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Bargain Friday’s TPS Report: Madra Knit

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Elie Tahari – Madra Knit (Seafrost) – Apparel6pm is having some great sales on women's designer clothes — tons of brands like Ports 1961, Joie, and more. There isn't much in the “under $50” category (which is what the Friday TPS usually is), but I like this simple jersey knit from Elie Tahari. The twist details are high up on the neck, and I can see this being a great basic beneath a caridgan or even a blazer. It's available in seafrost (pictured) and black in limited sizes — was $118, now $38.50. Elie Tahari – Madra Knit (Seafrost) – Apparel Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-2)

Sales of note for 12.5

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

88 Comments

  1. The model looks like she’s doing what have to do when I wear this kind of drapey/clingy jersey fabric….suck it in!

    1. Agreed. I feel like the detailing at the neck (which looks very nice!) even kind of frames any possible weirdness in the stomach area.

      1. It would definitely frame all my weirdness in the chest area – it’s not for the well endowed, unless you just like the Jane Russell/Eleanor Roosevelt effect.

        Happy Spring Friday, everyone.

    2. Agreed. And I will never order from 6pm.com again–their customer service/returns are horrible!

      2. Agreed about 6 PM. Got stuck with some shoes because I didn’t know it was a 30 day policy — figured it was the same as Zappo’s! Mistake! (If anyone is in the market for a size 5.5 really cute gray peeptoe, I’ll let them go for a really good price!)

  2. I’m graduating in May from law school (yay!). My family and DH’s family are starting to ask what I’d like as a graduation gift. I imagine a few in the older generation will give me cash, but I wanted to make a list for the folks who feel awkward giving cash. I’ve thought of a briefcase and a business card holder. I’m a pen geek, so I already have some really nice fountain pens.

    What other things do y’all think are essential (or just nice to have) when starting your professional career?

    1. What type of work will you be doing? I knew I was headed for BigLaw and one gift I asked for (and received) was a handsome Tiffany’s vase for keeping fresh flowers at the office. You could also ask for simple, nice picture frames for your desk/bookshelf.

      Gift card to your preferred workwear store (Brooks Bros? J.Crew?) for a new suit or pair of new heels?

      1. I will be doing civil litigation in a big firm for my area, but it’s nothing like BigLaw on the East coast.

        I love the ideas so far!!

        1. By “nothing like,” I mean it’s much less formal. The dress is on the nice end of business casual unless you’re going to court.

          1. Actually, I work in “Biglaw” on the East Coast and we’re the nice-end of business casual. So are most of my friends who work in similar offices.

            I think business casual is the new business.

            Okay…I have GOT to get back to work!

          2. As suspected, I am east coast BigLaw, but that is also my workplace dress.

            Also, seconding Formerly Guest’s recommendation about diploma/bar admission certificate custom framing (if people display them at your office)!

    2. Think about whether you want a briefcase or a formal, leather tote. I think it depends on personal taste, but in my area, I see few women carrying actual briefcases.

      If you’re looking for some cheaper options, I’d say TONS of nice trouser socks and knee-highs (I know, not cool, but you need them like every day). Gift certificate to a spa/hair dresser so you can get a big-kid haircut and maybe your nails done (if that’s your thing). One of those fancy ID card holders that attaches to your waist and pulls out that Kat posted on here once. A nice umbrella.

      If you don’t have it yet, a nice leather portfolio might be good (for taking to job interviews/court/depositions).

      Starbucks gift cards!

      Desk organizer thingy (like for holding papers).

      A legal writing book (like the Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing law).

      Now I’m just looking around my office and writing down things I have…

      :-P

    3. Oh…one more. If you have someone who will get you a “big” gift — maybe ask them to frame your diploma for you. And maybe ask someone else for an office appropriate piece of art.

      You have NO idea how much custom framing can run you (or maybe you do…but I wish I had thought of this as a present).

      1. This is a BRILLIANT idea. I was shocked at how much it was to frame my law school degree.

        Second the suggestion for gift cards to work-clothes appropriate places. I had enough when I started to get me through the first few weeks, and then I bought more when I was better acclimated to the actual dress code at the office.

        A nice desk lamp is good, too. One little incandescent bulb makes such a difference when you’re surrounded by flourescent light.

        Not work-related, but my graduation gift from my parents was a Nikon DSLR that I have loved. It’s a great present because it’s something most people don’t want to buy for themselves.

        1. Yes to gift cards! I graduated last year and a super generous aunt gave me $500 to Nordstroms…I did some excellent wardrobe shopping during the anniversary sale.

          I wish I’d thought to ask for framing. I did ask for simple nice jewelry and a professional purse (already had a great work bag)l.

          Congrats!

          1. I asked for a pearl necklace and am still really glad that I got it. It’s more money than I would likely spend on myself.

      2. Yes – this! I still haven’t gotten my diploma framed. It’s sitting on a shelf in my closet.

        1. Ha! My diplomas are sitting in their frames in my closet at home. I started in BigLaw and hung them up like everyone else. Then I went in-house and realized (1) no one cares and (2) I’d rather look at pretty photographs than my diplomas. I know where I went to school :)

          1. I have both in my office- 3 pictures I change out every few months and my diplomas. I refuse to pay to have the bar admission framed since I figure people know I passed already. If the diplomas aren’t too large you can get stock frames- they are much cheaper than custom frames. I just did two myself for around $70.

        2. Mine still aren’t framed either – I just can’t bring myself to shell out hundreds of dollars to get them done.

          1. If you have the small size diploma, crate and barrel glass “document frames” work great. I think they are about $20. (Actually, they are on sale for $10.95 – just checked!)

          2. I framed my own using diploma frames from Michaels Crafts. They weren’t cheap but they were a lot less than having them framed. (I did go to the hardware store and buy nicer brass hardware, though.)

            If I decide to upgrade, I have my own mat cutter. Yes, I am one of those.

          3. I think I paid $35 at Target or Michael’s for document frames for my diploma, admission certificate from my state, and my college diploma. I put them up. I’m proud of them, and worked hard for them. But no one cares if they’re in cheap frames.

      3. The only reason I ever had my diploma framed is because it was a gift from my extended family. I agree this is a great graduation gift.

      4. I could have never imagined framing is THAT expensive… in this part of teh world you can frame your diploma for 10 dollars maximum (real wood with engraving and all…).

      5. Very good idea, you really have to get your diplomas framed, and it is a big expense.

    5. Pearls?
      I would say office chair, since that’s where your butt will be parked often, but see what your firm has available.

    6. Ditto to everyone else suggesting diploma framing, or a nice desk set.

      Clothing gift cards are also a great idea, but don’t rush out and buy a whole wardrobe before you start work – hold on to them for a while! Its important to build it over time as you really get a sense of what is and isn’t acceptable in your workplace – every office is different and there are a lot of subtle rules and customs within each dress code. Also, if you end up gaining some weight in your first few months as you get used to the work environment, you don’t want to suddenly have a wardrobe of barely-worn clothes that are too small!

      1. Re gaining weight soon after starting – that happened to me! I’m finally giving away some shift dresses that are not flattering to my 10 lbs heavier body.

    7. All of the above are great suggestions.

      One other that may be nice, too, is a nice wrap (in a lightweight cashmere). Office temps can be freezing, in both summer and winter. I find a nice warm something I can wrap around myself when sitting at the desk is essential. Plus, it’s a great extra to have on hand in transitional months when the weather turns chilly as you’re leaving the office late and you haven’t prepared.

      1. In addition to an umbrella, what about asking for a dress coat? JCrew is having some great sales, and now would be the ideal time to pick up a nice wool coat in a department store(if you don’t already have one) or a trench coat for spring/fall. I know I didn’t have any coats when I graduated aside from my columbia/north face ones and it was expensive to purchase them for the first time!
        Sounds old-fashioned, but a nice leather portfolio is something I was very grateful to receive as a graduation gift – sometimes its nice to take notes by hand and have a place to stash business cards/pen/id.

      2. Or a really nice trench coat with a zip out liner that you can wear much of the year.

        1. I would adore such a coat, but the only one I’ve seen like it is a Burberry. $1k is just too much for me – any suggestions of where else to find a zip-out liner trench?

          1. I have one by London Fog. I got it at Burlington Coat Factor about 6 years ago for $100 and it’s still going strong.

          2. I have a great coat from Nordstrom’s. It was a gift, but I believe it was about $150. It has a wool liner that buttons in, and is water resistant. I live in DC, and can wear it all but about 1 month a year when it gets really cold and I have to pull out the coat I wore when I lived in Denver.

    8. Wow! Everyone has some really great ideas that I never would have thought of! Thanks so much. I can’t wait til this weekend so I can go internet hunting for this stuff.

      And I love the diploma framing idea. I got an offer from a firm that actually does that for the associates, which I thought was a really neat perk. The place I’m ending up doesn’t offer that, though. Sad day.

      1. I received a pair of diamond stud earrings for LS graduation and they were/are still my go-to work jewelry. Surprisingly, quite a few of my female classmates also received diamond studs or pearl necklace/earrings.

    9. I’d ask for things for your office. I work have several knickknacks that people gave me from their travels; a nice paperweight engraved with my name and law school graduation date that someone gave me for graduation; a small wooden desktop calendar (the kind where you move parts around to change the date); a business card holder plus a purse-size business card holder; a Rolodex-style contact organizer; a Filofax planner; a very nice picture frame holding a photo of me and my dad at an iconic attraction in my home city; a nice coffee mug with matching coaster; and a couple of plants in nice pots. Most of my coworkers have similar items.

    10. My mother got me a gorgeous Lady Justice statute that I keep on a shelf in my office. I really treasure it. It’s not something I would have ever thought to ask for, but I really love it.

    11. Are you going to be traveling at all? I would as for an e-reader or iPad. I travel about once a month, and having a nook (which I can read PDFs on) makes my carry-on a lot lighter.

      My parents bought me a very nice leather tote and a simple gold necklace – one side is white gold, the other is yellow gold, so I can wear it with almost anything. It’s become a staple in my wardrobe.

      I would also second requesting a light wrap to keep in my office. I keep one on my chair and need it about twice a week, especially in the summer – my office is actually chillier in the summer and I’m usually wearing lighter clothing.

  3. This is the type of shirt I get suckered into purchasing and then I see myself in it and realize I look like a line-backer. My shoulders are just too broad to emphasize like this. But for those slight of shoulder, this might be a good option.

    2. So glad to hear that I’m not the only one!! Tops like this make me regret being on swim team.

      1. As another big-shouldered former swimmer, I’m kind of relieved to hear someone else thinks like this. I beat myself up sometimes for being this superficial, but I sometimes wonder what my physique would look like now had my parents put me in 30 hours/week of ballet instead of distance swimming and weight training for all those years!

  5. It kind of looks like a really messed up wrap shirt to me – someone got the seams all wrong! And, frankly, $40 is still too much for what’s basically a T-shirt IMHO. I do however love that the model is a normal-sized woman :)

    1. I don’t like it either. Doesn’t look flattering at all. Neckline is oddly high given the cut, the seams do seem odd, and the boob/stomach area is going to be way too emphasized given the top detailing and jersey fabric. I think $40 would be much more like a “splurge” than a “bargain” for something like this.

  6. PSA — Boden is offering 20% off of their full-price spring dresses today, plus they will take another 10% off and give free shipping + returns with code WPAF. Not good for my resolution to cut back on online shopping!

    1. Thanks! I was just trying to decide if I should get the polka dot dress in blue and I think the extra 10% plus free shipping + returns seals the deal!
      Good bye, willpower :)

    2. I know this has been asked so many times, I’m sorry, but how do the Boden sizes run?

      (Also as an aside, where did the name Boden USA come from as a British company?)

      1. I’ve bought a dress and a coat from Boden (not pants, though). I find that it runs pretty “true” to U.S. Mall Store sizes (Jcrew, Banana, Ann Taylor, etc). They also make room for hips ;-)

      2. Boden USA is just the US version of the Boden website.

        For sizing, I would say “true to size.” Of course, as nothing is really true to size anymore, I would compare to maybe Jcrew. Or to put it another way, I most commonly wear a 4 (although my closet has everything from 0 to 8, depending on the brand/time period), and that’s usually what I order in Boden.

        With a free returns promo code, you should be okay. Also they have fairly accurate & detailed measurements, and good reviews, so that may be of help.

  7. Fits too tightly for my taste. Also, I’m impressed that even with the way it fits the model, you can’t see any obvious lines of her pants’ waistband… button… or zipper…

    …said a person who edits stray things out of her Facebook pictures

    1. Love those! I would absolutely wear those to work! There are also some shown at the bottom with a flower on the toe — love those too!

        1. I’m not offended, Samantha! They do walk the Corporette line and scream Elle Woods. But I love them all the same. LOL.

  10. Thanks to whoever it was earlier this week who recommended the ruched-neck tees from Old Navy! I just got them in the mail yesterday, and while they are thin and not likely to last long, they were also CHEAP ($14.50), and I can definitely see wearing at least the black one to work under a blazer or cardigan on a hot summer day. I just ordered some more colors to use on casual Fridays or just as weekend wear. Also, it’s nice that they come in Tall sizes. I often end up going up a size (from M to L) because I need the length (I’m 5’8″, 150 lbs, with a long torso), but the M in a Tall size fit just perfectly.

    http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?searchCID=26519&vid=0&pid=507719&scid=507719372

    1. I like these but the neckline looks low in the pics. Did you need to wear a cami with that? Thanks!

      1. For me, the neckline hits above the cleavage — but I have low cleavage, if you understand what I mean. For some women, the neckline might be low enough that you’d have to wear a cami.

    2. I just bought a couple of similar tees from Brooks Brothers outlet and while they were a bit more $20-25, they are substantial. Perfect under suits in my business casual office where most do not wear suits at all.

  11. ALERT – SHOPPING REVIEW: Got the Madewell Film School blazer in silk mauve. http://bit.ly/idxgss It was marked down to $99 last week.

    No likey. Not-Made-Well, should be more like it. Is so thin it feels like a blouse made into a jacket. Also, the mauve was actually a dusty brown, not the blush tone on the site. Back it goes! @AIMS, what do you think about yours?

    1. I actually had a work snaffu come up as I put it in my cart last Fri., so then I was going to stop by the store, which didn’t work out, and I didn’t get around to ordering it over the weekend when the sale was on.

      I have been kicking myself about it ever since though, hoping for another promo. BUT — since you didn’t like it, I am guessing it was a lucky break my friday/weekend madness prevented me from ordering! Thanks for the review — you have made me feel a lot better!! (But, I am sorry it didn’t work out — it looked gorgeous in the pics!)

      1. I ordered, too and I love it. I love that its thin. I feel like because its silk, it drapes nicely. I also love the color. It was a little shiny online and its not shiny at all in real life.

  12. Shopping PSA: Ideeli has the Tahari grey dress from Wednesday’s TPS report on sale for $59 today.

  13. HOORAYYYY – Corporette is working on my work computer with having to go through some sketchy proxy website, yay! =)

  14. Looks like a yoga top to me. Not for work not matter how you try to make it appropriate.

  15. its looks like the shirt is trying to strangle her… I think its far too complicated a neckline to wear under a jacket or a cardigan.

  16. Any national security/defense chicks out there? I’ve been at the Pentagon for a few years now and I’m transitioning to a new job on Capitol Hill. Can anyone provide some advice on what’s appropriate Hill attire for a 30-something?

    1. I am in defense contracting/security/have been in those fields in government agencies before, but I don’t work on the Hill. All my work places have been pretty formal, but haven’t necessarily required the “most” formal attire like only closed toed shoes or pantyhose all the time. But, I would generally say that suits, pencile skirts, blouses/button downs, cardigans, nice trousers, and good suit separates would be good bets for Hill work as well, perhaps leaning on the side of a bit more formal depending on the office you’re working for. For that, I would just ask your office what the rules are for hose/shoes/things like that which can be variable.

      1. This. It really does depend on the office. In session, you’re going to want to have on a suit for nice dress; Mondays I usually do pencil skirts and cardigans, Fridays are usually jeans or a more casual dress/skirt.

        Check out http://www.caphillstyle.com/ for some more info. Not my site, just an avid reader.

        1. I saw a bag on that blog that I had liked already and it said that bag was a good bag for unpaid interns to carry. :( I felt kind of bad, seeing as how I liked it a lot and definitely do not make unpaid-intern salary. I didn’t really like the bags in that specific post were stratified as such because honestly I think just because something is cheap/on the cheaper side doesn’t mean that it’s low-brow by default or that it should only be for people of a low order in the office food chain or people with not a lot of money, etc. Just because one makes more doesn’t mean that it warrants suddenly spending $1500 on a bag (as the blog suggested a Hill executive should… sigh).

          But in general, I like that blog too.

  18. Howdy! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog. Is it very hard to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty quick. I’m thinking about making my own but I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have any points or suggestions? Thanks

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