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Coffee Break: Things We Love Maise Bag Charm

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bag charmsBag charms: yea or nay? I've been on the hunt for a new keychain (boring, I know), so I first spied these pom poms over at Bauble Bar and realized they're not for keys at all but just to hang off your bag strap — now it seems like I see them all over. This tiny red bag charm from Kate Spade has her usual wit, and is kind of awesome. (Also nice: this glitter heel.)  The pictured charm comes in red, black, white and pink; it was $58 but is part of their “extra savings” sale, bringing it down to $40 until tomorrow. Kate Spade New York ‘Things We Love – Maise' Bag Charm (L-all)

Sales of note for 1/22/25:

  • Nordstrom – Cashmere on sale; AllSaints, Free People, Nike, Tory Burch, and Vince up to 60%; beauty deals up to 25% off
  • AllSaints – Clearance event, now up to 70% off (some of the best leather jackets!)
  • Ann Taylor – All sale dresses $40 (ends 1/23)
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything
  • Boden – Clearance, up to 60% off!
  • DeMellier – Final reductions now on, free shipping and returns — includes select options like Montreal, Vancouver, and Venice
  • Eloquii – $29 and up select styles; extra 50% off all clearance, plus ELOQUII X kate spade new york collab just dropped
  • Everlane – Sale of the year, up to 70% off; new markdowns just added
  • J.Crew – Up to 40% off select styles; up to 50% off cashmere
  • J.Crew Factory – End of season sale, extra 60-70% off clearance, online only
  • Rothy's – Final Few: Up to 40% off last-chance styles
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale – extra 50% off

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

131 Comments

  1. What? No. Why does your bag have… another bag… growing on it like a little bag tumor?

    2. In contrast, I find them magically delicious. I want mini bags and Pygmy puffs on 100% of my bags.

      1. They are charming. (See what I did there? LOL.)

        But unless my life-size handbag is earning life-size dollars to put into its miniature for me to spend, I will have to pass on this one. :)

    3. This is genius!

      This is how you monetize a brand, people! Accessories for your . . . wait for it . . . accessories. The American Girl doll people do this ad infinitum (ad nauseum, actually). It’s about time others cashed in.

    4. hahahaha “little bag tumor.” They look juvenile to me, because I feel like they were popular when I was in middle and high school and lots of girls had something similar from Coach.

      1. I was just about to mention these! I remember having Coach charms dangling from pretty much everything I owned at one point in approximately 2001 (I was like 16, it was age-appropriate then, I swear).

        1. I would’ve totally used the Target one to hold lip gloss on my backpack in middle school.

      1. I wonder if, like KKH says above, they are designed for teenagers. The key chain is an attainable tag you can add to your JanSport to let folks you know you are in the loop of what is cool without dropping $400 on a tote.

  2. Boot PSA for hard-to-fit calves: Ted and Muffy is selling off the remainder Duo boot stock for ~$200/pair with free shipping. I ordered a pair over the weekend. Also, new stock is 40% off – bringing it in line with the original Duo pricing – with code CYBER40.

    http://www.tedandmuffy.com/us/sale/duo-sale/

  3. Husband works at a large company. The whole office does Secret Santa. He got the name of a woman that he knows not at all. Her age is 25-30. Gifts should be about 30 dollars. Any ideas? What would you buy an absolute stranger?

      1. I would add a tumbler/mug to the card – this way you still get something to unwrap.

        Alternatively, I like to give champagne or wine. Even if she doesn’t drink, she can always take it to re gift at a holiday party.

    3. I got some lovely votive candle holders under similar circumstances. Don’t overthink this.

      1. You wouldn’t get that for a guy for a work office party.

        Signed,
        Still bitter that I got a candle (it was fancy though!) as a law school graduation present

    4. The biggest hits in my girl friends’ gift exchange are lotion kits from Kiehls, Philosophy, etc. Other fun things in the past have been Google Chromecast, portable chargers, and really nice holiday candles.

      1. Oooh portable charger! Thats a good one. He is really interested in staying away from any gifts that could seem sexist – you wouldn’t typically give a man a philosophy gift set for example.

        1. Ah, gotcha. That makes sense. Then I think the charger, or some type of nice coffee tumbler. Or the Yeti Coldster coozie is about that much.

          1. Love the charger idea. The OXO travel mug is my favorite. Also, a sturdy umbrella is always nice.

    5. I would get one of the sephora gift sets in that range. Or a Small French press and some fancy coffee

      1. Agreed. Something very very nice (so quality, not the vat of hooch). Unless the person is a known or highly suspected non-drinker.

      2. As a non-drinker whose friends don’t drink – please don’t buy booze unless you are sure she drinks. I know it’s just an office gift exchange, but a bottle of wine (or whatever) would be 100% useless for me. Worse than useless because I’d then have to figure out who to give the darn thing too.

        2. How hard it is to find someone to give a decent bottle of alcohol to? My boss gives me all sorts of odds and ends that he gets as gifts and they’re always much appreciated.

        3. I live in a part of the country where there are a number of people who have religious objections to alcohol. It’s definitely no where near the majority, but it’s not uncommon. I’m sure that some of those people would be happy to say “not for me” and pass it on to someone else, but I imagine that a lot of people would feel weird about that. So, I wouldn’t do booze for a stranger just in case she fell into that camp.

        4. You could cook with a bottle of wine, unless you’re super strict about drinking alcohol. Other alcohols, like Grand Marnier, you can use like vanilla extra (which has alcohol in it anyway).

      3. Eh – booze feels weird as a work gift – at least in a workplace where people are not regularly drinking in the office during work hours. I would aim for something that a coworker would feel comfortable having at their desk or sharing during the workday.

        1. Agree. Something edible or office-like (nice pen or stationary) or travel or gadget or home or focused is better for the office.

    7. I am always helpful to my husband with his office secret Santa/ white elephant gifts. The hipster slang flash cards were misunderstood, despite their genius, but the chia pet head was hotly sought after.

      Or slipper socks. Either way.

    9. I really dig S’well water bottles. Lots of colors to choose from. The 17oz size is $35, smaller 9oz ones are $25. Free shipping.

    10. The biggest hit at our office gift swap is always scratch-off lottery tickets. A nice water bottle and a portable charger are both great ideas.

      1. I wouldn’t. They’re hilarious, but not PC. They could get you into serious trouble at work and could go over VERY badly.

        1. This is a know your office thing. They’ve been given at my office and it’s been played at office functions. But I would agree that where your office is big enough that you don’t know the recipient, not the best way to go.

          1. If I could I’d fire anyone who was giving games that rely on jokes about the blacks the jews and genocide. So know your office for sure

    12. What about a beautiful coffee table book on a topic that touches on something she might enjoy about her job? (E.g., I work in publishing, so a book about typography would be appreciated by many here.) Or an interesting coaster set, perhaps from a local museum store?

    13. As far as travel mugs go I love my KeepCup – it’s not especially insulating but is an excellent piece of kit. And seconding the portable charger too.

    15. He must know someone who knows her, right? Can he do a walk-by of her office to at least see what she might be like? (has kids or a dog, loves ski trips, likes the color purple…)

      Occupation-related item
      Daily calendar
      Lotto tickets
      Board game and popcorn

      Fingerless gloves or throw if office is chilly. Ridiculous socks (like fluffy slipper socks in crazy colors) + candy are popular in my office for this sort of thing.

      1. Don’t get her something to use in the chilly office – then she’ll feel like she has to be seen using it by you. Sorry to be such a debbie downer. I like the idea of a phone charger, spare battery, coffee mug.

  4. I think I’m finally going to order the lo&sons pearl to use as my weekend/non work run around bag as it’s on sale today. But I can’t decide between the navy blue and the camel color. Ideally, I’d use this year round so color needs to be 4-season appropriate. I wear a lot of navy but wonder if it would get annoying after a while. On the other hand the brown/camel might be too light for the colder months? Thoughts?

    2. I think camel looks beautiful in winter when paired with seasonally appropriate colors and fabrics. And if you wear a lot of navy, camel would look great with it.

    3. I vote for the navy, because I recently got a similar navy bag from JCrew and I have been wearing it with everything since August. Navy also strikes me as a color that could go off “trend” soon, making navy accessories harder to find if you love them, whereas camel is usually available.

    4. Camel looks so great paired with navy! And I don’t think it is too light for colder months.

    5. Glad you mentioned L&S because I’ve been looking for a replacement for my Brookline and just went on the site and found the new Seville (and ordered it)!

    6. I vote camel. It will be a nice contrast to your navy clothing and works with all colors. I love camel in the winter too.

    7. So lovely! I wish you could do a monogram rather than the L&S though. That would up this to a must buy for me.

      In regards to your question, I think camel is fair game for year round, though I live in Texas and I think you can fudge colors more when its a warmer climate.

  5. Shopping help please! I need sandals to go with a black sheath dress with lace accents that I’m wearing to a Christmas party. I’m thinking:

    – something metallic maybe
    – not higher than 3 inches
    – cheaper is better since I will only wear them for special events once or twice a year

  7. Has anyone tried betabrand? Comments on quality/sizing? Are they actually business casual, or just regular casual?

    1. Love their yoga dress pants. Wearing the skinny ones with a tunic sweater today at work. I think those pants work in a business casual office (I have the bootcut too, and they truly look like regular dress pants) but the company makes a lot of casual clothes too, that wouldn’t be appropriate on a work environment. I think the quality is good, and the size charts they provide are quite accurate. I have a winter coat (well, what passes for a winter in Arizona) on order with them.

    2. I have the straight leg yoga pants in black and wear them in business casual offices and to client sites that are business casual. I always wear them with a belt because I feel like it makes them look more formal, but they look pretty close to any other dress pant. I love them. Super comfortable. If you are on the border of which size to get, size up – I’m usually about an 8 and I got the large so they wouldn’t be as tight, but both M and L fit me. I have a shirt from them too and I did not need to size up for that.

    3. I am a size 12 and the large was too tight to wear to the office and they are too nice to wear to the gym. Quality is really good. I am hanging on to them in the hope that I will loose 10 pounds and be able to wear them. They are that nice.

    4. friend said that quality was quite poor (coming apart after first wear). I am skeptical

      1. I’ve found the quality to be quite good, but I wished I had gotten an XL instead of a L (recently gained some weight), as they are quite form fitting. I wear them to work regularly but only with a large sweater or tunic top. They are extremely comfortable and formal enough with heeled boots or whatever. I’m overall quite impressed with the quality – I wash them in the washer on cold and hang to dry, and they look fabulous right off the drying rack.

  8. I am an associate at a small firm in a small market. I have been here 3 months. The partners generously gave me a holiday bonus, which I had no expectation of receiving since I haven’t been here very long. They pointed out that it was less than they would normally give b/c of my newness (in the spirit of saying, don’t worry you’ll get more next year), but that they wanted to recognize my contributions thus far and express that they’re glad to have me on board. It was all very nice of them. Should I write a thank you note? If so, to whom – each partner? “The partners” as a whole – if so, how would that work? Or is writing a thank you note not appropriate? Any advice on how to handle that would be appreciated. Thanks!

    2. No thank you notes! I assume you expressed your appreciation for the recognition at the time, which is perfectly sufficient. It’s not a gift – it’s a financial performance incentive.

  9. I always do a new year resolution, but around this time I also think about things I’m proud of for the past year.
    I had a rough personal year, and I’m proud of myself for not falling apart, and I handling it with some grace. And I’m proud that I’ve created a regular gym going habit

    What are you proud of that you accomplished this year?

    1. I’m proud of how I handled my mom’s cancer treatments. She had to move for four months to an apartment in another state and me and my siblings took turns staying with her for a week at a time. It was very difficult (me and my mom haven’t always gotten along well and all those same reasons were present and amplified), but we got through it and my mom is home and doing much better now. It also again showed me what a true partner my husband is as he stepped up and took care of everything at home (including three kids and adjusting his own work schedule while I was gone.)

    3. I had a very difficult year too. I felt so out of control and so much uncertainty which I am not very good at handling. I somehow kept myself together. I think I have let go of control which I am happy about, though I need to practice it and be okay with it. Hopefully next year will be better.

    4. After a middling 1L year, I came in in the Top 10 students in my law school class for 2L. I worked by ar$e off, and got results. I also dealt with several broken bones in an accident and am all rehabbed and am so grateful for my health.

    6. I got to a comfortable middle ground with my finances. I loosened up my frugality-that-was-bordering-on-cheapness in ways that helped me improve relationships (think traveling to weddings, which I haven’t done in a while) but still saved a healthy amount.
      Part of it was making more money, and part of it was accepting that I am a competent person who is likely continue making more money and likely to land on my feet even if I hit a few bumps in the road. I was living with a lot of fear and anxiety around this for the last few years, so this is good for me!

    7. First congratulations everyone – those are all things you should be proud of. Recently I started being a positive person instead of expecting the worst and feeling powerless a lot of the time. It seems to be helping me in my relationships, both at home and at work – so much so that I was able to have a drama-free Thanksgiving with my very controversy-prone SIL.

      I have a friend who has led what I’d call a charmed life. She’s one of the most positive people I’ve met and I always thought to myself “Well how easy it must be to stay positive when you’ve had such a loving family, make good money at a job you enjoy, have so many friends, etc.”- my life has been not so charmed. But she’s the kind where you couldn’t ever resent her for all her happiness bc she really is just a lovely person and a very supportive friend. And it made me realize that maybe all of this positive energy she puts out actually makes more good things happen in her life – it certainly makes her into someone a lot of people like to be around. And when you’re down, there’s no better listener. So overall that’s how I’m trying to be and it’s nice – hard on the first day back to work after a 4-day weekend – but I’m getting there.

    9. I left a job in which I was in a really bad situation, and found a better job in a better city that I’ve always wanted to move to.

    11. Don’t know that it’s an accomplishment — feels more like a miracle — but I fell in love with a wonderful man who loves me back. I’m proud to be in a healthy relationship after all these years.

  10. Has anyone seen any particularly awesome gold shoes in the cyber Monday sales? Budget up to $150, 3.5” and under, preferably. For holiday party wear. I have a couple options, but nothing jumps out at me.

    1. I just saw some gold sequin in a catalog yesterday and thought they would be good for holiday parties and now I can’t remember which catalog it was in and it’s driving me crazy. I get Talbots, Land’s End, JCrew, Boden, and Garnet Hill catalogs a lot, so check those. Or it was that one catalog I had never heard of and you’re out of luck (some shoe-specific catalog.) This isn’t very helpful. But there’s definitely something out there.

    3. I don’t pay attention to heels, but Loft has pretty pair of metallic flats that are in the $25 neighborhood with their Cyber Monday promo.

  11. What socks do you wear? I need warm socks that go up to my knees to wear over tights with winter boots (commuting only), and mid-calf socks to wear with heeled boots (socks would be under pants). Seems like a dumb question but I just want to invest in 5 of each and be done instead of constantly lamenting Target’s terrible selection and quality.

    1. Smartwool’s cable knit dress socks. Small cable knits, don’t have the big cushy footbed that many of their styles do. You can get them in shorter/mid-calf height or taller knee-height ones. I have them in gray and black and brown.

      1. If you’re feeling wealthy, Falke’s soft merino socks. They also do various thicker cables and ribs. (Yes, my sock drawer is worth more than my jewellery box.)

      2. I have those knee-high Smartwool socks, too, and I like them. I usually buy Smartwool or hiking socks from LL Bean as my regular socks because they’re warm and breathable, and actually come in sizes for those of us without medium sized feet.

        1. +1 YES – Smartwool has sizes for their socks (S, M, L)! Which is amazing for those feet that do not fit within the 6-10 shoe size range most socks are supposedly made for.

    2. If you need something really warm, I love Wigwam Countryside socks. They come in a bunch of colors and are super warm and cozy.

      1. My mid-calf favorites are Wigwam’s Merino Silk Hiking socks – they are heaven on my feet.

    3. I got some knee socks from costco. They were a little more expensive, but they are warm and good.

    5. Chiming in late but have to share my new favorite socks: Darn Tough

      (Was a Smartwool devotee for years but these are better!)

  13. I am so, so tired of my wardrobe. I’ve been wearing the heck out of a few pieces since returning to work after my 2nd kid (that was over a year ago). To structure my daydream of pitching my entire current wardrobe, how much do you think it would cost to buy a full work wardrobe from scratch? I’m a consulting manager, wear dresses pretty much every day and need maybe one suit (with all the options – blazer, pants, suit, dress). Classic and well-made but not designer. What do you think? $2000? $10,000?

    1. You could do it for $2500 I should think. $850 suit, two $75 blouses, five $200 dresses, three $70 sweaters and the remaining $290 buys some nice scarves or a bag.

    2. They get $5000 on What not to Wear, and when they show the entire wardrobe at the end it seems insufficient to me.

      1. I always thought that, too. I know that they made a big show out of trashing the person’s entire wardrobe, but I always wondered if they actually kept some stuff – basics, crappy clothes that you keep just in case you need them, that sort of thing. What are these people supposed to wear to do yard work or when they’re taking a sick day? I imagine that if you kept your casual clothes and some basics, and just got a new work wardrobe (not including shoes and accessories), it could be done pretty well for 5K, though.

        I’ve been looking to revive mine post-baby, too, and also wondering how much to try to save up for it.

    3. Honestly you could do it for 1500. I can frequently get Tahari dresses and the like on sale for 75 ish, so lets say with good sale stalking 10 dressed for 750, then with equally as good sale stalking a suit for 250 ish. Then that leaves 500, which with my sale skills would be 2 silk shells (50 each) 3 Merino cardigans (50 each) and then 3 blazers (75 each).

      1. I don’t think you can get a suit with skirt, pants, dress for $250, even on sale.

        I agree the wardrobe can be done, if you don’t mine wearing the same things with some frequency. I find I only wear my favorite clothes anyway, so even though I have more clothes I wear the same things over and over again.

        But I do think sale-stalking is a better strategy than throwing everything out so you’re trapped into buying a new wardrobe immediately no matter the price.

  14. Hi,
    I’m trying to find low heeled (2 inch) sparkly shoes for my wedding in April. Every website/ store I go to has shoes/ sandals with at least 4 inch heels.

    Any ideas? I’d prefer silver or purple.
    Thanks

    2. Try look at Pelle Moda. They have some shorter heeled sandals, I think. Nordstrom sells them.

    1. Good Lord. The whole line is like that.

      I feel like we’re being punked…

    2. It has to be a joke! Even the people commenting thought the same thing.

      If its not, I need to get into the fashion business instead of finance!

  16. I just made a big kid purchase today. Since I moved out for college I have only ever done box spring/mattress on the floor or the metal frame for a bed. Today… I bought a bed! Look how pretty she is… http://www.wayfair.com/Feliciti-Queen-Platform-Bed-R732A73-MLHO1003.html

    I got it in grey.

    Now… I need to figure out the rest of my bedroom furniture as nothing matches but that comes with time right? Any suggestions on where to look for inexpensive but good furniture?

    1. Congrats! Sorry no suggestions, I would just start at the local furniture stores and see if there’s anything I like. I only buy sets, so I don’t have to think about it!

    2. I furnished the vast majority of my house with Wayfair, Joss & Main, One Kings Lane, and Dot & B0 (the last 3 are all flash-sale sites).

      Also, for more decorative pieces (like a random end table in our rarely-used guest room, or the little table in our entry way that holds a plant and our key bowl and serves no other function) I actually found Target furniture to be solid quality for the price point.

    1. Yes, it looks pretty and appropriate. Just make sure you have a plan for your bra straps.

      1. Uhhh…yeah I noticed that after I ordered it. I guess I’ll have to go with a strapless bra. I do have a bra with clear straps, I bet that would work.

    2. I really like it! If I didn’t dislike dealing with bra straps so much, I’d probably order for myself!

      The clear straps would probably work with the lace, but I’d get your most honest friend to check first to make sure they really aren’t visible.

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