Bargain Friday’s TPS Report: Grosgrain Bow Top

78 Comments

1. Am I cheap for refusing to pay over $20 for a t-shirt? I feel like I saw something very similar to this at the Jcrew outles for around $20. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but I can’t see paying that.

   1. I would never pay that amount of money for a t-shirt either. I always wait until they go on sale or have a special like “2 for $x”.

   2. Even though this shirt is modal jersey, I wouldn’t pay $35 unless it had interesting seaming details, etc.
      Also, I really dislike it when online they show an item styled in an outfit so you can’t see all of it then don’t show a full view. Why? I generally like to know what the whole top looks like because I am cheap and won’t buy a top if it only looks good tucked into high-waisted bottoms.

      1. Anyone else find that modal jersey doesn’t hold up after washings? I’ve stopped buying it for “upscale” t-shirts because it pills so quickly and looks less sharp.

   3. I’m really cheap about t-shirts too. I don’t like to pay more than $15 for a shirt and usually wait until they are $12 or less.

      I can’t say I really care for this one because I prefer more traditional sleeves.

   4. Nope, not wrong… It’s cute but I see it as an “under $20” item. I was in Ann Taylor loft over the weekend and had the same reaction – that the shirts were cute but not worth $30… but clearance will come soon enough!

   5. No you are not cheap, but to me this would be enough of a find to justify the price if it fit and looks as good in real life as it does on the web. It doesn’t look too tight, too see through, or too low cut. The sleeves are just right, and the embellishment is subtle. I have a hard time finding tees that meet all this criteria, and might stop by the Limited to try this on this weekend.

2. Pretty!

3. I hate tees with embellishments. Just from a practical perspective–if you can’t throw it in the washer and dryer without worry, then it shouldn’t be on a tee. My fear is that this might pucker since the ribbon would be less likely to shrink than the jersey beneath. I could be wrong. But I don’t want to spend the $35 just to find out.

   Gentle cycle. Hmpf!

   1. I think that designers think that because they put a ribbon (or ruffles or sequins or any other thing else) on a t-shirt, it’s now more than a t-shirt and they can charge more.

   2. I turn them all inside out before washing… but yes, it is seriously incongruous to have sequins on a t-shirt!

   3. My mom’s entire work wardrobe is embellished t-shirts and she washes almost everything in the regular cycle and dries it to death unless it has sequins/beading on it. Thus far everything still looks normal, and if she can’t ruin a shirt, it’s probably near impossible to do!

4. Ok, so fashion question. I bought a few similar “embellished” T shirts this season. And now I’m not entirely sure I should be wearing them as our dress code prohibits t shirts. I’ve been wearing a lot of white ones under cardigans, but for the embellished ones, well, they’ve been sitting in the closet.

   I know you guys have no clue what my dress code means, but is this something you would or wouldn’t wear to work due to the t-shirt aspect?

   1. Our dress code prohibits t-shirts too and this is universally interpreted to mean the kind you might wear to the gym with a crewneck or v-neck, ribbing, etc. All the women in my office wear soft modal/cotton tees like you might find at LOFT, Limited, etc, under cardigans or jackets.

   2. Can you post a link to some representative example? It’s a tough call without seeing specifically. I’ve seen some “embellished tees” that would fly at least in my office–like the one pictured above–and many others that wouldn’t.

      I think one automatic disqualifier would be the ribbed neckline of a classic tee.

      1. http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=26157&N=1200100&pCategoryId=3939&categoryId=4559&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_4559&loc=TN&gridSize=sm&showAll=true&defaultColor=Drizzle&defaultSizeType=Regular

         http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=26663&N=1200100&pCategoryId=3939&categoryId=4559&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_4559&loc=TN&gridSize=sm&showAll=true&defaultColor=Desert%20Sky&defaultSizeType=Regular

         Erin, That’s what I thought. But I am hesitant because a few years ago my pervious (male) boss commented that my short sleeved knit sweater was a tshirt. Even though yes, it was tshirt style/cut/whatever, it was sweater material.

         I asked a female collegue her thoughts on this tshirt debate and she thinks they are just tops. She dresses phenomonelly better than me with a full wardrobe of Brooks Brothers suits and I’ve never seen her wear any of the shirts in question though.

         1. First one is fine; second one probably not.

         2. In my office the second would be fine as a shell but maybe not on its own. The first would be fine – it’s a blouse made out of tee material, not really a tee.

         3. I would definitely wear the first to work; the second would only go under a jacket, and I would make sure to wear a necklace or scarf over it.

   3. My company dress code prohibits tees too, but most women wear tees under our blazers or cardigans. Mine are plain colored tees from Target, but I’ve seen others wear tees with rosettes, ruffles, and piping. I think some of those tees were even on a TPS report.
      I interpret the rule to prohibit graphic or sports tees, although I’ve seen men and women wear their team tees under blazers and cardigans during bowl/playoff season.

      1. Thanks everyone. Great to get some other perspectives on this.

5. Hijack: Everything on sale at Talbots is “final sale” (i.e. not returnable). Everything at the Talbots Outlet is “final sale” also. Is this an indication that they are going under? I would be devastated!!!!!!

   1. No, this is normal. They’re just clearing out summer to make room for fall. J.Crew is doing the same thing.

   2. I don’t think it’s a sign that they are going under, but I have NEVER seen Talbots have Final Sale merchandise before (and I’ve been buying 75% of my work wardrobe there for 7+ years). I suspect they are feeling the economic crunch, but they definitely have new fall collections coming out.

      1. I am glad someone posted about this, because I wondered about it too. I don’t remember seeing this before, and I’ve been buying from Talbots for a loooong time. It really cut down on what I was willing to order out of the sale, because if I can’t return it, it’s a no-go. Most things I get from Talbots work, but I am not going to take risks on things I’m not sure about, without a return policy. I hope this “final sale” thing doesn’t blow up in their faces.

   3. The Talbot’s Store in the upscale mall near me closed recently…it never had any customers on it, but seemed like an appropriate store for the demographic that shopped there.

      1. Right now – okay as-of my lunch hour :) – all sale stuff at my Talbot’s is an additional 50% off. Through Sunday they said. I noticed when they rang me up that it all was “final sale” although there had been no other notice (signs) anywhere to that point.

         And (since I took the whole hour), I also discovered that AT sale merchandise is an additional 25% off, but once again, I went and found nothing in the store that was even vaguely interesting. It all looks like “It’s Friday and I’m more interested in my after work plans.” Which is true, but I don’t want to advertise or have a separate closet just for Friday!

6. I love! As with my J Crew embellished t’s, I’d have to save for the weekend. Subtly embellished t’s (no sequins, thankyou) are a great way to jazz up a pair of jeans on the weekend.

7. Not a fan of this particular embellishment. Plus, sleeves like the ones on this shirt tend to make my arms look heavy.

8. I’m not sure I love this particular embellishment, though modal tees in general = love, and embellishments in general make me happy. It seems a little too “well, here’s a big bow… on my ladies…”. Eeeh.

   Re: dress code, I agree with Erin – my understanding is that if you don’t look like you’re wearing a casual t-shirt, you’re generally pretty good. Just make sure you keep your edges finished, nice fabrics, etc.

9. A bit twee for the workplace, isn’t it? Not quite the image I encourage in my protégés.

   1. “Twee” it is, Interrobang. I just don’t see this at work either, and I also don’t see paying $35 for it since it undoubtedly will fall apart on being laundered (and it certainly is not worth drycleaning). Pass.

      1. I leave for the a couple of days and Interrobang is back? Pleasant surprise, darlings!

         1. Yes, dahlinks – very pleasant to hear from Ms. I.

            Hey there Bar vet! How are you doing? Glad it’s over, right?
            Hope you’ve recouped and are planning a nice luxurious ‘free’ weekend!

            1. Oh yes, Ny beaches will have to do until I get my butt over to Greece next week ;)

            2. Yippee on Greece. Wow – next week. It’s gonna be a good travel week – we leave for Netherlands next week, can’t wait.

               Have fun at the beach!

   2. As someone who is usually plagued with a love for the twee and ultra-feminine, I agree. I have a top like this and unless it’s for some kind of office Belle and Sebastian sing-a-long, I relegate it to the non-office sector of my closet.

      1. Hahaha on the “office Belle and Sebastian sing-a-long!” That gave me a good laugh!

      2. “Belle and Sebastian sing-a-long” – I want to work where you work1

   3. That is the word I was looking for. I don’t like this for me at all.

10. I really like it, but I have been sooo disappointed with the quality at The Limited recently. Their stuff is really cute (including this t-shirt), but I just had a pair of shorts come unraveled, a shirt get really pilly after just two HAND washes, etc. Maybe I just got unlucky with those two pieces, but I would really have to inspect this in person to make sure it would hold up to normal wear and tear.

    1. Agree on Limited being in general lower quality – I have several Limited suits, and a few shirts, and they aren’t the same quality as a Banana/J Crew/Ann Taylor, etc. On the other hand, they are significantly cheaper than the aforesaid brands. It’s a trade off – I think I am coming around to buying fewer work items in quality, classic pieces at a higher price that I will wear for years, and supplementing them with a few trendy items each season from the lower-price stores like the Limited.

    2. I buy most of my work wardrobe from the limited, because (1) I can’t wear wool, which is what almost everybody makes their nice suits out of, and (2) I am really between sizes, so I change size rather frequently. I find that their stuff generally lasts 1.5 to 2 years, but looks fine while it lasts. Worth keeping in mind.

    3. Sometimes The Limited is hit or miss. Have a few really great suit pieces also have tshirts that have fallen to bits after a few wearings. But I still like them (and they fit me far better than BR and AT/LOFT).

11. Cute top, would definitely need to see it in person. Agree with others who mention the Limited’s mediocre quality.

    On the topic of shirts, I am really surprised by the number of women I see at my firm showing major cleavage. It’s the summer and all and people are wearing short sleeved tops, which is generally ok at my work, but I’ve noticed a least a few sporting major cleavage, and one did so in front of a prominent partner. I wish everyone could be directed toward this site to figure out how inappropriate that is at work!

    1. A colleague in a different department wore a shirt earlier this week that (1) showed major cleavage (neckline approximately 1/2 inch above where my demi cup bra ends) and (2) the shirt had a ZIPPER ALL THE WAY DOWN THE FRONT.

       A. Zipper.

       Heck, I’m a straight woman and even I was thinking hmm that just looks like it wants to be unzipped. What the heck was she thinking?

       1. Ha!

       2. I said this on another post but I have seen awful stuff lately! Some very, very short hemlines are going around in dc!

12. meh. it looks a little frumpy

13. I’m salivating over the new Kindle (http://amzn.to/9pQQB1)… at $189 it’s finally hitting a price that I would consider paying… BUT – I read very fast, so I swore I would wait until there was an e-book subscription service available (a la Rhapsody for music… $X/mo. for library access). Is there such a thing? Or should I keep waiting?

    1. No advice, but I’m totally with you – I would rack up huge bills in no time. Its really not the price of the kindle, but the price of the books that’s a killer. I use the library and buy used books heavily – I couldn’t imagine spending $10/book.

       1. exactly — side note: most of my used books these days are coming from MKZBooks.com – which I’m loving b/c they’re a. cheap and b. if you buy $25 or more, you get free shipping.

    2. The library where I live actually allows e-book check outs. Its free if you have a library card. Might be worth checking out in your city.

       1. Hit submit too soon. Barnes and Noble has a great deal going on right now. I got an email last week about free e-book downloads. There were a bunch of books available last week (Jane Austen, etc) and more this week. They get posted every Friday and are free. Most are classics and really well known books. I don’t know if they would work on your Kindle, but I just downloaded the free B&N reader for my iphone and read them that way.

          1. All classics are free from Google books and are in a format compatible with the Nook (but not the Kindle or others.) Love my nook! But the eBooks are priced higher than I would like.

             1. You can also get a ton of clasics free from Amazon for the kindle…I’ll post the link when I get home…..

    3. Did you notice the WiFi-only Kindle for $139?

       My library has some kind of e-book checkout access, but I have never used it and have no idea if it works w/ the Kindle. I suspect it does not.

       I’m also seriously considering a Kindle, but have held off for the same reason.

    4. I think emusic does this.
       http://www.emusic-audiobooks.com/

    5. I have started using the library, when someone mentioned The Pocket Stylist this week, I went to the library website, put a hold on it, picked up yesterday and will flip this weekend, then return. I did a couple of NYC guidebooks like this when I traveled there this spring. This allows me to a) not have to find a place to store it in my condo or recycle it once I am done b) have more $ to spend on what I see on this site.

       1. Sadly my public library is yet to offer e-books :-(

    6. Our public library just rolled out e-book checkout, but it doesn’t work for all e-readers (though I think it supports the Kindle). You should check your public library.

    7. I bought my mom a Nook in April. If you think you want to use your public library do a little research on what formats their loans are available in. We thought she’d be able to borrow books from the library with the Nook, but her system uses MobiPocket, not Adobe ePub. MobiPocket works with kindle and sony e-reader but not Nook.

    8. I LOOOOVEEEE my Kindle. I can get books so fast. Yes I am spending a lot but its totally worth it.

    9. I am a serious reader, an addicted reader. It is almost to the level of a character defect.

       That said, I love my Kindle beyond measure. To me, price is no matter. I can order a book and one minute later, it’s there, ready to read. I don’t have to drive to B & N or any bookstore. I don’t have to hold a heavy book. I don’t have to wait for the book I want at the library. It’s instant gratification.

       It was my birthday present a year ago, and I have about 200 titles — all read. I pick the books via New York Times Book Review and go to certain websites that feature my type of novel. Then, as I said, I just order.

       It’s just so satisfying.

14. Ladies, what is this ‘twee’ you speak of? etymology? usage? I’m a dinosaur senior corporette, so perhaps that accounts for my lack of understanding…..

    1. Twee = too frou-frou, too/too, too sweetly sweet.

       :) from another dinosaur senior corporette!

    2. Glad you asked… I thought “twee” meant “tween”… as in the Hannah-Montana-Pre-Teen aesthetic!

    3. I had to Google about the reference to Belle and Sebastian. ;-) I’m still a little unclear.

       1. Aren’t they Beauty and the Beast? that’s what I thought :). But it’s been awhile since I’ve been in the disney princess world….

          1. belle = beauty and the beast, sebastian = little mermaid (recent elementary school teacher here). belle and sebastian is a band.

             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_%26_Sebastian

             1. Also a children’s book!

    4. Excessively precious, usually used in the context of clothing and accessories.

       1. Yes. Also can describe certains movies/shows/etc. — anything trying to be quirky or ironic for sake of being quirky or ironic.

15. thanks, ladies! always trying to stay current here….

16. This black top just looks to me like old lady clothes. I think you can get away with wearing old lady clothes if that’s what you really want and if you are under 25! But for a good tee I would pay a lot of $$$. My best tees came from Anne Taylor and were drastically on sale.

17. Can someone please tell me how the American Living line runs size-wise?

18. I like this shirt and I don’t think that $34.50 is too much for an embelished t-shirt, especially considering the cost/wear calculation. I would wear it to work with a structured skirt, and on the weekends with jeans. Pretty pick. Happy Friday!

19. Target – $7.99 – great colors – all sizes – enough said!

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