Corporette.com

Updated: Nov 1, 2018 55 Comments · by

Bargain Friday’s TPS Report: Ruffle Front Top

Fashion· The Personal Shopper (TPS)· Wear to Work

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. American Living Ruffle Front TopI recently had the opportunity to check out the new American Living collection, and this top caught my eye — made of super soft t-shirt material, it strikes me as a comfy but attractive piece to layer beneath blazers and simple cardigans. It's available in black and a buffalo plaid online; a plain red may also be in stores. Was $44, now 14.99 at JCPenney. American Living Ruffle Front Top Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-0)

Sales of note for 9.10.24

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

RSS Error: WP HTTP Error: cURL error 60: Issuer certificate is invalid.

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. RKS

    Looked like a possibility — but it appears to be sold out online. You can select a size, but it comes up unavailable as soon as you try to put it in your shopping bag.

    • Wen Hair

      Thanks all for the feedback. QVC has it on sale right now so I think I’m going to buy the lavendar/fig/almond oil trio conditioner set and see which works best on my hair. My hair is fine but very curly, so I’m thinking it will be a good fit for my hair.

      For those who have used it, do you find that your hair is growing back thicker, or is it just healthier overall?

  2. Wen Hair

    Sorry for the thread hijack off the bat. Has anyone used Wen hair products? My new stylist swears by their shampoo/conditioner — it’s sulfate free and evidently is very good at curbing hair loss, which I have had recently. I’ve tried all sorts of vitamins and they are helping, but I haven’t had much luck finding good shampoos/conditioners.

    I have fine hair and am worried that the lack of sulfates will just make my hair look greasy and stringy. Any thoughts on Wen products?

    • maine susan

      I’m a firm believer. Expensive but you don’t need conditioner. Its a different mindset, because there is no lather, but if you can adjust to that, it really does make hair manageable and shiny. And I only shampoo every third day or so.

      • New Here

        If you have a Sally Beauty Supply near you, they have a store brand called Hair One Cleanser/Conditioner which is nearly identical to Wen. I pay around $11 for a 12-oz bottle. Me and my fine, thin hair have been very happy with the results.

    • divaliscious11

      I’ve never used it but I have a naturally curly friend who uses it. I use a similar product line that has a non-sulfate poo, although I only shampoo every few weeks as I condition co-wash for my regular hair cleansing. As a certified product junkie, I’d like to try it. Maybe check on eBay for a sample?

    • Makeup Junkie

      If you want to go sulfate-free, check out Trader Joe’s shampoos and conditioners. I was paying $100 for a set of SLS-free products, but TJ’s is just as good for $3 a bottle

    • i'm nobody

      SLS-free and paraben-free products are the *absolute best* for fine hair. Some of my favorites are Jonathan Product (yes, that guy from the salon reality show; I think Sephora still sells et), Yes to Carrots, Pravana, and the Paul Mitchell Wild Ginger Awapuhi line.

    • Wen Hair

      Thanks all for the feedback. QVC has it on sale right now so I think I’m going to buy the lavendar/fig/almond oil trio conditioner set and see which works best on my hair. My hair is fine but very curly, so I’m thinking it will be a good fit for my hair.

      For those who have used it, do you find that your hair is growing back thicker, or is it just healthier overall?

      • mc

        I use Sally’s Hair One brand, it’s been great for my oily, fine hair. Surprisingly, I get serious body. The only issue is that you have to leave it on for a few minutes and be sure to work it into the scalp. I alternate with shampoo every few days, which has been the best routine yet. To answer your question, I’d say my hair was healthier now!

        • Emmie

          Which version of Hair One did you use? I have oily, fine hair, too, and I can’t figure out from the reviews which one’s the best for that hair type. Tea tree? Olive oil? Jojoba? Thanks!

  3. Parisienne

    I have a top that’s very similar. It’s pretty, but the knit fabric ruffle does not behave and therefore does not work with jackets or sweaters. Also, the ruffle actually has to be sized and ironed each time or else it flops every which way. I think the top is good with jeans or a jeans skirt.

  4. AIMS

    Like the top! Interesting without being fussy — too bad it’s sold out already.

    I have a threadjack, too — I finally joined the 21st century & bought an iphone this morning. Does anyone have any recs for some cool/useful apps (free is best, but I’m willing to pay if an app’s really useful/awesome)?
    So far I’ve got flashlight, shazzam, pandora & urban spoon. Any other suggestions welcome!

    • Sarah A.

      Congrats! I would recommend the map quest app (which gives voice turn-by-turn directions), Dragon dictation (allows you to dictate emails, texts, or anything else), and Shop Shop (grocery list that lets you cross stuff off). Generally I will download a free version of an app and if I really like it or need more features, then I’ll buy the full version. It’s a little overwhelming at first since there are so many apps, but I find that trial and error works best for finding what you need. Have fun!

      • Anon

        For those in NYC, I find the NYCWAY app (free) to be invaluable for everything – subway routes, food recommendations, locations for closest restrooms, etc. Also check out the Epocrates app (free but can pay for upgrades) for drug interactions, drug facts, etc. – never know when that might be handy!

    • JJ

      If you have DirecTV, their app allows you to set DVR times and view your schedules from your phone. Invaluable. I also use the Weather Channel app (the free version) every day, the Kindle app (or iBooks if you have an iPad), Epicurious (the best compilation of recipes that I’ve found) and any airline that you fly will have an app that allows you to check in/change seats/book flights from your phone.

    • ERP

      AIMS, I like the style.com app. They have a “look of the day” and you can see the latest collections. I also have yahoo and gmail on my iphone for ease in checking personal email.

    • AE

      Don’t know if you were looking for a diet and fitness app, but for anyone who is I recommend Lose It. I’ve lost 12 pounds since mid September using this app.

  5. Jay

    I hate images of black clothes–I don’t know if it’s my screen or my eyes, but I can never see any of the details on black clothing online without tilting my screen every which way to pick up the light. I often have to change the color to something lighter to be able to tell what makes a black item anything other than a solid dark mass. That said, once I finally figured out what this looks like, cute!

    • Miriam

      I agree with you about the black clothing online. Whatever it is, boots, shirts, dresses, etc, I always check it out in another color to get a good look.

  6. Anonymous

    Threadjack:

    Can someone please explain the difference between all of the Tahari lines? T Tahari, Tahari, Tahari ASL . . . what is the difference??

    • rg

      I’m not familiar with T Tahari, but Tahari ASL is a lower end line. I’ve only seen it at department stores (Macy’s), though it may be available other places. Some of the ASL designs seem a bit younger/trendier (think late 20’s/30’s). Overall, the biggest difference I’ve noticed in comparison to Tahari is that the construction and cut are not quite as good. That said, my husband bought me a really cute ASL dress that I ended up wearing to our engagement party (to many compliments). I’m extremely picky about fit so I had some tailoring done near the bust, but even the tailor said that most people would have worn it as is. For comparison, I have an older Tahari suit that I bought for interviews straight out of college. I had the tailor completely modernize the blazer, and I’m still wearing it 10 years later. My tailor herself commented on how fabulous the material was…FWIW, I’m not sure that Tahari continues to use such high-end fabrics anymore (it seems to now be a upper-mid price point line), but Tahari itself is still higher end than ASL.

    • NYC

      Elie Tahari is the line sold at Saks. Much higher end and much more expensive than ASL (and worth it!). I have a fabulous gray skirt suit that I got from Saks. Lined in silk and it feels like heaven to wear.

      • alhambra

        Elie Tahari is sold at most dep’t stores, and those stores carry Tahari ASL as well. Bloomingdales & Nordstrom carry both lines.

        FYI, Tahari is owned by the same company that owns Theory (my tailor, the famous Pablo, told me this)

        • michelle

          I think that used to be true but Theory broke away from Tahari and is independent now

    • Amy H.

      I had never heard of T Tahari before, but they carry it at Nordstrom (as well as the Elie Tahari line). It’s a less expensive line — I’d guess it’s between Elie Tahari and ASL.

      I bought a ruffle-collar fitted jacket in black ponte knit (this was my first trip with a local personal stylist). I love it.

  7. kellyn

    Alert! Talbots is running a great 25% off sale on things already on sale.

    I was FINALLY able to locate the leopard haircalf pumps I was bellyaching about 2 weeks ago, in my size, on sale. All is right with this horribly dreary Friday!

    There’s a ton on sale–I was eyeing the ponte sheath that has coordinating jacket and skirt. The green would be gorgeous for the holidays.

  8. Big Firm Lawyer

    JCP has really upped its game in the last couple of years. It’s become a really nice place to shop

    • Taylor

      Yes. I like the Liz Claiborne and the Jones New York lines myself. I bought a simple gray sheath dress for 40 dollars that always works when I need to look professional, but do not want to wear a suit. Depositions, meeting with experts, etc.

  9. Interrobang

    With increasing attention on the workplace concept of mentoring has come, sadly, the near-extinction of the perfectly good word: protégé.

    Dear readers, help me understand the appeal of the foolish and undignified stand-in, “mentee”?

    Ever so gratefully yours!

    • kellyn

      Ugh, I hate the word mentee as well (makes me think of Mentos, The Freshmaker). But I also hate the word protege. It just sounds snotty, IMHO, despite its relatively humble roots. I hear protege, I think Gordon Gecko and Charlie Sheen a la Wall Street. I wonder if others hear the same connotation?

    • Anon 23

      I think mentee is one who is assigned to a mentor where as protege is when someone else voluntarily takes you under their wing.

    • Lola

      I think of protege as someone who is groomed to fit a specific mentor’s position in a few years. But a mentee is more like someone that gets career advice from a mentor. So if you clerk, your judge may be a mentor, but you’re not her protege.

    • Anon

      I’ll put in a plug for the wonky-sounding “mentee.” “Protege” sounds, to me, like the person giving the guidance is (or thinks of himself as) really hot stuff. Regular people don’t have proteges. Anyone can be a mentor.

      • Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler

        But if you don’t think you’re hot stuff, will anyone else? At this point in my career (still in school, paying to work, etc.) I really don’t care what I am called as long as I am given the opportunity to learn.

    • Anonymous

      I don’t think the two are synonymous. Protgée has an almost pejorative meaning, implying that a junior person has been taken under the wing of a senior person and that the junior person owes her successes to that senior person. It literally means “protected.” A mentee is someone who receives mentorship and advice from a more experienced member of the profession, but they may not actually work in the same workplace or the relationship may be formal (i.e. an assigned mentor).

    • Anon

      When I had mentees, I always called them manatees and all was well :) That was an ultra casual office though

    • Suze

      Interrobang, where have you been?! Missed ya…stop back by sometime soon!

      Oh, and, there is not a ‘perfect’ word for it. But I agree with you and I personally think protege just sounds better overall – there’s something almost twelve steppy about ‘mentee’…

  10. Lizbet

    Threadjack: anyone know of coupon or promo codes for Garnet Hill? They have some lovely stuff, but so pricey!!

    • AIMS

      I don’t at the moment, Lizbet, but usually the back of their catalog has something like $20 off $100+ spent, etc. It’s not much, but if you have the catalog, take a look. If you don’t, request a catalog :)

  11. Parisienne

    I think mentee is a neat word – like lessor /lessee. Anyone lucky enought to have a mentor should be thrilled to be called a mentee. Think about the root – “ment” – mind – from their mind to your mind – what could be cooler!

  12. Practical Paralegalism

    Kat – I went running to the local JCP to get that top yesterday – and was so disappointed when I found it. The fabric is thin and cheap – and it’s not well-made. It’s more like something you’d see at Walmart. It’s not even long enough to dress up with a belt. Even for $14.99, shoppers in the market for a similar top should look elsewhere.

Back to Top

About

Work with Corporette®

Serious Stuff

work fashion blog press mentions