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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Reader M writes in to recommend this lovely purple suede shoe. We like, we like! The Mary Jane buckle is slim enough to be flattering, and the tone-on-tone detailing of the shoe isn't too TOO, as we've heard you commenters say. It's currently on sale — $59 down from $98, in sizes 5.5-11. And note: if you add this or any other Piperlime item to your order, you get free shipping at the sister sites (Gap, Banana, and Athleta) (use code PLFREE). Women's shoes & accessories: Tahari Kimmy – Violet suede If you've recently seen a great work piece you'd like to recommend to the readers, please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. Unless you ask otherwise, we'll refer to you by your first initial.Sales of note for 9.30.24
- Nordstrom – Beauty deals through September
- Ann Taylor – Extra 30% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off sale
- J.Crew – 50% off select styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 50% off sale with code
- Lo & Sons – Warehouse sale, up to 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Friends & Family 25% off
- Rag & Bone – Friends & Family 25% off sitewide
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Fall Cyber Monday sale, 40% off sitewide and $5 shipping
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- White House Black Market – 40% off select styles
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
CorporateTool
Sorry for the threadjack (although the shoes are lovely), but Gilt Groupe is offering free shipping today in honor of their second birthday.
Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
You can use the Get and Give to get an addition 30% off of these AND give money to a charity.
dcm58
I think that coupon is only good in a store, yes?
Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Nope works in the stores and online. The only thing about using it online is the code is only good once.
Teresa
How do you get the coupon?
Anon
Teresa, if you want to post your email address I can mail you mine. I can’t find anything online to buy this weekend so I won’t be using it. I’ll check back here later today to see if you’ve responded.
Sharon
Cute! I love burgundies, plums and purples for the fall.
C – in looking through your archives, there are a lot of really nice pieces that you had when you started this site, that have no comments on them. Would you consider going back into your archives and re-posting some of those outfits and seeing what people now have to say, now that we’ve started to form some kind of community on here?
Sharon
And speaking of community, I’d really like to hear how those of you who lead workshops for others dress. I’m talking about workshops that are often off-site, the participants / clients are in business casual or sometimes even casual / jeans, you need to be “one step above” them in terms of impact and presence but traditional business wear is way too formal and inappropriate, and you need to be actively moving (unpacking boxes, hanging posters, physically moving around to facilitate discussions, etc.). This is my real work situation, it’s the work situation of a lot of consultants, and I really would like to hear how others in this situation manage this / what they wear.
C. Z.
I did this fairly frequently at my old job, and I tended to wear business casual but would do it in more luxurious fabrics/slightly more upscale jewelry than the group to whom I would present. So if it were winter, rather than a wool sweater with button down, I would wear a detailed silk shell and a thin merino or cashmere cardigan, with a nice skirt and heels instead of flats. For the days when I was doing more active presentations I would wear flats, but I’d still also wear dressy pants for them.
Liz (Europe)
Do any of you actually BUY shoes off the internet, or is this a reference-only kind of post for most people here? Personally, if I buy a pair of shoes – especially heels – that I haven’t tried on, it’s almost guaranteed that I won’t be comfortable in them. I tend to try on several dozen pairs at a shoe store before I find one that seems to be “made for my feet”.
Anonymous
Reference only for me (same problem as you – I can spend a full day shopping for a single pair of shoes I can walk in and that don’t look horrific), but judging by the number of zappos boxes I constantly see in my apartment building’s mail room, I can attest to the fact that many people do buy shoes off the internet!
JR
Yes. Free Shipping back and froth from Zappos and other sites make it easy. Order a couple of sizes and send back one (or all).
KLo
ALL the time. You get overnight shipping! Beats having to walk around the stores for me. And the reviews are almost always on point.
J
Agree with all the other replies.
Besides, after trying on a lot of shoes in person, I’ve found a couple brands that I consistantly know fit in a certain size. That helps a lot when ordering online. I know that certain other brands run too narrow, tend to run big, etc, and I can adjust accordingly. I agree that the reviews can be very helpful.
When I was still in law school, I ordered (nwt) shoes on eBay ALL the TIME. I had a couple pairs not work out, but I saved so much on the ones that did that I was hardly upset about it.
L
I only recently started doing the shoe-online thing. Sometimes I will try a shoe on in the store and then go online to order (if it’s cheaper). Other times, I just can’t find the type of shoes I want in stores. For example, I have been trying to find winter boots for at least a few years. I’m an old soccer player, so all of my weight is in my legs and apparently larger-than-normal calves. This year, I finally gave up after making a few rounds of the stores and bought online. I had to return 2 pairs, but the 3rd pair (Fryes) finally worked!
Anon
I have the same problem, have to try them on in the store first, but then frequently buy online so I don’t have to carry them home (and usually they are cheaper online). Even with Zappo’s free shipping, I don’t want to have to go to the post office to return something…
alyssa
Liz(Europe) – I buy my shoes almost exclusively online and have grown to prefer it. The real trick is to buy from a retailer with free shipping both ways and online shoe shopping is competitive enough that many places do this (zappos.com is my favorite). If I’m worried about the size, I buy two sizes. And my favorite part is that I get to try wearing the shoes around my apartment (or even my office without going outside) before fully commiting to them. When I try shoes on in a store I only get a few minutes at most to take them for a spin but in my apartment I can try them on with the dress I’m hoping they will match, with the pants I’m hoping they work with or to really get a feel for whether something rubs wrong.
LPC
Ah. To reference the comments above. First, I am truly enjoying the community here, although I am no longer in the midst of the working fray. Just listening to you all discuss, joining in, very enjoyable. Second, as for shoes, what I did was find makes that fit. Those I could be assured of. Unfortunately, it’s Ferragamo and Stuart Weitzman, but they always fit. Just meant fewer shoes. I also buy fun dress shoes on the Internet, because I can return them, and because if they are just for a party or something, no issue with a little discomfort.
Lynette
Like the shoes and I think they would go great with that grey dress that was just featured.
em
Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I think these look like plum character shoes (like for the stage), and I don’t much care for the detailing or the conspicuous silver buckle. The color is lovely, but I don’t care for the rest at all.
L
i agree. too costumey.
Me.^
I really like this shoe. The color is pretty and would look really good with gray or black. I like Mary Janes since I tend to have a problem with shoes slipping off when I have to wear pantyhose/tights. I think some styles do look a little too juvenile, but this is not one of them.
In other news, I am having some issues with the site today. I just clicked the comment link on this post and it brought me to a page with a dark gray bar on the top with no place to see or post comments.
Lawgirl
Cuteness! Great price, too. Corporette, I think you’re moving me to think beyond my black/brown/beige shoe collection…
L
I like them! :)
I do buy lots of shoes online (zappos). I buy about 5 pairs in the same style (eg if I am looking for ruffly flats or something) and then I try them all on to see what fits. This is great for most kinds of shoes. I don’t buy running shoes online, though, I buy them at a local store that analyzes your gait and picks the right kind of shoe for how you walk/run.
Anon
Agree on the running shoes, though I sometimes buy a 2nd pair online after wearing through the first one.
Also, unsolicited adivce on running shops — go to one where they watch you run on a treadmill (some even videotape your feet and play it back slow motion!!), NOT one where they simply watch you walk. I don’t have any visible gait problems when walking, but plenty of problems when running, and none of the shops I’d been to ever caught it, I ended up at a podiatrist after lots of pain. And also, not all salespersons at running shops are equally knowledgeable…
Anne Vohl
Purple suede shoes. Hm…. First let’s talk about purple shoes for work. Maroon leather – very nice for shoes or boots. Purple? I don’ think so. But there’s a more important issue. Suede is usually a pretty poor idea. Black suede can be beautiful, but has a dressy connotation. Suede is also great for sandals and athletic shoes. But just think of all the colors suede looks bad in: red, bright green, navy blue, pink, bright yellow. I would add purple to that list. What’s the reasoning behind this? I think suede looks good in natural animal hide colors, whetther or not the leather has actually been dyed. Bright shades sort of scream aniline dye. I think some flat nubuck types of suede do look all right in an array of colors, though.
anon
Suede athletic shoes?? I am having trouble picturing this – especially since suede seems to get dirty/damaged so easily.
I think purple (suede or otherwise) can be done in the office, particularly if paired with more conservative clothing or neutral colors. Of course, I am the undoubtedly biased owner of a knee-high pair of (extremely dark) purple suede boots and a pair of purple patent leather peep-toe slingbacks, both of which I have gotten compliments on at my law firm. :-)
A
Think – old, adidas indoor soccer shoes…
Amber
I have some deep purple ballet flats that I wear all the time and have gotten tons of compliments on. They’re not suede or leather. I think that purple can be perfectly appropriate as long as the rest of your outfit isn’t clownish or too colorful.
C. Z.
I wear purple shoes almost every day! They’re typically sueded, since that’s what I’ve found most companies tend to make purple shoes with, but I almost treat them as a neutral, since they go with all the colors in my wardrobe.
JR
Those grey New Balance 992’s that everyone wears are suede.
CJ in CA
I do buy almost all of my shoes online. I wear a hard to find size, and so I can’t walk into most shoe stores and walk out with a pair. If I buy online I can order 3 pairs in my size, and take the pair that fits best, or looks good. With free shipping, I think it’s probably a pretty good idea for those who can spend hours shopping for fit and comfort!
Erica Foley
Oooh those are fab! And, of course, my size is one of the very few they don’t have. Damn you big feet!!!
Like CJ, I have a hard to find (ie big) size, so I find that online shopping – with all its imperfections and inconveniences – is still a godsend. All I have to do is remember what a nightmare shoe buying was 10 years ago… and I’ll cheerfully forgive the occasional disaster a-la-Zappos.
Mel
well, y’all have convinced me to try on-line shoe shopping, even though I am hard to fit. I’ve only done it once or twice, and the results weren’t so great. but those were w/ fun summer (i.e, cheaper) shoes. so maybe better name brands would help.
and L, I apparently have freakishly large calves, although it is not because I’m a former soccer player! so thanks for the tip on Frye boots.