ByKat Hours Updated
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Bargain Friday’s TPS Report: Ruffle Panel Front Top

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. The Limited has had some great work pieces lately — tops and dresses — and this lovely ruffle panel front top is no exception. We love it (love it!) paired with the white skirt; it might be interesting to try with a beige skirt also for the beige-on-beige trend going on right now. We might wear it with a pop of color, perhaps from a turquoise and gold cuff, worn high on our forearm. This top is part of the sale going on right now at The Limited (30% off tops, online only), so the price comes to $27.65 (was $39.50). Ruffle Panel Front Top 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:

84 Comments

  1. OK, early thread hijack/vent: is anyone else’s office FREEZING??? I have a closet full of lovely work dresses that I can’t wear because my legs freeze (and I am firmly in the no-hose camp). Kat features lots of lovely cardigans, but sometimes cardigans just ruin the line of a dress. Someday, I would like to wear something besides a pantsuit to work . . .

    1. I wear almost exclusively skirts year-round and don’t wear hose any day it’s over 60 degrees when I leave my house. I have a big cashmere scarf I keep in my drawer to drape over my legs when it’s cold. It doesn’t help when I’m walking in the hallways, but it’s very useful when I’m just sitting at my desk.

    2. Hate wearing stockings as well… I usually suck it up and wear a cardigan at my desk, or a cute jacket (something that’s not quite a blazer which would look weird over a dress, but has some structure to it so it doesn’t have the ‘schmatte’ rag bag look of a cardigan that doesn’t match).

      I have one like this that I wear a lot : http://amzn.to/bDTXsr

      1. Shayna, I have the same problem with cardigans that never seem to match my dresses. I am beginning to think that I just look horrible in cardigans, they seem to look like pajamas on me, just really sloppy most of the time. Thanks for the link to the more structured jacket.

        1. Kat – please write a post on what types of cardigans to wear over tops/dresses! I feel like many of us have this question and I haven’t seen it yet addressed here. I don’t have any cardigans because I can’t figure out what to where over them.

        2. I have this issue of looking awful in cardigans too – they just don’t seem to go well with my sloping shoulders and my big arms. Sadness.

          1. I am large busted and cardis never seem to work for me. They amp up the “frumpy lady” effect….help!

    3. Same problem – I recently called the building guy to come and close the vents above my desk. Not sure if you have vents near you, but it really helps a lot to have them closed off.

      I like to wear skirts/dresses because I have a walking commute, and I get so hot and sweaty walking in the summer and then freeze even more in the cold building.

    4. My office varies from sweltering hot to an igloo. I keep a few shawls at the office for those igloo days. If I am wearing a skirt that day, I will use one as a blanket for my legs (no one can see under my desk from the hall) and the other for my top half if I need it. They help a LOT.

      Even if my office isn’t cold that day, the shawl comes in handy when I’m wearing a skirt and want to sit in an ..umm.. let’s just say “unladylike” position. I can drape the shawl over so no one will get a glimpse of anything they need not be seeing!

      1. agree! I love to sit cross-legged under my desk and am petrified of someone walking in, me spinning around, and having a very uncomfortable moment. so i put my shawl over my lap.

    5. Yes, dying of the coldness here. I don’t know how the rest of you do it but I wear full-sleeves and full-length skirts or pants year round and I’m dying of the cold – yesterday, I wore a cardigan AND a hoodie at my desk.

      1. I have a space heater. If they ever take it away from me, I plan on starting a fire in my trash can. Seriously, none of my work clothes would be warm enough without my heater. I’m in pants and a jacket today, and it’s 80 degrees outside, and my heater is going, and I’m still freezing!!

        1. I have a space heater too, which I regularly use in the summer, because they blast the AC. We are “discouraged” from using them, but not prohibited. If they ever say we can’t use them I plan to put up a huge fuss, because it is completely unreasonable to expect people to be productive in an uncomfortably cold environment.

          1. So far we aren’t discouraged, but every now and then one will start smoking and we all hold our breath wondering if they are going to ban them…

          2. I worked in a CPA firm where they were standard issue — until we got one big fat fine from the fire inspector! (being related to several firefighters I probably should feel ashamed of my use of the space heater next to the cubicle wall… but all I can say is, it was so nice!)

        2. People use space heaters in my office too. Think of all the energy we waste! If we could just get them to cut back the ac a bit. I keep a robe length sweater in my office and drape it around my legs under my desk.

          1. I used to be in the one freezing in the office. Used to be…until I turned 40 and had a hysterectomy. Now I’m standing with my head in the freezer and wish I could go back to my days of freezing for a little bit. So for you young gals…hang on ‘cuz things are going to change as you age, lol.

          2. @kjf – it IS something of an age thing–I run my space heater continuously, even in the summer, but the 50-something partner with whom I work practically passes out if she’s in my office to discuss a project or do a conference call. I turn the space heater off when she’s in my office, obviously, but she much prefers the sub-arctic temp in her office (she somehow arranged to have her office extra-cold) . . .

      2. Sorry, but that look just screams “Dowdy” IMO, especially with your wierd hairtsyle you mentioned last week. How old are you? If you are young enough, you need to find other solutions.

        1. I realize a lot of what I post may add up to a very odd picture but I’m an observing Muslim woman who works in engineering, and I wear a scarf to cover my head and modest clothing. So while I may wear a dress that any of you might, I’ll wear a full sleeve shirt or blouse underneath it and pants or wear a full length skirt with a tunic. Getting tops and bottoms to go together is enough of a headache – adding a headscarf to make the whole thing look right is a joy I contend with every day.

          Regardless, I still feel cold and want to look nice and I enjoy the discussions here on Corporette. And I’m still not feeling my hair (I admitted that it looks odd!). I guess I have the “luxury” of growing it out as is and styling it a different way.

          1. oh. Ok. that makes sense. Hope you feel comfortable in your office by getting a space heater or such.

          2. Does the head scarf make the hair less of an issue? Not mocking, just curious. I’m guessing the scarf covers much of your hair?

          3. anon23- the scarf covers my hair, shoulders and chest (if you took a shawl and wrapped around your head, it would be covering me similarly) except it’s much more structured (no sliding scarf in the workplace). While my hair is covered, I get to battle with it everyday to make sure that it doesn’t slide around under my scarf and also need to make sure that the scarf itself doesn’t move around.

            This image (whic I’m not affiliated with, just googling random pictures of headscarves) shows some of the process that goes into putting on a scarf http://shizukanastudio.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/hijab1.jpg.

            On a sidenote, wearing a scarf has turned me into a fabric snob – has to be soft but not too slippery but not too thin but not too thick, etc. etc. etc.

          4. I think a Muslim woman can “get away” with a hoodie, if for no other reason that no one is going to say anything because they are afraid it’s some sort of weird double-hijab and they’d be imposing on your religious rights. So rock on. :)

          5. Ru, what a politely written and informative response. It would have been easy to take the low road by taking offense and responding emotionally, but you didn’t. This is a reminder to myself that the high road is always classy.

            Between your response and the recent discussion about the intern avoiding alcohol-related events, it’s also a nice reminder to myself that assumptions make an a*s out of u and me. There can be good reasons for the unusual way a person may act, even if they don’t immediately spring to my mind.

          6. Erin – hilarious, but probably true, lol. Luckily, my engineering colleagues are much frumpier than me so it’s all good.

            SF Bay Associate – that’s so sweet of you to say. I wasn’t offended (honestly, I’m kind of flattered someone paid attention to my random comments, lol). In all scenarios, it doesn’t hurt to ask =).

            Anon (the original one) – I’m not offended by your comments. It’s very hard not to be frumpy when wearing loose clothing. This site definitely helps!

          7. Another practicing Muslim here. I do not wear a headscarf but dress modestly in that I always wear long pants or skirts, sleeves past my elbows, nothing too tight or low-cut, and try to find shirts that are longer and tunic-style. I feel I must be particularly careful to not project frumpiness, as I don’t have the headscarf to “explain” my sartorial choices. In practice, this means I wear a long cardigan basically every day, while mixing it up on rare occasion with tunics that — no matter the quality of the material — I suspect are considered by many too casual for the office. I’m not sure if I have a point to this post, other than to vent that it can be hard, my wardrobe feels very small, and that I appreciate when everyone can be supportive and helpful. When a commenter says that she can never wear A-line skirts because it makes her hips look big, commenters are always helpful to suggest alternatives. This kind of help is exactly what everyone needs, no matter her fashion limitations. Look forward to the help from all you wise, stylish ladies in the future!

          8. Wow, Ru and MM – I thought managing my own wardrobe was tough. You ladies sound like you’re doing a great job, and have way more constraints than the rest of us. Inspiring. :)

          9. Another kudos for a compassionate, kind response. It never hurts for the discussion to go in the direction of cutting someone some slack. Maybe that long skirt is a religious choice. Maybe skipping happy hour is a struggle with addiction. Maybe those ugly shoes mask severe foot pain. Maybe that nasty reply hides anger and grief over a family medical crisis.

            I love the websites where women take pictures of their daily outfits. I wonder if there are any Muslim bloggers doing that? How about corporate Muslim women? That would be fun to see the photos.

        2. You know, Anon, is it possible to say you don’t care for a look without attacking someone personally as being dowdy and having a weird hairstyle?

          2. haha this is the cattiest group of commenters i’ve ever seen. no, it’s probably not possible. no one on here is EVER polite! 4chan is more welcoming…

    7. If you spend most of your day in your office, just drape a shawl over your legs! Obviously you can’t do this in a meeting, but it works well behind your desk.

      1. As someone who worked for nearly a decade for an big energy management company, I can tell you, we sold a lot of big projects to offices with “cold spots” so bad that people were running space heaters…If you can complain to your facility management people (or find out who can complain to the building management people–often a different bunch!) please do. They will be receptive to the energy management sales reps when they come by.

        Also, if your company has any sensitivity to green building practices, they will be doubly horrified by the glacial A/C space heater issue. So speak up–it’s not just about comfort, but about being a good steward for our limited resources for heating and cooling.

  2. And when I look at the featured top and white skirt, I just think “I’d freeze.”

  3. This is very pretty! Although if you look at the back picture, the woman is wearing a cami underneath is so this blouse may be on the sheer side. I haven’t bought anything at the Limited in years but it may be worth going to the store to check this out.

    1. It is described as being “sheer mesh fabric” – a sheer, mesh, sleeveless top is probably better for a disco than an office.

      1. It’s also described on the Express website as a “party top” although from what I can see in the pictures, with a cami it’s work appropriate. They have another color on sale for $17.

    1. But they only come in full sizes! How weird for a pump – I’ve only seen sizing like that for flip flops and such.

    2. I love how pointy-toe heels look, but as soon as I put them on, oy. By the end of the day I usually want to toss them in the trash. I have wide feet, though. This is a great find – thanks for sharing!

    3. I have a great pair of heeled gold sandals by this maker. Comfortable and well made. But I ordered this pump and there was something majorly wrong with it. I can’t remember exactly (it was 1.5 years ago), but there was no chance I was keeping it.

    1. I bought these on Monday in black leather, they arrived on Tuesday, and I wore them to work on Wednesday! Love em so far.

      Interesting that you bought the patent….I feel like patent is less wearable for the office for some reason. Or maybe the rest of my work wardrobe just doesn’t measure up to shiny shoes:/

    3. There is also a decent selection of Cole Haan’s Carma pumps at dsw.com right now, priced at about 50% off. Shipping is free if you’re a DSW member (membership is free too).

      I agree with the other posters that these are amazing shoes that hold up well. And very comfortable – deceivingly so! I didn’t quite believe all the hype about Air Carmas until I got my first pair… now I’m loath to wear any other kind of heels.

      1. how do cole haan’s run in term of sizes? I’ve been wanting a pair, but DSW only has a 7 left in black, and I tend to wear a 7.5-8… any chance they run big and the 7 could work?

  6. Eh shirt — the ruffles don’t do much for me since I’m fairly “busty” (is that the term du jour??) — but please, no cuffs on your forearms! Much too Bangle-Girls-Walk-Like-An-Egyptian-In-Middle-School!!

    1. I disagree – there’s nothing wrong with wearing bangles (anywhere on your arm) in the office if business casual is the norm.

      1. The Bangles are the band who sang “Walk Like an Egyptian.”

        And I have to agree with disliking cuffs worn high on an arm – to me it always look like they got stuck when you picked your arm up and you were too lazy to fix it. Personal preference …

      2. What kind of office do you work in? Bangles on forearm with long skirts…oy ve!
        Agree with Shayna!

    2. I have no bosom to speak of, but the bib of ruffles still makes me gag.

      And I love The Bangles, but not bangles.

  7. I’m so over ruffles. But that’s just a moment of personal fashion taste. Not words of wisdom or anything which will have any impact on your success at work. Just ready to move on.

  8. I think the shirt is really cute, but I too am wishing stores would calm down with the ruffles. I asked at Ann Taylor Loft recently if they had any, you know, plain shirts. They said, nope, this is the way we are going. (Meanwhile I was wearing a black silk knit shirt that I bought there at least five years ago, still looks perfect, and goes with everything.)

    1. I think the shirt is really cute, but I too am wishing stores would calm down with the ruffles. I asked at Ann Taylor Loft recently if they had any, you know, plain shirts. They said, nope, this is the way we are going. (Meanwhile I was wearing a black silk knit shirt that I bought there at least five years ago, still looks perfect, and goes with everything.)

    2. That’s why I love Lands’ End; they have normal plain fine gauge sweaters in a variety of colors that wear like iron (my mother’s phrase) and look good. They pick up on some trends, but I don’t feel like a ruffle factory barfed on my chest…

  9. I LOVE the look of anything white this summer… from causal dresses to cropped work pants to the skirt featured along w/ the sale blouse. I always refrain from wearing it, though, because I am kind of a klutz (I spill EVERYTHING. Coffee, salad dressing, ink…). *Sigh* But I am loving this beige-on-beige-on-white look :)

    http://cubiclechicblog.com

    1. Hmmm, that white dress on the girl looks frumpy AND office inappropriate at the same time!

      I guess some people manage to achieve that combo!

      1. i don’t think that dress was being worn to the office – if you read it’s pretty clear she was wearing it out. AND i think that dress is adorable.

        1. I agree – very cute! I don’t read the post at all implying it was to be worn to work — which is good, what with the shortness and sequins — but great for a night out.

      2. This is rude. Please don’t comment on how clothes look on an individual poster/blogger – if you want to be catty, there is a whole internet for that.

        And fwiw she made it clear that the white dress was for Saturday nights (and I’m guessing she didn’t mean Saturday nights working at the office).

        1. My opinion? Dress is cute. Period. She could wear it to the office with a cardigan or cropped jacket.

          1. I think the dress is cute, too, but the sequins would make me uncomfortable wearing it to the office, even with a blazer. Do you think it could work despite the sequins?

          2. @Amber – no. No sequins at work, unless maybe it’s just a single line of them around the collar or something, and even then I’m dubious.

          3. I had a pair of shoes about 5 years ago when embroidered/embellished shoes were in that had sequins on them… they were adorable, and I only wore them w/ a very understated outfit to avoid any costume-y vibes, but they still were pushing it (I think I only had the guts to wear them on Fridays, about twice)

            … so no sequins at work!

        2. ah, I see that she is not recommending wearing it to work. I said the dress is frumpy – not on the girl. If you have model like body like hers, its fine, but most women do not and the dress will look frumpy on most. I wish I could pull it off – but do not like the dress either way.

          1. I think it can be really hard to tell how something will look on you until you try it on. I remember saying I was sure a dress posted on here sometime last year would look awful on me. I tried it on out of curiosity and it actually looked amazing on despite the fact that I did not have anywhere near the same figure as the model.

      3. Wow, how abrasive. What are you trying to accomplish by being difficult here?

        The dress is adorable and looks cute. While it seems a bit short for most offices, there is nothing on the page indicating that it is to be worn to work.

    2. I agree on LOVING the look of white in summer. Recently bought a white dress (casual sun dress), white pencil skirt (I think it was part of a full suit but I couldn’t fathom wearing a full white suit), AND a pair of white linen pants which I am seriosuly in love with.

  10. I haven’t shopped at the Limited or Express since college, and I remember the quality of clothes being really poor in comparison to the price. Has this changed?

  11. Love those Cole Haan shoes! I’ve had the exact pair (in black patent) for two years and wear them at least 2-3 times a week. They still look great and they are the most comfortable pair of heels I own! Enjoy!

  12. I could see buying that top and wearing it one time for one occasion. The style is cute and so is the print. It’s really nice for a casual summer outdoor restaurant dinner, with white pants. But would you wear it a second time?

  13. Yes, I generally try to wear my clothing more than once. Of course with white there’s a danger that I might spill and stain. In that case, I’d probably only wear the top once for one occasion.

  14. Thanks everyone for your support! The dress is absolutely NOT frumpy and Meredith looks drop-dead gorgeous in it. Cubicle Chic is a blog about what to wear to the office with an occasional post for after work hours, and that’s exactly what this post was. She wouldn’t wear the sequin dress to our office by any means, but a similarly cut white dress sans-sequins paired with a blazer would be an uber-chic way to wear white at work. And as she mentioned in the post, one can wear almost any color with a white dress… I’m thinking a rusty colored oversized blazer with a waist belt would be quite stylish.

  15. How timely! Every time I see a half way decent looking pant or skirt in white, I try the item on hoping against hope that the fabric will be thick enough to prevent indecency or that it will be lined . . . and I am every time disappointed. Ladies, please put out your recommendations for fabulous white/off white/cream pants and skirts that actually are wearable! I beg you! (Note: No slips in the summer (or ever, really!)).

    1. Sigh. This. You have just described the holy grail of summer clothes.

      I can’t tell you how times I’ve tried on white skirts and pants, snorted into the mirror, and said to myself, “Oh, did I wear polka dotted panties today? Yes, indeed, I did. Hmm.”

      And why is it that the exact same cut and brand of pants that look great in black or navy will look awful in cream, pale gray or any other light color? Even casual trousers in a twill look lumpy in khaki after being flattering in, say, denim. A mystery of the universe, for sure.

    2. Why no slips? They make clothes hang so much more smoothly, and there’s no difference in how a slip feels v. how a skirt lining feels. Someone posted a link recently to http://www.wintersilks.com/, which has a lot of silk slip options if you prefer natural fabrics.

    3. I bought a pair of opaque ivory trousers (no pockets or any irritating stuff) at Ann Taylor 2 years ago…they are super flattering and go with so many colours. I still have them and they look good as new.

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