completely erroneous medications suddenly added to my permanent chart and will be declining to participate in AI transcriptions going forward.

      If I was your client and found out you were using AI to take notes on my case, I would look for another attorney.

      1. +1 to your last sentence

        If I was your client, customer, patient or similar and found out you were using AI to take notes I would look for somebody else.

    4. A lot of colleagues use the ai features that integrate with zoom. We don’t have confidentiality restrictions. I checked them out last year, and my main issues were 1. it can take detailed minutes of everything that was said, but it doesn’t summarize well and gets simple action items wrong. 2. it can only deal with fully virtual meetings. We often have 10 people in a room and 10 on zoom. For the people in the room, it has no way of distinguishing who says what.
      Since this technology is always getting better, I wonder if those things still apply.

      1. Any more so than having the call online in the first place? If you’re grabbing some free tool without reading the T&C’s absolutely not (there’s a reason they’re free; and it’s to use your data for training); but if it’s a reputable paid product that your firm has negotiated data not being used for training, I don’t see a particular privacy problem. Yes, the company selling the tool could break its contract and use your data for training anyway; but also Gmail could scrape and sell your emails, or Zoom could steal your recordings, etc — technologically the privacy risk is essentially the same.

        1. I don’t know any lawyer who records their Zoom calls with clients. And I don’t see how you could claim the notes are work product if you didn’t write them.

        2. The reliability of the output and whether it accurately reflects the meeting is another major concern, even if the tool has guardrails around your data.

  17. Another exercise-related question – how do you celebrate doing the workouts you wanted for the week, especially if you’re just getting started again?

    1. I sometimes set up a reward for myself at the end of the month when I am starting a new program like this – maybe a massage, maybe a session at one of those stretching places, or community acupuncture. I am generally sore from the new routine, so work on that. Try to avoid rewards that are food/drink related.

    2. Fancy bath bombs and face masks. I have regular bath bombs as a daily reward and fancy bath bombs/face masks as a weekly thing.

    3. Not to be too much of a bro, but I do reward myself with food. Eating some chicken parmesan and spaghetti always tastes good, but it tastes especially good after a long bike ride or hike. And I feel good after eating it when I’ve exercised beforehand, as opposed to feeling heavy and lethargic after eating those kinds of foods when I’ve been sitting around all day.

    4. I feel good about myself? A week’s worth of workouts isn’t something I need to reward myself for.

      1. That’s great, but please be kind to the OP. Not everyone finds working out a reward in and of itself.

        Personally, I like a reward that is separate from food and that doesn’t involve spending extra money just for the sake of it. Giving myself a fresh mani, spending some time in my garden, working on a knitting project, streaming a show, etc.

        1. But rewards systems are childish. I don’t find working out to be a reward, and very few people do. You do it in pursuit of a goal–firmer body, better range of motion, or maybe a more stable old age.

          If I want to spend time on myself or my garden, I’m not pinning it to an exercise program. No one exercises just for fun, they do it for reasons, and those reasons are the goal/reward.

          1. Why the hate for reward systems? They work for me, maybe not for you – so what?

          2. What’s wrong with being childish? We all find different ways to motivate ourselves. As long as we get it done who does it harm?

          3. I haven’t been in this conversation, but I feel like some rewards systems can be toxic if you feel like you don’t deserve to do something unless you’ve met your exercise goal. It reminds me of an old roommate I had who was anorexic. She was always “bad” and hated herself or good for the moment, but never really at peace. I’m sure rewards work great for many people, though.

        2. These aren’t really rewards though. They’re building a lifestyle around things that matter to you. I doubt you only stream a show you want to watch after you hit an exercise target. What if you don’t hit the target? Do you not watch television?

          1. I only listen to podcasts when I’m walking or cleaning, and yes, that means I only listen to podcasts when I’m walking or cleaning.

        1. Sometimes the questions people ask here make me wonder how you the posters even remember to breathe in and out all day.

          1. If you breathe in and out all day, you reward yourself with a good night’s sleep!

          2. Sometimes the answers make me wonder how you the posters even have friends offline.

      3. Agree, but some people can’t function without a reward system in place. Though the one poster using food resonates with me.

        My problem with rewards (totally useless for me) is that I don’t wait. The gremlin inside me just says “I can have a massage whenever I want.”

    7. I quite like coloring in or marking new habits in a bullet journal or calender habit tracking system.

      It can be as easy as drawing a little symbol on my wall calendar, or making a special habit tracking figure on a chart or in a journal.

      I guess it’s the adult version of “have a gold star”. :)

    8. Sorry you’re getting the “I’m better than you!” folks this morning.

      Every habit formation book would tell you cue, action, reward is how you build habits that last. Recommend Tiny Habits and The Power of Habit.

      1. The comments probably highlight the difference between people who read self help books and people who don’t.

        1. Also the difference between people who had someone pee in their cheerios this morning and those who didn’t!

    9. If it’s after dinner at the gym I’ll steam and shower there and go home in sweats. It’s so relaxing to just brush teeth and hop in bed.

      1. Oh, same! I sauna, shower, blow dry my hair, and then same, sweats, brushing teeth, and bed. This isn’t so much a reward as using all of the amenities at my very expensive gym.

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